Ottone in villa explained

Ottone in villa
Composer:Antonio Vivaldi
Librettist:Domenico Lalli
Language:Italian
Premiere Location:Teatro delle Grazie, Vicenza

Ottone in villa (Otho at his villa, RV 729) is an opera in three acts by Antonio Vivaldi to an Italian libretto by Domenico Lalli (the pseudonym of Sebastiano Biancardi). It was Vivaldi's first opera and premiered on 17 May 1713 at the in Vicenza.[1] Lalli's pastoral drama is set in ancient Rome and was a condensed adaptation of Francesco Maria Piccioli's satirical libretto for Carlo Pallavicino's opera Messalina (1679). However, Lalli changed several of the characters in Piccioli's libretto. Messalina became an invented character, Cleonilla. The Roman Emperor Claudius became another emperor, Otho (Ottone), who had already appeared as a protagonist in Monteverdi's L'incoronazione di Poppea (1642) and in Handel's Agrippina (1709).

Roles

!Role!Voice type!Premiere cast, 17 May 1713
CleonillasopranoAnna Maria Giusti "La Romanina"[2]
Ottonecontralto (en travesti)Diana Vico
Caio Siliosoprano castratoBartolomeo Bartoli
DeciotenorGaetano Mossi
Tullia (in disguise as "Ostilio")sopranoMargherita Fazzoli

Synopsis

The Roman Emperor Ottone is in love with Cleonilla, who can't resist flirting with two young Romans, Ostilio and Caio. Ostilio is in reality a woman, Tullia, who disguised herself because she's in love with Caio. She plans to kill Cleonilla out of jealousy, but she first tries to dissuade her from her relation with Caio. Caio sees the meeting and misinterprets it as a romantic encounter. He warns Ottone, who commands him to kill Ostilio. Before he can execute the order, Ostilio reveals himself to be Tullia. Cleonilla claims to have always known it, to conciliate Ottone. He believes her and the opera closes with the marriage of Tullia and Caio.

Recordings

References

Sources

Notes and References

  1. . Note that while most sources give the premiere venue as the Teatro delle Grazie, gives it as the Teatro Nuovo di Piazza. There is considerable confusion in the names of the theatres in Vicenza. Initially, the Teatro delle Grazie was called the Nuovo Teatro delle Grazie and co-existed with the Teatro di Piazza. According to, the Teatro delle Grazie was built on the site of the Teatro delle Garzerie which burnt down in 1683.
  2. Premiere cast list from . See also