Nino Rota - "Time for Us" from the soundtrack to "Romeo and Juliet"
Il matrimonio segreto Domenico Chimarosa premiered at Burgtheater in Vienna on 7 February 1792, just two months after Mozart’s death. The two-act comic opera received immediate praise, particularly from Emperor Leopold II, and on that day the opera was performed a second time for a private audience including the Holy Roman Emperor.
Il matrimonio segreto (a libretto by Giovanni Bertati) was a success that lasted nearly a century, with revised versions appearing in the second half of the nineteenth century; in 1933, the work was performed at the Library of Congress. Although the harmonic language is largely diatonic, beautiful melodies and Chimarosa’s moving rhythms complement Bertati’s direct text.
The opera represents the embarrassment of a secret married couple, without resorting to hidden collusions, such as disguising characters, conveying the dramatic nature and simplicity promoted by Russo. The orchestra, including clarinets, was another aspect of the opera that was praised by some (while Schumann appreciated the orchestration, Berlioz was not impressed).
