Mayr: Elena Wagner, Ochoa, Graczyk, Mallmann, Schäfer, Capitelli, Feith, Zhi, Tum, Mattersberger, Simon Mayr Chorus, Concerto de Bassus & Franz Hauk

• Johann Simon Mayr (1763 - 1845): Elena:
• 1 Mayr: Elena: Sinfonia 08:15
• Elena, Act I:
• 2 Mayr: Elena, Act I Scene 1: Come veloce ruota tu giri 05:15
• 3 Mayr: Elena, Act I Scene 1: Or bene al padre tuo 01:14
• 4 Mayr: Elena, Act I Scene 1: Che dolce piacere 05:06
• 5 Mayr: Elena, Act I Scene 1: Eh vada pure 00:17
• 6 Mayr: Elena, Act I Scene 2: Quanno co la perucca 06:09
• 7 Mayr: Elena, Act I Scene 3: Oh gran virtù del canto! 01:46
• 8 Mayr: Elena, Act I Scene 3: Buon dì... Padron garbato 07:16
• 9 Mayr: Elena, Act I Scene 3: Or via giacchè siam soli 03:21
• 10 Mayr: Elena, Act I Scene 4: Brutto uccello di rapina! 03:52
• 11 Mayr: Elena, Act I Scene 4: Non son chi son 00:55
• 12 Mayr: Elena, Act I Scene 4: Un provvenzale d'illustre stato 04:42
• 13 Mayr: Elena, Act I Scene 6: Cantiam de' nostri cuori 07:49
• 14 Mayr: Elena, Act I Scene 6: Son solo... O miei sospiri 09:43
• 15 Mayr: Elena, Act I Scene 7: A dir vero il Signor Governatore 02:45
• 16 Mayr: Elena, Act I Scene 8: Oh Ciel! Che miro! 05:12
• 17 Mayr: Elena, Act I Scene 9: Povero Costantino, quanti sofferto avrai stenti 01:45
• 18 Mayr: Elena, Act I Scene 9: Che ascolto! 17:37
• Elena, Act II:
• 19 Mayr: Elena, Act II Scene 1: Entriamo, e al Conte Edmondo 00:57
• 20 Mayr: Elena, Act II Scene 1: S'è ver, che un vivo ardore 03:15
• 21 Mayr: Elena, Act II Scene 2: Tosto al Governatore di Tarascone 02:20
• 22 Mayr: Elena, Act II Scene 3: Oh tu, che ognor fastosa 08:48
• 23 Mayr: Elena, Act II Scene 4: Governatore è vero ciò che intesi testè? 03:57
• 24 Mayr: Elena, Act II Scene 5: Chiaro favella, e breve 06:24
• 25 Mayr: Elena, Act II Scene 5: E un vil pastor de miei voler vantarsi delusore potrà? 01:52
• 26 Mayr: Elena, Act II Scene 6: I sensi generosi 04:59
• 27 Mayr: Elena, Act II Scene 6: Tutto rigore egli è, ma il vero ignora 02:52
• 28 Mayr: Elena, Act II Scene 7: Ah! Non partir! 05:48
• 29 Mayr: Elena, Act II Scene 7: Oh cor di madre a che non giungi mai? 01:05
• 30 Mayr: Elena, Act II Scene 8: Ma qual gente si appressa? 10:27
• 31 Mayr: Elena, Act II Scene 8: Guardie, colui che tanto cercaste è in potere vostro 03:12
• 32 Mayr: Elena, Act II Scene 9: Gnorsì... Nuje ve credimmo 02:02
• Total Runtime 02:30:57

Info for Mayr: Elena

During the 1813–14 carnival season in Naples, Simon Mayr wrote a much-admired opera semiseria called Elena. The post-revolutionary Napoleonic era saw great enthusiasm for the rescue opera genre and Elena is a perfect example, in which a complex plot, based on French models, sees an innocent falsely accused of a capital offence. Mayr’s subtle accommodation of Neapolitan opera and Viennese Classicism ensures a series of choruses and recitatives that drive the action forward, punctuated with arias, romances, ensembles, lyric richness and moments of witty buffo colour.

