Orazi e Curiazi (The Horatii and the Curiatii) is an opera by the Italian composer Saverio Mercadante. It takes the form of a tragedia lirica in three acts. The libretto, by Salvadore Cammarano, is based on the Roman legend of the fight between Horatii and Curiatii. It was first performed at the Teatro San Carlo, Naples, on 10 November 1846.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast, 10 November 1846[1] Conductor: Antonio Farelli |
|---|---|---|
| Orazio | baritone | Pietro Balzar |
| Curiazio | tenor | Gaetano Fraschini |
| Old Orazio | bass | Marco Arati |
| Old Curiazio | tenor | Capranica Jr. |
| Camilla | soprano | Erminia Frezzolini |
| Sabina | mezzo-soprano | Anna Salvetti |
| High Priest | tenor | Teofilo Rossi |
Recordings
| Year | Cast: Orazio, Camilla, Curiazio, Old Orazio | Conductor, opera house and orchestra | Label[2] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Christian du Plessis, Janet Price, Richard Greager, Malcolm King | Kenneth Montgomery, Bournemouth Sinfonietta Orchestra and Choir (Recording of a concert performance given by Opera Rara in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, 27 April) | 3 LPs: Unique Opera Records Corporation Cat: UORC 250 |
| 1993 | Nelly Miricioiu, Anthony Michaels-Moore, Marcus Haddock, Alastair Miles | David Parry, Philharmonia Orchestra and the Mitchell Choir | CD: Opera Rara ORC 12 |
References
Further reading
- Black, John, The Italian Romantic Libretto: A Study of Salvadore Cammarano, Edinburgh University Press, 1984 ISBN 9780852244630 ISBN 0852244630
- Rose, Michael (1998), “Mercandante, (Giuseppe) Saverio (Raffaele)" in Stanley Sadie, (ed.), The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, vol. 3, pp. 334–339. London: Macmillan Publishers, Inc. ISBN 0-333-73432-7 ISBN 1-56159-228-5
- Rose, Michael (2001), in Holden, Amanda,(ed.), The New Penguin Opera Guide, New York: Penguin Putnam, Inc. ISBN 0-14-029312-4
