Mozart Stage Works, Age 11

Die Schuldigkeit des ersten Gebots and Apollo et Hyacinthus

Sep 9, 2007
Tel Asiado

The Death of Hyacinth by G.B. Tiepolo - Tiepolo's The Death of Hyacinth, www.wga.hu

In 1767, 11 year-old Mozart composed Die Schuldigkeit des ersten Gebots, K.35 and Apollo et Hyacinthus, K.38: Summary, character list, and other related information.

1. Die Schuldigkeit des ersten Gebots, K.35 (The Obligation of the First and Foremost Commandment) is an oratorio, a sacred drama. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed Part 1, Michael Haydn, Part 2, Anton Cajetan Adlgasser, Part 3. It was written in 1767.

Libretto: Ignaz Anton von Weiser. The librettist is also sometimes identified as Johann Adam Wieland or Jakob Anton Marianus Wimmer
First Performance: Knight's Hall of the Palace of the Archbishop, Salzburg, March 12, 1767
Setting: A garden, time not specified

Mozart was 11 years old when he composed this stage work. This was his first in drama and perhaps, it can be said that it was also a strict examination of him. Undoubtedly, the archbishop of Salzburg must have been hearing about the child prodigy Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with certain amount of skepticism. Inevitably, the time had to come when somehow he had to send an order for Mozart to display his talent. A splendid feat for an 11-year old boy.

The Main Characters in Die Schuldigkeit des ersten Gebotes:

Gerechtigkeit, divine justice (soprano)
Christgeist, spirit of Christianity (tenor)
Barmherzigkeit, divine mercy (soprano)
Ein lauer und hinnach eifriger Christ, a half-hearted but later zealous Christian (tenor)
Weltgeist, worldliness (soprano)

Brief Plot Summary

Die Schuldigkeit des ersten Gebotes is a sacred drama, an oratorio. The message is clearly taken from the Bible, Mark 12:30 - "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." (Source: Holy Bible, New International Version). Die Schuldigkeit des ersten Gebotes relates with the human spirit. It describes the human fear of death and eternal condemnation. The human spirit is drawn out from the cares of existence, and returns to God through repentance.

2. Apollo et Hyacinthus, K.38, is a three-act comedy in Latin composerd by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1767. It's not strictly an opera, but set of nine musical intermezzi to Widl's Clementia Croesi.

Libretto: Rufinus Widl based in Greek mythology as told by Roman poet Ovid in his work Metamorphoses.
First Performance: Salzburg University, May 13, 1767

The Main Characters in Apollo et Hyacinthus:

Oebalus, king of Lacedaemonia (tenor)
Melia, daughter of Oebalus (soprano)
Hyacinthus, son of Oebalus (soprano)
Apollo, (alto)
Zephyrus, friend of Hyacinthus (soprano)
1st Priest of Apollo (bass)
2nd Priest of Apollo (bass)

Brief Plot Summary

One myth is that Hyacinth died from a discus thrown accidentally by Apollo. The discus hit Hyacinth on the head. Another myth was that the wind god Zephyrus was responsible for the death of Hyacinth. Out of jealousy, Zephyrus blew the discuss off course in order to hit Hyacinth. The librettist Rufinus Widl, a priest, modified Ovid's story (in which Apollo, Zephyrus, and Hyacinth constituted a homosexaual love triangle) to conform to the prejudices during his time by changing the sexually desired character from Ovid's Hyacinth to Melia, his sister.