Ifigenia in Tauride (Jommelli)
Encyclopedia
Ifigenia in Tauride is an opera (opera seria
) in three acts by Niccolò Jommelli
set to a libretto
by the Mannheim
court poet Mattia Verazi. It premiered on 30 May 1771 at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples
to celebrate the name day
of Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies
. The story is based on Iphigenia in Tauris by Euripides
.
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...
) in three acts by Niccolò Jommelli
Niccolò Jommelli
Niccolò Jommelli was an Italian composer. He was born in Aversa and died in Naples. Along with other composers mainly in the Holy Roman Empire and France, he made important changes to opera and reduced the importance of star singers.-Early life:Jommelli was born to Francesco Antonio Jommelli and...
set to a 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...
by the Mannheim
Mannheim Palace
Mannheim Palace is a large Baroque palace in Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It was originally the main residence of the Prince-electors of the Electoral Palatinate...
court poet Mattia Verazi. It premiered on 30 May 1771 at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
to celebrate the name day
Name day
A name day is a tradition in many countries in Europe and Latin America that consists of celebrating the day of the year associated with one's given name....
of Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies
Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies
Ferdinand I reigned variously over Naples, Sicily, and the Two Sicilies from 1759 until his death. He was the third son of King Charles III of Spain by his wife Maria Amalia of Saxony. On 10 August 1759, Charles succeeded his elder brother, Ferdinand VI, as King Charles III of Spain...
. The story is based on Iphigenia in Tauris by Euripides
Euripides
Euripides was one of the three great tragedians of classical Athens, the other two being Aeschylus and Sophocles. Some ancient scholars attributed ninety-five plays to him but according to the Suda it was ninety-two at most...
.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast 30 May 1771 |
|---|---|---|
| Ifigenia, priestess of Diana | 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... |
Maria Anna Lucia De Amicis-Buonsollazzi |
| Diana Diana (mythology) In Roman mythology, Diana was the goddess of the hunt and moon and birthing, being associated with wild animals and woodland, and having the power to talk to and control animals. She was equated with the Greek goddess Artemis, though she had an independent origin in Italy... |
soprano | Teresa Mignoni |
| Oreste Orestes Orestes was the son of Agamemnon in Greek mythology; Orestes may also refer to:Drama*Orestes , by Euripides*Orestes, the character in Sophocles' tragedy Electra*Orestes, the character in Aeschylus' trilogy of tragedies, Oresteia... , Ifigenia's brother |
soprano 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... |
Gaspare Pacchierotti Gaspare Pacchierotti Gaspare Pacchierotti was a great mezzo-soprano castrato, and one of the most famous singers of his time.-Training and first appearances:... |
| Toante Thoas (Tauri king) Thoas was a son of the god Dionysus and Ariadne, the daughter of Cretean king Minos. Some however consider him to be Theseus’s son, together with his brother Oenopion... , King of Tauris Taurica Taurica, Tauric Chersonese, and Taurida were names by which the territory of Crimea was known to the Greeks and Romans.- Etymology of the name :... |
soprano castrato | Tommaso Galeazzi |
| Ministro del tempio, minister of Diana's temple | contralto castrato | Pietro Santi |
| Pilade Pylades In Greek mythology, Pylades is the son of King Strophius of Phocis and of Anaxibia, daughter of Atreus and sister of Agamemnon and Menelaus. He is mostly known for his strong friendship with his cousin Orestes, son of Agamemnon.-Orestes and Pylades:... , Oreste's friend |
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... |
Arcangelo Cortoni |
Sources
- Casaglia, Gherardo, "30 Maggio 1771", Almanacco Amadeus, 2005. Accessed 25 October 2009 (in Italian).
- Cassaro, James P., "Gian Francesco de Majo: Ifigenia in Tauride", Notes, September 1998.