Oristeo is an opera in a prologue and three acts by Francesco Cavalli. It was designated as a dramma per musica. The Italian libretto was by Giovanni Faustini.
The opera is notable for containing one of the first examples of a da capo aria, Udite amanti, sung by Corinta.
Performance history
It was first performed in Venice on the occasion of the inauguration of the Teatro Sant'Apollinare on 9 February 1651. Roles RoleVoice typePremiere Cast, 1651(Conductor: – )Diomeda, Princess of Caonia sopranoOristeo, King of Epirus baritone or bassEuralio, his son sopranoTrasimede, Prince of Archaea tenorCorinta, Princess of Locri soprano Recordings Oristeo, Atto I Scena 4: Dimmi amor, che farò? Mariana Flores, Cappella Mediterranea, Leonardo García Alarcón 2014
References Sources
Clinksdale, Martha Novak, " Oristeo ", The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, ed. Stanley Sadie (London, 1992)