The shepherd king is the melodrama in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with a libretto by Pietro Metastasio, which the Rome Opera is staging from 14 May at the Teatro Nazionale to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the opera, under the direction of Maestro Manlio Benzi and directed by Cecilia Ligorio.
This work, written in 1775 by a nineteen-year-old Mozart on behalf of the Archibishop of Salzburg on the occasion of the passage of Archduke Maximilian - youngest son of Empress Maria Theresa - was presented for the first time in Salzburg that same year. The first performance took place right in front of the Archduke, at the Archbishop's Palace, and was conducted by the author. The definition of "serenade", attributed to the composition by Mozart himself, is probably due to the absence of a stage setting with which the first performance was programmed.
The plot tells the story of Aminta, the shepherd destined to become king, who finds himself torn between duty and love; this production by the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma highlights the emotional nuances of Mozart’s music, which, although composed in his youth, already reveals the expressive depth and grace typical of the great Salzburg composer. Ligorio’s direction underlines Aminta’s transformation from shepherd to sovereign, in a staging that brings out the intertwining of feelings and ideals typical of classical times, with a balance between romanticism and the tensions of royal duties.
Characters and performers: Alexander, King of Macedonia, Juan Francisco Gatel; Aminta, Miriam Albano; Elisa, Francesca Pia; Vitale, Tamiri, Benedetta Torre; Agenore, Krystian Adam; Teatro dell'Opera di Roma Orchestra.
Photo: the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma Facebook official page
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