Love transforms, love rejuvenates. The apothecary

Sempronio believes himself to be still in his prime: why then, should the experienced bachelor not cast an eye on his ward, the charming Grilletta? The old man has no idea how fierce the competition is, for Grilletta is coveted as much by the rich snob Volpino as she is by Sempronio's timid assistant Mengone: inevitably, entanglements ensue. Fortunately, Grilletta knows exactly what - and who - she wants. It is one of the oldest comic themes in the world, here employed in 1768 by Haydn, who draws on the Carlo Goldoni original. Together with conductor Enrico Onofri and the Haydn Philharmonie, the cast includes the Russian tenor Pavel Kolgatin as Mengone and Italian baroque specialist Silvia Frigato in the trouser role of his rival Volpino. ORF Head of Culture Martin Traxl puts on a different hat for the first time and makes his debut as an opera director: this too an exciting metamorphosis.

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