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Mozart - Demofoonte: fragments of an opera

£31.80

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Label: Arts Music

Cat No: 477468

Barcode: 0600554774688

Format: Hybrid SACD

Number of Discs: 2

Genre: Vocal/Choral

Release Date: 28th July 2008

Artists

Matthias Habich (actor)
Eleonore Marguerre (soprano)
Sunhae Im (soprano)
Netta Or (soprano)
Cappella Coloniensis

Conductor

Bruno Weill

Artists

Matthias Habich (actor)
Eleonore Marguerre (soprano)
Sunhae Im (soprano)
Netta Or (soprano)
Cappella Coloniensis

Conductor

Bruno Weill

About

Pietro Antonio Domenico Trapassi, better known by his pseudonym of Metastasio, was an Italian writer and poet who lived through most of the 18th century. In the early summer of 1730, Metastasio settled in Vienna and over the next ten years produced his finest dramas, including the work known as “Demofoonte”.

By the year 1800 it had inspired at least 73 operas by, amongst others, Vivaldi, Gluck, Paisiello, and Galuppi. Although Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart never composed a complete “Demofoonte” opera, he did leave us six arias which sum up the key moments of the plot.

On this WDR production, the missing story line between the arias is filled in by spoken text supplied by German author Sabine Radermacher based on Metastasio's original drama. Instumental compositions by Mozart from the time between 1769 and 1778 provide a musical context for the operatic scenes.

At the outset of the drama the Thracian king Demofonte asks the oracle of Apollo how long the practice of the annual sacrifice of a virgin will continue. The answer is puzzling: "as long as the innocent usurper sits on the throne". The nobleman Matusio tries to protect his daughter Dircea from being sacrificed. He and Demofonte however are unaware that Dircea is secretly married to Timante, the son of Demofonte and the heir to the throne. it is first revealed that Dircea is in fact Demofonte’s daughter which makes Timante and Dircea brother and sister. However another letter reveals that Timante is the son of Matusio. Therefore the marriage of Timante and Dircea becomes legal, and since Timante is no longer the "innocent usurper of the throne" no more virgins have to be sacrificed.

Track listing:
CD 1
Symphony No.10 in G major, KV 74
1 Allegro – Andante
2 Allegro
3 Demofoonte - 1 (spoken text)
4 Aria: In te speo, so sposo amato, KV 440
Cassation in G major, KV 63 Nr.2
5 Allegro
6 Demofoonte - 2 (spoken text)
Ma che vi fece, o stelle - Sperai vicino, KV 368
7 Recitativo. Allegro assai
8 Aria. Andantino: Sperai vicino
Cassation in B flat major, KV 99
9 Andante and Demofoonte - 3a (spoken text)
10 Minuet
11 Demofoonte - 3b (spoken text)
12 Aria: Non curo l'affetto, KV 74b
13 Demofoonte - 4 (spoken text)
14 Aria: Se ardire, e speranza, KV 82

CD 2
Symphony in A minor, KV 16a
1 Allegro Moderato
2 Demofoonte - 5 (spoken text)
3 Aria: Se tutti i mali miei, KV 83
4 Demofoonte - 6 (spoken text)
Cassation in B flat major, KV 99
5 Andante
6 Demofoonte - 7 (spoken text)
Misero me - Misero pargoletto, KV 77:
7 Recitativo: Misero me
8 Aria: Misero pargoletto
9 Demofoonte - 8 (spoken text)
Cassation in B flat major, KV 99
10 No.2 Allegro Moderato
11 No.6 Minuet
Les Petits Riens, KV 229b
12 No.18 Gavotte
13 No.11 Larghetto
14 No.9 Andantino
15 No.12 Gavotte