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- Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus
Duration: 4 minutes
Description: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) composed Il rè pastore (The Shepherd King), K. 208, in Salzburg in 1775, at the age of nineteen, for festivities marking the visit of Archduke Maximilian Franz, the youngest son of Empress Maria Theresa. Based on a libretto by Pietro Metastasio, the two-act serenata tells the story of Aminta, a shepherd who discovers that he is the rightful heir to the throne of Sidon and must reconcile the responsibilities of kingship with his love for Elisa. Il rè pastore was first performed at the Archbishop’s Residence in Salzburg on April 23, 1775. Today, the overture is performed independently in concert and provides an early example of Mozart’s developing operatic style. Instrumentation: 0.2.0.0: 2.2.0.0: Str (4.4.3.3.3 in set). Reprint edition.