Artaxerxes (opera)
Encyclopedia
Artaxerxes is an opera
in three acts composed by Thomas Arne set to an English adaptation (probably by Arne himself) of Metastasio
's 1729 libretto
Artaserse
. The first English opera seria
, Artaxerxes premiered on 2 February 1762 at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden
and continued to be regularly performed until the late 1830s. Its plot is loosely based on the historical figure, Artaxerxes I of Persia
who succeeded his father Xerxes I
after his assassination by Artabanus
.
The opening night of Artaxerxes (2 February 1762) at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden
proved very successful. The work was revived at the theatre the following year, although this second run was marred by a riot. On 24 February 1763 a mob protesting the abolition of half-price admissions stormed the theatre in the middle of the performance. According to a contemporary account in The Gentleman's Magazine
:
By 1790, Artaxerxes had received well over 100 performances, including 48 in Dublin alone between 1765 and 1767. In the United States, the overture was played in Philadelphia as early as 1765, while arias from the opera were heard in New York City
in 1767. The US premiere of the complete opera came on 31 January 1828 at the Park Theatre in New York City with a cast that included Elizabeth Austin
as Semira. Artaxerxes remained in the London repertoire for over 70 years with regular revivals including those at the Drury Lane Theatre
(1780, 1820, 1827, and 1828), Covent Garden (1813, 1827, and 1828), and the St James's Theatre
(1836). The score for Artaxerxes had been published in 1762. However, it did not contain the recitative
s or the final chorus. The original performing version of the score was lost in the fire that destroyed the Theatre Royal in 1808. After that date, performances of the work used a shortened version reconstructed by Henry Bishop and John Addison in 1813.
Notable modern revivals of the work include a 1962 performance in London's St.Pancras Town Hall as part of the St. Pancras Festival
, a BBC concert performance in 1979, and another concert performance in 2002 by the Classical Opera Company conducted by Ian Page at St John's, Smith Square. In anticipation of Thomas Arne's 300th birthday, a staged production of Artaxerxes will be performed in October 2009 in the Linbury Studio of London's Royal Opera House
. The production will use a new performing edition of the score by Ian Page with a reconstruction of the final chorus by Duncan Druce.
, Nicolò Peretti and Giusto Ferdinando Tenducci respectively. With the waning of the castrati, the title role was sung by women en travesti
in the 19th century. In the 1827 and 1828 performances in London, Artaxerxes was sung by the contraltos Eliza Paton and Elizabeth Vestris
. In modern performances the role is often taken by a counter-tenor. The more virtuosic role of Arbaces went through a considerable amount of casting instability in the 19th century. It was sometimes sung by sopranos, and at other times transposed for tenor
s such as John Braham
who sang the role 1827. Considered too high for a modern counter-tenor, Arbaces was sung by a mezzo-soprano
, Patrica Spence, in the 1995 Hyperion recording. The role was also sung by a mezzo-soprano in the 2009 Royal Opera House
revival.
The opera opens in a moonlit garden of Xerxes palace. Mandane, the daughter of King Xerxes, and Arbaces, the son of the King's general Artabanes, are in love. Xerxes has opposed their marriage and banished Arbaces from the palace. Arbaces climbs the wall into the garden. As the young lovers express their love for each other and their despair at Arbaces' banishment, Artabanes arrives carrying a bloody sword. His fury at Xerxes' treatment of his son and his desire for Arbaces to become King have led him to assassinate Xerxes. Artabanes confesses the murder to Arbaces and exchanges his bloody sword for that of Arbaces.
Artaxerxes, the King's younger son, arrives with his guards. Artabanes tells him of his father's death and accuses Artaxerxes's older brother Darius of the murder, "Who but he at dead of night could penetrate The palace? Who could approach the royal bed? Nay, more, his royal ambition..." Artaxerxes commands Artabanes to avenge his father's death by killing Darius. Later in the garden, Artaxerxes expresses his love to Semira, the daughter of Artabanes and sister of Arbaces.
