Der Schauspieldirektor
| Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart |
|---|
 |
|
Operas
|
|
Pasticcio
|
Der Schauspieldirektor (The Impresario), K. 486, is a comic Singspiel written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Gottlieb Stephanie, an Austrian Schauspieldirektor.
Mozart wrote the opera as his entry in a musical competition sponsored on February 7, 1786 by Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II at the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna. The competition was to pit a German singspiel against an Italian opera. The competing Italian entry was the opera buffa Prima la musica, poi le parole (First the Music, then the Words), by Antonio Salieri.[citation needed]
It has been noted[who?] that the character and scale of the overture are similar to those of the overture to Le nozze di Figaro, which was written at the same time and premiered later the same year.
There are only four vocal numbers in the score, and the musical content (about 30 minutes, including the overture) is surrounded by much spoken dialogue, topical in its day. In modern times, the text is usually completely rewritten.
Contents |
[edit] Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, February 7, 1786 (Conductor: — ) |
|---|---|---|
| Frank, an impresario | spoken role | Johann Gottlieb Stephanie Jr. |
| Eiler, a banker | spoken role | Johann Franz Hieronymus Brockmann |
| Buff, a buffo singer | bass | Joseph Weidmann |
| Monsieur Vogelsang, a singer | tenor | Valentin Adamberger |
| Madame Herz, a singer | soprano | Aloysia Weber |
| Mademoiselle Silberklang, a singer | soprano | Catarina Cavalieri |
| Herz, an actor | spoken role | Joseph Lange |
| Madame Pfeil, an actress | spoken role | Anna Maria Stephanie |
| Madame Krone, an actress | spoken role | Johanna Sacco |
| Madame Vogelsang, an actress | spoken role | Maria Anna Adamberger |
[edit] Noted arias
- "Bester Jüngling" — Mademoiselle Silberklang
- "Da schlägt des Abschieds Stunde" — Madame Herz
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Holden, Amanda (Ed.), The New Penguin Opera Guide, New York: Penguin Putnam, 2001. ISBN 0-140-29312-4
[edit] External links
- Der Schauspieldirektor: Score and critical report (German) in the Neue Mozart-Ausgabe
- Synopsis from Stanford University
- Libretto
- Der Schauspieldirektor: Free scores at the International Music Score Library Project.
