Abstract
What happened at the Vienna Court Theatre on 7 February 1792 is probably unique in the history of opera: after the première of Domenico Cimarosa’s Il matrimonio segreto, Emperor Leopold II not only requested that certain numbers be repeated, but also wanted to see the entire opera again and ordered the second performance for the same evening. The incident is certainly unusual – but anyone who has seen this turbulent buffo opera full of unbeatable situation comedy and heard Cimarosa’s music, which sparkles with wit and charm, will understand the Emperor’s wish only too well and at the most regret that such long evenings at the opera are no longer possible in our day and age.