Johann Simon Mayr, also known as Giovanni Simone Mayr, was considered one of the leading opera composers of his time and was the most famous teacher of Donizetti.
Historical Context
The choice of the antiquated Demetrio story for Mayr's opera was closely linked to the political situation in Turin, specifically the reign of Carlo Felice of Savoy as King of Sardinia.
Composition History
Mayr's opera Demetrio, Re di Siria, premiered in Turin in 1823, is based on a text by Pietro Metastasio, an Imperial Court Poet whose literary-musical tradition was already a century old by Mayr's time.
Recording & Production
This recording of Demetrio, Re di Siria is the first production since its 1823 premiere and is part of a project by Ricordi-Universal Music Group to rediscover Simon Mayr's operatic works.
Compositional Technique
Despite using an old libretto, Mayr's Demetrio, Re di Siria subversively transforms the three-act original into a two-act musical drama, breaking through old conventions with newly conceived scenes and making the chorus an active part of the plot.
Composition History
Demetrio, Re di Siria was the last opera written by Johann Simon Mayr, a composer whose works were widely performed around 1800.
