Argippo

Argippo (RV 697) is an opera by Antonio Vivaldi that premiered in the opera theater of Count Franz Anton von Sporck in Prague in 1730.

Rediscovery

The libretto was preserved but the music was presumed to have been lost until portions of it (over two-thirds) were discovered in 2006 in the private archive of the Thurn und Taxis house in Regensburg by harpsichordist and conductor Ondřej Macek.^{[1] [2]} He stated: "I found out that in 1733, three years after the premiere, the Italian music ensemble appeared in Regensburg. They'd been invited there after the theatre in Prague burnt down."^[3] Macek used other arias from Vivaldi and said: "I used music from operas he wrote at the time, shortly before and after the date of the premiere, and sometimes they [the arias] fit really perfectly." Ondřej Macek and his Hofmusici orchestra chose Prague Castle (seat of the Czech presidency) the 16th-century Spanish, and was performed by 13 singers and 24 musicians,^[4] the first performance since 1730.

Synopsis

The opera is set in an Indian royal court and centers around a young princess smitten by a dishonest suitor. It has three acts and lasts over two hours.

References

Notes

1. Ondřej Macek biography
2. "Czech harpsichordist finds Vivaldi's lost opera". Prague Daily Monitor. 14 March 2008. Archived from the original on 6 May 2008. Retrieved 23 March 2008.
3. Rob Cameron, "Vivaldi work revived 278 years on" 3 May 2008 on BBC News
4. David Randall, "Vivaldi's long-lost opera returns to Prague after 278 years", The Independent (London), 3 May 2008

Sources

• Freeman, Daniel E. The Opera Theater of Count Franz Anton von Sporck in Prague. Stuyvesant, N.Y.: Pendragon Press, 1992.

External links

• Vivaldi's Prague opera Argippo revival. Interview with Ondřej Macek (in Czech)