Elizabeth Parcells delivers a bright, brilliant Mozart rondo

THE SONGBIRD: Born in Michigan, Elizabeth Parcells (1951 - 2005) studied in Boston, was a Met Opera Auditions Winner in 1977, and then a grant enabled her to move to Switzerland to launch her career. She lived in Germany until 1997, singing coloratura roles in standard and adventurous contemporary operatic and concert works in major opera houses and festivals. When she settled back in the U.S., Parcells taught voice and sang in concerts and recitals, until she tragically died of cancer at the age of 54. She has many YouTube videos of her singing (posted posthumously), and I encourage everyone to sample more of her extraordinary artistry. This is from a performance at Tanglewood where Reri Grist sang Madame Herz.

THE MUSIC: Mozart's short comic opera "Der Schauspieldirektor" ("The Impresario") K.486 was given a private performance on February 7, 1786 for Joseph II at the Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna as part of a composition competition. A German singspiel (Mozart's work) was presented at one end of the room and an Italian opera buffa by Antonio Salieri ("Prima la musica e poi le parole" - "First the Music, then the Words") was then given at the other end of the room. Three public performances came a few days later in Vienna. There are only five musical selections in Mozart's work, which pits two rival divas against each other: a fabulous overture, an aria for the first diva Madame Herz, a rondo for the second diva Mademoiselle Silberklang, a trio vocal battle, and a quartet finale. The diva roles were written for two of Mozart's muses: coloratura sopranos Aloysia Weber (Herz) and Caterina Cavalieri (Silberklang), both big stars in Vienna at the time. This is Silberklang's rondo, "Bester Jüngling."

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