de' Cavalieri: Rappresentatione di Anima, et di Corpo

A diplomat and courtier employed by the powerful Medici family in late 16th-century Rome and Florence as well as a composer, Emilio de' Cavalieri is little known today. Yet his Rappresentatione di Anima, et di Corpo, first staged in Rome in 1600, is groundbreaking –thought to be the earliest play set entirely to music. In this rare production for Theater an der Wien, acclaimed Canadian director Robert Carsen makes a powerful, visually arresting argument for the piece, bringing the drama's centuries-old moral questions into a spare, stylish modern world. Early music specialist Giovanni Antonini conducts the renowned Italian period-instrument ensemble Il Giardino Armonico in a vivid performance featuring a fine young cast.