Radamisto (Handel)
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| Operas by George Frideric Handel |
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Almira (1705) |
Radamisto is an opera in three acts by George Frideric Handel to an Italian libretto by Niccola Francesco Haym, based on L'amor tirranico, o Zenobia by Domenico Lalli and Zenobia by Matteo Noris. It was Handel's first opera for the Royal Academy of Music.
[edit] Performance history
It was first performed at the King's Theatre, London on 27 April 1720. It was judged a success and there were 10 performances. A revised version with different singers was written for a revival on 28 December 1720. More revisions followed for a new version presented in 1721 and again for another revival in 1728. It was also given in Hamburg. The first modern performance was in Göttingen on 27 June 1927.
[edit] Roles
| April 1720 version | December 1720 version | 1728 version | |
| Radamisto, son of Farasmane | Margherita Durastanti (soprano) | Senesino (alto castrato) | Senesino (alto castrato) |
| Zenobia, his wife | Anastasia Robinson (alto) | Margherita Durastanti (soprano) | Faustina Bordoni (mezzo-soprano) |
| Tiridate, King of Armenia | Alexander Gordon (tenor) | Giuseppe Maria Boschi (bass) | Giuseppe Maria Boschi (bass) |
| Polissena, his wife, daughter of Farasmane | Ann Turner Robinson (soprano) | Maddalena Salvai (soprano) | Francesca Cuzzoni (soprano) |
| Farasmane, King of Thrace | Signor Lagarde (bass) | Signor Lagarde (bass) | Giovanni Battista Palmerini (bass) |
| Tigrane, Prince of Pontus | Caterina Galerati (soprano) | Matteo Berselli (soprano castrato) | Antonio Baldi (alto castrato) |
| Fraarte, brother of Tiridate | Benedetto Baldassari (soprano castrato) | Caterina Galerati (soprano) | (role cut) |
[edit] Synopsis
The opera has set numbers with recitative, and is set in Armenia in the year 53. It is based on Tacitus's Annals of Imperial Rome.
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