Classical Works Spotlight #612--Mozart Singspiel

[erik]

Mozart was known for his Italian-language operas...and also for the much shorter form of quasi-opera known as the "singspiel". An example of the latter is in this week's Classical Works Spotlight.

Mozart: THE IMPRESARIO, K. 486

While W.A. Mozart was a master of all forms of music during his sadly abbreviated time, including opera, he had also found a way to perfect the form of the “singspiel”, a form of German-language music drama that presaged some of the things that would be perfected into the German Romantic opera by Carl Maria von Weber and Richard Wagner. One of his best known works in the singspiel genre was “Der Schauspieldirektor”, or “The Impresario”, which he composed in 1786 in very short order, even as he was putting the finishing touches on what would arguably become his most popular opera “The Marriage Of Figaro”. “The Impresario” concerns itself with the titular character who hires two actresses for his new theatrical company. Complications, of course, arise when the two actresses argue who will get the prime roles and who will be paid the most. This comedy of errors was premiered on February 7, 1786 at the Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna by Joseph II, on the same night that a competing opera, namely Antonio Salieri’s “First The Music, Then The Words”, was seeing its premiere in the same palace. This was one of the things that promulgated the supposed rivalry between the Italian-born Salieri and the Salzburg wunderkind that became the basis for Peter Schaefer’s famous play (and later 1984 movie) Amadeus. Nevertheless, Mozart’s entry, which takes up only about half an hour performance time, was performed at least three other times during the last five years of his life; and even today, it can be performed in concert settings, as well as on opera stages.



Madame Herz: MAGDA NADOR
Madamemoiselle Silberklang: KRISZTINA LIKKI
Monsieur Vogelsang: THOMAS HAMPSON
Buff: HARRY VAN DER KAMP

Collegium Vocale
Netherlands Chamber Choir

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra/NIKOLAUS HARNONCOURT (Teldec)

Included:
THAMOS, KING IN EGYPT, K. 345

Sethos: THOMAS THOMASCHKE

Soprano: JANET PERRY
Mezzo: ANNE-MARIE MUHLE
Tenor: MARIUS VON ALTENA
Bass: HARRY VAN DER KAMP

[egoodstein]

It's quite fun-- impressive in translation as well as original. And an interesting little chapter in Mozart's life-- a contrast to The magic Flute too-- and said to have been somewhat influential on Richard Strauss's late opera, Capriccio. It's an interesting example of almost a 'comic' oratorio and another example of Mozart's amazing versatility and variety, and of course 'theatrical' in it's own way.

[erik]

That he managed to make this relatively brief work during a time when he was exceptionally busy is a testament to his genius. He basically switched from his native German in "The Impresario" to the comic Italian of "The Marriage Of Figaro"; and in both cases, he struck gold.