Antonio Salieri Prima la musica e poi le parole Divertimento teatrale in one act Bärenreiter URTEXT Libretto by Giovanni Battista Casti Edited by Thomas Betzwieser Vocal score (Ital., Ger.) by Karl-Heinz Müller German translation by Stefan Trossbach BA 7698a · € 29.95 Performance material on hire

Viennese Operatic Jewels On 7 February 1786 a memorable operatic contest took place in the Orangery at Schönbrunn, which the Emperor Joseph II himself initiated. The two opera ensembles resident in Vienna were to be judged: the Italian ‘court opera’ and the Singspiel troupe of the German National Theatre. The productions which resulted from this contest were Antonio Salieri’s Prima la musica e poi le parole and Mozart’s Der Schauspieldirektor. In Salieri’s opera the process of composing is depicted on the stage in music, making this divertimento teatrale a gem in the genre of metamelodrama. Prima la musica e poi le parole reveals the composer Salieri not only at the stylistic heights of the period, but also at the height of his music-dramatical creativity. Salieri’s opera stands up fully in comparison with Mozart’s Der Schauspieldirektor. The vocal score is based on the first Critical Edition of Salieri’s best-known opera, edited by Thomas Betzwieser. Also available Joseph Haydn: L'anima del filosofo ossia Orfeo ed Euridice BA 4658 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Der Schauspieldirektor BA 4512