Happy Birthday Antonio Salieri (August 18, 1750) and Opera Sunday!

byFrankB-1

6.6K followers

Updated 4 months ago

(Title image by DALL-E 3)

Hi WA Friends!

Please help me celebrate Antonio Salieri's birthday!

You may recognize him from the movie Amadues, which I mentioned briefly in my post on Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik:

https://my.wealthyaffiliate.com/frankb-1/blog/happy-anniversary-eine-kleine-nachtmusik-mozarts-most-famous-serenade-aug-10-1787

A Little History

(With the help of ChatGPT)

Antonio Salieri was born on August 18, 1750, in Legnago, a town in the Republic of Venice (modern-day Italy). After the death of his parents, he moved to Venice to study music under the composer Giovanni Battista Pescetti.

In 1766, the Austrian composer Florian Leopold Gassmann brought him to Vienna, where he was appointed as the court composer and conductor of the Italian opera by Emperor Joseph II.

One of Salieri’s most significant achievements was his ability to bridge the gap between the baroque style of music and the emerging classical style. His operas, such as Armida (1771), Les Danaïdes (1784), and Tarare (1787), showcased his versatility and mastery of the operatic form. He also composed sacred music, including the Mass in D Major and numerous motets, reflecting his deep connection to the church.

Honors and Awards

(Courtesy of ChatGPT)

During his lifetime, Antonio Salieri received significant recognition for his contributions to music. As a court composer for the Habsburg monarchy, he was awarded various prestigious positions and titles, which were marks of high esteem in the cultural landscape of the time. These included:

• Court Composer for Emperor Joseph II: Salieri was appointed in 1774 and held the position for decades, producing numerous operas and other works for the imperial court.
• Director of the Italian Opera in Vienna: Salieri held this prominent post, where he was responsible for overseeing the production of Italian operas at the court.
• Kapellmeister of the Imperial Chapel: In 1788, Salieri succeeded Giuseppe Bonno as the chief conductor of the Imperial Chapel, a prestigious position that he held until 1824.
• Order of the Golden Spur: Awarded by Pope Pius VI in recognition of his contributions to church music.

Though awards in the modern sense were less common during Salieri's time, these positions and titles were equivalent to the highest honors a musician could receive.

Salieri's Works

(Courtesy of ChatGPT)

Given that Antonio Salieri was an 18th-century composer, his works were not recorded during his lifetime. However, many of his compositions have been recorded in modern times. Below is a list of some of his notable works, including operas, orchestral pieces, and sacred music, along with their modern recordings.

I strongly recommend you check out Salieri's opera Les Danaïdes!

Operas:

1. Armida (1771) – A notable early opera that established Salieri's reputation.
2. Les Danaïdes (1784) – One of Salieri's most successful operas, originally attributed to Gluck.
3. Tarare (1787) – A French opera that showcases Salieri's dramatic flair.
4. Falstaff, ossia Le tre burle (1799) – A comic opera based on Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor.
5. La cifra (1789) – A lesser-known opera but one that reflects his mature style.

Sacred Music:

1. Mass in D Major (1788) – One of his most celebrated masses.
2. Requiem in C minor (1804) – Composed towards the end of his life, reflecting his deep religious conviction.

Instrumental Works:

1. 26 Variations on 'La Follia di Spagna' (1815) – A set of variations for orchestra.
2. Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in B-flat major (1773) – A fine example of his work outside the opera genre.

Salieri’s operas, particularly Les Danaïdes and Tarare, are among his most popular works today, with numerous modern recordings available that have helped to revive interest in his music.

Opera Sunday - The Highlight Of Every Weekend!

On Sunday, I'm still a little bit rock and roll, but it's always opera day, so I make it a point to listen to three or four hours of my favorite composers! Although I have a pretty good collection of operatic albums, I love what's available on the Sirius XM Opera Chanel as the Met Opera Radio!

https://www.metopera.org/season/radio/sirius-weekly-schedule/

The Music:

This Sunday, we will be celebrating Salieri's birthday with some old friends, a gourmet dinner, and Acts I and II of Falstaff, ossia Le tre burle (or The Three Jokes). It is performeded by the Salieri Chamber Orchestra. Our priest loves opera and frequently comes to savor the music, eat, and bless the house.

As stated above, it's a comic opera based on Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor. This particular arrangement is presented as 32 tracks in about 2 ½ hours of opera.

