PREVIOUS PRODUCTIONS
”Mozart and Salieri” - Rimsky-Korsakov
”The Maestro” - Domenico Cimarosa.
”The Maestro” or "Il maestro di cappella" in Italian is a delightfully comic one-act opera where we meet a pompous conductor rehearsing with his orchestra. He scolds them, and complains about how poorly they play - and does not succeed in getting them to follow him.
Domenico Cimarosa was born in 1749 in Aversa and died in 1801 in Venice. Between 1789 and 1792 he was court composer to Kathrine the second of Russia. He wrote around 70 operas, mostly comic, and was often described as "The Italian Mozart". The description is not unfounded when one considers the formal elegance, precision, charm, and wit in his music
We do not know the precise date of composition of "The Maestro" but it is thought the the work was written between 1786 and 1792. That is to say the opera was composed relatively close to Mozart's death in 1791, which is the focus for the other opera on our double bill - ”Mozart and Salieri”
The plot of Rimsky-Korsakov's "Mozart and Salieri" is historically inaccurate but none the less makes an interesting and dramatic tale. The year is 1791. Mozart, the young upstart genius, has emerged as one of the most successful and popular composers in Vienna. Salieri, a favourite of Viennese society for many years, now feels threatened by his precocious colleague.
Jealous of the success of Mozart, he resolves upon poisoning him. He invites his rival to a meal, during which there is a discussion as to the possibility of genius and crime being united in one mind. Salieri, having heard an excerpt from the Requiem that Mozart had composed at the behest of a mysterious stranger, drops the poison into his glass, and when Mozart withdraws, indisposed but unconscious of the cause, Salieri is plunged into remorse, fearing that his murderous act may signify that he is himself no genius.
Production team:
Director: Jens Krogsgaard
Designer:Claus Helbo
Permormers:
Teit Kanstrup (The Maestro / Salieri)
Christian Damsgaard (Mozart)
David Riddell (Conductor)
The Danish Sinfonietta