''Ottone in villa'' (''Otho at his villa'', RV 729) is an

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

in three acts by Antonio Vivaldi to an Italian libretto by

Domenico Lalli Sebastiano Biancardi (27 March 1679 – 9 October 1741), known by the pseudonym Domenico Lalli, was an Italian poet and librettist. Amongst the many libretti he produced, largely for the opera houses of Venice, were those for Vivaldi's ''Ottone i ...

(the pseudonym of Sebastiano Biancardi). It was Vivaldi's first opera and premiered on 17 May 1713 at the in

Vicenza Vicenza ( , ; ) is a city in northeastern Italy. It is in the Veneto region at the northern base of the ''Monte Berico'', where it straddles the Bacchiglione River. Vicenza is approximately west of Venice and east of Milan. Vicenza is a thr ...

.. Note that while most sources give the premiere venue as the Teatro delle Grazie, gives it as the Teatro Nuovo di Piazza. There is considerable confusion in the names of the theatres in Vicenza. Initially, the Teatro delle Grazie was called the Nuovo Teatro delle Grazie and co-existed with the Teatro di Piazza. According to , the Teatro delle Grazie was built on the site of the Teatro delle Garzerie which burnt down in 1683. Lalli's pastoral drama is set in

ancient Rome In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 BC ...

and was a condensed adaptation of Francesco Maria Piccioli's satirical libretto for

Carlo Pallavicino Carlo Pallavicino (Pallavicini; c. 1630 – 29 January 1688) was an Italian composer. Pallavicino was born at Salò. From 1666 to 1673, he worked at the Dresden court; from 1674 to 1685, at the '' Ospedale degli Incurabili'' (a conservatory wher ...

's opera ''Messalina'' (1679). However, Lalli changed several of the characters in Piccioli's libretto.

Messalina Valeria Messalina (; ) was the third wife of Roman emperor Claudius. She was a paternal cousin of Emperor Nero, a second cousin of Emperor Caligula, and a great-grandniece of Emperor Augustus. A powerful and influential woman with a reputatio ...

became an invented character, Cleonilla.

Emperor Claudius Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (; 1 August 10 BC – 13 October AD 54) was the fourth Roman emperor, ruling from AD 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, Claudius was born to Drusus and Antonia Mino ...

became another Roman emperor,

Otho Marcus Otho (; born Marcus Salvius Otho; 28 April 32 – 16 April 69) was the seventh Roman emperor, ruling for three months from 15 January to 16 April 69. He was the second emperor of the Year of the Four Emperors. A member of a noble Etr ...

(Ottone), who had already appeared as a protagonist in

Monteverdi Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi (baptized 15 May 1567 – 29 November 1643) was an Italian composer, choirmaster and string player. A composer of both secular and sacred music, and a pioneer in the development of opera, he is consider ...

's ''

L'incoronazione di Poppea ''L'incoronazione di Poppea'' ( SV 308, ''The Coronation of Poppaea'') is an Italian opera by Claudio Monteverdi. It was Monteverdi's last opera, with a libretto by Giovanni Francesco Busenello, and was first performed at the Teatro Santi Giovanni ...

'' (1642) and in Handel's '' Agrippina'' (1709).

Roles

Synopsis

The Roman Emperor

Ottone ''Ottone, re di Germania'' ("Otto, King of Germany", HWV 15) is an opera by George Frideric Handel, to an Italian–language libretto adapted by Nicola Francesco Haym from the libretto by Stefano Benedetto Pallavicino for Antonio Lotti's opera ...

is in love with Cleonilla, who can't resist flirting with two young Romans, Ostilio and Caio. Ostilio is in reality a woman, Tullia, who disguised herself because she's in love with Caio. She plans to kill Cleonilla out of jealousy, but she first tries to dissuade her from her relation with Caio. Caio sees the meeting and misinterprets it as a romantic encounter. He warns Ottone, who commands him to kill Ostilio. Before he can execute the order, Ostilio reveals himself to be Tullia. Cleonilla claims to have always known it, to conciliate Ottone. He believes her and the opera closes with the marriage of Tullia and Caio.

Recordings

*Vivaldi: ''Ottone in Villa'' – Patrizia Pace (Cleonilla, soprano), Anna Maria Ferrante (Tullia, soprano),

Aris Christofellis Aris Christofellis ( el, Άρης Χριστοφέλλης; born 5 February 1960) is a Greek sopranist (male soprano singer) and musicologist. Life and career Aris Christofellis was born in Athens. After studying piano in Athens and Paris with s ...

(Caio, male soprano), Jean Nirouët (Ottone, countertenor), Luigi Petroni (Decio, tenor); Ensemble Seicentonovecento; (conductor). Recorded September 1993. Label: Bongiovanni 10016/18. *Vivaldi: ''Ottone in Villa'' –

Susan Gritton Susan Gritton (born 31 August 1965) is an English operatic soprano. She was the 1994 winner of the Kathleen Ferrier Award and has sung leading roles in a wide-ranging repertoire from Handel and Mozart to Britten, Janáček and Strauss. Life ...

(Cleonilla, soprano),

Monica Groop Gerd Monica Groop née Riska (born 14 April 1958 in Helsinki) is a Finnish operatic mezzo-soprano. After graduating from the Sibelius Academy, she joined the Finnish National Opera in 1986 where she remains a member. She has sung leading roles a ...

(Ottone, mezzosoprano),

Nancy Argenta Nancy Argenta is a Canadian soprano singer, best known for performing music from the pre-classical era. She has won international acclaim, and is considered one of the leading Handel sopranos of her time. Life She was born in Nelson, British Col ...

(Caio Silio, soprano), Mark Padmore (Decio, tenor),

Sophie Daneman Sophie Daneman is a British soprano specializing in the baroque repertoire. Biography Sophie Daneman, a daughter of the actor Paul Daneman, studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. She became known during the 1990s with ...

(Tullia, soprano); Collegium Musicum 90;

Richard Hickox Richard Sidney Hickox (5 March 1948 – 23 November 2008) was an English conductor of choral, orchestral and operatic music. Early life Hickox was born in Stokenchurch in Buckinghamshire into a musical family. After attending the Royal Gram ...

(conductor). Performing Edition (1997) by Eric Cross. Label: Chandos Chaconne 0614. *Vivaldi: ''Ottone in Villa'' – Maria Laura Martorana (Cleonilla, soprano), Tuva Semmingsen (Ottone, mezzosoprano),

Florin Cezar Ouatu Florin Cezar Ouatu (; born 18 February 1980), known professionally as "Cezar The Voice" oceaor simply "Cezar", is a Romanian opera countertenor, singer, and pianist. Son of the late flautist and former teacher at Mozarteum University of Salzb ...

(Caio Silio, countertenor), Luca Dordolo (Decio, tenor), Marina Bartoli (Tullia, soprano); L'Arte dell'Arco; Federico Guglielmo (conductor). Performing edition by Federico Guglielmo (2008 revision) from the manuscript by Vittorio Bolcato. Label:

Brilliant Classics Brilliant Classics is a classical music label based in the Dutch town of Leeuwarden. It is renowned for releasing super-budget-priced editions on CD of the complete works of J.S. Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and many other composers. The label also ...

94105. *Vivaldi: ''Ottone in Villa'' – Veronica Cangemi (Cleonilla, soprano),

Roberta Invernizzi Roberta Invernizzi (born 1966, in Milan) is an Italian soprano. She originally studied piano and double bass before turning to singing. She specialises in early music from the baroque and classical period of music. She has sung in many operas ...

(Tullia, soprano), Julia Lezhneva (Caio, soprano), Sonia Prina (Ottone, contralto),

Topi Lehtipuu Topi Lehtipuu (born 24 March 1971 in Brisbane, Australia) is a Finnish operatic tenor. He has sung a variety of roles from different periods, including the title role in Benjamin Britten's ''Albert Herring'' at the Finnish National Opera, several ...

(Decio, tenor); Il Giardino Armonico;

Giovanni Antonini Giovanni Antonini (born 1965) is an Italian conductor and soloist on the recorder and baroque transverse flute. He studied in his native Milan, and attended the Civica Scuola di Musica in that city and the Centre de Musique Ancienne in Geneva. In 1 ...

(conductor). Performing edition by Eric Cross. Label: Naïve B004215TO0. (2010)

References

Sources

* * * * *

External links

* {{Authority control Operas Italian-language operas Operas by Antonio Vivaldi 1713 operas Operas set in the 1st century Operas set in ancient Rome Music dedicated to nobility or royalty Cultural depictions of Otho