First performance 26 January 1780 Librettist Giovanni de Gamerra | Composer Josef Mysliveček Language Italian | |
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Josef myslive ek luci belle se piangete il medonte
Il Medonte is an Italian opera in three acts by Josef Mysliveček set to a libretto by Giovanni de Gamerra. Like all of the composer's operas, it belongs to the serious genre in Italian referred to as opera seria.
Contents
il medonte 1780 roma castrato bravura aria by josef myslive ek 1737 1781
Performance history
The opera was first performed at the Teatro Argentina in Rome on 26 January 1780. It was a moderate success that redeemed the failure of the composer's Armida, which was a spectacular failure at Milan during the same carnival operatic season of 1780. In modern times, it was revived for performances in Opava in 1961 and Leverkusen in 2010. The most famous vocal piece from the opera is the rondò "Luci belle, se piagente," which was widely disseminated in Europe until the early 19th century and was indeed one of the most outstanding vocal compositions of its era. It was originally sung by Tommaso Consoli in the role of Arsace. All of the original performers in the opera were male, since women were prohibited from appearing on stage in Roman theaters until Pius VII was elevated to the Holy See in the year 1800.
Vocal Set pieces
Act I, scene 1 - Cavatina of Arsace, "Deh, s'affretti, astri tiranni"
Act I, scene 1 - Aria of Evandro, "Merta gli allori al crine"
Act I, scene 2 - Aria of Arsace, "Fra gli affanni"
Act I, scene 3 - Aria of Zelinda, "Ch'io presso del soglio"
Act I, scene 4 - Aria of Selena, "Ah, caro ben vicina"
Act I, scene 5 - Aria of Medonte, "Pensa che sol per poco"
Act I, scene 7 - Accompanied recitative for Selena and Arsace, "Tu parli di morire?"
Act I, scene 7 - Duet for Selena and Arsace, "Ah, se mi sei fedete"
Act II, scene 1 - Aria of Talete, "Vedrò fier sempre in calma"
Act II, scene 3 - Aria of Zelinda, "Se vuoi dell'indegno"
Act II, scene 5 - Aria of Medonte, "Serba costante"
Act II, scene 7 - Accompanied recitative of Selena, "Dov'è, ah dov'è, son io"
Act II, scene 7 - Cavatina of Selena, "Adorata mia speranza"
Act II, scene 9 - Accompanied recitative of Arsace, "Cedere è forza, o cara"
Act II, scene 9 - Aria (Rondò) of Arsace, "Luci belle, se piangete"
Act II, scene 12 - Aria of Evandro, "Vedrai se un fido core"
Act II, scene 13 - Trio for Selena, Arsace, and Medonte, "Tremate empi"
Act III, scene 2 - Aria of Medonte, "Perfidi io sciolgo il freno"
Act III, scene 3 - Aria of Arsace, "Scioglio cara un dolce riso"
Act III, scene 4 - Aria of Selena, "Mesti affanni"