1. Oratory of
Wolgang Amadeus Mozart
"The Duty of the First Commandment"
- "The Obligation of the First Commandment"
Performers
Mercy (Mercy): Irene Spitzl
Justice (Justice): Salpi Lemke
Christ Spirit: Marco Ascani
World Spirit: Barbara Mare-Louise Pavelka
Christian: Faik Hondozi
Orchestra Fluentum under the direction of Damian Posse
Conductor: Andris Rasmanis Here is the interview
Assistant and 2nd conductor: Gregor Hanke
(17th April in Heiligenkreuz)
Direction and production: Barbara Marie-Louise Pavelka
The obligation of the first commandment KV 35, composed in 1767, is a sacred singspiel, the first part of which is the first stage work by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The second part is by Michael Haydn, the third by Anton Cajetan Adlgasser. Only the part composed by Mozart has survived, the other two have disappeared. The libretto is by Ignatz Anton von Weiser.
The allegorical figures Justice, Mercy and Christ Spirit debate the salvation of the sleeping Christian. The question is how they can get him to be more eager again. Especially the Christ Spirit tries to implore Justice and Mercy to help him. Depending on their own nature, they reject it in their own way. So they only decide to send the Christian a nightmare in which he only has one day to live and has to give account of his life. Since he did little work and preferred to wander after every pleasure, it is implied that he does not get off very well. He awakens from this nightmare and tries to interpret the meaning of this dream. But there comes the allegory of the World Spirit to distract him and lead him away from the Christ Spirit. In the dispute between World Spirit and Christ Spirit the Christ Spirit decides to become a doctor to cure him. But the Spirit of the World wants to take the Christian from his horror by pleasures of various kinds.
Which way the Christian takes remains open here. The first part ends here.