Vivaldi Opera today – Il Giustino
OperaIl Giustino was originally composed for the 1724 Rome carnevale by Antonio Vivaldi to a libretto by Nicolò Beregan. Vivaldi’s score is full of picturesque detail; a sinfonia accompanying the descent of Fortune in a chariot emphasises the rustic nature of the setting by borrowing the refrain theme of the Spring concerto from his own Four Seasons. The final chorus, an extended chaconne, is the most elaborate piece of its kind in any Vivaldi opera. Staged for the first time in Sweden, Drottningholm’s production is directed for the stage and from the pit by George Petrou with Ukrainian countertenor Yuriy Mynenko in the title rôle. Drottningholms Slottsteater was built in 1766 and is the only theatre in the world that still uses original hand operated stage machinery. The theatre is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site at the Drottningholm Royal Court. the role of Anastasio is sung by Raffaele Pe, Arianna by Sofie Asplund and Giustino by Yuriv Mynenko. Brought to our Slippedisc subscribers courtesy of OperaVision with subtitles in English, Italian and Swedish.
The Plot:Il Giustino relates the appearance of the goddess Fortune to the peasant Giustino, his rise to leadership of the Byzantine army and the defeat of a Scythian army under Vitaliano, and the jealousy of the emperor Anastasio, who suspects Giustino of having designs on his wife Arianna and on the throne itself. Will all the intrigues be foiled, the misunderstandings straightened out for a peasant to be proclaimed emperor?
Streamed on Tuesday 26th December at 1900 CET / 1800 London / 1300 NY, on Slippedisc, courtesy of OperaVision
I’ve just spent the most wonderful evening watching this terrific opera in an excellent production at the legendary Drottningholm Court Theatre. Superb singing throughout. I really enjoyed watching all the machinations backstage as they change the scenery mechanically. All the superlatives. Enjoyed it even more than the Agrippina from last year (?) and that was extraordinary. Thanks hugely for the link!
Baroque operas should all be done like this, not in some modern minimalist Eurotrash productions.
I was lucky enough to catch a performances from this run in 2022. It was superb, and widely acknowledged by the Swedish public as a star among recent Drottningholm productions. Maybe there’ll be a DVD?