Andromaca (1730)

Original id: 
10614
Start date: 
5 February 1730
Degree of relationship to ancient play: 
Distant relative
Production notes: 
Libretto: Apostolo Zeno, 'Andromaca. Dramma per musica da rappreesentarsi nel Nuovo Teatro del signor Domenico Valle nel carnevale dell'anno 1730. Dedicato all'e.mo [...] cardinale Niccolò Coscia' (Rome: Zempel e de May, 1730). Manuscript score: GB-Lbl, MS.Add. 24303. This production was based on the second musical setting of Zeno's libretto, which had originally been written for the composer Antonio Caldara (Vienna, 1724; see Sartori ID 1894). Zeno's libretto is vaguely connected with Euripides and evidently informed by Racine's Andromaque, as well as by extant opera libretti based on Racine, primarily Antonio Salvi's Astianatte (Florence 1701; Sartori ID 3265). Zeno's version retains the basic love triangle Pirro-Ermione-Andromaca, but explores the story very freely. It adopts the character of Andromaca's son Astianatte from Racine/Salvi and introduces the scheming Ulisse and his son Telemaco. This is one of the few adaptations of the Greek story in which reason triumphs over passion: Pirro lets Andromaca and Astianatte go and marries Ermione.
Media of production: 
Opera, musical and related genres
Languages: 
Italian
Companies:
Ancient works:

Information related to this production

Script Author(s)
Andromache Euripides
Person Role Notes
Domenico Annibali (c.1705-1779) Singer alto, Astianatte
Biagio Bisucci Singer Ermione
Andrea Costa Singer Ulisse
Francesco Feo (1691-1761) Composer
Mauro Fontana Set Designer
Domenico Gizzi (c.1680-1758) Singer soprano, Pirro
Giovanni Battista Mancini (1714-1800) Singer Telemaco
Pieatro Piazza Set Designer credited with paintings and machinery
Cristoforo Raparini Singer Andromaca
Antonio Sarò Choreographer
Apostolo Zeno (1668-1750) Librettist
Venue Festival Dates Notes
Teatro della Valle (Rome, Latium, Italy) 30 January, 1730
Source Format Location if held at the APGRD Pagination
Grove Music Online Website New Grove Opera: Dale E. Monson, 'Andromache'; Hanns-Bertold Dietz, 'Andromaca (i)'; Elena Sala di Felice, 'Zeno, Apostolo'; Hanns-Bertold Dietz, 'Feo, Francesco'
I Libretti Italiani a Stampa dalle Origini al 1800. 7 vols Book library Entry number 1897
From Alessandro (1726) to Tolomeo (1728): The Final Royal Academy Operas Thesis archive Ch. 7: Astianatte and the Scandal, page 187
Italian opera librettos, 1640-1770 Book

How to cite this production

Andromaca (1730), accessed at http://www.apgrd.ox.ac.uk/productions/production/10614 <24 April 2024>