Die Gärtnerin aus Liebe, K.196, Overture

Max Ponner conducting Rundfunk Sinfonieorchester Berlin: Die Gärtnerin aus Liebe, (La finta giardiniera),K.196, Overture; La finta giardiniera ("The Pretended Woman Gardener"),K.196, is an Italian opera. Mozart wrote it in Munich in January 1775 when he was 18 years old and its first performance was carried out on January 13 at the Operahaus am Salvator platz(Salvatortheater) in Munich. There is debate over the authorship of the libretto; the current belief is that it was written by Giuseppe Petrosellini. In 1780 Mozart converted the opera into a German Singspiel called Die Gärtnerin aus Liebe (also Die verstellte Gärtnerin), which involved rewriting some of the music. Until a copy of the complete Italian version was found in the 1970s, the German translation was the only known complete score. The opera is set in the 18th century at the Podestà(Mayor) estate in Lagonero/Italy (Amtshauptmann/Germany in case of Singspiel). (The plot follows Count Belfiore and Violante who were formerly lovers before Belfiore stabbed Violante in a lovers' tiff. Violante is disguised as the gardener Sandrina and confronts Belfiore, who is by this point engaged to Arminda. In a fit of jealousy Arminda kidnaps Violante. When Violante is found both she and Belfiore nearly go mad until eventually Violante decides to forgive Belfiore.