Johann Heinrich Schmelzer’s Serenata for the Celebrations of Maria Antonia Habsburg’s Birthday
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2017 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Musicologica Brunensia |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| web | Digitální knihovna FF MU |
| Doi | http://dx.doi.org/10.5817/MB2017-2-19 |
| Field | Art, architecture, cultural heritage |
| Keywords | Johann Heinrich Schmelzer; Johann Albrecht Ruedolf; Maria Antonia Habsburg; Leopold I; Imperial court; Prague Castle; Kroměříž; festive serenatas; theatre |
| Description | In 1679, because of the great epidemy of plague, the whole imperial court moved to Prague, which for several months became the seat of the Emperor again. Emperor’s and Empress Dowager’s musicians performed in Prague several secular and ecclesiastical dramatico-musical works including the first comic opera in Czech lands – La Patienza di Socrate con due mogli by Antonio Draghi. On 18 January 1680 the serenata Die sieben Alter stimmen zusammen by Johann Heinrich Schmelzer and Johann Albrecht Ruedolf was performed on the occasion of Archduchess Maria Antonia’s birthday. Although it does not represent an extensive work and its storyline is not based on a complicated dramatical plot, the composition is remarkable for its unusual subject, and for its libretto in German. The goal of the paper was to examine this composition and its performance, as well as to update some findings from previous literature. |
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