Il grand tour del granduca Pavel Petrovič Romanov: andata e ritorno tra Russia ed Europa

Abstract

This paper considers the musical production occasioned by a travel the Russian Grand Duke Pavel Petrovich embarked on in 1781-82. Focus will be placed on his stay in Vienna and on the operatic repertoire planned for his entertainment in the light of the international political situation, particularly in regard to the position that Austria and Russia were taking towards the Turkish Empire. This topic offers the opportunity to reposition the Russian Empire as a central agent in the European scene in terms of politics, culture and the mobility of their protagonists.