Ensemble Serse
"...an evening of exuberant, accomplished display; and a vivid, carefully prepared, remarkable account of a remarkable opera."
Andrew Porter, Opera Magazine
"...passion and a sense of brio underscored everything..."
Antony Lias, Opera Britannia
IL MEDO
(PARMA 1728)
By LEONARDO VINCI (1685 - 1759)
Il Medo (Parma 1728)
Il Medo was composed to a libretto by Carlo Frugoni by the acclaimed Neapolitan trained composer Leonardo Vinci. The opera will receive its modern day premiere at The Grosvenor Chapel, South Audley Street, W1. Closest tube stations are Green Park, Hyde Park Corner or Bond Street.
Tickets £20 / Concessions for students £5 on sale at the door.
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Original Cast
Medea / Enotea; Sorceress and Medo's mother - Vittoria Tesi (Alto)
Antinoo / Medo; Prince of Colchis - Antonio Bernacchi (Alto Castrato)
Perse; king of Colchis and Medea's uncle - Giovanni Paita (Tenor)
Asteria; princess of Iberia and Medo's fiancée - Costanza Posterla (Soprano)
Giasone / Climaco; king of Thessaly - Carlo Broschi, aka Farinelli (Soprano Castrato)
Artace; Perse's confidant - Dorotea Lolli (Alto)
Stage Design Pietro Righini Choreography Francesco Pagnini
Costume Design Natale CanzianiEnsemble Serse
Enotea / Medea - Natalia Brzezinska; Alto
Antinoo / Medo - Daniel Keating-Roberts; Counter-tenor
Perse - Julian Forbes; Tenor
Asteria - Catrine Kirkman, Soprano
Giasone / Climaco - Calvin Wells; Counter-tenor
Artace - Katherine Cooper; Alto
Mercurio - Christopher Diffey; Tenor
Apollo - Rupert Enticknap; Counter-tenorIl Medo
In the summer of 1728 Vinci and the celebrated set designer Pietro Righini were engaged to provide music to celebrate the wedding of Antonio Farnese, the Duke of Parma, to Enrichetta d'Este, daughter of the Duke of Modena. After completing Catone for the 1728 Rome carnival Vinci received special permission from the Neapolitan court for an extended absence from Naples to fulfil his commissions for Parma. Aside from the opera, Vinci also provided music for the now lost ballet Le nozze di Nettuno. The music and compositional style of Medo reflect the current of change which would lead from the late baroque of Handel to the early classical style of Hasse, and eventually to Mozart. The sinfonia and Appio's virtuosic "Con forza" was inserted into Medo from Vinci's opera La Caduta de' Decemviri (Naples 1727) and "Combattutta", Arbace's explosive bravura aria from the Roman Catone, for Artace. The sumptuous score contains too many moments of overwhelmingly creative music; they include: the opening to Artace's Act 2 aria that organically grows from solo viola and basso continuo to explode suddenly into full orchestra with horns, the exotic and ponderous aria in the style of Biber for Asteria with solo violin in Act 3, to the weird atmosphere and music of Medea's contemplation of her brother's dismemberment in Act 2, or indeed the outlandish special effects of Medea's entrance aria, to the gentle murmur of the wind in Giasone's Act 2 finale and the complex virtuosity expected of Perse, Medo and Giasone. (Giasone was in fact Farinelli's favourite role as several of Giasone's arias made it into other operas that Farinelli would later sing.) The orchestra also features elaborate instrumental solos and the score is filled to the brim with challenging and exotic music to celebrate this special occasion. At the end of the final scene before an 8 bar (!) coro finale Vinci simply writes in the performing score: "Siegue il coro // si canta, e si balla; Let the Chorus follow with singing and dancing". With this music now lost, we have therefore decided to re-create a Licenza – an epilogue for such an occasion as the lost Le nozze di Nettuno would have provided – in which Apollo and Mercurio descend from Olympus to bless the nuptial proceedings with suitably festive music drawn from Hasse's Arminio (Dresden 1745), Handel's Atalanta (1736) and Porpora's Polifemo (London 1735).Synopsis
An oracle predicts that Perse will be murdered by one of his brother Aeta’s offspring. Before the opera begins Perse had his brother, the king of Colchis, murdered and usurped the throne. Aeta’s daughter Medea had escaped with the Golden Fleece and in the process to effect her escape dismembered her brother Absirto. Due to the oracle’s prediction Perse lives in constant fear of his life. After the fratricide of Aeta, Colchis was punished by Diana with a drought. In Act 1 Scene i Perse is in the temple imploring the gods Apollo and Diana to bring relief to his afflicted kingdom. Suddenly Medea, disguised as Diana’s priestess Enotea, descends from the sky in a chariot drawn by dragons. She assures Perse that she has been sent by Diana to restore Colchis to its former glory. At this time Perse is also in love with the young Iberian princess Asteria – who is a captive of Perse. However, Asteria and Medo, Medea’s son, are in love. Medo is in disguise at Perse’ court as Antinoo – a prince of Corinth. Medo’s purpose for his visit to Colchis is twofold: to avenge his grandfather Aeta’s murder and to punish Medea for the attempted murder of his step-brother Teseo (this also happens before the start of the opera). A secondary plot device is set in motion when Medea’s husband Giasone, disguised as Climaco, arrives on the island. Although Medea recognises Giasone, he does not recognise her. Medea advises that Perse should have all the Greeks on the island sacrificed to appease Diana. With this Enotea, who is on the run from Medo and Giasone, hopes to have her son and husband killed. Medo is captured despite Asteria’s warning. However, Asteria is also arrested when she is caught trying to free Medo. Asteria refuses to be pardoned. The plot thickens when Medea gives Giasone a poisoned talisman which he has to give to Perse. Perse is driven mad and commits suicide and Medea accuses Giasone of this crime. In the final scenes of the opera Medea walks into the temple with an axe in hand to execute both Medo and Giasone. However, she cannot bring herself to kill her son and her husband. With Perse out of the way Giasone and Medea reunite and can return to Thessaly and Medo and Asteria can marry to become the rulers of Colchis and Iberia. The finale was originally rounded off with a ballet, which is lost.
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