Opera in 1775

The Mozartists' ground-breaking MOZART 250 series continues with this revelatory selection from operas that were being performed 250 years ago in 1775. Highlights from Mozart’s serenely effervescent Il re pastore include the exquisite “L’amerò, sarò costante” and the infectiously joyful finale, “Viva l’invitto Duce”, and the programme also contains an idyllic trio from Haydn’s ‘Turkish’ opera and a scintillatingly virtuosic aria from J. C. Bach’s Lucio Silla. Also included are modern-day premières of arias from the two operas that were commissioned alongside Mozart’s 1775 operas: Antonio Tozzi’s Orfeo ed Euridice opened in Munich a few days before Mozart’s La finta giardiniera, while Gli orti esperidi by Domenico Fischietti (who three years earlier had been controversially appointed as Kapellmeister in Salzburg) was the main commission for the royal visit for which Mozart’s Il re pastore was also written.

An outstanding line-up of young singers is headed by soprano Ava Dodd and tenor Hugo Brady, who both starred in The Mozartists’ acclaimed performance of La finta giardiniera at Cadogan Hall in March, and Mozart specialist Ian Page conducts his award-winning period-instrument orchestra.