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''Almahide'' is a pasticcio opera arranged by John Jacob Heidegger. Musically the work was based on
Almahide has been brought up as a man in preparation for killing her father's enemy Almiro; instead she has fallen in love with him. Almiro loves Celinda, who is herself loved by the king, Almanzor, but she loves the disguised Almahide. After scenes of jealousy and threats of violence, tensions are happily resolved with two marriages.
digital copy of ''Songs from Almahide''
''Almahide'' is a pasticcio opera arranged by John Jacob Heidegger. Musically the work was based on Ariosti
Attilio Malachia Ariosti (or Frate Ottavio) (5 November 1666 – 1729) was a Servite Friar and Italian composer in the Baroque style, born in Bologna. He produced more than 30 operas and oratorios, numerous cantatas and instrumental works.
Life
...
’s ''Amor tra nemici'' (1708), but most of the arias were replaced by the work of other composers, including six arias from Giovanni Bononcini‘s ''Turno Aricino''.
It is generally described as the first opera in London sung entirely in Italian, by Italian singers, although there were intermezzi in English between the acts of the main opera.
Action
Almahide has been brought up as a man in preparation for killing her father's enemy Almiro; instead she has fallen in love with him. Almiro loves Celinda, who is herself loved by the king, Almanzor, but she loves the disguised Almahide. After scenes of jealousy and threats of violence, tensions are happily resolved with two marriages.
Libretto
The libretto was bySilvio Stampiglia
Silvio Stampiglia (14 March 1664 – 27 January 1725) was an Italian poet, librettist, and founder member of the Accademia dell'Arcadia under the pen name of Palemone Licurio. Numerous Italian composer set his libretti to music, particularly Carlo ...
and Pietro Antonio Bernardon, who adapted Dryden’s '' Almanzor and Almahide''. In the preface Heidegger explained that he had written the entire work in Italian to avoid having the cast singing in two languages (as they had done in recent productions of ''Camilla'' and '' Thomyris''), and that he had translated the libretto back from Italian to English to allow audience understanding.
Production history
''Almahide'' was first performed at Queen's Theatre, Haymarket on 10 January 1710. The first production was popular and had a run of fourteen nights. The cast was composed of Italian singers; three castrati -Nicolini Nicolini may refer to:
* 15386 Nicolini, main-belt asteroid named after the astronomer Martino Nicolini
People
* Stage name of Nicolo Grimaldi (1673–1732), Italian mezzo-soprano castrato
* Angelo Nicolini (1505–1567), Italian cardinal
* B ...
(Almiro), Valentini (Almanzor), and Giuseppe Cassani (Gemir), as well as two women - Margherita de L'Epine
Margherita is an Italian feminine given name. It also is a surname. As a word, in Italian it means " daisy".
Given name
As a name, it may refer to:
*Margherita Aldobrandini (1588–1646), Duchess consort of Parma
*Margherita de' Medici (1612 ...
(Almahide), and Isabella Girardeau
Isabella Girardeau (née Calliari?; ? – ?) was an Italian operatic soprano who flourished in London, England from 1709 to 1712. Commonly referred to by the opera going public in London as "La Isabella", she is best remembered today for creating t ...
(Celinda).
In February 1710, Walsh, Randall and Hare published ''Songs in the new Opera, Call’d Almahide'', including the overture and 43 arias.
The production was revived the following year with four performances in April and one in May, with Margharita de l’Epine in the title role.
External links
digital copy of ''Songs from Almahide''
References
{{reflist Opera in England Italian-language operas 1710 operas Operas Operas by multiple composers Operas by Giovanni Bononcini