WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART Zaide, singspiel K 344 The Academy of Ancient Music, Paul Goodwin

Mozart began this masterpiece in 1780 for the new Viennese Singspiel company, but at their insistence on a comedy he switched to writing Idomeneo, and Zaide remained unfinished. This recording presents the complete music Mozart wrote – without posthumous additions or dialogue. An exotic tale of escape from slavery, set in a Turkish sultan’s palace, it contains glorious arias ranging in style from bel canto (“Ruhe sanft”) to opera buffa and closes with a masterful quartet.