Partenope

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For other uses, see Parthenope

Partenope is an opera by George Frideric Handel composed in 1730. It was Handel's first comic opera which broke away from the Opera Seria tradition. The Royal Academy of Music rejected the work because of its frivolous nature, with relatively few extended arias and more recitative.

Roles

Role	Voice type	Premiere Cast, January 31, 1727 (Conductor:- )
Partenope, Queen of Naples	soprano	Anna Maria Strada del Pò
Arsace, Prince of Corinth	counter-tenor	Antonio Maria Bernacchi
Armindo, Prince of Rhodes	counter-tenor	Francesca Bertolli
Emilio, Prince of Cumae	tenor	Annibale Pio Fabri
Rosmira/Eurimene, beloved of Arsace	contralto	Antonia Maria Merighi
Ormonte	bass	Johann Gottfried Reimschneider

Synopsis

Prince Arsace of Corinth and Prince Armindo of Rhodes are seeking Queen Partenope, the founder of the city of Naples, in marriage. A third prince, Emilio of Cumae, is at war with Naples and with Partenope. Partenope is primarily attracted to Arsace. However, she does not know that Arsace has previously abandoned Rosmira, who is disguised as a man, named Eurimene, and is trying to win him back. Rosmira, as Eurimene, confronts him and harasses him for his faithlessness, and demands that he keep her true identity secret. Ultimately, Rosmira/Eurimene challenges her lover to a duel in a court of honour, but her identity is revealed when he demands the condition that they fight stripped to the waist.

Recording

Harmonia Mundi IC 157-99 855-8: Kristzina Laki, Helga Müller Molinari, René Jacobs, John York Skinner, Martyn Hill, Stephen Varcoe; La Petite Bande; Sigiswald Kuijken, conductor.

References

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Last updated on Monday February 11, 2008 at 02:58:08 PST (GMT -0800)
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