Romolo ed Ersilia
Template:Mysliveček operas Romolo ed Ersilia ("Romulus and Ersilia") 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 1765 (one of his last and least-popular dramas). 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
Romolo ed Ersilia was first performed at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples on 13 August 1773 to commemorate the birthday of Maria Carolina, queen of Naples.[1] The music for the production had to be composed hurriedly, since the composer was detained at the border of the Kingdom of Naples until mid-July for his lack of a passport. The management of the Teatro San Carlo resolved to have the three acts of the opera parceled out among three composers resident locally, however Mysliveček was able to resolve his difficulties at the border in time to fulfill his commission. The result was very successful, and he was immediately commissioned to compose an opera for the queen's birthday in 1774 (the opera Artaserse). In all, Mysliveček completed six more operas for the Teatro San Carlo before his death in 1781, which meant that more of his works were performed there during the 1770s than those of any other composer. This was quite a distinction, since the San Carlo was the most prestigious venue for the performance of Italian opera seria in the world. The cast of Romolo ed Ersilia included three distinguished singers: Gaspare Pacchierotti, Anna de Amicis-Buonsolazzi, and Giuseppe Tibaldi.
Roles
| Cast | Voice type | Premiere, 13 August 1773, Teatro San Carlo, Naples |
|---|---|---|
| Romolo, king and founder of Rome | mezzo-soprano castrato | Gaspare Pacchierotti |
| Ersilia, an illustrious Sabine princess betrothed to Romolo | soprano | Anna de Amicis-Buonsolazzi |
| Curzio, father of Ersilia | tenor | Giuseppe Tibaldi |
| Acronte, implacable enemy of Romolo, also in love with Ersilia | soprano castrato | Pietro Santi |
| Valeria, a noble Roman lady, betrothed to Acronte, but abandoned by him | soprano | Margherita Gibetti |
| Ostilio, Roman patrician and friend of Romolo | soprano | Rosaria de Juliis (in a breeches role) |
References
- ^ More information concerning the Naples performance of Mysliveček's Romolo ed Ersilia is found in Daniel E. Freeman, Josef Mysliveček, "Il Boemo" (Sterling Heights, Mich.: Harmonie Park Press, 2009).