Considered one of Legrenzi's finest compositions, the work includes more than 70 arias. The opera tells the story of Giustino's rise from the position of a simple poor farmer to being crowned the
Byzantine emperor. For several decades following its 1683 premiere at the Teatro San Salvador,
Il Giustino was one of the most widely performed Venetian operas. According to musicologist
Reinhard Strohm, its music was still being discussed as late as 1720 in
Benedetto Marcello's pamphlet
Il teatro alla moda. On 26 April 2007,
Il Giustino had its first modern revival at the
Schwetzingen Festival in a production directed by with set designer Katrin Nettrod and costume designer Jorge Jara. Musicologist and conductor
Thomas Hengelbrock prepared the performance score for the production, and also led the in performances of the work. In May 2023,
Giustino had its Australian premiere at
City Recital Hall, Sydney, in a production by
Pinchgut Opera with the
Orchestra of the Antipodes conducted by
Erin Helyard. It was broadcast on
ABC Television on 16 July 2023. ==Roles==