- Alessandro (opera)
"Alessandro" ("Alexander the Great") is an
opera composed byGeorge Frideric Handel in 1726. Paolo Rolli was the librettist and based the story onOrtensio Mauro 's "La superbia d'Alessandro ". This was the first opera where Handel had cast together in the same opera the famous singersFaustina Bordoni , as Rossane, andFrancesca Cuzzoni , as Lisaura. Handel made use of their real-life professional rivalry in his treatment of the story.Price, Curtis, Review of recording of "Alessandro" (August 1986). "Early Music", 14 (3): pp. 450, 452, 454.] The original cast also included Francesco Bernardi.Handel had originally planned "Alessandro" to be his first contribution to the 1725-1726 season of the Royal Academy. However, Bordoni did not arrive in London in time to stage "Alessandro", and Handel substituted his own "
Scipione " in March and April of 1726 until her arrival. The opera received its first performance on 5 May 1726 at the King's Theatre, London.King, Richard G., "Classical History and Handel's "Alessandro" (February 1996). "Music & Letters", 77 (1): pp. 34-63.]The story is based around
Alexander the Great 's journey toIndia , where he meets Poro, the king of India, who was the subject of another Handel opera of that name.Roles
ynopsis
Alessandro comes to believe that he is the son of the god Jupiter. His delusion is such that he demands to be worshipped as a god. His Macedonian captains conspire to cure him of this belief, but their efforts are weak. During the course of the work, Rossane and Lisaura are rivals for the affection of Alessandro.
elected recordings
Deutsche Harmonia Mundi IC 157 16 9537 3:
René Jacobs , Sophie Boulin, Isabelle Poulenard, Jean Nirouet, Stephen Varcoe, Guy de Mey, Ria Bollen; La Petite Bande; Sigiswald Kuijken, conductorE-book
[http://mdz1.bib-bvb.de/~db/0001/bsb00016916/images/ Score] of "Alessandro" (ed.
Friedrich Chrysander , Leipzig 1877)References
* [http://www.amadeusonline.net/almanacco.php?Start=0&Giorno=5&Mese=05&Anno=1726&Giornata=&Testo=&Parola=Stringa Amadeus Almanac]
*citation|first=Winton|last=Dean|title=Handel's Operas, 1726-1741|publisher=Boydell Press|year=2006
id=ISBN 1843832682 The second of the two volume definitive reference on the operas of Handel
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