Maria Antonia Walpurgis has turned 300, and we think the Princess could use a little more fanfare, please!! Baptized Maria Antoina Walpurgis Symphorosa, she was born at Nymphenburg Palace in Munich (18 July 1724). Her titles included Princess of Bavaria and Electress of Saxony, and she she received an outstanding education, including painting, writing poetry, and music. In 1747 she married Frederick Christian, heir to the Electorate of Saxony, and also in that year she joined the Accademia dell’Arcadia of Rome, an organization dedicated to promoting opera. She studied with composers Nicola Porpora and Johann Adolph Hasse, and opera was a central part of the celebrations and noble pageantry of her royal life. Known for her operas Il trionfo della fedeltà (“The triumph of fidelity”) and Talestri, regina delle amazoni (“Talestri, queen of the Amazons”, Queen of the Amazons! — you think that great title alone would give it some street cred!) https://youtu.be/u0RogpXMHDA?si=afcmomiZM5h308Rf Dr. April Lynn James has written the first book about her in English, but there are others in German. In addition to the two operas, she wrote arias, a pastorale, intermezzos, and motets, and was also a a politician, seven-time mother and businesswoman.
Here are some performances of excerpts from Talestri, queen of the Amazons — interesting to note that The Women’s Philharmonic performed selection from that opera in 1998, and in that same year the Batzdorfer Hofkapelle released a recording of, it, one which unfortunately no longer available.
Thank you, Den Andra Operan, for doing so much to advance the work of historic women opera composers:
We’re fascinated by the shoe theme this production uses:
And here is a thrilling arrangement for cello! So much more exciting than yet another Haydn cello concerto!!!
#BOTD Maria Antonia Walpurgis, Princess of Bavaria, Electress of Saxony (18 July 1724 – 23 April 1780) Known for her operas Il trionfo della fedeltà (“The triumph of fidelity”) and Talestri, regina delle amazoni (“Talestri, queen of the Amazons”) Excerpts from the latter here: https://youtu.be/u0RogpXMHDA?si=afcmomiZM5h308Rf Recent book about her by Dr. April Lynn James https://a.co/d/62V86gD #womencomposers #WomenLeaders #womenofpower #baroqueopera