La Cleopatra
| Domenico Cimarosa |
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Operas
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La Cleopatra (1789) is an opera seria in two acts by composer Domenico Cimarosa with an Italian libretto by F. Moretti.[1]
Historical background and musical analysis
La Cleopatra was commissioned by Empress Catherine II of Russia in 1788. Cimarosa and Moretti were instructed to keep the opera short and give it a relatively simple plot. As a result, the opera is about a hundred minutes in length which is short for an opera of that period and time. The plot is also very straightforward, lacking the typical plot twists and intrigues of other opera serias of the day. Musically the opera is made up of mostly arias with only a few duets, a quartet, a ballet, and a march. Although, music critics of the opera have admired the duet at the end of act one, the music written for the ballet, and the final quartet at the end, overall the opera is not that remarkable. The work premiered at the Theater Eremitage in Saint Petersburg, Russia on September 27, 1789.[2]
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, September 27, 1789 (Conductor: - ) |
|---|---|---|
| Cleopatra | coloratura soprano | |
| Antonio | castrato | |
| Domizio | tenor | |
| Arsinoe | baritone | |
Recordings
- La Cleopatra with conductor Franco Piva and the Orchestra e Coro Città di Adria. Cast includes: Luisa Giannini (Cleopatra), Patrizia Morandini (Antonio), Luca Favaron (Domizio), and Maria Pia Moriyòn (Arsinoe). Released in 1996 on Bongiovanni GB label.