Achille in Sciro
Encyclopedia
Achille in Sciro is an opera seria
by composer
Domenico Sarro
. The opera
uses an Italian language libretto
by Pietro Metastasio
. It was commissioned for the opening of the Teatro di San Carlo
by Charles III of Spain
, also known as Charles VII of Naples. The work premiered at the inauguration of the theatre on 4 November 1737, Charles's name day
.
The opera was not performed for more than 250 years until it was revived at the Festival della Valle d'Itria
in 2007. That performance was recorded live and released on CD by Dynamic Records in 2008. The cast was as follows:
Opera seria
Opera seria is an Italian musical term which refers to the noble and "serious" style of Italian opera that predominated in Europe from the 1710s to c. 1770...
by composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
Domenico Sarro
Domenico Sarro
Domenico Natale Sarro, also Sarri was an Italian composer.He studied at the Neapolitan conservatory of S. Onofrio. He composed extensively in the early 18th century. His opera Didone abbandonata, premiered on 1 February 1724 at the Teatro San Bartolomeo in Naples, was the first setting of a major...
. The opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
uses an Italian language libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
by Pietro Metastasio
Metastasio
Pietro Antonio Domenico Trapassi, better known by his pseudonym of Metastasio, was an Italian poet and librettist, considered the most important writer of opera seria libretti.-Early life:...
. It was commissioned for the opening of the Teatro di San Carlo
Teatro di San Carlo
The Real Teatro di San Carlo is an opera house in Naples, Italy. It is the oldest continuously active such venue in Europe.Founded by the Bourbon Charles VII of Naples of the Spanish branch of the dynasty, the theatre was inaugurated on 4 November 1737 — the king's name day — with a performance...
by Charles III of Spain
Charles III of Spain
Charles III was the King of Spain and the Spanish Indies from 1759 to 1788. He was the eldest son of Philip V of Spain and his second wife, the Princess Elisabeth Farnese...
, also known as Charles VII of Naples. The work premiered at the inauguration of the theatre on 4 November 1737, Charles's name day
Name day
A name day is a tradition in many countries in Europe and Latin America that consists of celebrating the day of the year associated with one's given name....
.
The opera was not performed for more than 250 years until it was revived at the Festival della Valle d'Itria
Festival della Valle d'Itria
The Festival della Valle d’Itria is a summer opera festival held in the south eastern Italian town of Martina Franca in the Apulia region. The Festival was founded in 1975 and performances are given in July and August each summer on a specially constructed stage in the outdoor courtyard of the...
in 2007. That performance was recorded live and released on CD by Dynamic Records in 2008. The cast was as follows:
- Achilles: Gabriella Martellacci
- Lycomedes: Marcello Nardis
- Teagene: Massimiliano Arizzi
- Deidamia: Maria Laura Martorana
- Ulysses: Francisco Ruben Brito
- Nearco: Eufemia Tufano
- Arcade: Dolores Carlucci
- Orchestra Internazionale d’Italia
- Bratislava Chamber Choir
- Conductor: Federico Maria SardelliFederico Maria SardelliFederico Maria Sardelli is an Italian conductor, composer, musicologist and flautist. He is the founder of the baroque orchestra Modo Antiquo and has made more than forty recordings as soloist and conductor, some of them in co-production with the German broadcast company Westdeutscher Rundfunk.A...
- Director: Davide Livermore