''Ascanio in Alba'', K. 111, is a

pastoral A pastoral lifestyle is that of shepherds herding livestock around open areas of land according to seasons and the changing availability of water and pasture. It lends its name to a genre of literature, art, and music (pastorale) that depict ...

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 two parts (') by

Wolfgang Amadeus 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. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...

to an Italian

libretto A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, 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 li ...

Giuseppe Parini Giuseppe Parini (23 May 1729 – 15 August 1799) was an Italian enlightenment satirist and poet of the neoclassic period. Biography Parini (originally spelled Parino) was born in Bosisio (later renamed Bosisio Parini in his honour) in Brian ...

. It was commissioned by the Empress

Maria Theresa Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina (german: Maria Theresia; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was ruler of the Habsburg dominions from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position '' suo jure'' (in her own right) ...

for the wedding of her son, Archduke Ferdinand Karl, to

Maria Beatrice d'Este Mary of Modena ( it, Maria Beatrice Eleonora Anna Margherita Isabella d'Este; ) was Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland as the second wife of James II and VII. A devout Roman Catholic, Mary married the widower James, who was then the young ...

on 15 October 1771.

Performance history

It was first performed at the

Teatro Regio Ducale The Teatro Regio Ducale (Italian, "Royal Ducal Theatre") was the opera house in Milan from 26 December 1717 until 25 February 1776, when it was burned down following a carnival gala. Many famous composers and their operas are associated with it, ...

in Milan on 17 October 1771. It was performed in October 2006 on the 250th anniversary of Mozart's birth at

La Scala La Scala (, , ; abbreviation in Italian of the official name ) is a famous opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the ' (New Royal-Ducal Theatre alla Scala). The premiere performan ...

, Milan, under the baton of

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 ...

. The ballet which linked the two acts was twice performed by the orchestra of the Handel and Haydn Society in Boston in 2006.

Roles

Synopsis

:Place: the site of the future city of

Alba Longa Alba Longa (occasionally written Albalonga in Italian sources) was an ancient Latin city in Central Italy, 12 miles (19 km) southeast of Rome, in the vicinity of Lake Albano in the Alban Hills. Founder and head of the Latin League, it wa ...

, near Rome :Time: mythical times.

Part 1

The opening scene introduces

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never f ...

and Ascanio, the son she had by

Aeneas In Greco-Roman mythology, Aeneas (, ; from ) was a Trojan hero, the son of the Trojan prince Anchises and the Greek goddess Aphrodite (equivalent to the Roman Venus). His father was a first cousin of King Priam of Troy (both being grandsons ...

. (In most classical sources, Venus/Aphrodite is the mother of ''Aeneas''.) The goddess vaunts the charms of Alba and invites her son to go and rule there. She urges him not to reveal his identity to Silvia, a nymph to whom he is betrothed, but to introduce himself to her under a false identity to test her virtue. While shepherds summon their promised ruler, Fauno reveals that the smiling face of Aceste, a priest, is a sign that the day will be a day of supreme happiness. Obeying the goddess, Ascanio pretends to be a foreigner attracted by the beauties of the place. Aceste tells the shepherds that their valley will be the site of a fine city and that they will have a sovereign, Ascanio, before the day is out. He also informs Silvia that she will be Ascanio's bride, but she replies that she is in love with a young man she has seen in a dream. The priest reassures her, saying the young man in her dream can be none other than Ascanio. Venus then appears to Ascanio and asks him to test the girl a little longer before revealing his true identity.

Part 2

Ascanio spots Silvia among the shepherds and tries to talk to her. The girl immediately recognizes the young man from her dreams. Fauno intervenes and suggests to “the foreigner” (Ascanio) that he should go off and announce the building of Alba in foreign parts. Thus convinced that the foreigner is not Ascanio, Silvia is deeply saddened. She finally decides to accept her fate but declares she never will love anyone else than Ascanio. Aceste consoles Silvia, saying that her tribulations are about to come to an end. Venus is invoked by a magnificent chorus. Silvia and Ascanio add their voices to the chorus and the goddess descends on her chariot surrounded by clouds. Venus unites the two lovers and explains how she had intended her son to discover the virtue of his fiancée. Aceste pronounces an oath of fidelity and loyalty to Venus, who then retires. It only remains for Ascanio to perpetuate the race of Aeneas and guide the city of Alba to prosperity.

