Metastasio's libretto was first set by
Domenico Sarro, whose opera premiered at the
Teatro San Bartolomeo in Naples on 1 February 1724. However, for the libretto's presentation in Venice, Giovanni Orsato, the impresario of the
Teatro San Cassiano, commissioned his fellow Venetian, Tomaso Albinoni, to compose a completely new setting. According to the April 1725 edition of
Mercure Galant, Albinoni's version had a considerable success not only in Venice, but also in Florence and Milan. It was frequently revived over the next few years, including performances in
Crema (1726),
Breslau (1726),
Linz (date unknown),
Pesaro (1730),
Prague (1731), and
Ferrara (1733). The title role was sung in the premiere by
Marianna Bulgarelli, famed for her talent as an actress. Bulgarelli was also the patron and mistress of the young Metastasio who was living in her home while he wrote
Didone. He intended it as a showcase for her, and according to contemporary accounts, Bulgarelli had considerable influence on the work, especially in shaping Dido's scenes of jealousy in act 2. Marianna Bulgarelli and her Aeneas,
Nicolò Grimaldi, reprised their roles on 10 May 1725 in
Reggio Emilia for the premiere of
Nicola Porpora's setting of the
Didone libretto. Markstrom suggests that she was probably also present in
Rome to coach the
castrato "Farfallino" who sang the title role in
Leonardo Vinci's 1726 setting of the libretto. (The
papal ban on female performers in Rome's theatres prevented Bulgarelli from singing the role of Dido herself). ==Roles==