Johann Christoph Schmidt (1664–1728) secured his place in the history of Polish music through his activity at the court of King Augustus II – as a musician, teacher, and composer. From 1697, as royal Kapellmeister, he organised and then co-directed – together with Jacek Różycki (1635–1703) – the Polish royal chapel, which for almost a decade formally served both the court in Poland and Saxony, performing successfully in Warsaw, Kraków, and Dresden. The vocal-instrumental Königlich Pohlnische Capelle, however, took part above all in religious services – Protestant or Catholic, depending on need – and in concerts, while Italian and French troupes were brought in for theatrical performances, with musicians from the court ensemble employed only occasionally. It was Italian opera that enjoyed particular popularity: with its expressive power and wealth of invention, it enchanted all of Europe, although it also had its opponents. Suffice it to say that it was present at the Saxon court, even though – as Alina Żórawska-Witkowska observes – Augustus II “never became an enthusiast of the genre”.
It was in this artistic context, among the Italian artists active in Warsaw, that Johann Christoph Schmidt’s theatrical divertimento Latona in Delo was created. The work was staged in 1699 by the troupe of Gennaro Sacco. The librettist, Pietro Francesco De Silva, based his story on the Ovidian myth, while the inspiration for introducing the theme of love was the relationship between King Augustus II and Urszula Lubomirska. It was with them that the main characters – Latona and Jupiter – were identified, and their vicissitudes reflected the social arrangements of the court. Latona in Delo is the first opera staged in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth to have survived to the present day in both its musical and literary form. It is known, however, that in the later years of Saxon rule, many more Italian operas were seen in Warsaw.
Marta Dziewanowska-Pachowska
CAST
MARTE/GIOVE PAWEŁ MICHALCZUK
PACE/ERMINA IWONA LUBOWICZ
GIANO/GRIPPO JACEK SZPONARSKI
AMORE/LATONA DOROTA SZCZEPAŃSKA
MERCURIO/CORIMBO SYLWESTER SMULCZYŃSKI
DELBA/IRIDE/SIRENA MARTA BOBERSKA
SIRENA DOROTA LACHOWICZ
THE PERIOD INSTRUMENTS ENSEMBLE OF THE POLISH ROYAL OPERA CAPELLA REGIA POLONA
MUSIC DIRECTOR MARTYNA PASTUSZKA
Duration: approx. 2h (with an intermission)
The seats in the auditorium are not numbered.
