La Finta Giardiniera Documentary
Salzburg Festival – An hour with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 1756-1791
Cast
Doris Dörrie — Stage director
John Graham-Hall — Don Anchise
Alexandra Reinprecht — Marchioness Violante Onesti, Sandrina disguised as a gardener
Véronique Gens — Arminda, engaged to Belfiore
John Mark Ainsley — Contino Belfiore, engaged to Arminda
Ruxandra Donose — Cavalier Ramiro, Arminda's rejected suitor
Markus Werba — Roberto (Nardo), Violante's servant, disguised as a gardener
Program notes
In 2006, the Mozart22 project took place in honor of the 250th anniversary of the composer's birth. It was a major project to recreate the twenty-two operas and oratorios composed by Mozart. This documentary goes behind the scenes of the production of Ascanio in Alba at that time.
The Salzburg Festival of 2006 gathered the best specialists of the Mozart repertoire - singers, conductors and directors - to interpret this unique selection of works.
Doris Dörrie has created an amazing production here. The dynamic set sometimes positions the characters in a noble and distinguished environment of 18th century, and then sometimes in a kind of Ikea 21st century style. The court costumes are supermarket jackets.
The Marchioness Violante Onesti and his servant are Roberto was hired as gardeners, under the names of Sandrina and Nardo in the ownership of the Podesta Lagonero Don Anchise. His niece, Arminda is betrothed to Count Belfiore, former lover Violante, whom he thought he had killed in a fit of jealousy. Ramiro, the former fiance of Arminda, reports from Milan that the Count Belfiore is wanted for murder of the Marchioness Violante Onesti. After much drama, everything is in order and three marriages go ahead: that of Belfiore and Violante, that of Ramiro and Arminda, and finally that of Roberto with the servant of Don Anchise, Serpetta.