Despite initial critical predictions, Mayr's "Elena" was very successful, with around 40 performances in Milan alone, and its sextet in Act II was highly praised.
Historical Context
The French critic and novelist Stendhal and even Goethe were aware of the opera's acclaimed sextet, with Stendhal reporting that people traveled long distances to hear it.
Composition History
The libretto for Mayr's "Elena" was written by Andrea Leone Tottola, a Neapolitan house librettist who also worked for Rossini.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Mayr's "Elena" is a "rescue opera," a popular genre during the post-revolutionary Napoleonic era where an innocent protagonist is condemned to death but ultimately escapes.
Composition History
Johann Simon Mayr's opera "Elena" premiered on January 28, 1814, at the Teatro de' Fiorentini in Naples, Italy.
Recording & Production
This album is a world premiere recording of Johann Simon Mayr's opera "Elena."
Compositional Technique
The opera "Elena" is an "opera semiseria," a mixed genre that combines the serious tone of opera seria with elements of opera buffa, including a comic character who speaks in Neapolitan dialect.
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