Il Vologeso (Jommelli) Explained

Il Vologeso is a 1766 opera by Niccolò Jommelli based on the libretto of the same name by Metastasio based on the story of the Parthian king Vologases IV. The opera was performed for the birthday, February 11, of Charles Eugene, Duke of Württemberg, at the court theatre at Ludwigsburg, the Duke's residence near Stuttgart.^{[1] [2] [3]}

Plot

Vologeso is a twice-over reworking of Lucio Vero a libretto by Apostolo Zeno set by Carlo Pollarolo for Venice in 1700. That libretto was revised for a production by Guido Lucarelli of Rinaldo di Capua’s setting of 1739. Jommelli's librettist Mattia Verazi then further revised the 1739 text.

Set in Ephesus circa 164 A.D., the opera centres on a love triangle between Berenice Queen of Armenia, the victorious Roman general Lucio Vero, and Vologeso, the defeated king of the Parthians.

Cast

• Vologeso - King of the Parthians (male alto)
• Lucio Vero - Roman general (tenor)
• Berenice - Queen of Armenia (soprano) captured by Lucio
• Aniceto - minister of Lucio.
• Lucilla - Lucio Vero’s betrothed, love interest of Aniceto (mezzo)
• Flavio - ambassador from Lucio Vero’s co-emperor, Marcus Aurelius.

Recordings

• Il Vologeso - Vologeso - Jörg Waschinski, male soprano Lucio Vero - Lothat Odinius, tenor Berenice - Gabriele Rossmanith, soprano Lucilla - Helene Schneiderman, mezzo-soprano Aniceto - Daniel Taylor, counter-tenor Flavio - Mechthild Bach, soprano Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, Frieder Bernius Orfeo C420983F 3CDs Recorded December 1997 ^[4]
• Il Vologeso. Sebastian Kohlhepp, Sophie Marilley, Ana Durlovski, Helene Schneiderman, Staatsorchester Stuttgart, Gabriele Ferro. Naxos Blu-Ray 2018
• Il Vologeso. Stuart Jackson, Jennifer France, Gemma Summerfield, Angela Simkin, Tom Verney, Rachel Kelly The Mozartists Ian Page ^[5]

Notes and References

1. Paul Edward Corneilson Opera at Mannheim, 1770-1778 1992 Page 169
2. Stanley Sadie - Wolfgang Amadè Mozart: Essays on His Life and His Music 1996 - - Page 456 0198164432 Jommelli took quite different approaches in his two quartets: the first in Vologeso on a Verazi text for Ludwigsburg (1766), the second in Ezio on a Martinelli text for Lisbon (1772). During the Vologeso quartet, the two adversaries depart, leaving the lovers to sing a sizable duet (Fig. 23.8). The quartet portion is all that need concern us here. This is the first quartet to depart from the procedure of beginning with long solos; the entire quartet is a reaction of surprise, which turns to anger.
3. Clive McClelland -Ombra: Supernatural Music in the Eighteenth Century -2012 Page 146 0739169734 Jommelli: Vologeso. One of Jommelli's mature operas with a striking ghost scene is Vologeso (1766). The familiar scenario of a distressed heroine encountering a vision of her supposedly dead husband is explored once more, ...
4. http://www.classical.net/music/recs/reviews/o/orf20983a.php Review
5. https://www.bsecs.org.uk/criticks-reviews/mozart-250-jommellis-il-vologeso/ review