Music composed by W. A. Mozart. Libretto by Gottlieb Stephanie the
younger.
First Performance: 7 February 1786, Schˆnbrunn,
Orangery
| Characters: | |
| Frank, an impressario | Speaking role |
| Eiler, a banker | Speaking role |
| Buff, an actor | Speaking role |
| Herz, an actor | Speaking role |
| Madame Pfeil, an actress | Speaking role |
| Madame Krone, an actress | Speaking role |
| Madame Vogelsang, an actress | Speaking role |
| Vogelsang, a singer | Tenor |
| Madame Herz, a singer | Soprano |
| Mademoiselle Silberklang, a singer | Soprano |
Setting: an impresario’s room in Salzburg, 1786.
Synopsis:
Gottlieb Stephanie, who had previously collaborated with Mozart in
Entf¸hrung aus dem Serail, portrays the misadventures of the
entrepreneur Frank who must put together a company of actors and singers
while dealing with their whims, rivalries and pretensions of exorbitant
remuneration. The economic problems are resolved thanks to banker Eiler’s
intervention in exchange for Frank pretending to engage his lover, Madams
Pfeil. The musical passages are in the second part of the job, when Frank
begins the auditions of the singers. Madams Herz sings an air ranging from an
initially pathetic and sentimental character to a bright conclusion, rich in
virtuosities. The following air tests Mlle Silberklang. In the trio “Ich bin
die erste S‰ngerin” the two ambitious singers confront him on who the prima
donna will be, while Monsieur Vogelsang attempts to reconcile matters. The
singers determine that art can thrive with all the personal ambition only
through the peaceable cooperation of all their strengths.
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image=http://www.operatoday.com/Great_Gallery_Orangerie_Sch.png
image_description=The Great Gallery at The Orangerie Schˆnbrunn, Vienna
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first_audio_name=W. A. Mozart: Der Schauspieldirektor
iTunes, FooBar2000, WinAMP or VLC
first_audio_link=http://www.operatoday.com/Schauspieldirektor1.m3u
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product_title=W. A. Mozart: Der Schauspieldirektor
product_by=Madame Herz: Edita Gruberova
Mlle. Silberklang: Krisztina Laki
M. Vogelsang: Thomas Moser
Buff: Istv·n G·ti
Mozarteum-Orchester, Leopold Hager (cond.)
Live performance, 29 July 1976, Salzburger Festspiele 1976