Artaserse (Vinci)

Artaserse is an opera (dramma per musica) in three acts composed by Leonardo Vinci to an Italian libretto by Metastasio. This was the first of many musical settings of arguably Metastasio's most popular libretto, and Vinci and Metastasio were known to have collaborated closely for the world premiere of the opera in Rome. This was the last opera Vinci composed before his death, and also considered to be his masterpiece, and is known among baroque opera enthusiasts for its florid vocal lines and taxing tessituras. It premiered during the carnival season on 4 February 1730 at the Teatro delle Dame in Rome. As women were banned from the opera stage in Rome in the 18th century, all the female roles in the original production were taken up by castrati. However, subsequent 18th-century productions outside Rome included women in the cast.

Artaserse continued to be popular for a while after Vinci's death, but has since faded into obscurity. The first modern revial of Artaserse was staged at the Opéra national de Lorraine in Nancy on 2 November 2012, featuring Philippe Jaroussky as Artaserse, Max Emanuel Cenčić as Mandane, Juan Sancho as Artabano, Franco Fagioli as Arbace, Valer Barna-Sabadus as Semira and Yuriy Mynenko as Megabise. In honour of the single-sex casting at the original premiere, the revival was staged with an all-male cast, with countertenors cast in skirt roles to play the female characters in the opera.

Conductor: –

Artaserse is scored for 2 trumpets, 2 horns, 2 oboes, first and second violins, violas, timpani and basso continuo.

...
Wikipedia