Noted arias

''Part 1'' * No. 3 "L'ombra de rami tuoi", Venus * No. 5 "Cara, lontano ancora", Ascanio * No. 8 "Se il labbro più non dice", Fauno * No. 12 "Per la gioia in questo seno", Aceste * No. 13 "Si, ma d'un altro amore", Silvia * No. 14 "Come è felice stato", Silvia * No. 16 "Ah di sì nobil alma", Ascanio * No. 17 "Al chiaror di que' bei rai", Venus ''Part 2'' * No. 19 "Spiega il desio", Silvia * No. 21 "Dal tuo gentil sembiante", Fauno * No. 22 "Al mio ben mi veggio avanti", Ascanio * No. 23 "Infelici affetti miei", Silvia * No. 25 "Torna mio bene, ascolta", Ascanio * No. 27 "Sento, che il cor mi dice", Aceste

List of numbers

*Overture *No.1 Ballet: Andante grazioso *No.2 Coro di geni e grazie: Di te più amabile, ne Dea maggiore *Recitativo Venere: geni, grazie, ed Amori, fermate il piè *No.3 Aria Venere: L'ombra de' rami tuoi *Recitativo Ascanio & Venere: Ma la ninfa gentil *No.4 Coro di geni e grazie: Di te più amabile, nè Dea maggiore *Rectativo accompagnato Ascanio: Perchè tacer degg'io? *No.5 Aria Ascanio: Cara, lontano ancora *No.6 Coro di pastori: Venga, de' sommi Eroi *Recitativo Ascanio & Fauno: Ma qual canto risona? *No.7 Coro di pastori: Venga, de' sommi Eroi *Recitativo Fauno & Ascanio: Ma tu, chi sei, che ignoto qui t'aggiri fra noi? *No.8 Aria Fauno: Se il labbro più non dice *Recitativo Ascanio & Fauno: Quanto soavi al core de la tua stirpe *No.9 Coro di pastori e pastorelle: Hai di Diana il core *Recitativo Aceste: Oh, generosa Diva *No.10 Coro di pastori: Venga, de' sommi Eroi *Recitativo Aceste: Di propria man la Dea a voi la donera *No.11 Coro di pastori: Venga, de' sommi Eroi *Recitativo Aceste: Oh mia gloria, oh mia cura *No.12 Aria Aceste: Per la gioia in questo seno *Recitativo Silvia & Aceste: Misera! Che farò *No.13 Cavatina Silvia: Si, si, ma d'un altro amore *Recitativo Aceste & Silvia: Ah no, Silvia t'inganni *No.14 Aria Silvia: Come è felice stato *Recitativo Aceste: Silvia, mira, che il sole omai s'avanza *No.15 Coro di pastori: Venga, de' sommi Eroi *Recitativo Ascanio & Venere: Cielo! Che vidi mai? *No.16 Aria Ascani: Ah di sì nobil alma *Recitativo Venere & Ascanio: Un'altra prova a te mirar conviene *No.17 Aria Venere: Al chiaror di que' bei rai *No.18 Coro di geni e grazie: Di te più amabile, nè Dea maggiore *Recitativo Silvia: Star lontana non so *No.19 Aria Silvia: Spiega il desio *No.20 Coro di pastorelle: Già l'ore sen volano *Recitativo Ascanio: Cerco di loco in loco *Recitativo Silvia & Ascanio: Oh ciel! che miro? *Recitativo Silvia, Ascanio & Fauno: Silvia, ove sei? *No.21 Aria Fauno: Dal tuo gentil sembiante *Recitativo Ascanio & Silvia: Ahimè! Che veggio mai? *No.22 Aria Ascanio: Al mio ben mi veggio avanti *Recitativo accompagnato Silvia: Ferma, aspetta, ove vai? *No.23 Aria Silvia: Infelici affetti miei *Recitativo Ascanio & Silvia: Anima grande *No.24 Coro di pastorelle: Che strano evento *Recitativo Ascanio: Ahi la crudel *No.25 Aria Ascanio: Torna mio bene, ascolta *No.26 Coro di pastori: Venga, de' sommi Eroi *Recitativo Aceste: Che strana meraviglia *No.27 Aria Aceste : Sento, che il cor mi dice *Recitativo Silvia: Si, Padre, alfin mi taccia *No.28 Coro di pastori e ninfe e pastorelle: Scendi, celeste Venere *Recitativo Silvia, Aceste & Ascanio: Ma s'allontani almen *No.29 Coro di pastori e pastorelle: No, non possiamo vivere *Recitativo Aceste: Ecco ingombran l'altare *No.30 Coro: Scendi, celeste Venere *Recitativo Aceste, Silvia, Ascanio, Venere: Invoca, o figlia *No.31 Terzetto Silvia, Ascanio, Aceste: Ah caro sposo, oh Dio! *Recitativo Venere: Eccovi al fin di vostre pene *No.32 Piccola parte del terzetto precedente Silvia, Ascanio, Aceste: Che bel piacer io sento *Recitativo Silvia, Ascanio, Aceste, Venere: Ah chi nodi più forti *No.33 Coro ultimo di geni, grazie, pastori e ninfe: Alma Dea, tutto il mondo governa

