Niobe, regina di Tebe
Niobe, regina di Tebe is an opera in three acts by Agostino Steffani, premiered at the Munich court theatre during the carnival season of 1688. It is a tragedy focusing on the Ancient Greek character of Niobe. The libretto is by Orlandi, after Ovid's Metamorphoses. The score is in the National Library in Vienna. Excerpts have been published in Riemann Ausgewählte Werke iii. Long neglected, the opera was revived at Alice Tully Hall in New York City by the Clarion Music Society in 1977.[1] More recently the work was mounted in Schwetzingen in 2008, in London in 2010, and in Boston in 2011.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast, 5 January 1688
Conductor:- |
|---|---|---|
| Niobe, Queen of Thebes, brave but arrogant; punished by the gods for her pride | Soprano | Unknown |
| Anfione, King of Thebes; abdicates in favor of his wife Niobe; returns to protect Thebes from attack | Soprano Castrato | Unknown |
| Manto, Theban girl, priestess to the goddess Latona; falls in love with Tiberino | Soprano | Unknown |
| Tiresia, 'blind 'Theban seer and priest of Latona, Manto’s father; warns Niobe that her pride will anger the gods | Bass | Unknown |
| Clearte, prince and advisor to Anfione; secretly in love with Niobe | Tenor | Unknown |
| Creonte, Thessalonian prince bewitched into helping Poliferno attack Thebes | Alto Castrato | Unknown |
| Poliferno, magician; harbors a grudge against Anfione and sets out to overthrow him | Bass | Unknown |
| Tiberino, Prince of Alba; dreams of conquering Thebes; falls in love with Manto | Tenor | Unknown |
| Nerea, nurse to Niobe; advises the main characters | Contralto | Unknown |
References
- ↑ Donal Henahan (November 11, 1977). "Opera: 'Niobe' Tears and All". The New York Times.