Discover the History of Early Opera in Lithuania
Who was responsible for the first productions of opera in Grand Duchy of Lithuania, what were the first operas about and other important questions
Portrait of Wladyslaw Vasa (Around 1800) by UnknownNational Museum – Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania
A Man of Culture
Dramma per musica productions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth are linked to its ruler Wladyslaw Vasa. All of the first operas meeting the requirements of the dramma per musica genre were created and staged during his reign
The Road of Early Music (21st Century) by Screenwriter - Beatrice Baltrusaityte Illustrations and animation - Meinart Composer - Vitalij Neugasimov Sound director - Marius MatuleviciusNational Museum – Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania
Il ratto di Helena
Vilnius is one of the few European cities outside of Italy where the first dramma per musica productions were shown. The Abduction of Helen was performed in the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania in 1636, created and produced in the Wladyslaw Vasa theater
Perseus Freeing Andromeda (1638) by Peter Paul RubensGemäldegalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
L'ANDROMEDA
Virgilio Puccitelli’s (who was a member of Vasa capella) version of opera L'Andromeda premiered in Vilnius on 6 March 1644 - the surviving libretto can be found here
The myth of Andromeda was often used in literature and painting as well as musical dramas. L’Andromeda stood out for the vividness and character of its actors. The pride of Andromeda’s mother, the grief of her father, Andromeda’s determination and courage, the demigod Perseus’ heroism in conquering the sea monster...
...the portrait of Andromeda’s fiancé Phineas, the buffoonish character of Lorino, and other vivid and colorful characters set this opera apart as an especially dramatic piece, full of inner tensions and contrasts
In September 2023, the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre, the National Museum of the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania and the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre presented the opera Andromeda recreated with the help of Artificial Intelligence
Photograph from Opera Andromeda (2023) by Vytautas Stasys AbramauskasNational Museum – Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania
AI Opera
To recover this lost history, an international team of creators used an artificial intelligence tool (AI model by Martin Malandro) to recreate the opera as it was performed on the 6th of March in 1644, based on the surviving works of Marco Scacchi and his contemporaries
The last drama Virgilio Puccitelli wrote while serving in Wladyslaw Vasa’s palace was Circe delusa
Portrait of Wladyslaw Vasa (Around 1800) by UnknownNational Museum – Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania
End of an Era
Upon Wladyslaw Vasa’s sudden death in 1648, his opera theater folded. Together with the end of the Vasa dynasty’s rule, so too ended the most prominent era of musical life in the Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania
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