Recordings

* 1976:

Mozarteum Mozarteum University Salzburg (German: ''Universität Mozarteum Salzburg'') is one of three affiliated but separate (it is actually a state university) entities under the “Mozarteum” moniker in Salzburg municipality; the International Mo ...

Salzburg Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Austro-Bavarian) is the fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872. The town is on the site of the Roman settlement of ''Iuvavum''. Salzburg was founded ...

; Lilian Sukis (Venere),

Agnes Baltsa Agni Baltsa ( el, Aγνή Mπάλτσα; also known as Agnes Baltsa; born 19 November 1944) is a leading Greek mezzo-soprano singer. Baltsa was born in Lefkada. She began playing piano at the age of six, before moving to Athens in 1958 to conce ...

(Ascanio),

Edith Mathis Edith Mathis (born 11 February 1938) is a Swiss soprano and a leading exponent of the works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart worldwide. She is known for parts in Mozart operas, but also took part in premieres of operas such as Henze's '' Der junge Lord ...

(Silvia),

Peter Schreier Peter Schreier (29 July 1935 – 25 December 2019) was a German tenor in opera, concert and lied, and a conductor. He was regarded as one of the leading lyric tenors of the 20th century. Schreier was a member of the Dresdner Kreuzchor conducte ...

(Aceste), Arleen Augér (Fauno) – Salzburger Kammerchor, Rupert Huber, Mozarteum-Orchester Salzburg,

Leopold Hager Leopold Hager (born 6 October 1935, Salzburg) is an Austrian conductor known for his interpretations of works by the Viennese Classics ( Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert). Hager studied piano, organ, harpsichord, conducting, and compositio ...

(CD,

The Complete Mozart Edition ''The Complete Mozart Edition '' is a 180-CD collection released in 1990–91 featuring all works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (known at the set's publication) assembled by Philips Classics Records to commemorate the bicentenary of the death of Mo ...

, Vol. 30, 1991 (

Philips Classics Records Philips Classics Records was started in the 1980s as the new classics record label for Philips Records. It was successful with artists including Alfred Brendel, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Sir Neville Marriner and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fie ...

). 1991)

References

Notes Citations

External links

* *
Work details, libretto
opera-guide.ch (in German/Italian)
Analysis, synopsis

Naxos Records Naxos comprises numerous companies, divisions, imprints, and labels specializing in classical music but also audiobooks and other genres. The premier label is Naxos Records which focuses on classical music. Naxos Musical Group encompasses about 1 ...

LibrettoHistorical background and review by Jan-Willem Besuijen
Mozart Forum
Discussion of the article above
Mozart Forum {{authority control Operas by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Italian-language operas Pastoral operas 1771 operas Operas Operas based on classical mythology