Arias from the opera Scanderbeg by Antonio Vivaldi
Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 12:11 am
Skënderbeu was the subject of several baroque operas. Jean-Baptiste Lully started the trend of operas based on Christian heroes such as Amadis, Rolando, and Rinaldo as Louis XIV was getting more religious. This was a break from the usual tradition of having operas based on mythology. Composers after Lully continued this practice and other Christian hero operas were composed.
With the libretto by Antonio Salvi and music composed by Antonio Vivaldi, Scanderbeg was first performed in 1718. Alas, most of the music is lost to this opera. Here are two clips I found on youtube:
S'a voi penso, o luci belle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qJU4_9slz8
and
Con palme ed allori: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGjt7nFSRc8
The style of music is typical of the early late baroque. It includes: violins, violas, violoncellos, harpsichord, oboe, bassoon, and some horns. The continuous bass which you hear with the singer is the baroque basso continuo which includes the violoncello and harpsichord.
Vivaldi is not really known for his operas today but he wrote the scores to many operas although much of the music is lost to many of them.
Relatively unknown French composer François Francoeur also wrote the score to a Scanderbeg opera from 1735. I only know it exists, but I am not sure if the music survives or not.
With the libretto by Antonio Salvi and music composed by Antonio Vivaldi, Scanderbeg was first performed in 1718. Alas, most of the music is lost to this opera. Here are two clips I found on youtube:
S'a voi penso, o luci belle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qJU4_9slz8
and
Con palme ed allori: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGjt7nFSRc8
The style of music is typical of the early late baroque. It includes: violins, violas, violoncellos, harpsichord, oboe, bassoon, and some horns. The continuous bass which you hear with the singer is the baroque basso continuo which includes the violoncello and harpsichord.
Vivaldi is not really known for his operas today but he wrote the scores to many operas although much of the music is lost to many of them.
Relatively unknown French composer François Francoeur also wrote the score to a Scanderbeg opera from 1735. I only know it exists, but I am not sure if the music survives or not.