17.1.2023
Concert performance of Pergolesi’s Lo Frate ‘nnamorato for the first time in Finland
Helsinki Baroque Orchestra performs Giovanni Battista Pergolesi‘s (1710-1736) opera Lo Frate ‘nnamorato (1732) as a concert performance. The comic opera composed to Gennario Antonio Federico’s libretto written in the Neapolitan dialect, is one of the most important works of Neapolitan opera.
During his short life, Pergolesi managed to leave his name permanently in the history of Western art music. He was a central figure in the birth of Neapolitan opera – a phenomenon that in the 18th century had a wide influence on the art of opera throughout Europe. Pergolesi’s influence on later composers from Mozart to Stravinsky was notable.
The work has a particularly strong relationship with the culture of the Naples region in terms of subject matter, language and music. Conductor Marcos Magalhães: “Music plays a significant role in Neapolitan life, but at the center of the cultural richness is the Neapolitan dialect, which I consider one of the most musical languages in itself. It seems as if the phrasing and pronunciation of that speech is already melodic and rhythmic like the music itself. So it’s not surprising that Naples and its surroundings have always had not only a diverse and profound folk culture tradition but also a sophisticated and impressive art music tradition, specifically in the field of opera and especially in the 18th century.”
The concert continues the well-established cooperation between Helsinki Baroque Orchestra and Os Músicos do Tejo, and is made possible by financial support from Dgartes, Câmara Municipal de Lisboa and the Government of Portugal.