Josef Mysliveček: Abramo ed Isacco

Mysliveček, Mozart's example

'Il divino boemo', the divine Bohemian, was how Josef Mysliveček was called in Italy, mainly because his Slavic name was difficult to pronounce. From 1760 to about 1780 he was the most beloved and best-paid opera composer in Italy. The oratorio Abramo ed Isacco (Abraham and Isaac) is Mysliveček's last oratorio and it is a highlight of his oeuvre. It premiered in Florence in 1776 and the following year it was already performed in Munich, at the court of the music-loving Elector Maximilian III Joseph of Bavaria. Anyone who hears the music thinks: Mozart. But it was Mysliveček who influenced Mozart.

Fascinating music, compelling story

Librettist Pietro Metastasio adapted the Bible story of the obedient patriarch Abraham, who was ordered by God to sacrifice his only son, into a compelling tale about a father, a mother, a courageous son, his friend and a protective angel who brings everything to a good end. Large-scale virtuoso arias and colourfully suggestive orchestrated recitatives alternate, with a beautiful choral finale at the end of each act.