Antonio Salieri`s first comic German Singspiel, "Der Rauchfangkehrer" (The Chimney-Sweep), premiered in Vienna`s Burgtheatre in 1781. His second and last Singspiel (also his last opera) would be "Die Neger" (The Negroes), set in colonial Virginia with a text by Georg Friedrich Treitschke (one of the authors of the libretto of Beethoven`s "Fidelio") and premiered in Vienna in 1804. "Der Rauchfangkehrer" relates the story of Volpino, an Italian chimney-sweep working in the rich mansion of Frau von Habicht, a young widow and a retired opera singer. Volpino needs a dowry to marry Lisel, the cook of the mansion, so he devises an astute plan to obtain the money he needs from Herr von Bär and Herr von Wolf, two ambitious noblemen who are wooing Frau von Habicht and her step-daughter, Fräule Nannette, for their wealth. The clever chimney-sweep enamors both Frau von Habicht and Fräule Nannette (who then fight each other for Volpino), and tells the noblemen that he will only disinterest them if he gets his dowry. The Singspiel provides very much humor with the confusion, lies and schemes that develop. Additionally, it includes remarkable virtuoso arias for soprano, tenor and bass. The music that Salieri wrote for Caterina Cavalieri, who sung Fräule Nannette and who was also Mozart`s first Konstanze in " Die Entführung aus dem Serail," is brilliant, a fact especially evident in the aria "Wenn dem Adler das Gefieder." Similarly, the arias written for Ludwig Fischer, who sung Herr von Bär and who also created the role of Osmin in Mozart`s " Die Entführung aus dem Serail," were crafted to display his acting skills and exceptional low register.Ouverture performed by the Mannheimer Mozartorchester, conducted by Thomas Fey.