The German-Italian composer Wolf-Ferrari (1876-1948) is best remembered for the many light operas he based on the comedies of Goldoni. In this portrait, extracts from his work, including I quattro rusteghi, Il campiello and Il segreto di Susanna, are seen in rehearsal and performance. His music is interspersed with comments from directors, composers and conductors, who, together with his nephew, tell the story of his life.
Wolf-Ferrari, Overture to “Il Segreto di Susanna”
The Philadelphia Orchestra was founded in 1900. Eugene Ormandy (1899-1985) stood at its head as principal conductor from 1936 to 1980. Continuing the work of his predecessor Leopold Stokowski, he turned the orchestra into one of the leading ensembles not only of the United States, but of the world. Under his direction, the orchestra became renowned in particular for its performances of late romantic and early 20th-century music.
La Vedova Scaltra
Wolf-Ferrari wrotes La vedova scaltra as pure amusement, a portrayal of fine intrigue that is, in itself, without any idealistic echoes, following the uncritical line of eighteenth-century comedy – nostalgia for a civilization with ancient roots, which the musician still felt he was part of.