Scanderbeg (Vivaldi)

For other uses, see Skanderbeg (disambiguation).

Scanderbeg (Italian pronunciation: [ˈskanderbeɡ]; RV 732) is an opera (dramma per musica) in three acts composed by Antonio Vivaldi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Salvi. It was first performed at the Teatro della Pergola in Florence on 22 June 1718 to mark the re-opening of the theatre to public performances.^[1] While the libretto has been preserved, only fragments of the original score remain.^[2]

Skanderbeg
Dramma per musica by Antonio Vivaldi
Probable portrait of Antonio Vivaldi, c. 1723
Librettist	Antonio Salvi
Language	Italian
Premiere	23 June 1718 (1718-06-23) Teatro della Pergola, Florence

Roles

Roles, voice types, premiere cast

Role	Voice type	Premiere cast, 22 June 1718[3][4]
Scanderbeg, King of Albania	contralto castrato	Giovanni Battista Carboni
Doneca, his wife, disguised as a shepherdess	soprano	Francesca Cuzzoni-Sandoni, 'La Parmigiana'
Aroniz, Price of Epirus, father of Doneca, disguised as a shepherd	tenor	Antonio Ristorini
Ormondo, Count of Urana, army general	contralto castrato	Giovanni Pietro Sbaraglia, "Il Pesciatino"
Climene, Scanderbeg's captain	soprano (travesti)	Anna Guglielmini
Amurat II, monarch of the Turks	tenor	Gaetano Mossi
Asteria, his daughter	contralto	Agata Landi
Acomat, Amurat's general, in love with Asteria	soprano (travesti)	Rosa Venturini

Synopsis

The subject of the opera is Skanderbeg, the 15th-century Albanian hero.

Recordings

Two arias from the opera's second act, "S'a voi penso, o luci belle" (Ormondo) and "Con palme ed allori" (Scanderbeg), can be heard on Arie ritrovate sung by contralto Sonia Prina with the Accademia Bizantina, conducted by Ottavio Dantone (Naïve Records).