Haydn: L'isola disabitata, Hob.XXVIII:9

Description

Of Haydn's numerous operas, only " L'isola disabitata " (The Deserted Island) has a libretto by Pietro Metastasio . The plot recedes into the background in favour of the fine psychological interpretation of the feelings of the four protagonists. There are no more secco recitatives; instead the arias and ensembles and the commenting scenes with their emotionally-laden orchestral accompaniment are merged together in greater unities. The gloomy tone colors of the overture and the experimental form show the short, 90-minute chamber opera – called an "operetta" by Haydn himself – in a striking distance from Italian Baroque opera, perceptible even now.