Demofoonte (Mysliveček, 1769)

Template:Mysliveček operas Demofoonte is an opera in three acts by the Czech composer Josef Mysliveček. It was the composer's first setting of this popular libretto by Metastasio first produced in 1733 (it was common in the second half of the eighteenth-century for composers to set Metastasian texts two or more times over). All of Mysliveček's operas are of the serious type in Italian referred to as opera seria.

Performance history

The opera was first performed at the Teatro San Benedetto in Venice on 17 January 1769. It was very successful when it appeared. Indeed, the composer's first biographer, František Martin Pelcl, claimed that Venetian nobles stood in line outside of the theater to applaud his talents. The role of Timante in this production was sung by the great castrato Gaetano Guadagni during the last portion of his long career. Mysliveček's second version of Demofoonte premiered at the Teatro San Carlo, Naples in 1775.

Connection with Mozart

The overture composed for the opera is the most interesting aspect of the production, since it was extravagantly admired by the young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In a short note written to his sister from Milan on 22 December 1770 he urgently requested her to find out whether a copy of it was available in Salzburg. If not, he vowed to bring a copy back home with him. Mozart used the overture as a source of musical motives in his own compositions for years. There is no other attributable music not by Mozart in the entire Mozart correspondence except for the notes for the beginning of the first violin part for this overture that were copied down by Mozart to help his sister identify it.

Roles

Cast	Voice type	Premiere, 17 January 1769, Teatro San Benedetto, Venice
Demofoonte, king of Thrace	tenor	Francesco Zanetti
Dircea, secret wife of Timante	soprano	Anna Lucia de Amicis-Buonsollazzi
Timante, believed to be the son of Demofoonte and hereditary prince of Thrace	mezzo-soprano castrato	Gaetano Guadagni
Creusa, a princess of Phrygia, intended bride of Timante	soprano	Marianna Lombardi
Cherinto, a son of Demofoonte, in love with Creusa	soprano castrato	Giovanni Ripa
Matusio, believed to be the father of Dircea	bass	Francesco Sandali
Adrasto, captain of the royal guards	soprano castrato	Giovanni Caffariello

Synopsis

The Thracian king Demofoonte asks the oracle of Apollo how long the practice of the annual sacrifice of a virgin will continue. The answer is puzzling: "as long as the innocent usurper sits on the throne". The nobleman Matusio tries to protect his daughter Dircea from being sacrificed. He and Demofoonte are unaware that Dircea is secretly married to Timante, the son of Demofoonte and the heir to the throne. Demofonte wants Timante to marry Creusa, a princess of Phrygia. Timante's younger brother Cherinto is accompanying her to the kingdom of Thrace, however he falls in love with her. Meeting Creusa, Timante admits that he cannot marry her, but does not explain why.

Dircea has been caught while trying to flee the country and imprisoned, and Demofoonte orders the immediate sacrifice of Dircea. Timante tries to release her but with no success. He is also imprisoned. Creusa asks Demofoonte for mercy. The king releases Timante and Dircea, and Timante decides to give up the throne in favour of Cherinto.

Suddenly they find a letter revealing that Dircea is the daughter of Demofoonte, which makes Timante and Dircea brother and sister. Timante is in despair, and tries to avoid Dircea. However another letter reveals that Timante is the son of Matusio. Everybody is happy. The marriage of Timante and Dircea becomes legal, and Cherinto is the real crown prince and can marry Creusa. No more virgins are sacrificed, since Timante is no longer the "innocent usurper of the throne".

See also

• Demofoonte, 1775 version

References

• Freeman, Daniel E. Josef Mysliveček, "Il Boemo". Sterling Heights, Mich.: Harmonie Park Press, 2009.