Alessandro Severo

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Operas by George Frideric Handel
Almira (1705) Florindo (1708) Rodrigo (1707) Agrippina (1709) Rinaldo (1711) Il pastor fido (1712) Teseo (1713) Amadigi di Gaula (1715) Acis and Galatea (1718) Radamisto (1720) Muzio Scevola (1721) Floridante (1721) Ottone (1723) Flavio (1723) Giulio Cesare (1724) Tamerlano (1724) Rodelinda (1725) Scipione (1726) Alessandro (1726) Admeto (1727) Riccardo Primo (1727) Siroe (1728) Tolomeo (1728) Lotario (1729) Partenope (1730) Poro (1731) Ezio (1732) Sosarme (1732) Orlando (1733) Arianna in Creta (1734) Oreste (1734) Ariodante (1735) Alcina (1735) Atalanta (1736) Arminio (1737) Giustino (1737) Berenice (1737) Alessandro Severo (1738) Faramondo (1738) Serse (1738) Giove in Argo (1739) Imeneo (1740) Deidamia (1741) Semele (1744)
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Alessandro Severo (Alexander Severus) is an opera by George Frideric Handel composed in 1738. It is one of Handel's three pasticcio works^[1], made up of the music and arias of his previous operas Giustino, Berenice and Arminio. Only the overture and recitatives (as well as the words) were new.

Contents 1 Performance history 2 Roles 3 Synopsis 4 References

[edit] Performance history

Alessandro Severo was not a success at its premiere under the direction of the composer on 25 February 1738 at the Haymarket Theatre, London.^[2]

[edit] Roles

• Sallustia, soprano Elisabeth Duparc, "La Francesina"
• Claudio, soprano Margherita Chimenti, "La Drogherina"
• Giulia, contralto Antonia Margherita Merighi
• Albina, mezzo-soprano Maria Antonia Marchesini, "La Lucchesina"
• Alessandro, castrato Caffarelli
• Marziano, bass Antonio Montagnana

[edit] Synopsis

The opera is based upon the story of the Roman Emperor Alexander Severus.

[edit] References

• Amadeus Almanac, accessed 5 June 2008
• 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