About the work
Miriways is a Singspiel in three acts by Georg Philipp Telemann to a libretto by Johann Samuel Müller, based on contemporary news reports about the Afghan warlord Mirwais Hotak. It premiered on 26 May 1728 at the Hamburg Oper am Gänsemarkt; after nearly three centuries of obscurity, the work returned to the stage in 2017 at the Telemann Festtage in Hamburg's Laeiszhalle, marking the composer's 250th anniversary, performed by the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin.
Plot
The Afghan ruler Miriways has conquered Persia and offers the deposed prince Sophi the throne on condition that he marry his missing daughter. Sophi, however, loves the mysterious Bemira, who in the end turns out to be that very missing daughter, uniting love with reasons of state.
Cultural significance
The work exploits the era's fashion for oriental subjects, blending Italian arias, French dances, strict counterpoint and Polish folk music — evidence of Telemann's stylistic range between church service and opera house.