| Seleuco, re di Siria | |
| Type: | Opera seria |
| Composer: | Francesco Bianchi |
| Image Upright: | 0.8 |
| Librettist: | Mattia Botturini |
| Language: | Italian |
| Based On: | Antioco by Apostolo Zeno and Pietro Pariati |
| Premiere Location: | Teatro San Benedetto, Venice |
Seleuco, re di Siria (Seleucus, King of Syria) is an opera seria in three acts by Francesco Bianchi. The libretto was by Mattia Botturini, after Antioco by Apostolo Zeno and Pietro Pariati, a libretto first set by Francesco Gasparini in 1705.
Marita P. McClymonds notes that the work "is significant for its several ensembles (one incorporating chorus and dance), its choruses (sometimes functioning as a 'character' in the drama) and its multi-sectional, action-ensemble finale."[1]
The opera was first performed at the Teatro San Benedetto in Venice on 26 December 1791.
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 26 December 1791 (Conductor: Antonio Capuzzi) |
|---|---|---|
| Seleuco (Seleucus), King of Syria | tenor | Giacomo David / Giuseppe Simoni |
| Antioco (Antiochus), Seleuco's son, in love with Stratonica | soprano castrato | Vitale Damiani / Paolo Belli |
| Stratonica (Stratonice), betrothed to Seleuco, in love with Antioco | soprano | Maria Marchetti Fantozzi / Cecilia Bolognese |
| Argene | soprano | Teresa Giurini / Anna Schiroli |
| Tolomeo | tenor | Francesco Gafforini / Antonio Pozzi |
| Nearco | bass | Filippo Boccucci |
Antioco agonizes between his loyalty to his father, Seleuco, and his love for his father's young bride Stratonice. Eventually the generosity of Seleuco resolves everything.