Il re pastore at Komische Oper Berlin

It took the 19-year-old Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart just six weeks to write his pastoral opera Il re pastore, an enchanting, charming piece which only betrays the youth of the composer in its Arcadian lightness and fresh tone. Candy for the ears!

The young shepherd Aminta has a simple but happy life. His only worry is whether he can possibly marry his beloved Elisa despite his low station in life. What he doesn't know is that he is in fact the lost prince and is soon to be elevated to the status of king. Suddenly Aminta’s high station in life is the obstacle to their love. But then he announces that he would rather remain a simple shepherd than sacrifice his love. This nobility of nature is rewarded: Aminta is united with his Elisa, and all ends happily.

Mozart composed his serenata for the Palace of the Archbishop in Salzburg. Commissioned works of this type could be performed in a wide variety of ways, depending upon the circumstances: stage interpretations were just as likely as non-scenic variations with a small cast. Thus the concertante performance here corresponds entirely to the characteristics of the genre, with nothing to distract from enjoyment of Mozart's exhilarating music.