''Seleuco, re di Siria'' (''Seleucus, King of Syria'') is an ''

opera seria ''Opera seria'' (; plural: ''opere serie''; usually called ''dramma per musica'' or ''melodramma serio'') is an Italian musical term which refers to the noble and "serious" style of Italian opera that predominated in Europe from the 1710s to abou ...

'' in three acts by Francesco Bianchi. The

libretto A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to th ...

was by Mattia Botturini, after ''Antioco'' by

Apostolo Zeno Apostolo Zeno (11 December 1668 – 11 November 1750) was a Venetian poet, librettist, journalist, and man of letters. Early life Apostolo Zeno was born in Venice to a Kingdom of Candia#Establishment_of_Venetian_rule, colonial branch of the ...

and Pietro Pariati, a libretto first set by

Francesco Gasparini Francesco Gasparini (19 March 1661 – 22 March 1727) was an Italian Baroque composer and teacher whose works were performed throughout Italy, and also on occasion in Germany and England. Biography Born in Camaiore, near Lucca, he studied ...

in 1705. Marita P. McClymonds notes that the work "is significant for its several ensembles (one incorporating chorus and dance), its choruses (sometimes functioning as a 'character' in the drama) and its multi-sectional, action-ensemble finale."McClymonds, Marita P (1992), 'Seleuco, re di Siria' in ''The

New Grove Dictionary of Opera ''The New Grove Dictionary of Opera'' is an encyclopedia of opera. It is the largest work on opera in English, and in its printed form, amounts to 5,448 pages in four volumes. The dictionary was first published in 1992 by Macmillan Reference, L ...

'' vol 1 p 162

Performance history

The opera was first performed at the

Teatro San Benedetto The Teatro San Benedetto was a theatre in Venice, particularly prominent in the operatic life of the city in the 18th and early 19th centuries. It saw the premieres of over 140 operas, including Rossini's ''L'italiana in Algeri'', and was the th ...

Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

on 26 December 1791.

Roles

Synopsis

Antioco agonizes between his loyalty to his father, Seleuco, and his love for his father's young bride Stratonice. Eventually the generosity of Seleuco resolves everything.

References

* *McClymonds, Marita P (1992), 'Seleuco, re di Siria' in ''The

'', ed. Stanley Sadie (London) {{authority control Opera seria Operas by Francesco Bianchi 1791 operas Italian-language operas Operas