Performance history
Romolo ed Ersilia was first performed at the
Teatro San Carlo in
Naples on 13 August 1773 to commemorate the birthday of
Maria Carolina, queen of Naples. The music for the production had to be composed hurriedly, since the composer was detained at the border of the
Kingdom of Naples until mid-July for his lack of a
passport. The management of the Teatro San Carlo resolved to have the three acts of the opera parceled out among three composers resident locally, however Mysliveček was able to resolve his difficulties at the border in time to fulfill his commission. The composer's haste is manifested in a large proportion of arias with a reduced scoring (strings only, or strings and winds without brass). The result was nonetheless very successful, and Mysliveček was immediately commissioned to compose an opera for the queen's birthday in 1774 (the opera
Artaserse). In all, Mysliveček completed six more operas for the Teatro San Carlo before his death in 1781, which meant that more of his works were performed there during the 1770s than those of any other composer. This was quite a distinction, since the San Carlo was the most prestigious venue for the performance of Italian
opera seria in the world. The cast of
Romolo ed Ersilia included three distinguished singers:
Gaspare Pacchierotti,
Anna de Amicis-Buonsolazzi, and Giuseppe Tibaldi. ==Roles==
Vocal set pieces
Act I, scene 1 - Chorus, "Sul Tarpeo propizie, e liete" Act I, scene 2 - Aria of Romolo, "Questa è la bella face" Act I, scene 3 - Aria of Ersilia, "Sorprender mi vorresti" Act I, scene 5 - Aria of Curzio, "Prence, che affanno" [a non-Metastasian text] Act I, scene 6 - Aria of Acronte, "Sprezzami pur, per ora ostenta" Act I, scene 8 - Aria of Valeria, "Quel traditore intendo" [a non-Metastasian text] Act I, scene 10 - Accompanied recitative for Romolo and Ersilia, "E tace Ersilia?" Act I, scene 10 - Duet for Romolo ed Ersilia, "Ah, che vuol dir quel pianto" Act II, scene 1 - Aria for Valeria, "Ah, perchè quando appresi" Act II, scene 3 - Aria of Acronte, "Non respiro, che rabbia, e veleno" [a non-Metastasian text] Act II, scene 4 - Aria of Curzio, "Nel pensar che padre io sono" Act II, scene 5 - Accompanied recitative for Ersilia, "Dove m'ascondo?" Act II, scene 6 - Aria of Ersilia, "Basta così, vincesti" Act II, scene 7 - Accompanied recitative for Romolo and Ostilio, "Non resta, Roma io confido a te" Act II, scene 7 - Aria of Romolo, "Ah, dille ch'io l'amo" [a non-Metastasian text] Act II, scene 9 - Quartet of Ersilia, Romolo, Acronte, and Curzio, "Deh, invitati serba" [a non-Metastasian text] Act III, scene 1 - Aria of Ersilia, "Sponde felici, addio" [a non-Metastasian text] Act III, scene 5 - Aria of Valeria, "L'augellin dal visco uscito" Act III, scene 6 - Chorus, "Serbate, o numi" Act III, scene 6 - Cavatina of Romolo, "De' Numi clementi" [a non-Mestastasian text] Act III, scene 9 - Aria of Curzio, "Ah, non più padre ti sono" [a non-Metastasian text] Act III, scene 9 - Chorus, "Numi, che intenti siete" ==Score==