Opera Fuoco was created as an opera ensemble with a period-instrument orchestra to inspire young voices to discover a symbiotic interaction between music and libretto.
Historical Context
In Lisbon, during the reign of João V, women were not allowed to appear on stage, so the role of Berenice in Antonio Mazzoni's Antigono was premiered by a castrato.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The program explores different composers' interpretations of Pietro Metastasio's magnificent Scena di Berenice, a mad scene full of passion and despair.
Cultural Impact
Pietro Metastasio, the librettist for many works on this album, was such a significant figure that Romans erected a monument to him in the Piazza de la Chiesa Nova.
Composer Biography
Pietro Metastasio, a prolific librettist, lived with the Martinez family in Vienna for half a century, leaving them his library, fortune, and rights to his works upon his death.
Composition History
The libretto for Antigono, which includes the Scena di Berenice, is inspired by Antigonus II Gonatas, King of Macedonia, and blends love and politics.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded by Little Tribeca at the Hôtel de L'Industrie in Paris from February 6 to 13, 2017.
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