Muzio Scevola
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| Operas by George Frideric Handel |
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Almira (1705) |
Muzio Scevola (Mucius Scaevola) is an opera in three acts. The Italian-language libretto was by Paolo Antonio Rolli, adapted from a text by Silvio Stampiglia. The music for the first act was composed by Filippo Amadei (family name sometimes given as Mattei[1]), the second act by Giovanni Bononcini, and the third by George Frideric Handel.[2] Collaborations of groups of composers were common in the 18th century, though this is the only one done in London. Bononcini had written the music for two earlier treatments of this story on his own, works dating from 1695 and 1710.[3]
The opera was first given at the King's Theatre in London on 15 April 1721 and repeated on 7 November 1722. It was also performed in Hamburg. The first modern performance was in Essen in 1928.
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[edit] Roles and role creators
- Fidalma, soprano Maria Maddalena Salvai
- Clelia (Cloelia), soprano Margherita Durastanti
- Tarquinio (Luciius Tarquinius), soprano (castrato) Caterina Gallarati
- Irene, daughter of Porsena contralto Anastasia Robinson
- Orazio (Horatius Cocles), soprano Matteo Berselli
- Muzio Scevola, alto castrato Francesco Bernardi "Senesino"
- Porsena, King of Etruria bass Giuseppe Maria Boschi
- Elisa
- Vitellia
- Milo
- Publicola
[edit] Selected recordings
Newport Classic NPD 85540/260125: Julianne Baird; Brewer Baroque Chamber Orchestra; Rudolph Palmer, conductor[4]
[edit] E-book
Score (Atto Terzo) of Muzio Scevola (ed. Friedrich Chrysander, Leipzig 1874)
[edit] References
- ^ Bond, Donald F., "Book Reviews: Paolo Rolli in Inghilterra by Tarquinio Vallese" (February 1940). Modern Philology, 37 (3): pp. 327-332.
- ^ W.H.C. (no full name given), Muzio Scevola (July 1, 1890). The Musical Times and Singing Class Circular, 31 (569): pp. 399-400.
- ^ Ford, Anthony, "Music and Drama in the Operas of Giovanni Bononcini" (1974-1975). Proceedings of the Royal Musical Association, 101: pp. 107-120.
- ^ Smith, Richard Langham, Reviews of Teseo, Siroe, and Muzio Scevola (1993). The Musical Times, 134 (1800): p. 97.
[edit] Sources
- Dean, Winton & Knapp, J. Merrill (1987), Handel's Operas, 1704-1726, Clarendon Press, ISBN 0193152193 The first of the two volume definitive reference on the operas of Handel
- Muzio Scevola by Anthony Hicks, in 'The New Grove Dictionary of Opera', ed. Stanley Sadie (London, 1992) ISBN 0-333-73432-7
