Berenice (opera)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Berenice (HWV 38) is an opera in three acts by George Frideric Handel to an Italian libretto, written in Italy in 1709 and originally entitled Berenice, regina d'Egitto (Berenice, Queen of Egypt), by Antonio Salvi.
It was first performed at the Covent Garden Theatre in London on 18 May 1737. It was not successful and only given four times.
It is based upon the life of Cleopatra Berenice, daughter of Ptolemy IX (the main character in Handel's opera Tolomeo) and is set in around 81 BC.
Contents |
[edit] Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 18 May 1737 (Conductor: - ) |
|---|---|---|
| Berenice, Queen of Egypt | soprano | Anna Maria Strada |
| Selene, her sister | alto | Francesca Bertolli |
| Alessandro, a Roman nobleman | soprano castrato | Gioacchino Conti |
| Demetrio, a prince | alto castrato | Domenico Annibali |
| Arsace, another prince | alto | Maria Caterina Negri |
| Fabio, Roman messenger | tenor | John Beard |
| Aristobolo, captain | bass | Henry Reinhold |
[edit] Recordings
- A first recording with Julianne Baird (soprano), Jan Opalach (bass), D'Anna Fortunato (mezzo-soprano) and Drew Minter (countertenor), with the Brewer Baroque Chamber Orchestra conducted by Rudolph Palmer, was released on compact disc in 1995 (Newport Classic 1161828).
- In 2010, a new studio recording conducted by Alan Curtis and the Complesso Barocco with Klara Ek, Ingela Bohlin, Franco Fagioli, Romina Basso, Mary-Ellen Nesi and Vito Priante was released by Virgin Classics (3 CDs).
[edit] References
- Dean, Winton (2006), Handel's Operas, 1726-1741, Boydell Press, ISBN 1843832682 The second of the two volume definitive reference on the operas of Handel
[edit] External links
- Score of Berenice (ed. Friedrich Chrysander, Leipzig 1883)
