Maria Josepha of Austria went down in the history of Poland as the last queen of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth through her marriage to Augustus III of Saxony, who was crowned King of Poland by the Bishop of Krakow in 1734.
The marriage ceremony of Archduchess Maria Josepha with the Saxon prince took place many years before these important events in Polish history, in 1719. The Dresden wedding, thrown for his son by Augustus II, was remembered not only as an important political event but also as one of the most lavish ceremonies in Baroque Europe. Although the two compositions that Johann Sebastian Bach himself was allegedly commissioned to write for this occasion were finally not performed at the event, there is no doubt that the music at the wedding was kept at the highest level. Among the pieces that resounded that day was the secular cantata L’Istro by Francesco Conti, a recognized Italian composer and instrumentalist. The grandiose work for soprano and orchestra delights with the sophisticated melody of the solo part and inventiveness in the use of the sounds of particular instruments.
In the second part of the concert, the outstanding soloists of the Polish Royal Opera will perform the cantata Il giorno natalizio dell’imperatrice Amalia Wilhelmina, written by another Italian composer – Giuseppe Porsile to a text by Pietro Pariati. It is worth noting that Porsile was the only Neapolitan artist truly appreciated at the Viennese Habsburg court, where the more conservative attitudes of artists from northern Italy prevailed. His dramatic work for two sopranos, three altos and basso continuo was first performed in 1717, and among the performers at the premiere there were both Maria and her mother, Amalia Wilhelmina, as evidenced by an entry in the manuscript of the work preserved in Sächsische Landesbibliothek in Dresden.
PROGRAM AND PERFORMERS
Francesco Conti (1681–1732) – cantata L’Istro (libretto: Apostolo Zeno)
KACPER SZELĄŻEK COUNTERTENOR
Giuseppe Porsile (1680–1750) – cantata Il giorno natalizio dell’imperatrice Amalia Wilhelmina (libretto: Pietro Pariati)
LA GLORIA JOANNA TALARKIEWICZ
LA FAMA MARTA BOBERSKA
LA PRIMAVERA IWONA LUBOWICZ
L’AURORA / FLORA ANETA ŁUKASZEWICZ
THE PERIOD INSTRUMENTS ENSEMBLE OF THE POLISH ROYAL OPERA CAPELLA REGIA POLONA
LILIANNA STAWARZ HARPSICHORD, CONDUCTOR
Duration: approx. 1 h
The seats in the auditorium are not numbered.
We kindly encourage you to read the rules of participation in cultural events organized by the Polish Royal Opera:
- If you are not feeling well, are ill, or had contact with an infected person – stay at home.
- Please, take a face mask with you. On entering the Theatre building, you are obliged to wear a mask covering your mouth and nose.
- At the entrance to the building, please have your temperature taken.
- Disinfect your hands after entering the Theatre building.
- Please remember to sign the Participant Declaration. If possible, please bring the printed and signed declaration with you, if not – fill it in in the Theatre, in the area shown by the staff.
- Take the seat assigned to you by the staff.
- Please come earlier – latecomers will not be allowed into the auditorium.
We care about the safety of our Guests!
- Disinfectants are available at the entrance to the building.
- At the entrance to the building, staff may take your temperature.
- The common spaces and sanitary rooms are disinfected regularly.
- Only 75% of the seats in the auditorium will be available. Persons vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 who voluntarily show a QR code confirming their vaccination with a double dose of the vaccine on the day of the event do not count towards the limit.
Should you have any questions, we are at your disposal on site of the event or at the phone number +48 500 309 424.
