Radamisto (Handel)

"Radamisto " (HWV 12a/12b) is an opera in three acts by George Frideric Handel to an Italian libretto by Nicola Francesco Haym, based on "L'amor tirranico, o Zenobia" by Domenico Lalli and "Zenobia" by Matteo Noris. It was Handel's first opera for the Royal Academy of Music.

Performance history

It was first performed at the King's Theatre, London on 27 April 1720 and was judged to be a success, resulting in 10 further performances. A revised version with different singers was written for a revival on 28 December 1720. More revisions followed for yet another version presented in 1721 and again for further revival in 1728. It was also given in Hamburg. The first modern performance was in Göttingen on 27 June 1927.

Roles

{| class="wikitable"!Role!Voice type!Revised version
Premiere Cast,
December 28, 1720
(Conductor: - )!Revised version
Premiere Cast,
1728
(Conductor: - )
-
Radamisto,
"son of Farasmane"
soprano /
alto castrato
Senesino
Senesino
-
Zenobia,
"his wife"
alto / soprano /
mezzo-soprano
Margherita Durastanti
Faustina Bordoni
-
Tiridate,
"King of Armenia"
tenor / bass
Giuseppe Maria Boschi
Giuseppe Maria Boschi
-
Polissena, "his wife,
daughter of Farasmane"
soprano
Maddalena Salvai
Francesca Cuzzoni
-
Farasmane,
"King of Thrace"
bass
Signor Lagarde
Giovanni Battista Palmerini
-
Tigrane,
"Prince of Pontus"
soprano /
soprano castrato /
alto castrato
Matteo Berselli
Antonio Baldi
-
Fraarte,
"brother of Tiridate"
soprano castrato /
soprano
Caterina Galerati
(role cut)

ynopsis

:Place: Armenia:Time: 53 A.D.

The opera has set numbers with recitative. It is based on Tacitus's "Annals of Imperial Rome".

"The happily married Radamisto and Zenobia are besieged by Tiridate, ruler of a neighboring country; Radamisto through an invasion of Tiridate has launched and Zenobia through Tiridate's attempt to capture her during the warfare. Despite his marriage to the faithful Polissena , Tiridate has fallen passionately in love with Zenobia and his attempts to secure and seduce her are the forces that drive the story. The "tyrannical love" which consumes Tiridate eventually gives way and his is reunited with Polissena, while Radamisto and Zenobia celebrate the "sweet refuse" they find in each others arms." [ "Handel, With Care", "Crescendo", Spring 2008, a publication of the Santa Fe Opera.]

The score

[http://mdz1.bib-bvb.de/~db/0001/bsb00016906/images/ Score] of "Radamisto" (ed. Friedrich Chrysander, Leipzig 1875)

Notes

References

citation|first=Winton|last=Dean|first2=J. Merrill|last2=Knapp|title=Handel's Operas, 1704-1726|publisher=Clarendon Press|year=1987
id=ISBN 0193152193 The first of the two volume definitive reference on the operas of Handel