# Does anyone listen to early Mozart opera?



## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

I have listened to Lucio Silla and found it to have a surprising number of decent arias. Zaide I thought was superb. But I have not really delved into anything else and I know there is a lot as I have the box sets in my LP collection. So what is worth listening to?


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## superhorn (Mar 23, 2010)

I've heard recordings of some of them, such as Lucio Silla, La Finta Giardinera, Mitridate, and Il Re Pastore ,and have the Harnoncourt recording of Silla on Teldec and the R.C.A. Re Pastore conducted by Dennis Vaughan. 
They're pleasant, but don't come anywhere close to the greatness of the three Da Ponte operas, or Idomeneo, The Abduction, the Magic Flute and La Clemenza di Tito. 
But what do you expect from a kid who's barely into his teens ? They certainly show remarakable talent for such a youngster, though .
La Finta Giardinera has what may possibly be the most tangled and confusing plot of any opera .
I like the aria in it for baritone which switches on and off from Italian, German and English !
The Harnoncourt recording on Teldec is excellent. Il Re Pastore is just bland, I'm afraid,though .


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

I have only heard "Bastien und Bastienne"


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

I like Il re pastore.

It's available in a charming production on Youtube:


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## Hesoos (Jun 9, 2012)

I've listened to Mitridate, Il sogno di Scipione, La betulia liberata and Lucio Silla
I like a lot Il sogno di Scipione, I don't know if it is an opera or a cantata... but is really nice. Lucio Silla is good too.
That is one of my favourites arias from Il Sogno di Scipione.

Se vuoi che te raccolgano questi soggiorni un dì (if you want to live in this place in the future, that means in the heaven)


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

One opera I really want to get into is La Finta Semplice.


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## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

There is a superb aria in Mitridate - Lungi da te (I think) - with a beautiful horn solo. Hard to believe he wrote it at that age - yet it is so special - only a Mozart could have written it.


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## Moira (Apr 1, 2012)

Bastien and Bastienne is one of the CDs in my collection. Pretty for what I think was his first opera, but ultimately not anything one wants to listen to every year.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

Moira said:


> Bastien and Bastienne is one of the CDs in my collection. Pretty for what I think was his first opera, but ultimately not anything one wants to listen to every year.


Apollo et Hyacinthus was his first opera.


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## ozradio (Oct 23, 2008)

I have them in the big Mozart box set but without libretti I have not listened to them.


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## myaskovsky2002 (Oct 3, 2010)

mamascarlatti said:


> I like Il re pastore.
> 
> It's available in a charming production on Youtube:


Again, you like contemporary stages... Il y en a pour tous les goûts dans ce monde étrange.

Martin


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## spradlig (Jul 25, 2012)

I'm sure _someone_ does. :devil:


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## Cypress (Dec 19, 2014)

I have the CD for Lucio Silla which I listened to over the weekend. Some of the arias are quite remarkable. Some of the arias sounded like technically remarkable compositions, but the singer did not quite find the emotion of the words. The arias were quite tragic but the aria and music where too upbeat. It was a trademark Mozart with the exuberant and high spirits, but not matching the words of the libretto.

Also, Mozart set up most of the arias with a mini overture. He took a long path to the first note. I very much enjoyed the Choral pieces and wish there were more. There was a terzetto in Act II No 16 that had the singers not singing together, but singing a separate libretto. It worked! I could hear all three, they were telling their story but interwoven in the composition. That seemed quite sophisticated IMHO. 

The Finale was only in one part. It is far away from the five parts I believe in Cosi Fan Tutte. But, as we say, for a 16 year old, it is most impressive.


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## OboeKnight (Jan 25, 2013)

My school is doing La Finta Giardiniera and I'm playing in the pit. I watched a performance of it online and wow, that is one craaaazy story line. I got lost so many times and had to go back. Parts of it are enjoyable, but I can't say I really like it all that much. Maybe it will grow on me in the coming weeks.


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## atmplayspiano (Apr 12, 2014)

I have only heard La finta giardianiara, but the impression left upon me was that of fine wit and charm in the music. The plot, however... let's leave that alone, it probably wasn't Mozart's fault.


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## BaronScarpia (Apr 2, 2014)

_La finta giardiniera_ is divine!! I urge everyone to listen to it!


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## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

Il re Pastore is beautiful


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