1 LP - 6.43336 AZ - (p) 1987

1 CD - 8.43336 ZK - (p) 1987

Antonio Salieri (1750-1825)



Prima la Musica, Poi le Parole



Divertimento teatrale un einem Akt (Text von Giambattista Casi)



- Sinfonia (Allegro con brio) 2' 12"
A1
- Nr. 1 Duetto (Poeta, Maestro) "Signor Poeta mio" 4' 37"
A2
- Nr. 3 Recitativo accompagnato (Eleonora) "Non dubitar, verrò" 1' 00"
A3
- Nr. 4 Aria (Eleonora) "Là tu vedraio chi sono" 2' 42"
A4
- Nr. 6 Terzett (Eleonora, Poeta, Meatro) "Cari oggetti" 4' 57"
A5
- Nr. 10 Aria (Tonina - Einwürfe Poeta, Maestro) "Via largo, largo, largo" 5' 06"
A6
- Nr. 11 Cavatina (Tonina) "Cucuzze! Che concorso" 1' 12"
A7
- Nr. 13 Finale (Eleonora, Tonina, Poeta, Maestro "Se questo mio pianto il cor non ti tocca, Per pietà, padrona mia" 5' 11"
A8




Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)


Der Schauspieldirektor, KV 486



Komödie mit Musik in einem Akt (Text von Gottlieb Stephan dem Jüngeren)



- Sinfonia (Presto) 3' 50"
B1
- Nr. 1 Arietta (Madame Herz) "Da schlögt die Abschiedsstunde" 3' 36"
B2
- Nr. 2 Rondò (Mademoiselle Silberklang) "Bester Jüngling" 2' 53"
B3
- Nr. 3 Terzett (Madame Herz, Mademoiselle Silberklang, Monsieur Vogelsang) "Ich bin die erste Sängerin" 6' 19"
B4
- Nr. 4 Schlußgesang (Vaudeville) (Madame Herz, Mademoiselle Silberklang, Monsieur Vogelsang, Buff) "Jeder Künstler strebt nach Ehre" 5' 19"
B5




 
Prima la Musica, Poi le Parole Der Schauspieldirektor




Robert Holl, Maestro
Magda Nador, Madame Herz
Thomas Hampson, Poeta Krisytina Laki, Mademoiselle Silberklang
Roberta Alexander, Donna Eleonora Thomas Hampson, Monsieur Volgelsang

Julia Hamari, Tonina Harry van der Kamp, Buff

Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Violoncello (Solo in Schlußgesang)


Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam

Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Dirigent
 
Luogo e data di registrazione
Concertgebouw, Amsterdam (Olanda) - maggio 1986
Registrazione live / studio
studio
Producer / Engineer
-
Prima Edizione CD
Teldec - 8.43336 ZK - (1 cd) - 49' 18" - (p) 1987 - DDD
Prima Edizione LP
Teldec - 6.43336 AZ - (1 lp) - 49' 18" - (p) 1987 - Digital

Notes
Mozart`s Schauspieldirektor and Salieri’s Prima la Musica were composed for the same occasion; both were commissioned by the Emperor Joseph II and dealt with the sarne subject - the creation of an opera and the establishment of an opera company. Both works had their premieres on February 7th 1786 in the Orangery at Schönbrunn. Just as the main topic of the two little operas highlights and most cunningly parodies the competition between rival singers, so these two works represent in themselves a competition unique in the history of music theatre; by Imperial decree the newly created German opera, The Singspiel pitted itself, as it were, against the Italian opera buffa to prove its viability. Salieri had an advantage in that his librettist (Giambattista Casti) was vastly superior to Mozart’s (Stefanie). This was why the plan of the Emperor, who presumably was hoping for Mozart and German opera to win the day, failed. - The Orangery was a long, narrow building with small stages at each end, on which the orchestras were seated. The audience was placed between them like so many umpires; they only needed to tum round. - The evening was a triumph for Salieri and Italian opera; the Schauspieldirektor was a flop.
On February 8th, 1786, the “Wiener Zeitung” carried the following report: “On Tuesday H.M. the Emperor arranged a festivity in honour of their Highnesses the Governors General of the Royal & Imperial Netherlands and a company of the local nobility. Invitations were extended to 40 cavaliers (including Prince Poniatowsky), who chose their ladies and drove in pairs, either in barouches or in closed carriages, along with His Imperial Majesty, who escorted Her Highness the Archduchess Christine. They left the Imperial residence at 3 o’clock for Schönbrunn and alighted at the Orangery, which was arranged for the reception of the guests and for luncheon in the most charming and delicate manner. The table under the orange trees was dressed most delightfully with indigenous and foreign flowers, blossom and fruit. While His Majesty and the distinguished foreign and other guests were dining, the Imperial & Royal Court chamber orchestra performed on wind instruments. At the conclusion of the meal the actors of the Imperial & Royal National Theatre performed "Der Schauspieldirektor, a play with arias, specially composed for the occasion” by Mozart, on a stage erected at one end of the Orangery. As soon as it was over, the Italian stage, built at the other end of the Orangery, became the venue for an opera buffa also specially written for the occasion entitled Prima la musica e poi le parole, presented by the company of the Court Opera. Throughout this time the Orangery was splendidly illuminated by a large number of lights in chandeliers and on brackets. After 9 o’clock the whole company returned to town, in the same order as before, each carriage accompanied by two grooms with storm lanterns."
The present perforrnance is based on the New Mozart Edition and autograph score and on Salieri’s dedicatory score. In respect of tempo and basic mood the overtures are strikingly similar, but the identical scenarios were bound to produce parallels of this nature. Since the German Singspiel contained no recitatives, Mozart’s work was interspersed with extensive dialogue passages, whereas Salieri made use of the customary secco recitatives. (These have been omitted, as were some of the arias, in order to facilitate the publication of both works on the same record.)