In the King's palace, the execution of Darius is announced. However, Rimenes (also in love with Semira) has Arbaces led into the chamber in chains, announcing that the bloody sword used to kill Xerxes had been found in his possession. Arbaces is now condemned to death. However, Artaxerxes, who had long been a friend of Arbaces, doubts his guilt. He releases Arbaces from prison and allows him to escape through a secret passage. Rimenes, encouraged by Artabanes, then goes off to lead a rebellion against Artaxerxes.
In the Temple of the Sun Artaxerxes, surrounded by his nobles, swears to maintain the rights, laws, and customs of his subjects and is about to pledge this by drinking from a sacred cup, unaware that Artabanes has poisoned the drink. Before Artaxerxes can drink from the cup, news arrives that Rimenes and his men are at the palace gates. The danger is averted when Arbaces kills the traitor, confirming to Artaxerxes that his friend is innocent. Artaxerxes then offers the sacred cup to Arbaces instead so that he may pledge his innocence.
Artabanes is now faced with seeing his son die or confessing the truth. He confesses to all that he has poisoned the cup, intending to kill Artaxerxes and that he had also assassinated Xerxes. Artabanes is led off in chains. Artaxerxes, out of his love for Semira and his gratitude to Arbaces, condemns their father to eternal exile rather than death. The opera ends with the two pairs of lovers reunited and the jubilation of all.
. However, the first major studio recording to be released on CD is from Hyperion Records
.
The performance of Artaxerxes at the Royal Opera House
, Covent Garden
in 2009 to celebrate Arne's 300th birthday was followed by release of a studio recording in 2010 by Linn Records
.
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
in three acts composed by Thomas Arne set to an English adaptation (probably by Arne himself) of 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:...
's 1729 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...
Artaserse
Artaserse
Artaserse is the name of a number of Italian operas, all based on a text by Metastasio. Artaserse is the Italian form of the name of a Persian king, Artaxerxes....
. The first English opera seria
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...
, Artaxerxes premiered on 2 February 1762 at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
and continued to be regularly performed until the late 1830s. Its plot is loosely based on the historical figure, Artaxerxes I of Persia
Artaxerxes I of Persia
Artaxerxes I was the sixth king of kings of the Achaemenid Empire from 465 BCE to 424 BCE. He was the son of Xerxes I of Persia and Amestris, daughter of Otanes.*Artaxerxes I was the sixth king of kings of the Achaemenid Empire from 465 BCE to 424 BCE. He was the son of Xerxes I of Persia and...
who succeeded his father Xerxes I
Xerxes I of Persia
Xerxes I of Persia , Ḫšayāršā, ), also known as Xerxes the Great, was the fifth king of kings of the Achaemenid Empire.-Youth and rise to power:...
after his assassination by Artabanus
Artabanus of Persia
Artabanus the Hyrcanian was a Persian political figure during the Achaemenid Dynasty who was reportedly Regent of Persia for a few months ....
.
Performance history
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
proved very successful. The work was revived at the theatre the following year, although this second run was marred by a riot. On 24 February 1763 a mob protesting the abolition of half-price admissions stormed the theatre in the middle of the performance. According to a contemporary account in The Gentleman's Magazine
The Gentleman's Magazine
The Gentleman's Magazine was founded in London, England, by Edward Cave in January 1731. It ran uninterrupted for almost 200 years, until 1922. It was the first to use the term "magazine" for a periodical...
:
The mischief done was the greatest ever known on any occasion of the like kind: all the benches of the boxes and pit being entirely tore up, the glasses and chandeliers broken, and the linings of the boxes cut to pieces. The rashness of the rioters was so great, that they cut away the wooden pillars between the boxes, so if the inside of them had not been iron, they would have brought down the galleries upon their heads.
