La Canterina (The Songstress)

Description

A delightful 2-Act, 40-minute comic romp penned in 1766 at the beginning of Haydn's artistic career. Originally meant to be an "Intermezzo" given during intermissions of a three-act serious opera, it later stood on its own as an "opera buffa." It has four singing roles: Gasparina (The Songstress), a soprano; Apollonia (her stage-mother), a soprano or tenor; Don Pelagio ( Gasparina's music teacher ), a tenor: and Don Ettore (Gasparina's young lover ), a soprano. It also has a few non-singing roles which are not mentioned in the dramatis personae: A Baliff and some Porters, all of whom appear at the beginnning of Act II.