Ascanio in Alba Synopsis & Summary

David Hermann staged a theatrical production of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's 1771 pastoral opera Ascanio in Alba at the Nationaltheaters Mannheim, with a cast that includes Iris Kupke, Sonia Prina, Marie-Belle Sandis, Charles Reid and Diana Damrau; that production was filmed live and is now available in this home video release. The work plays out the events that unfold when the goddess Venus encourages Ascanio, the son she has by Aeneas, to rule the city of Alba. Before Ascanio occupies that position, Venus urges him to test the moral virtue of his intended, the nymph Silvia, by disguising himself as a foreign traveler and confronting Silvia with the news of her engagement to Ascanio. The Chorus and Orchestra of the Nationaltheaters Mannheim, as conducted by Adam Fischer, provide musical accompaniment for this version of Mozart's opus. - Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide