''Le donne rivali'' is an

intermezzo In music, an intermezzo (, , plural form: intermezzi), in the most general sense, is a composition which fits between other musical or dramatic entities, such as acts of a play or movements of a larger musical work. In music history, the term ha ...

in two acts by composer

Domenico Cimarosa Domenico Cimarosa (; 17 December 1749 – 11 January 1801) was an Italian composer of the Neapolitan school and of the Classical period. He wrote more than eighty operas, the best known of which is ''Il matrimonio segreto'' (1792); most of his ...

with an Italian libretto by a now unknown poet. It is speculated that

Giuseppe Petrosellini Giuseppe Petrosellini (29 November 1727 – 1799) was an Italian poet and prolific librettist working primarily in the '' dramma giocoso'' and ''opera buffa'' genres. Petrosellini was born in Corneto, Papal State (now Tarquinia, Lazio) and spent ...

may have been the author of the libretto. The opera premiered at the

Teatro Valle Teatro may refer to: * Theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific p ...

in Rome during

Carnival Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival typi ...

in 1780.Rossi (1999) p. 83 The original choreography was created by Alberto Cavos, the original costumes by Antonio Dian, and the original scenery by Domenico Fossati. In accordance with

Papal The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

law on theatre in Rome, the premiere cast was all-male. The opera was later produced in Venice and Florence, and in 1789, in French, in St. Petersburg. In recent years, ''Le donne rivali'' has been occasionally revived and recorded. In 1991, the Juilliard Opera Center intertwined the work with

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his ra ...

's unfinished opera ''

Lo sposo deluso ' (''The Deluded Bridegroom, or The Rivalry of Three Women for One Lover'') is a two-act opera buffa, K. 430, composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart between 1783 and 1784. However, the opera was never completed and only a 20-minute fragment from ...

'', which shares the same libretto, to make one large work.">Music in Review; "Lo Sposo Deluso," by Mozart, and "Le Donne Rivali," by Cimarosa – New York Times
/ref>

Roles

Recordings

*''Le donne rivali'' with conductor

Alberto Zedda Alberto Zedda (2 January 19286 March 2017) was an Italian conductor and musicologist whose specialty was the 19th-century Italian repertoire. Alberto Zedda was born in Milan, Italy, where he accomplished his education in music and humanities, com ...

and the Orchestra di Padova e Veneto. Cast includes: Alessandra Ruffini (Laurina), Anna Rita Taliento (Emilia), Emanuele Giannino (Annibale), Bruno Praticò (Sempronio) and Bruno Lazzaretti (Fernando). Recorded live in September 1994.

References

;Notes ;Sources * Nick Rossi, Talmage Fauntleroy, ''Domenico Cimarosa: his Life and his Operas'' (1999). Westport CT and London: Greenwood Press. {{DEFAULTSORT:donne rivali, Le 1780 operas Italian-language operas Intermezzi Operas Operas by Domenico Cimarosa