Artaserse (Vinci)

Template:Vinci operas Artaserse is an opera (dramma per musica) in three acts composed by Leonardo Vinci to a libretto by Metastasio. This was the last opera Vinci composed. It premiered during the carnival season on 4 February 1730 at the Teatro delle Dame in Rome.

Roles

Role	Voice type	Premiere cast, 4 February 1730 Conductor:-
Artaserse Prince and subsequently king of Persia, friend of Arbace and in love with Semira	Soprano Castrato	Raffaele Signorini
Mandane Sister of Artaserse, in love with Arbace	Soprano Castrato (en travesti)	Giacinto Fontana
Artabano Prefect of the royal guard, father of Arbace and Semira	Tenor	Francesco Tolve
Arbace Friend of Artaserse, in love with Mandane	Soprano Castrato	Giovanni Carestini
Semira Sister of Arbace, in love with Artaserse	Soprano Castrato (en travesti)	Giuseppe Appiani
Megabise General of the Persian army, confindant of Artabano	Alto Castrato	Giovanni Ossi

Artaserse is scored for 2 trumpets, 2 horns, 2 oboes, first and second violins, violas, timpani and basso continuo.

Synopsis

Libretto - Metastasio

Eighteenth-century Italian operas in serious style are almost always set in a distant or legendary past and are built around historical, pseudo-historical, or mythological characters. The main character of Metastasio's Artaserse is based on the life of king Artaxerxes I of Persia, a ruler of the fifth century B.C., son of Xerxes I. As women were banned from singing on stage in Rome (part of the Papal States) at that time, all the female roles were played by castrati.

The opera opens in a moonlit garden of the palace of Serse (Xerxes). Mandane, the daughter of King Serse, and Arbace, the son of the King's general Artabano, are in love. Serse has opposed their marriage and banished Arbace from the palace. Arbace climbs the wall into the garden. As the young lovers express their love for each other and their despair at Arbace's banishment, Artabano arrives carrying a bloody sword. His fury at Serse's treatment of his son and his desire for Arbace to become King have led him to assassinate Serse. Artabano confesses the murder to Arbace and exchanges his bloody sword for that of Arbace.

Artaserse, the King's younger son, arrives with his guards. Artabano tells him of his father's death and accuses Artaserse's older brother Dario of the murder, "Who but he at dead of night could penetrate the palace? Who approach the royal bed? Nay, more, his royal ambition..." Artaserse commands Artabano to avenge his father's death by killing Dario. Later in the garden, Artaxerxes expresses his love to Semira, the daughter of Artabano and sister of Arbace.

In the King's palace, the execution of Dario is announced. However, Megabise (also in love with Semira) has Arbace led into the chamber in chains, announcing that the bloody sword used to kill Serse had been found in his possession. Arbace is now condemned to death. However, Artaserse, who had long been a friend of Arbace, doubts his guilt. He releases Arbace from prison and allows him to escape through a secret passage. Megabise, encouraged by Artabano, then goes off to lead a rebellion against Artaserse.

In the Temple of the Sun Artaserse, surrounded by his nobles, swears to maintain the rights, laws, and customs of his subjects and is about to pledge this by drinking from a sacred cup, unaware that Artabano has poisoned the drink. Before Artaserse can drink from the cup, news arrives that Megabise and his men are at the palace gates. The danger is averted when Arbace kills the traitor, confirming to Artaserse that his friend is innocent. Artaserse then offers the sacred cup to Arbace instead so that he may pledge his innocence.

Artabano is now faced with seeing his son die or confessing the truth. He confesses to all that he has poisoned the cup, intending to kill Artaserse and that he had also assassinated Serse. Artabano is led off in chains. Artaserse, out of his love for Semira and his gratitude to Arbace, condemns their father to eternal exile rather than death. The opera ends with the two pairs of lovers reunited and the jubilation of all.

Recordings

Vinci Artaserse, Concerto Köln,

• Conductor: Diego Fasolis
• Singers:

Philippe Jaroussky (countertenor) - Artaserse

Max Emanuel Cencic (countertenor) - Mandane

Daniel Behle (tenor) - Artabano

Franco Fagioli (countertenor) - Arbace

Valer Barna-Sabadus (countertenor) - Semira

Yuriy Minenko (countertenor) - Megabise

• Recording date: September 2011
• Release: 2012
• Label: Virgin Classics

See also

• Artaserse
• Artaserse (Mysliveček)
• Artaxerxes (opera)

References

• The Operas of Leonardo Vinci, Napoletano by Kurt Sven Markstrom.