By 1790, Artaxerxes had received well over 100 performances, including 48 in Dublin alone between 1765 and 1767. In the United States, the overture was played in Philadelphia as early as 1765, while arias from the opera were heard in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1767. The US premiere of the complete opera came on 31 January 1828 at the Park Theatre in New York City with a cast that included Elizabeth Austin
Elizabeth Austin (singer)
Elizabeth Austin was an English opera singer and actress who achieved particular fame in America, where between 1828 and 1835, she was considered the reigning prima donna of the day...
as Semira. Artaxerxes remained in the London repertoire for over 70 years with regular revivals including those at the Drury Lane Theatre
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane
The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane is a West End theatre in Covent Garden, in the City of Westminster, a borough of London. The building faces Catherine Street and backs onto Drury Lane. The building standing today is the most recent in a line of four theatres at the same location dating back to 1663,...
(1780, 1820, 1827, and 1828), Covent Garden (1813, 1827, and 1828), and the St James's Theatre
St James's Theatre
The St James's Theatre was a 1,200-seat theatre located in King Street, at Duke Street, St James's, London. The elaborate theatre was designed with a neo-classical exterior and a Louis XIV style interior by Samuel Beazley and built by the partnership of Peto & Grissell for the tenor and theatre...
(1836). The score for Artaxerxes had been published in 1762. However, it did not contain the recitative
Recitative
Recitative , also known by its Italian name "recitativo" , is a style of delivery in which a singer is allowed to adopt the rhythms of ordinary speech...
s or the final chorus. The original performing version of the score was lost in the fire that destroyed the Theatre Royal in 1808. After that date, performances of the work used a shortened version reconstructed by Henry Bishop and John Addison in 1813.
Notable modern revivals of the work include a 1962 performance in London's St.Pancras Town Hall as part of the St. Pancras Festival
Camden Festival
Camdem Festival was an annual spring festival held in London, England, of which opera was the central feature.Founded in 1954 and continuing until 1987, it was originally called the St Pancras Festival until 1965. It specialised in the revival of long-forgotten operas, some of which subsequently...
, a BBC concert performance in 1979, and another concert performance in 2002 by the Classical Opera Company conducted by Ian Page at St John's, Smith Square. In anticipation of Thomas Arne's 300th birthday, a staged production of Artaxerxes will be performed in October 2009 in the Linbury Studio of London's Royal Opera House
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
. The production will use a new performing edition of the score by Ian Page with a reconstruction of the final chorus by Duncan Druce.
Roles and casting
Artaxerxes was composed when the castrato singers were at their height. The title role (Artaxerxes) and that of Arbaces were written for the Italian castratiCastrato
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...
, Nicolò Peretti and Giusto Ferdinando Tenducci respectively. With the waning of the castrati, the title role was sung by women en travesti
En travesti
Travesti is a theatrical term referring to the portrayal of a character in an opera, play, or ballet by a performer of the opposite sex. Some sources regard 'travesti' as an Italian term, some as French. Depending on sources, the term may be given as travesty, travesti, or en travesti...
in the 19th century. In the 1827 and 1828 performances in London, Artaxerxes was sung by the contraltos Eliza Paton and Elizabeth Vestris
Lucia Elizabeth Vestris
Lucia Elizabeth Vestris was an English actress and a contralto opera singer, appearing in Mozart and Rossini works. While popular in her time, she was more notable as a theatre producer and manager...
. In modern performances the role is often taken by a counter-tenor. The more virtuosic role of Arbaces went through a considerable amount of casting instability in the 19th century. It was sometimes sung by sopranos, and at other times transposed for tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
s such as John Braham
John Braham
John Braham was a tenor opera singer born in London, England. His long career led him to become one of Europe's leading opera stars. He also wrote a number of songs, of minor importance, although The Death of Nelson is still remembered...
who sang the role 1827. Considered too high for a modern counter-tenor, Arbaces was sung by a mezzo-soprano
Mezzo-soprano
A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above...
