Orazi e Curiazi explained

Orazi e Curiazi (The Horatii and the Curiatii) is an opera by the Italian composer Saverio Mercadante. It takes the form of a tragedia lirica in three acts. The libretto, by Salvadore Cammarano, is based on the Roman legend of the fight between Horatii and Curiatii. It was first performed at the Teatro San Carlo, Naples, on 10 November 1846.

Roles

!Role!Voice type!Premiere cast, 10 November 1846
Conductor: Antonio Farelli

Orazio	baritone	Pietro Balzar
Curiazio	tenor
Old Orazio	bass
Old Curiazio	tenor	Capranica Jr.
Camilla	soprano
Sabina	mezzo-soprano	Anna Salvetti
High Priest	tenor	Teofilo Rossi

Recordings

Year	Cast: Orazio, Camilla, Curiazio, Old Orazio	Conductor, opera house and orchestra	Label^[1]
1975	Christian du Plessis, Janet Price, Richard Greager, Malcolm King	Kenneth Montgomery, Bournemouth Sinfonietta Orchestra and Choir (Recording of a concert performance given by Opera Rara in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, 27 April)	3 LPs: Unique Opera Records Corporation Cat: UORC 250
1993	Nelly Miricioiu, Anthony Michaels-Moore, Marcus Haddock, Alastair Miles	David Parry, Philharmonia Orchestra and the Mitchell Choir	CD: Opera Rara ORC 12

Further reading

• Black, John, The Italian Romantic Libretto: A Study of Salvadore Cammarano, Edinburgh University Press, 1984
• Rose, Michael (1998), “Mercadante, (Giuseppe) Saverio (Raffaele)" in Stanley Sadie, (ed.), The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, vol. 3, pp. 334–339. London: Macmillan Publishers, Inc.
• Rose, Michael (2001), in Holden, Amanda,(ed.), The New Penguin Opera Guide, New York: Penguin Putnam, Inc.

Notes and References

1. http://www.operadis-opera-discography.org.uk/CLMEORAZ.HTM Recordings of Orazi e Curiazi