Teuzzone is the twelfth Italian opera composed by Antonio Vivaldi in 1719 to a libretto by Apostolo Zeno of 1706, which was first performed at the Teatro Arciducale in Mantua.
Roles RoleVoice typePremiere Cast(Conductor: – )Troncone, Emperor of ChinatenorGiuseppe PederzoliTeuzzone, his son, in love with and betrothed to Zelindasoprano (en travesti)Margherita Gualandi, "la Campioli"Zidiana, bride but not wife of Troncone, secretly in love with TeuzzonecontraltoAnna AmbrevilleZelinda, Tartar princess, in love with TeuzzonecontraltoTeresa MucciCino, governor of the realm, in love with Zidianasoprano castratoGasparo GeriSivenio, a general of the realm, in love with ZidianabassFrancesco BenedettiEgaro, captain of the guards, relative and confidant of Zidianacontralto castratoLorenzo BerettaArgonte, Tartar prince and confidant of ZelindatenorGiuseppe Pederzoli Chorus of soldiers, guards and people
Synopsis
The plot concerns the aftermath of Troncone's death, where his wife Zidiana schemes with the governor Cino and the general Sivenio to seize power, even though Teuzzone is the rightful heir. Zelinda, the fiancée of Teuzzone, is a powerful woman in her own right and fights against this move, especially when it becomes clear that Zidiana's plan is to marry Teuzzone for herself.
Recordings
Conductor: Sandro Volta. Orchestra dell'Opera Barocca di Guastalla. Singers: Pagano, Barazzoni, Bortolanei, Piccini, Lippi, Favari, Manzotti. Date: 1996. Issued: 1996.
Conductor: Jordi Savali. Le Concert des Nations. Singers: Lopez, Milanesi, Galou, Mameli, Zanasi, Giovannini, Sakurada. Label: Naive. Issued: 2011.
External links Teuzzone summary and cast list (in Italian and English) Libretto