, Patrica Spence, in the 1995 Hyperion recording. The role was also sung by a mezzo-soprano in the 2009 Royal Opera House
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
revival.
| Cast | Voice type | Premiere, February 2, 1762 (Conductor: - ) |
|---|---|---|
| Artaxerxes, Xerxes' younger son, and Arbaces' friend | 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... |
Nicolò Peretti |
| Mandane, Xerxes' daughter and lover of Arbaces | 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... |
Charlotte Brent Charlotte Brent Charlotte Brent was a child prodigy and celebrated soprano singer of the 18th century.She was the daughter of Charles Brent , a Handelian counter-tenor, and fencing-master . She was a pupil and mistress of Thomas Arne and later the wife of the violinist Thomas Pinto... |
| Artabanes, the general of Xerxes' army | tenor Tenor The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2... |
John Beard John Beard (tenor) John Beard was an English tenor of the 18th century. He is best remembered for creating an extensive number of roles in the operas and oratorios of George Frideric Handel.... |
| Arbaces, son of Artabanes | 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... |
Giusto Ferdinando Tenducci |
| Semira, Artabanes' daughter and lover of Artaxerxes | soprano | Miss Thomas |
| Rimenes, Artabanes' captain | tenor | George Mattocks |
Synopsis
- Setting: PersiaIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
circa 465 BC
The opera opens in a moonlit garden of Xerxes palace. Mandane, the daughter of King Xerxes, and Arbaces, the son of the King's general Artabanes, are in love. Xerxes has opposed their marriage and banished Arbaces from the palace. Arbaces climbs the wall into the garden. As the young lovers express their love for each other and their despair at Arbaces' banishment, Artabanes arrives carrying a bloody sword. His fury at Xerxes' treatment of his son and his desire for Arbaces to become King have led him to assassinate Xerxes. Artabanes confesses the murder to Arbaces and exchanges his bloody sword for that of Arbaces.
Artaxerxes, the King's younger son, arrives with his guards. Artabanes tells him of his father's death and accuses Artaxerxes's older brother Darius of the murder, "Who but he at dead of night could penetrate The palace? Who could approach the royal bed? Nay, more, his royal ambition..." Artaxerxes commands Artabanes to avenge his father's death by killing Darius. Later in the garden, Artaxerxes expresses his love to Semira, the daughter of Artabanes and sister of Arbaces.
In the King's palace, the execution of Darius is announced. However, Rimenes (also in love with Semira) has Arbaces led into the chamber in chains, announcing that the bloody sword used to kill Xerxes had been found in his possession. Arbaces is now condemned to death. However, Artaxerxes, who had long been a friend of Arbaces, doubts his guilt. He releases Arbaces from prison and allows him to escape through a secret passage. Rimenes, encouraged by Artabanes, then goes off to lead a rebellion against Artaxerxes.
In the Temple of the Sun Artaxerxes, surrounded by his nobles, swears to maintain the rights, laws, and customs of his subjects and is about to pledge this by drinking from a sacred cup, unaware that Artabanes has poisoned the drink. Before Artaxerxes can drink from the cup, news arrives that Rimenes and his men are at the palace gates. The danger is averted when Arbaces kills the traitor, confirming to Artaxerxes that his friend is innocent. Artaxerxes then offers the sacred cup to Arbaces instead so that he may pledge his innocence.
Artabanes is now faced with seeing his son die or confessing the truth. He confesses to all that he has poisoned the cup, intending to kill Artaxerxes and that he had also assassinated Xerxes. Artabanes is led off in chains. Artaxerxes, out of his love for Semira and his gratitude to Arbaces, condemns their father to eternal exile rather than death. The opera ends with the two pairs of lovers reunited and the jubilation of all.
