Thamos, König in Ägypten

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Thamos, King of Egypt is a "heroic drama" (what we'd call a play!) written by Tobias Philipp Freiherr von Gebler in the 1770s for a first performance in the Kärntnertortheater, Vienna, in April 1774. Mozart wrote incidental music for it between 1773 and 1780, though very little music was ready by the time of the theatrical premiere.

The play's story is as follows: Thamos has succeeded his father Ramesses, as king of Egypt. Ramesses himself, however, had previously usurped the throne from the rightful king, Menes, who is now disguised as the high priest, Sethos. Thamos loves Sais, a priestess, but she is really Menes' daughter Tharsis, for whom the high priestess Mirza is plotting marriage to Pheron, a treacherous general. When Menes reveals his true identity, Pheron is struck by lightning and Mirza kills herself. Menes cedes his crown to Thamos and Tharsis as all ends happily. So not that complicated after all, then!

The specific recording shown at the left was made in 1992 and had John Eliot Gardiner conducting the English Baroque Soloists, the Monteverdi Choir. It features Alastair Miles as the bass singing the roie of Sehtos/Menes. It only lasts 54 minutes in total. There is not the slightest hint of Egyptian-ness about the music at all: it is charming, young Mozart at his best, without a trace of idiomatic ancient or ethnic character.

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