June 26, 2010: Apollo and Hyacinthus by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Cast:
Oebalus, King of Lacedonia -- Maximilian Kiener
Melia, Oebalus's daughter -- Christiane Karg
Hyacinthus, Oebalus's son -- Jekaterina Tretjakova
Apollo, god and guest of Oebalus -- Anja Schlosser
Zephyrus, confidant of Hyacinthus -- Astrid Monika Hofer
A priest -- Norbert Steidl

Hariklia Apostolu, harpischord continuo
Luise Buchberg, cello continuo

Apollo et Hyacinthus (Apollo and Hyacinthus)

Intermezzo in three acts, K.38, by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a Latin libretto by Rufinus Widl; Salzburg, Benedictine University, 13 May 1767.

Mozart’s first stage work, Apollo et Hyacinthus, is an intermezzo, written for performance by students with the five-act Latin tragedy Clementia Croesi by the Benedictine Gymnasium teacher, Widl.

Hyacinthus (boy soprano, here performed by female soprano), son of Oebalus (tenor), King of Lacedonia, is murdered by Zephyrus (boy alto, here performed by female alto) to incriminate Apollo (boy alto, here performed by female alto), his rival for the hand of Oebalus’s daughter Melia (boy soprano, here performed by female soprano). She denounces Apollo; but the dying Hyacinthus, in a moving recitative, reveals the truth. Zephyrus is banished, Apollo and Melia marry, and the god turns Hyacinthus into the flower that bears his name.

The musical idiom is not yet characteristic, but is never less than expressive. Although the singers were aged between 12 and 23, the solo numbers (an aria for each character, two duets and a trio) are neither short nor particularly easy. There is a single-movement overture and an opening chorus.

Julian Rushton. "Apollo et Hyacinthus." The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. Ed. Stanley Sadie. Grove Music Online. Oxford Music Online. 9 Sep. 2008 .