Cimarosa´s ´Il Matrimonio segreto´ between Italy and the Empire (1792-1815)

Along with Mozarts theatrical masterpieces, Il matrimonio segreto by Bertati and Cimarosa is the only eighteenth-century dramma giocoso which has never completely exited from the repertoire since its first representation (Vienna, Burgtheater, February 7th 1792); however, it remains a work only partially addressed by musicological research: in fact, even though its fame and diffusion are still felt today, this work hasnt undergone a genuine critical edition and equally less examined is the history of the European reception of this work. Based on documents and librettos available today, there is no doubt that the European favour of Matrimonio Segreto was remarkable from the earliest years, counting many stage productions in major centers (Paris, London - under the supervision of Da Ponte - Lisbon, Madrid, Copenhagen, etc ) and immediate translations into several languages (English, French, German, Spanish, Danish, Swedish, and Dutch). This project has a dual purpose: 1) a work of philological reconstruction of the authorial versions of this opera as the foundation for musical performances and for a future critical edition published in the Denkmäler der Tonkunst in Österreich; 2) a survey of its reception and distribution in Italy and in the German-speaking countries which until 1806 belonged to Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation within a period of time ranging from 1792 to 1815, using as research sources: books, scores, performance materials, chronicles, newspapers and memoirs. Of particular importance in this project is the linguistic and music-dramatic investigation of the versions in German which are present on the scene from the Berlins stage production in 1792.

The project has been realized with a dual objective: on the one hand, the preparation of a critical edition of Cimarosa's "Il matrimonio segreto", one of the most successful operas of the late eighteenth century; on the other, a study of the early reception of the opera in the 19th century. The edition will appear at the publisher Bärenreiter probably between 2021 and 2022 and will offer the first critical edition of this opera. The project has also shed more light on the reception of this opera and its composer in the 19th century, with special attention not only to the history of performance but also to music historiography and musicology.