"Franz Hauk continues his dedicated role championing the music of the German-born, Simon Mayr, now returning to his operas thought to number almost seventy. They covered a wide spectrum of subjects ranging from opera buffa to opera sera, Elena taking its place among the vogue for rescue operas where it is the good eventually prevails over evil. First produced in Naples in January 1814, it was well received and revived in 1816 at the much more influential venue of La Scala, Milan, and that was followed by Florence. At both theatres it is thought is was probably much revised. The original libretto came from the ever reliable, Andrea Leone Tottola, though the plot had been used by the composer, Francesco Cavalli, in the mid-seventeenth century. The story is complex—to say the least—and made even more so as you need to know the history that surrounds events that took place before the opera begins. That is explained in the enclosed booklet, so that by the end of the first act we have two ‘innocents’ condemned to be executed. The story then moves on quickly, and by the end of the following act we find them absolved of their crime, and all ends happily. Just to meet convention Mayr added some further confusion by introducing an ‘opera buffo’ element with the larger-than-life character of Carlo, a wealthy farmer. The opera calls for a dramatic soprano as the wronged Elena, here taken by the German-born Julia Sophie Wagner, who is enjoying a major career on both sides of the Atlantic. With a perky voice perfect for her dual role where she has to masquerade as a young man when she returns to her homeland. But it is the many other characters who share the bulk of a work lasting around two and a half hours, though it does not seem that long! By this point the fine bass voice of Daniel Ochoa has taken over the score as Elena’s husband, Costantino, the two having parted as they fled from their execution, his long first act aria not far short of ten minutes. We are now introduced to Edmondo, who was part of the plot against Elena, here taken by the tenor, Markus Schafer, whose outstanding performances have graced many Mayr recordings. That leaves me to say how much I have enjoyed the bass, Niklas Mallmann, in the buffo role of Carlo; the bass, Andreas Mattersberger as Urbino, and Fang Zhi in the pivotal part of the Governor. He is joined in the opera’s final rejoicing with the fulsome Simon Mayr Chorus. For Hauk, the conductor, this is another major and unqualified success, his period instrument orchestra, Concerto de Bassus, both neat and with impeccable intonation. A fabulous release in every respect." (David’s Review Corner)

Julia Sophie Wagner, soprano
Daniel Ochoa, bass
Mira Graczyk, soprano
Niklas Mallmann, bass
Markus Schäfer, tenor
Anna-Doris Capitelli, mezzo-soprano
Anna Feith, soprano
Fang Zhi, tenor
Harald Thum, tenor
Andreas Mattersberger, bass
Simon Mayr Chorus
Concerto de Bassus
Franz Hauk, conductor

Dr. Franz Hauk
wurde 1955 in Neuburg an der Donau geboren. Er studierte nach dem Abitur die Fächer Kirchen- und Schulmusik sowie Klavier und Orgel an den Musikhochschulen in München und Salzburg. Zu seinen Lehrern zählen Aldo Schoen, Gerhard Weinberger, Franz Lehrndorfer und Edgar Krapp. 1981 erhielt er das Meisterklassendiplom der Musikhochschule München. Mehrere Auszeichnungen folgten.

1988 promovierte er im Fach Musikwissenschaft mit einer Arbeit über die Münchener Kirchenmusik zu Beginn des 19. Jahrhunderts. Als Autor befasst er sich vor allem mit Fragen der Quellenforschung und der Aufführungspraxis. Seit 1982 ist er als Organist, seit 1995 auch als Chorleiter am Ingolstädter Münster tätig. Mit Vorliebe setzt sich Franz Hauk auch für die zeitgenössische Musik ein und regt immer wieder Kompositionsaufträge an.

Mit den Konzertreihen, die er als Mitarbeiter des Kulturamtes ins Leben rief – die Ingolstädter Orgeltage, die Orgelmatinee um Zwölf, die Musiknächte im Theater beispielsweise -, bereichert er das Kulturleben Ingolstadts und der Region. Franz Hauk wirkt als Juror bei Musikwettbewerben und leitet Meisterklassen bei internationalen Musikfestivals, so beim Internationalen Orgelfestival „Megaron“ in Athen zusammen mit Jane Parker-Smith, Daniel Roth und Johannes Geffert.

Franz Hauk spielt viele Rundfunk- und CD-Aufnahmen und konzertiert in ganz Europa wie in den USA. Seine Tätigkeit als Dirigent findet internationale Anerkennung. 2003 gründete er den Simon-Mayr-Chor, ein Vokalensemble mit professionellem Anspruch. Seit Oktober 2002 lehrt er im Bereich Historische Aufführungspraxis an der Staatlichen Hochschule für Musik und Theater in München.

Simon-Mayr-Chor
Der Simon-Mayr-Chor e.V. wurde von Dr. Franz Hauk als Projektchor gegründet. Das Repertoire des Chores umfasst musikalische Werke vom 16. bis ins 20. Jahrhundert. Ein besonderer Akzent liegt auf einer am jewei­ligen Vorbild orientierten historischen Aufführungspraxis und auf der Pflege der voka­len Musik von Simon Mayr auf einem künstlerisch sehr hohen Niveau.

Die Mitglieder sind Gesangsstudenten der Hochschule für Musik und Theater in München und professionell ausgebildete Sängerinnen und Sänger aus Ingolstadt und der Region. Sein Debüt gab der Simon-Mayr-Chor im Juni 2003 mit einer umjubelten Auf­führung der h-Moll-Messe von Johann Sebas­tian Bach zusammen mit dem renommierten Wasa Baroque Orchestra in Norwegen.

Booklet for Mayr: Elena