Noted arias
- The Soldier, tir'd of war's alarms (sung by Mandane in Act 3) was a frequently performed recital piece for virtuoso sopranos, particularly in the 19th century. It was sung by Henriette SontagHenriette SontagHenriette Sontag was a German operatic soprano of great international renown. She possessed a sweet-toned, lyrical voice and was a brilliant exponent of florid singing.-Life:...
in many of her American concerts, although one contemporary New York critic pronounced it "Nothing but a tie-wig-ish vocal exercise in triplets from beginning to end". Its popularity with singers continued into the 20th century. Both Joan SutherlandJoan SutherlandDame Joan Alston Sutherland, OM, AC, DBE was an Australian dramatic coloratura soprano noted for her contribution to the renaissance of the bel canto repertoire from the late 1950s through to the 1980s....
and Beverly SillsBeverly SillsBeverly Sills was an American operatic soprano whose peak career was between the 1950s and 1970s. In her prime she was the only real rival to Joan Sutherland as the leading bel canto stylist...
have recorded the aria.
- Water parted from the sea (sung by Arbaces in Act 3) was a popular concert piece in the 18th and 19th centuries. There are also several allusions to it in James JoyceJames JoyceJames Augustine Aloysius Joyce was an Irish novelist and poet, considered to be one of the most influential writers in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century...
's Finnegans WakeFinnegans WakeFinnegans Wake is a novel by Irish author James Joyce, significant for its experimental style and resulting reputation as one of the most difficult works of fiction in the English language. Written in Paris over a period of seventeen years, and published in 1939, two years before the author's...
. According to Green Room Gossip (London, 1808), its beauty caused considerable friction between Arne and Charlotte BrentCharlotte BrentCharlotte Brent was a child prodigy and celebrated soprano singer of the 18th century.She was the daughter of Charles Brent , a Handelian counter-tenor, and fencing-master . She was a pupil and mistress of Thomas Arne and later the wife of the violinist Thomas Pinto...
, the first Mandane.When Dr Arne first brought the Opera of Artaxeres to a rehearsal, Tenducci sung the Air "Water parted from the Sea" with such effect that Miss Brent for whom the part of Mandane was composed, flew to Dr Arne with some violence, and told him "he might get whom he pleas'd to take Mandane; because he had given the best air in the piece to Tenducci." In vain the poor Doctor strove to sooth her - she was ungovernable. He retired from the theatre - sat down, and having written the first words of "Let not rage thy bosom firing" composed an air to them in the same character as "Water parted," though it is inferior in other respects: This he presented to Miss Brent, who being struck with the application of the first line to her own violence of temper, told the Doctor "that she was appeased, and would sing to the utmost of her ability to serve him."
- O too lovely, too unkind (sung by Arbaces in Act 1) has been recorded by Marilyn HorneMarilyn HorneMarilyn Horne is an American mezzo-soprano opera singer. She specialized in roles requiring a large sound, beauty of tone, excellent breath support, and the ability to execute difficult coloratura passages....
and appears on DeccaDecca RecordsDecca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
's The Age Of Bel Canto. According to Simon Heighes, its orchestration with muted violins and a pizzicatoPizzicatoPizzicato is a playing technique that involves plucking the strings of a string instrument. The exact technique varies somewhat depending on the type of stringed instrument....
bass was an influence on Philip Hayes's orchestration for the aria Soon arrives thy fatal hour in his 1763 masqueMasqueThe masque was a form of festive courtly entertainment which flourished in 16th and early 17th century Europe, though it was developed earlier in Italy, in forms including the intermedio...
, Telemachus.
