le Due Chiese Vassalli

As one of the leading operatic composers of his generation, Johann Simon Mayr nurtured a fascination with the chivalric stories of medieval England. Le due duchesse, an opera semiseria with buffa elements, is set during the reign of the 10th-century King Edgar. Huntsmen’s and Knights’ choruses and troubadour-like songs give great vivacity to a score that is both lyrical and dramatic. Mayr’s compound of Viennese Classicism and Italianate melodic beauty, allied to his ambitious writing and a skilful libretto, produced an important and influential opera couched in his own unmistakable idiom.

Based in Paris, Ensemble Intercontemporain is one of the leading performance organizations devoted to new music, and is closely associated with composer/conductor Pierre Boulez, a leader of the European avant-garde establishment. Boulez developed the idea of the Ensemble during the planning stages for IRCAM (Institut de Recherche et de Coordination Acoustique/Musique).

Here are two comic operas by Paisiello, taped live in July, 2002 at the Martina Franca Festival. In Le due contesse, when the Countess and her suitor Leandro leave for vacation, and a widower–Cavaliere–comes to the door looking for the Countess, the servants Livietta and Prospero tell the Cavaliere that she, Livietta, is the Countess. Cavaliere begins to court her. Guess what? Yup–the real Countess and Leandro come back and Livietta tells the Cavaliere that she’s allowing her servant, really the Countess, to act like a Countess. Prospero tries to convince the real Countess to pay attention to the Cavaliere (who, by now, is confused), and this makes Leandro jealous. Anger/mirth ensues; a duel is suggested but is averted. The real Countess, in fact, falls for the Cavaliere, and somehow Livietta gets together with Leandro.