Cleofide
Encyclopedia
Cleofide is an opera seria
in three acts by Johann Adolf Hasse. The libretto
was by Metastasio
, as adapted by Michelangelo Boccardi.
.
Hasse returned to the same subject for a new production at the Teatro San Giovanni Gristostomo in Venice
on 4 November 1736, however the music was almost completely different. On that occasion, the original title of Metastasio's libretto was used: Alessandro nell'Indie.
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...
in three acts by Johann Adolf Hasse. The 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...
was by 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:...
, as adapted by Michelangelo Boccardi.
Performance history
Cleofide was first performed on 13 September 1731 at the Grosses Königliches Opernhaus am Zwingerhof in DresdenDresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
.
Hasse returned to the same subject for a new production at the Teatro San Giovanni Gristostomo in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
on 4 November 1736, however the music was almost completely different. On that occasion, the original title of Metastasio's libretto was used: Alessandro nell'Indie.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 13 September 1731 (Conductor:) |
|---|---|---|
| Alessandro Magna (Alexander the Great) | soprano Soprano A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody... castrato Castrato A castrato is a man with a singing voice equivalent to that of a soprano, mezzo-soprano, or contralto voice produced either by castration of the singer before puberty or one who, because of an endocrinological condition, never reaches sexual maturity.Castration before puberty prevents a boy's... |
Domenico Annibali Domenico Annibali Domenico Annibali was an Italian castrato who had an active international career from 1725-1764. He began his career in his native country and was then committed to the Grosses Königliches Opernhaus in Dresden from 1729 until his retirement from the stage 35 years later... |
| Poro (Porus), an Indian ruler | alto Alto Alto is a musical term, derived from the Latin word altus, meaning "high" in Italian, that has several possible interpretations.When designating instruments, "alto" frequently refers to a member of an instrumental family that has the second highest range, below that of the treble or soprano. Hence,... castrato |
Domenico Campioli |
| Cleofide (Cleophis) | contralto | Faustina Bordoni Faustina Bordoni Faustina Bordoni was an Italian mezzo-soprano.-Early career:She was born in Venice and brought up under the protection of the aristocratic brother composers Alessandro and Benedetto Marcello. Her singing teacher was another composer, Michelangelo Gasparini... |
| Erissena | soprano | Maria Santina Cattaneo |
| Gandarte | soprano castrato | V. Rocchetti |
| Timagene | alto castrato | Nicolò Pozzi |
Recordings
Hasse: Cleofide, Cappella Coloniensis- Conductor: William Christie
- Roles (top to bottom): Erissena/Alessandro/Gandarte/Cleofide/Poro/Timagene
- Singers: Agnès MellonAgnès MellonAgnès Mellon is a French soprano specialized in the baroque repertoire, born in 1958.- Biography :Agnès Mellon started her career at the beginning of the 1980s with the baroque ensemble Les Arts Florissants directed by William Christie, with whom, between 1981 and 1993, she interpreted Marc-Antoine...
/Dominique VisseDominique VisseDominique Visse is a French countertenor and founder of the Ensemble Clément Janequin. Visse devotes himself to performing of secular and religious music of the Renaissance. He is principally known for his interpretations of the Parisian chansons.He was a chorister in the Cathedral of Notre Dame...
/Randall Wong/Emma KirkbyEmma KirkbyDame Carolyn Emma Kirkby, DBE is an English soprano singer and one of the world's most renowned early music specialists. She attended Sherborne School For Girls in Dorset and was a classics student at Somerville College, Oxford, and an English teacher before developing a career as a soloist...
/Derek Lee RaginDerek Lee RaginDerek Lee Ragin is an American countertenor.Ragin studied as a piano major at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. While at Oberlin he took secondary voice lessons with Richard Anderson. He began his operatic career at Oberlin in Benjamin Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream as Oberon...
/David Cordier - Recording date: 1986
- Label: Capriccio