Salieri: Prima la Musica, Poi le Parole
After a short, stormy overture the composer (Maestro) informs the librettist (Poet) in Duet No. 1 that he has just accepted a commission to produce and opera within four days. The Poet is outraged, declaring that he cannot possibly write a complete play in so short a time, but in the end he is persuaded to co-operate.
In the following recitative the Poet desperately tries to resist the demand that he should supply the text for music which has already been composed, protesting that this procedure is inartistic. In addition, the Maestro offends him deeply by declaring that opera goers are not the slightest bit interested in the text. They then decide to engage their cast, and the age-old problem of patronage raises its ugly head. The Poet recommends a soubrette who is the mistress of a rich benefactor prepared to provide some money if she gets the part. They start an argument about the division of the spoils: the Poet wants a half share, while the Maestro demands nine tenths! A prima donna enters; she prays in aid her friendship with the Count who has commissioned the opera and is most attentive to the Maestro, while ignoring the Poet. She boasts of her huge repertoire and her successes abroad, particularly with an opera by Salieri. The Maestro invites her to sing the first cavatina starting at the words "Pensieri...". The Poet intervenes to instruct her in the latest fashion in ornamentation, but she refuses to listen to him.
Recitative No. 3 and Aria No. 4:
The prima donna proposes to sing Sabino’s great aria which opens with an accompanied recitative; first she requests the Poet to play the roles of her partners, to assume a “dignified pose” and to keep still until the end; the Maestro accompanies her. As she sings the castrato part, the ludicrous contrast between the heroic text and the female soprano voice is emphasized. The Poet complains of her unmusical rendering right up to the final chord.
She is outraged, but intends to give proof positive of her skill in a Rondo; both men are made to assume highly uncomfortable and grotesque attitudes as they perform supporting roles.
Ronda No. 6 is a sad aria of farewell, spoilt by the Poet and Maestro who complain of their aching knees while they give her her cues; she is not to be put off, but sings to the bitter end, when the two men collapse on the ground.
The prima donna mocks their sensitivity and departs, confident that she will be engaged. - The two get down to work. The Poet is hard pressed to find suitable words for the music that is already in existence, but in the end they manage to piece together an aria and a text after some chopping and changing. Now they try to fit the soubrette into the piece - a completely hopeless task, since opera seria and opera buffa were kept rigidly apart. In the end they cobble together the buffo aria "Per pieta, padrona mia...".  In a duet they describe the process of composing a piece of music. Then the libretto is finished, complete with deliberate errors in writing and reading. While the Poet goes to fetch the soubrette, the Maestro extols the predominance of the music over the words and composes a buffo aria. The soubrette, Tonina, arrives, arguing with the Poet. She grumbles about the old-fashioned operas and contemptuously throws the scores on the floor. Finally she claims to be an allround soubrette capable of singing any role that she is given. First she pretends to be a Quaker girl (this aria was probably omitted as early as the first performance), then a lunatic.
Aria No. 10: The text is a collection of utter nonsense. She berates the two men because they do not weep tears of emotion; then she continues with her balderdash. After the aria proper she even imitates a stammerer: Aria No. 11.
In order to silence her Poet and Maestro praise her singing and offer her a part in their new opera. She is just starting to sight-read her aria when the prima donna returns. The Maestro interrupts Tonina’s rehearsal, thereby infuriating her. The prima donna immediately wants to start working on her own aria. When she discovers that a soubrette has been engaged in addition to herself, she flies into a rage.
Finale No. 13  starts with Tonina singing her aria in total disregard of the prima donna, who begins rehearsing her own aria at the same time, Poet and Maestro, in despair, comment upon the ensuing uproar. Eventually they settle their disagreement and sing in praise of music theatre.

Nikolaus Harnoncourt

Nikolaus Harnoncourt (1929-2016)
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