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L'Olimpiade (Mysliveček)
 L'Olimpiade is an 18th-century Italian opera in 3 acts by the Czech composer Josef Mysliveček. It was composed to a libretto by the Italian poet Metastasio that was first performed in 1733. For a performance in the 1770s, it would only be expected that a libretto of such age would be abbreviated and altered to suit contemporary operatic taste; some of the original aria texts would be omitted or substituted, and the remaining aria texts would be set more expansively. In this case, only 14 of the original 18 aria texts of Metastasio were newly set to music. The cuts and changes in the text made for the 1778 performance of Mysliveček's opera are not attributable.[1] Performance historyThe opera was first performed at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples on 4 November 1778, the nameday of king Charles III of Spain, the former ruler of the Kingdom of Naples whose birthday and nameday were still celebrated with operatic productions under the rule of his son Ferdinand. It is unquestionably one of the finest setting of this Metastasian libretto ever produced. Contemporary music criticism praised in particular the composer's setting of the aria "Se cerca, se dice" as sung by Luigi Marchesi, a close friend and professional collaborator of the composer.[2] Mysliveček's L'Olimpiade was revived in 2005 at the Narodní Divadlo Moravskoslezské in Ostrava, then revived again as a new production at the Estates Theatre in Prague, the Grand Théâtre in Dijon, the Théâtre de Caen, and the Grand Théâtre in Luxembourg in April and May 2013.[3] A version of the latter production was also repeated in concert format at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna in March 2014. A documentary film about the genesis of the Prague production, produced by Mimesis Film and directed by Petr Václav, was released in 2015 under the title Zpověď zapomenutého in Czech and Confession of the Vanished in English. It was the winner of a Trilobit Beroun Award in 2016 and a gold prize in its category at the FIPA film competition in Biarritz in 2016 (the FIPA d'or). Roles
Synopsis18th-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. Metastasio's L'Olimpiade is highly exceptional in being named for an event, not a character, in this case a celebration of the Olympic Games in ancient Greece. Metastasio's librettos are ordinarily love intrigues that resolve into marriage. Seemingly insoluble dilemmas that keep lovers from marrying throughout the drama find solutions just before the end. Two happy marriages are generally portrayed, just as in this drama. Act IMegacle arrives in Sicyon just in time to enter the Olympic Games under the name of Licida, a friend who once saved his life. Unknown to Megacle, Licida is in love with Aristea, whose hand is to be offered to the winner of the games by her father, King Clistene. Licida, once betrothed to Princess Argene of Crete, is unaware that Megacle and Aristea already love each other, and he subsequently tells his friend of the prize. Aristea and Megacle greet each other fondly, but Megacle now feels bound by his promise to compete as Licida. Meanwhile, Argene arrives in Olympia disguised as a shepherdess, to win back Licida. Act IIMegacle wins the games, confesses the truth to Aristea and departs, broken-hearted. When Licida comes to claim her, Aristea reproaches him, as does the disguised Argene, much to his dismay. Aminta, tutor to Licida, reports that Megacle has drowned himself, and King Clistene, apprised of the deception, banishes Licida. Act IIIArgene prevents the desperate Aristea from suicide, Megacle is rescued by a fisherman, and Licidas contemplates the assassination of the king. Aristea pleads mercy for Licida and Argene offers herself in his place; as proof that she is a princess, she shows Clistene a chain given her by Licida. He recognizes it as belonging to his son, abandoned in infancy to forestall the prophecy that he would kill his father. Licida, reinstated, accepts Argene, leaving his sister to Megacle. Vocal set piecesAct I, scene 2 - Aria of Megacle, "Superbo di me stesso" Act II, scene 1 - Aria of Alcandro, "Dimmi qual è l'affanno" [a non-Metastasian text] Act III, scene 3 - Aria of Aristea, "Caro, son tua così" ScoreThe complete score of L'Olimpiade is available for study online on the Italian website Internet Culturale in the form of a reproduction of a manuscript once in the possession of the Teatro San Carlo of Naples. RecordingsThe overture to Mysliveček's L'Olimpiade is included in a collection of symphonies and overtures by the composer recorded by the L'Orfeo Barockorchester, Michi Gaigg, conductor, CPO 777-050 (2004). Two arias drawn from the role of Argene in Mysliveček's L'Olimpiade are available in a collection recorded by the Czech mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kožená: "Più non si trovano" and "Che non mi disse." The recording is Deutsche Grammophon 0289-4776153 (2002) with the Prague Philharmonia, Michel Swierczewski, conductor. [4] [5] The complete opera has been recorded by the orchestra of the Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Oliver von Dohnányi, conductor, with the choir of the Teatro Comunale di Bologna, Naxos (2014). The soloists include Pervin Chakar, Yasushi Watanabe, Erika Tanaka, Maria Teresa Leva, Carlo Vistoli, Saltan Akhmetova, and Pasquale Scircoli. References
External linksComplete score in manuscript available for viewing and downloading at http://opac.sbn.it/opacsbn/opac/iccu/scheda.jsp?bid=IT\ICCU\MSM\0091213 |
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