Didone is an opera by Francesco Cavalli, set to a libretto by Giovanni Francesco Busenello (later librettist for Claudio Monteverdi). The opera was first performed at Venice's Teatro San Cassiano during 1640.
The plot is based on Virgil's Aeneid (Book 4 in particular), though Busenello, in his second libretto for Cavalli, replaces Dido's tragic suicide of Virgil with a happy ending in which Dido marries Iarbas, King of the Getuli, who saves Dido from herself after Aeneas abandons her. The action is divided into a prologue and 3 acts.
Roles
edit| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 1640 (Conductor: - ) |
|---|---|---|
| Enea | tenor | |
| Didone | soprano | |
| Iarbas | contralto | |
| Cassandra | soprano | |
| Anchise | tenor | |
| Ascanio | soprano | |
| Hecuba | contralto | |
| Creusa | soprano | |
| Anna | soprano | |
| Mercurio | contralto | |
| Sicheo | tenor | |
| Pirro | tenor | |
| Corebo | contralto | |
| Sinon Greco | bass | |
| Ambasciatore Ilionèo | contralto | |
| Acate | tenor | |
| Giove | bass | |
| Giunone | soprano | |
| Iride | soprano | |
| Venere | soprano | |
| Amore | soprano | |
| Nettuno | bass | |
| Eolo | tenor | |
| Fortuna | soprano | |
| Three court ladies | sopranos |
Recordings
edit- Live Video recording on DVD - 2006 - Teatro Malibran, Venice - Fabio Biondi, conductor - Orchestra Europa Galante
Cast: Claron McFadden, Magnus Staveland, Jordi Domènech, Manuela Custer, Marina De Liso, Donatella Lombardi - Dynamic cat. 33537
See also
editReferences
editSources
- Rosand, Ellen (2001). "Didone". In Sadie, Stanley; Tyrrell, John (eds.). The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (2nd ed.). London: Macmillan Publishers. ISBN 978-1-56159-239-5.
External links
edit- Free score of La Didone in the International Music Score Library Project
- Libretto of the opera in Italian.
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