The Impresario (Mozart) &
Prima la musica (Salieri)
A Mozart/Salieri Double Bill
The Eternity Playhouse, Darlinghurst
Fri, March 27 and Sat, March 28 | 7:00pm
Mozart’s The Impresario and Salieri’s Prima la musica, e poi le parole are affectionate satires of the operatic world that revel in backstage chaos. Packed with quick wit, vocal showmanship, and creative disputes that still feel familiar 240 years later. Singers battle for status, composers and poets argue over artistic priorities, and everyone is convinced they are the most indispensable person in the room.
Originally commissioned and presented in direct competition with one another, these works are often linked through Mozart and Salieri’s supposed rivalry. In this double bill, Operantics leans into the humour, theatricality, and joy of live opera making.
The Impresario (W.A Mozart)
What happens when artistic egos are bigger than the budget? Chaos, naturally.
In The Impresario, a well-meaning theatre manager sets out to assemble a new opera company, only to discover that the real drama happens offstage. Two rival sopranos battle for supremacy, each convinced she is the true star.
Mozart’s sparkling score skewers the absurdities of the performing arts with wit and affection, pairing virtuosic vocal fireworks with sharp spoken comedy. Short, fast-paced and delightfully self-aware, The Impresario is a love letter to opera that also gleefully sends it up.
Originally written in German, this production will be performed in English.
Prima La Musica (A. Salieri)
Is opera driven by beautiful music or brilliant poetry? This backstage comedy has an opinion, and it is loudly contested.
Commissioned to create a new opera at impossible speed, a composer and a poet are forced into collaboration while disagreeing on just about everything. The composer insists the music must come first. The poet argues that words give meaning to sound. Meanwhile, singers demand arias that show them off, deadlines loom, and compromises are made on the fly.
Salieri’s Prima la musica, e poi le parole is quick, clever and sharply observed, with elegant music that underlines the ridiculous pressures of artistic creation. The result is a compact comic gem that feels as relevant now as it did in the 18th century.
Performed in Italian with English surtitles.
Production Team
Director: Theresa Borg
Conductor: Philip Eames
Artistic Director & Producer: Katie Miller-Crispe
Hair & Make Up — Rachel Dal Santo & Paula Santos
Production Photography: Rosa Doric
Cast
The Impresario
The Impresario: Matt Gaskin
Mrs Heartfelt: Hannah Burton
Mrs Silvertone: Lana Kains
Prima la musica:
The Maestro: Aidan Hodder
The Poet: Matt Gaskin
Donna Eleonora: Camilla Wright
Tonina: Lana Kains
With Thanks To …
The Australian Institute of Music, Kim Bishop, Rosa Doric, Rachel Dal Santo, Paula Santos, Tony Marchment