Silla (Sulla, HWV 10) is an opera seria (referred to as a dramma per musica) in three acts by George Frideric Handel. The Italian-language libretto was by Giacomo Rossi. The story concerns the Roman general Lucius Cornelius Sulla (138-78 BC) as recounted by Plutarch.
The opera appears to have been a pièce d'occasion, whicht may have been performed only once. The music was recycled in Handel's later opera Amadigi di Gaula.
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Performance history
The first performance might have been on 2 June 1713. A dedication from the librettist, Rossi, to the French ambassador, the Duc d'Aumont, appears with that date in a printed copy of the libretto. Anthony Hicks believes there may have been a private performance at the Queen's Theatre, London.[1] However according to the Amadeus Almanac, the performance took place at Burlington House. [2]
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 2 June 1713 (Conductor: George Frideric Handel ) |
|---|---|---|
| Silla (Lucius Cornelius Sulla) | tenor | |
| Metella | soprano | |
| Lepido (Lepidus) | soprano castrato | Valeriano Pellegrini |
| Flavia, the wife of Lepido | soprano | Francesca Margherita de L'Epine |
| Claudio (Claudius) | alto castrato | |
| Celia | soprano | Maria Manina-Fletcher-Seedo |
| The god | bass | |
| Scabro (Scabrus) | silent | |
| Mars | silent |
Recordings
Handel: Silla - London Handel Orchestra
- Conductor: Denys Darlow
- Principal singers: James Bowman (Silla), Joanne Lunn (Lepido), Simon Baker (Claudio), Rachel Nicholls (Metella), Natasha Marsh (Flavia), Elizabeth Cragg (Celia), Christopher Dixon (The god)
- Recording date: 11 April 2000
- Label: SOMM Recordings - 227-8 (CD)
References
- ^ Silla by Anthony Hicks, in 'The New Grove Dictionary of Opera', ed. Stanley Sadie (London, 1992) ISBN 0-333-73432-7
- ^ Amadeus Almanac (2 June 1713), accessed 25 November 2008
- Silla by Anthony Hicks, in 'The New Grove Dictionary of Opera', ed. Stanley Sadie (London, 1992) ISBN 0-333-73432-7
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