Mutio Scevola

Mutio Scevola or Muzio Scevola (Mucius Scaevola) is an opera (drama per musica) in three acts by the Italian composer Francesco Cavalli, with a libretto by Nicolò Minato. It was based on the story of the Roman hero, Gaius Mucius Scaevola. The opera was first performed at the Teatro San Salvatore, Venice on 26 January 1665 and revived in Bologna in 1667. The libretto is dedicated to Philippe Jules Mancini, Duke of Nevers, the nephew of Cardinal Mazarin.

Title page of the 1665 Venetian libretto

Roles

Role	Voice type	Premiere Cast, 26 January 1665 (Conductor: – )
Muzio Scevola	tenor
Orazio	soprano
Porsenna	tenor
Publicola	bass
Melvio	contralto
Tarquinio	bass
Valeria	soprano
Elisa	soprano
Vitellia	soprano
Ismeno	bass
Clodio	contralto
Floro	soprano
Porfiria	contralto
Milo	contralto
Publio	tenor
La statua di Giano	bass
Pallade	contralto
Venere	indefinite
Two vestal virgins	backing singers

Recordings

• Atto I Scena 7 "Né fastosa allor che ride - Né dolente allor che freme" Cappella Mediterranea, Leonardo García Alarcón, François Joubert-Caillet, Mariana Flores, Anna Reinhold 2014
• "L'aspetto feroce" Giulia Semenzato (soprano), Raffaele Pe (alto) La Venexiana Claudio Cavina 2015

References

• Muzio Scevola, Opéra Baroque website

External links

• Mutio Scevola, 1665 libretto, Library of Congress