- Fair Aurora, pr'ythee stay (sung by Arbaces and Mandane in Act 1) was heard in the United States as early as 1769 in a concert at New York's Vauxhall GardensNew York Vauxhall GardensThe New York Vauxhall Gardens was a pleasure garden and theater in New York City. It was named for the Vauxhall Gardens of London. Though the venue passed through a long list of owners, and suffered buyouts, closings, relocations, and re-openings, it lasted until the mid-19th century.In the...
and again in that city in 1794 in a concert at the City Tavern. It was also sung by Raynor TaylorRaynor TaylorRayner Taylor was an English organist, music teacher, composer, and singer who lived and worked in the United States after emigrating in 1792...
and Miss Huntley in a concert in Philadelphia in 1796 and published that same year as an arrangement for piano and voice by Filippo Trisobio with the title, A Celebrated Duett In Artaxerxes. Fair Aurora. Unlike the more bravura pieces in the opera, it was described by George HogarthGeorge HogarthGeorge Hogarth was a Scottish newspaper editor, music critic, and musicologist. He authored several books on opera and Victorian musical life in addition to contributing articles to various publications....
in 1835 as "a charming imitation of the simpler Italian style of that period".
Recordings
A live recording of a 1979 BBC concert performance was once available on LPLP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
. However, the first major studio recording to be released on CD is from Hyperion Records
Hyperion Records
Hyperion Records is an independent British classical record label.-History:The company was named after Hyperion, one of the Titans of Greek mythology. It was founded by George Edward Perry, widely known as "Ted", in 1980. Early LP releases included rarely recorded 20th century British music by...
.
- Artaxerxes (English Orpheus Vol 33) – Christopher Robson (Artaxerxes), Catherine BottCatherine BottCatherine Bott is a British soprano and a baroque specialist.Following her studies at The King's High School For Girls, and Guildhall School of Music and Drama, with Arthur Reckless, she began her career as a member of the English baroque-jazz crossover group, The Swingle Singers...
(Mandane), Patricia Spence (Arbaces), Ian PartridgeIan PartridgeIan Partridge CBE is a retired English lyric tenor, whose repertoire ranged from Monteverdi, Bach and Handel, the Elizabethan lute songs, German, French and English songs, through to Schoenberg, Weill and Britten, and on to contemporary works. He formed a renowned vocal-piano duo with his sister...
(Artabanes), Richard Edgar-Wilson (Rimenes), Philippa Hyde (Semira); The Parley of Instruments; Roy GoodmanRoy GoodmanRoy Goodman is a conductor and violinist, specialising in the performance and direction of early music...
(conductor). Label: Hyperion RecordsHyperion RecordsHyperion Records is an independent British classical record label.-History:The company was named after Hyperion, one of the Titans of Greek mythology. It was founded by George Edward Perry, widely known as "Ted", in 1980. Early LP releases included rarely recorded 20th century British music by...
(released 1996 as CDA67051/2, re-released 2009 as CDD22073)
The performance of Artaxerxes at the Royal Opera House
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
, Covent Garden
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...
in 2009 to celebrate Arne's 300th birthday was followed by release of a studio recording in 2010 by Linn Records
Linn Records
Linn Records is a Glasgow-based record label which specialises in classical, jazz and Scottish music. It is part of Linn Products.-History:While Linn engineers were testing their flagship product, the Sondek LP12 turntable, they became frustrated with some of the specialist test LPs they were using...
.
- Artaxerxes - Christopher Ainslie (Artaxerxes), Elizabeth WattsElizabeth WattsElizabeth Watts is a British soprano.Watts studied archaeology at Sheffield University and graduated with first class honours. Beginning in 2002, she studied music at the Royal College of Music with Lillian Watson. She graduated in 2005 with distinction and the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother...
(Mandane), Caitlin HulcupCaitlin Hulcup-Life and career:Mezzo-soprano Caitlin Hulcup started her music career as a violinist and violist, receiving scholarships to the Banff Center for the Arts and playing in the West Australian Symphony Orchestra. She was chosen by the W.A. Opera to be a Young Artist in 2000, where she performed as...
