Arbace is an opera seria in three acts by Francesco Bianchi. The libretto was by Gaetano Sertor.
The opera was forward looking in its structure, with tension gradually mounting, via an exciting prison scene ("a fore-shadowing of romanticism"McClymonds, Marita P (1992), 'Arbace' in The New Grove Dictionary of Opera vol 1 p 162) to a considerable climax. Marita P. McClymonds remarks on "The use of tonality, modality, chromaticism and strong dynamic contrasts for expressive purposes, as well as the liberal use of wind instruments ..."
Performance history The opera was first performed at the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples on 20 January 1781. It was revived again in the same theatre on 4 November that same year.
Roles
RoleVoice typePremiere Cast, 20 January 1781(Conductor: Michele Nasci) Arbace (Arbaces)soprano castrato Luigi Marchesi Semiri, Arbace's wife soprano Maria Balducci Scitalce (Sardanapalus), ruler of Assyria tenor Antonio Pini Alsinda, Scitalce's sister soprano Elisabetta Minghelli Idaspe soprano castrato Calogero Barbarini Argante soprano castrato Antonio Rubinacci
Synopsis Arbace's wife Semiri is in the hands of the lascivious Assyrian tyrant Scitalce. Arbace tries to rescue her by pretending to be his own assassin. Eventually they are rescued by Idaspe, Scitalce dies in a conflagration, and Arbace becomes the new ruler of Assyria.
References
McClymonds, Marita P (1992), 'Arbace' in The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, ed. Stanley Sadie (London)