Libretti
Among the almost 6,000 libretti in the collection of the Conservatory, there are many of Italian opera. These scripts were sold during the performance and thanks to their contents and decoration are very interesting historical documents.
“Never meet your heroes,” but in the 18th century the public apparently gladly took Tomori, Ajax or Adonis home. These scripts with the main characters presented in full costume illustrate, on one hand, the publics need to follow the story of the opera and, on the other, a souvenir-culture of the time.
The libretto of Tomiri, with text by Antonio Medolago and composed by Angelo Vitali. The opera was performed in Venice in 1680.
The libretto of L’Aiace, with text by Pietro d’Averara and composed by Paola Magni, Francesco Ballarotti and Carlo Ambrogio Lonati. The opera was performed in 1676.
The libretto of Adone in Cipro, with text by Giovanni Matteo Giannini and composed by Giovanni Legrenzi. The opera was performed in Venice in 1676.
“The medium is the message”: the incredibly wealthy cardinal Giancarlo de Medici understood this. This libretto is an interesting document: the text of this festa teatrale, a short opera with a dramatic theme, is from the author Giovanni Andrea Moniglia (1625-1700). It is bound with a golden emblem of the cardinal. On the frontispiece is the mythical main character Ipermestra: she holds the cardinal’s hat and behind her knee we see the Medici’s family crest. Baroque theatricality and opulence are unmistakably used as a show of power and wealth.
Opera was a favored art form under the cardinal. It was not only one of the many ways to boast as a sponsor, sometimes it was also an artistic activity for them. The libretto of the opera La Statira was written by cardinal Pietro Ottoboni and set to music by Alessandro Scarlatti. Besides Scarlatti, Pasquini, Handel and Corelli also enjoyed Ottobini’s protection as sponsor. The plot of La Statira brings us to Persia and the triumph of Alexander the Great over Darius. Alexander is charmed by the beauty of Statira, Darius’ daughter.
