''Arianna in Nasso'' is a 1733 opera by

Nicola Porpora Nicola (or Niccolò) Antonio Porpora (17 August 16863 March 1768) was an Italian composer and teacher of singing of the Baroque music, Baroque era, whose most famous singing students were the castrati Farinelli and Caffarelli (castrato), Caffarel ...

to a libretto by

Paolo Rolli Paolo Antonio Rolli (13 June 1687 – 20 March 1765) was an Italian Libretto, librettist, poet and translator. Biography Paolo Rolli was born in Rome, Italy and like Metastasio was trained by Gian Vincenzo Gravina. The Richard Boyle, 3rd ...

, chief conductor of the

Opera of the Nobility The Opera of the Nobility (or Nobility Opera ) was an opera company set up and funded in 1733 by a group of nobles (under Frederick, Prince of Wales) opposed to George II of Great Britain, in order to rival the (Second) Royal Academy of Music compan ...

Background

The choice of the subject of

Ariadne Ariadne (; grc-gre, Ἀριάδνη; la, Ariadne) was a Cretan princess in Greek mythology. She was mostly associated with mazes and labyrinths because of her involvement in the myths of the Minotaur and Theseus. She is best known for havi ...

was a challenge to Handel, whose '' Arianna in Creta'' was completed by 5 October 1733. Handel's ''Arianna in Creta'' was based on

Pietro Pariati Pietro Pariati ( Reggio Emilia, 27 March 1665- Vienna, 14 October 1733) was an Italian poet and librettist. He was initially secretary to Rinaldo d'Este (1655–1737), Duke of Modena.Xavier de Courville -''Un artisan de la rénovation théàtral av ...

's much-set ''Arianna e Teseo'', in the later of two versions by

Leonardo Leo Leonardo Leo (5 August 1694 – 31 October 1744), more correctly Leonardo Ortensio Salvatore de Leo, was a Baroque composer. Biography Leo was born in San Vito degli Schiavoni (currently known as San Vito dei Normanni, province of Brindisi) in ...

(1729). This was a libretto which Porpora himself had also used for his own ''Arianna e Teseo'' (1721). Handel's choice of libretto obliged Porpora to turn to Rolli's libretto which was modeled not on Pariati but on Stampa's libretto to

Giovanni Porta Giovanni Porta (c. 1677 – 21 June 1755) was an Italian opera composer. His opera '' Argippo'', to a libretto by Domenico Lalli, was premiered in Venice in 1717.Freeman, Daniel E. (1992)''The Opera Theater of Count Franz Anton Von Sporck i ...

's ''dramma pastorale'', ''Arianna''. Colin Timms, Bruce Wood ''Music in the London Theatre from Purcell to Handel'' (2017) "It should be remembered that the choice of ''Arianna in Cret''a was not necessarily influenced by royal wishes (Handel found the libretto most probably in Rome in early 1729) and that Nicola Porporaʼs opera ''Arianna in Nasso'' was a spin-off from it not vice versa.

Musical numbers

;Act 1 : Overture : Allegro :Scene 1: Ahi! Che langue oppresso il core (Arianna) :Scene 1: L'un minaccia, l'altra alletta (Arianna) :Scene 1: Ahi! Che langue (Arianna) :Scene 2: Cadete a colpi d'Ateniese braccio (Teseo) :Scene 2: Aria: Ho vinto, ma non gia (Teseo) :Scene 3: Figlio d'Ixion, Re dei Lapiti (Piritoo) :Scene 3: Aria: Piu l'impresa perigli n'appresta (Piritoo) :Scene 4: Ecco la piu opportuna aita (Onaro) :Scene 4: Aria: Orgogliose procellose (Onaro) :Scene 5: So che il tuo sol valor (Piritoo) :Scene 5: Aria: Pensat'a vendicar (Antiope) :Scene 6: Grazie a te dello scampo (Teseo) :Scene 6: Aria: Nume che reggi il mare (Teseo) :Scene 7: Il tuo dolce mormorio (Arianna) :Scene 7: Recitative: Lieto ritorno all'alma mia (Teseo) :Scene 7: Aria: D'aura gioconda (Onaro) :Scene 7: Recitative dopa l'aria: Di dolcissimi affetti (Teseo) :Scene 7: Duet: In amoroso petto (Arianna, Teseo) ;Act 2 :Scene 1: Cotesto e il padiglion (Antiope) :Scene 1: Aria: Gia lo so (Antiope) :Scene 2: Misera! Che ascoltai (Arianna) :Scene 2: Aria: Va', mancator di fe (Arianna) :Scene 3: Egli e desso (Piritoo) :Scene 3: Aria: Giurasti fede (Antiope) :Scene 3: Aria: A contesa di due belle (Piritoo) :Scene 4: Ragione e onor vogliono (Arianna) :Scene 4: Aria: Un altro oggetto puo (Teseo) :Scene 4: Recitative: Agitata alma mia (Arianna) :Scene 4: Aria: Miseri sventurati (Arianna) :Scene 6: Onaro qui venir m'impose (Teseo) :Scene 6: Recitative: Teseo, gia tutte a scolorir le cose (Nume Libero) :Scene 6: Aria: Numi, vi cedo (Teseo) ;Act 3 :Scene 1: Gran nume Semeleo (Arianna) :Scene 1: Aria: Rendera l'amore all'alma (Onaro) :Scene 2: Si, me ne andro ramingo (Teseo) :Scene 2: Aria: Vivere senza te (Antiope) :Scene 3: Vien fido amico (Teseo) :Scene 3: Aria: Altro da te non bramo (Teseo) :Scene 3: Aria: Fra nuove imprese (Piritoo) :Scene 4: Io son la sola (Arianna) :Scene 4: Duet: Vieni, parti (Antiope, Teseo) :Scene 5: Si, caro ti consola (Arianna) :Scene 5: Aria: Celeste forza (Arianna) :Scene 5: Evoe, Evoe (Coribanti, Baccanti)

References

External links

* {{Authority control Operas 1733 operas Operas by Nicola Porpora Italian-language operas Ariadne Operas based on classical mythology