Mayr’s Telemaco was a product of turbulent political times in the Republic of Venice, which had been occupied by Napoleon’s troops in late 1796. Military elements, with incorporated marches, feature strongly in a score that brought to contemporary Venetian theatre many of the innovative elements that were in vogue on the operatic stages of Paris. Taking classical Greek mythological material, Mayr fashioned an opera full of colour, interweaving instrumental interludes and dances into his arias, cavatinas and choruses, and crafting his own very personal vision of the new Italian opera seria.

Conductor Franz Hauk has been responsible for re-establishing the music of Johann Simon Mayr, one of the most significant operatic and vocal composers resident in Italy before the rise of Rossini. The edition used in this performance is that of conductor Franz Hauk and Manfred Hößl. The many Mayr discs issued so far have received international acclaim.