Here is the participant listing:

• Salieri Chamber Orchestra [Orchestra],
• Tamas Pal [Conductor],
• Jozsef Gregor [Bass],
• Maria Zempleni [Soprano],
• Denes Gulyas [Tenor],
• Istvan Gati [Baritone],
• Eva Panczel [Mezzo-Soprano],
• Tamas Csurja [Baritone],
• Eva Vamossy [Soprano],
• Salieri Chamber Chorus [Chorus/Choir]

Spotify has a wonderful collection of fifty titles on Salieri Chamber Orchestra Radio!

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1E4DhuRWyL7FsN

The Dinner:

Seven-Course Gourmet Dinner Menu For An Evening of Opera

We need enough food for about 2 ½ hours of music, and my wife came up with a spectacular seven-course menu, with a little help from ChatGPT. AI has made Google search results virtually obsolete in our house!

My wife cooks all the food but uses a catering service that helps her prepare it, serves it, and cleans up after the dinner. This allows her to sit down and enjoy eating.

The menu is sort of like a fancy surf and turf, Lol. We have several gourmet food stores that we shop at, and between them, we can order practically anything we need to put together a great meal.

Stacy buys most of the liquor for our 120-bottle wine room and does a wonderful job pairing alcoholic beverages with the food she prepares.

Of course, every gourmet meal begins with an amuse-bouche.

1. Amuse-Bouche: Truffle Deviled Quail Eggs

• Main Ingredients: Quail eggs, black truffle oil, Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, chives, Maldon sea salt, and black pepper.
• Pairing: Veuve Clicquot Brut Champagne
• Comment: If you've never had quail eggs, I recommend you give them a try!

2. First Course: Lobster Bisque

• Main Ingredients: Fresh lobster, heavy cream, brandy, shallots, garlic, tomato paste, fennel, tarragon, and fish stock.
• Pairing: Veuve Clicquot Brut Champagne

3. Second Course: Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

• Main Ingredients: Roasted red and golden beets, goat cheese, arugula, candied walnuts, balsamic reduction, extra virgin olive oil, and micro-greens.
• Pairing: Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc
• Comment: My wife has a thing for micro-greens, especially radish, arugula, broccoli, and beets. They do have some potential health benefits.

4. Third Course: Foie Gras with Fig Compote

• Main Ingredients: Foie gras, fresh figs, port wine, honey, brioche, and sea salt.
• Pairing: Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc
• Comment: This is one of our favorite courses, so we add it to lots of meals, and Stacy makes a fabulous fig compote!

5. Fourth Course: Seared Scallops with Lemon Beurre Blanc

• Main Ingredients: Fresh sea scallops, lemon, unsalted butter, white wine, shallots, cream, and fresh thyme.
• Pairing: Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc

6. Main Course: Filet Mignon with Truffle Mashed Potatoes and Asparagus

• Main Ingredients: Prime filet mignon, black truffle butter, Yukon gold potatoes, heavy cream, butter, fresh asparagus, and garlic.
• Pairing: Chateau Larose-Trintaudon (Haut-Medoc)
• Comment: We have a great butcher who provides us with prime dry-aged steak. We like the marbling level of USDA Prime, which is not as fatty as Wagyu beef.
  
  We always have a dinner break after the main course to stretch our legs and digest.
• Italian digestant: Two parts Fernet-Branca and one part Creme de Menthe.

7. Dessert: Stacy's Opera Cake

• Main Ingredients: Almond sponge cake, coffee buttercream, dark chocolate ganache, espresso, and gold leaf.
• Pairing: Graham’s 10 Year Old Tawny Port
• Comment: My wife uses gold leaf strictly as a garnish, although you can buy "edible" gold leaf.
• Coffee: Intelligentsia Black Cat Classic Espresso, which is a lighter roasted bean with a somewhat chocolatey taste. For those who prefer something less intense, we offer them a cappuccino.

Tell Me What You Think

Are you a fan of opera, and if so, what are your favorite compositions? If you've never seen an opera performed live, I strongly recommend you attend one when you get the opportunity!

I hope that gives you a better look into my world of opera and classical music, which became a bit of an obsession when I was about ten years old. When I'm not playing Iron Maiden music on a guitar, listening to a Rolling Stones playlist, being inspired by a Miles Davis jazz riff, or deep in the blues with Robert Johnson, you'll find me totally absorbed in operatic splendor!

Happy Birthday, Antonio Salieri 🎂, AND ...

Keep On Rockin'It! 🤘

Frank 🎸

~70% Human written content.