Ipermestra (Mysliveček)
Template:Mysliveček operas L'Ipermestra is an eighteenth-century Italian opera in 3 acts by the Czech composer Josef Mysliveček composed to a libretto by the Italian poet Metastasio first produced in 1744. This opera (and all the rest of Mysliveček's operas) belong to the serious type in Italian language referred to as opera seria.
Performance history
The opera was first performed at the Teatro della Pergola in Florence on 17 March 1769.[1] Florence had been a frequent stopping-place for Mysliveček after he arrived in Italy from Prague in 1763, but L'Ipermestra was the first dramatic work that he succeeded in getting produced there. Later there would be two other operas (Motezuma in 1771 and Adriano in Siria in 1776) and three oratorios (Adamo ed Eva in 1771, La passione in 1773, and Isacco figura del redentore in 1776). The production was graced with the presence of the great German tenor Anton Raaff, a close friend and professional associate of the composer who contributed greatly to the success of Mysliveček's break-through opera, Il Bellerofonte of 1767.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast, 17 March 1769, Teatro della Pergola, Florence |
|---|---|---|
| Danao | tenor | Anton Raaff |
| Ipermestra | soprano | Elisabetta Teuber |
| Linceo | soprano castrato | Adamo Solzi |
| Elpinice | soprano | Daniella Mienci |
| Plestene | soprano castrato | Giuseppe Cicognani |
| Adrasto | bass | Filippo Bertocchini |
References
- ^ More information concerning the Florence performance of Mysliveček's L'Ipermestra is found in Daniel E. Freeman, Josef Mysliveček, "Il Boemo" (Sterling Heights, Mich.: Harmonie Park Press, 2009).