Salieri: Prima la musica, poi le parole - Mozart : Der Schauspieldirektor, K. 486

May 7th 2025 marks the bicentenary of Antonio Salieri’s death. Despite the persistent legend portraying him as a mediocre composer, jealous of Mozart’s genius, Salieri was a pivotal and innovative composer at the crossroads of Classical and Romantic eras, and a great pedagogue for the first generations of Romantics (Liszt, Schubert). One of his most famous vocal works Prima la musica, poi le parole, a short amusing divertimento about the balance between music and drama in opera and the tumultuous relations between composers, librettists and singers. It was premiered on the same occasion as Mozart’s Schauspieldirektor, on a similar theme. Nikolaus Harnoncourt coupled both works in this 1986 recording featuring an excellent cast of singers (Thomas Hampson, Julia Hamari, Robert Holl…).