The musical program invites us into the fascinating world of late eighteenth-century opera, where wit and elegance intertwine with passion, deception and the complexities of human nature. Through the music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri, two leading figures of Viennese musical life, we discover a theatrical universe shaped by the spirit of the Enlightenment and the refined sensibilities of the Classical era.

Valentina Piovano, soprano

Giulio Boschetti, bass–baritone

Francesco Attesti, piano

Program:

Part 1 – Comic intrigue and romantic misunderstanding (the Da Ponte-style comedy of character)

• Mozart, from The Marriage of Figaro: “Deh vieni, non tardar”
• Salieri, from La cifra: “Nell’anno 1700”
• Mozart, from Così fan tutte: “Il core vi dono”

Part 2 – The pastoral, Arcadia, and the illusion of an idyllic world—a blend of deception, nature, and 18th-century elegance

• Salieri, from Il pastor fido : Duet between Corbaccio and Orimba, “Di questa chioma, ingrato”; Aria (Corbaccio): “Non son queste…”; Aria (Amarilli): “Care selve, amiche piante”

Part 3 – Power, jealousy, and the tragic (the shadows of the tyrant, vengeance, and nobility of soul)

• Mozart, from The Marriage of Figaro: “Crudel! perché finora…”; “Vedrò, mentr’io sospiro…”
• Salieri, from Axur, re d’Ormus: Aria of Aspasia, “Come fuggir…”

Finale

• Mozart, from Don Giovanni: “Là ci darem la mano”

Guests will be invited to enjoy a tasting of Prosecco from Veneto.

RSVP

Italian Cultural Institute

686 Park Avenue, New York