- Ciro in Babilonia
-
Ciro in Babilonia, ossia La caduta di Baldassare (Cyrus in Babylon, or The Downfall of Belshazzar) in an opera in two acts by Gioachino Rossini with a libretto by Francesco Aventi. It was first performed at the Teatro Comunale, Ferrara during Lent, 1812. The exact date of the premiere is unknown but is believed to be March 14. During Lent it was the custom for Italian opera houses either to close or to stage works on themes from the Bible. Ciro in Babilonia is one of two Lenten operas by Rossini (along with Mosè in Egitto) and is based on the Biblical story of the overthrow of the Babylonian king Belshazzar by the Persian ruler Cyrus the Great.
Contents
Roles
Role Voice type Premiere Cast, March 14(?), 1812[1]
(Conductor: - )Baldassare, King of Assyria tenor Eliodoro Bianchi Ciro, King of Persia contralto Marietta Marcolini Almira, wife of Ciro, imprisoned by Baldassare soprano Elisabetta Manfredini-Guarmani Argene, confidant of Almira mezzo-soprano Anna Savinelli Zambri, Babylonian prince bass Giovanni Layner Arbace, captain in Baldassare's army tenor Francesco Savinelli Daniello, prophet bass Giovanni Fraschi Synopsis
- Time: 539 B.C.
- Place: Babylon[2]
Recordings
Year Cast:
Baldassare, Ciro, Amira, ArgeneConductor,
Opera House and OrchestraLabel [3] 1998 Ernesto Palacio,
Caterina Calvi,
Daniela Dessi,
Oriana FerrarisCarlo Rizzi,
Orchestra Sinfonica di Sanremo and Coro Francesco Cilea di Reggio
(Recording of a performance in the Teatro Chiabrera, Savona, 30 October)Audio CD: Hunt, Cat: 105;
Arkadia, Cat: CDAK 105.2;
Celestial Audio, Cat: CA 5022004 Riccardo Botta,
Annarita Gemmabella,
Luisa Islam-Ali-Zade,
Maria SoulisAntonino Fogliani,
Württembergische Philharmonie Orchestra and ARS Brunensis Chamber Choir
(Recorded at 3 performances at the Wildbad Festival, July)Audio CD: Naxos
Cat: 8.660203/42008 Cyril Auvity,
Nora Gubisch,
Elena de la Merced,
Sophie DanemanJean-Claude Malgoire,
La Grande Ecurie et La Chambre du Roy and Choeur de Chambre de Namur
(Recording of a concert performance in the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, 12 January)Audio CD: Premiere Opera
Cat: ??References
- Notes
- Sources
- Holden, Amanda, ed. The New Penguin Opera Guide, New York: Penguin Putnam, Inc., 2001 ISBN 0-140-29312-4
- Osborne, Charles, The Bel Canto Operas of Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini, Portland, Oregon: Amadeus Press, 1994 ISBN 0931340713
External links
Categories:- Operas
- 1812 operas
- Italian-language operas
- Operas by Gioachino Rossini
- Italian-language opera stubs
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