(Arbaces), Andrew Staples (Artabanes), Rebecca Bottone (Semira), Daniel Norman (Rimenes); Classical Opera Company; Ian Page (conductor). Label: Linn RecordsLinn RecordsLinn Records is a Glasgow-based record label which specialises in classical, jazz and Scottish music. It is part of Linn Products.-History:While Linn engineers were testing their flagship product, the Sondek LP12 turntable, they became frustrated with some of the specialist test LPs they were using...
(released 2010 as CKD 358)
Sources
- Burden, Michael "Imaging Mandane: character, costume, monument", paper delivered at the Research Center for Music Iconography conference, City University of New YorkCity University of New YorkThe City University of New York is the public university system of New York City, with its administrative offices in Yorkville in Manhattan. It is the largest urban university in the United States, consisting of 23 institutions: 11 senior colleges, six community colleges, the William E...
, 11–14 March 2008. Accessed 1 October 2009. - Camner, James, "Arne: Artaxerxes", Opera NewsOpera NewsOpera News is an American classical music magazine. It has been published since 1936 by the Metropolitan Opera Guild, a non-profit organization located at Lincoln Center which was founded to support the Metropolitan Opera of New York City...
, July 1996. Accessed via subscription 1 October 2009. - Casaglia, Gherardo, "Artaxerxes", Almanacco Amadeus, 2005. Accessed 1 October 2009 (in Italian).
- D'Arcy Wood, Gillan, "The castrato's tale: Artaxerxes and the feminization of virtuosity", Wordsworth Circle, 38: 1-2, Summer 2008, pp. 74–9. Accessed via subscription 1 October 2009.
- Dunnett, Roderic, "Artaxerxes, St John's, Smith Square, London", The IndependentThe IndependentThe Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, 11 December 2002. Accessed 1 October 2009. - Heighes, Simon, The lives and works of William and Philip Hayes, Taylor & Francis, 1995. ISBN 0815323573
- Hodgart, Matthew and Bauerle, Ruth, Joyce's grand operoar: opera in Finnegans wake, University of Illinois Press, 1997. ISBN 0252065573
- Hogarth, George, Musical history, biography, and criticism, John W. Parker, 1835
- Holman, Peter, Liner Notes: Artaxerxes, Hyperion RecordsHyperion RecordsHyperion Records is an independent British classical record label.-History:The company was named after Hyperion, one of the Titans of Greek mythology. It was founded by George Edward Perry, widely known as "Ted", in 1980. Early LP releases included rarely recorded 20th century British music by...
, 1995. Accessed 1 October 2009. - Johns Hopkins UniversityJohns Hopkins UniversityThe Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
, Lester S. Levy Collection of Sheet Music, A Celebrated Duett In Artaxerxes. Fair Aurora. Accessed 1 October 2009 - Lawrence, Vera Brodsky, Reverberations, 1850-1856 (Volume 2 of Strong on Music: The New York Music Scene in the Days of George Templeton Strong), University of Chicago Press, 1995. ISBN 0226470105
- McPherson, Heather, "Theatrical riots and cultural politics in eighteenth-century London", Eighteenth Century: Theory and Interpretation, 43:3 (2002), pp. 236–252. Accessed via subscription 1 October 2009.
- Norton Topics Online, A Day in Eighteenth-Century London: Texts and Contexts (companion to The Norton Anthology of English Literature, 8th Edition). Accessed 1 October 2009.
- Royal Opera HouseRoyal Opera HouseThe Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The...
, Artaxerxes. Accessed 1 October 2009. - Sonneck, Oscar, Early concert-life in America (1731-1800), Breitkopf & Härtel, 1907.
- University of North TexasUniversity of North TexasThe University of North Texas is a public institution of higher education and research in Denton. Founded in 1890, UNT is part of the University of North Texas System. As of the fall of 2010, the University of North Texas, Denton campus, had a certified enrollment of 36,067...
Libraries, Artaxerxes (1763) - Thomas Augustine Arne. Accessed 1 October 2009.
External links
- MetastasioMetastasioPietro 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:...
's original Italian libretto: Artaserse