Tsefal i Prokris
| Tsefal i Prokris | |
|---|---|
| Opera seria by Francesco Araja | |
Giuseppe Valeriani: Sketch of sets for the opera, 1755
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| Native title | Russian: Цефал и Прокрис |
| Librettist | Alexander Sumarokov |
| Language | Russian |
| Based on |
Metamorphoses by Ovid |
| Premiere | 7 March 1755 Zimniy Dvorets, St. Petersburg |
Cephalus and Prokris (Russian: Цефал и Прокрис – Tsefal i Prokris), is an opera seria in three acts by the Italian composer Francesco Araja. Dating to 1755, it was the first opera written in the Russian language.
Araja composed the opera to a Russian libretto by Alexander Sumarokov after the Metamorphoses of Ovid.
It was staged at St. Petersburg in a wing of Zimniy Dvorets on March 7, [OS February 27], 1755 with effective sets by Giuseppe Valeriani. It was the first opera performed with Russian singers. The main roles were performed by Elisaveta Belogradskaya (Prokris) and Gavrilo Martsenkovich known as "Gavrilushka" (Cephalus). The other actors were "pevchie" (the singers) of Count Andrey Kirillovich Razumovsky: Stefan Evstafiev (Aurora), Stefan Rzhevsky (Erechtheus, the King of Athens), Nikolay Ktitarev (Minos, the King of Crete), Ivan Tatishchev (Tester, the nobleman of Minos and magician). This opera had a great success, and the composer received a luxurious sable coat valued at 500 rubles as a gift from Empress Elizaveta Petrovna. This opera was re-staged at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg on June 14, 2001.
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