Egidio Romualdo Duni, an Italian composer, moved to Paris in 1757 and became music director of the Comédie-Italienne in 1761.
Notable Performances
Marie Antoinette is said to have sung the role of Perrette in Les deux chasseurs et la laitière during a performance at the Théâtre de la Reine du Petit Trianon in Versailles in 1783.
Cultural Impact
The opera's libretto by Louis Anseaume is based on two well-known fables by Jean de La Fontaine, which originated popular sayings like 'crying over spilt milk'.
Compositional Technique
Duni contributed to the birth of the comédie mêlée d'ariettes, a variety of opéra comique that blended Italian and French elements, featuring short, newly composed arias mixed with spoken dialogues.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Duni's opera, Les deux chasseurs et la laitière, was one of the few Galant Style compositions that remained popular despite the stylistic changes brought by Classicism.
Performer Biography
Roberto Balconi, the conductor, is known for his focus on Baroque music and has founded the instrumental and vocal ensemble Fantazyas in 2000.
Composition History
Egidio Romualdo Duni's one-act opera, Les deux chasseurs et la laitière, premiered in Paris in July 1763.
