440:. The protagonists of the opera are two families, the Horatii from Rome and the Curiatii from Alba. In spite of the state of war the two families are connected as a girl from the Curiatii, Sabina, has married Marcus Horatius, the designate heir of the Roman family. During a truce in the war Horatius' daughter Horatia is in her turn given in marriage to her beloved Curiatius, leader of the Alban family. In order to avoid further major damage the two kings, Tullus Hostilius and Mettius Fufetius, reach an agreement to settle contention between the two towns through a limited encounter to the death between six champions, three from the Horatii and three from the Curiatii. The news of the agreement drives the two families to despair as the two sisters-in-law are doomed to weep over the death of either their husbands or their brothers.
54:
356:, an archetype of the classicist and 'republican' drama between the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century, we must see a kind of elegant evolutive operation in ultra-conservatism ... As to musical habit, the republican melodrama by Cimarosa and others was adorned with some more embellishment and accepted clangs of trumpets and some marches in order to remain, substantially, the one it had always been at the time of court theatres: a source of lyric effusions and not of epic ." The musicologist
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444:
consulted. Both families warriors accept this decision reluctantly. Act two ends in a grand scene in the vaults of Apollo's temple: at first
Curiatius and Horatia appear there alone, later they are joined by all the others and Curatius bewails the sad fate of those who are possibly going to shed their relatives' blood. Finally the oracle's voice proclaims that the challenge must go on.
352:, he was to give a more specific contribution to the exaltation of the republican myths". In the end, however, the composer still remained quite the same and according to Celletti it brought about the conclusion "that the opera hadn’t anything intimately tragic or really heroic. ... We have to consider everything according to the use it was conceived for. In
388:, which constitutes instead "an example of heroic aria for a tenor of buskined melodrama", which was to remain in full vogue till Rossini beginnings, "central range, periodical ascending intervals to give vigour and fit to the melody, short melismas or descending scales to strengthen its aulic expression, and intensification of the melismas when the Allegro
423:
Cimarosa's vocal writing is extremely measured, avoiding high tessitura, long vocalizations, acrobatics and excessive ornamentation — save, to a small extent, in Marcus
Horatius’ heroic aria. Celletti comments on this "Cimarosa’s coloratura is one of those we can define as wide, opposed to the minute
395:
Celletti also says that
Cimarosa got to give the best of his inspiration in the grand scene of the subterranean temple in act two: "An orchestral introduction, solemn and mysterious, is followed by other orchestral moments of a descriptive character that show how brilliantly certain operists of ours
447:
Act three is shorter than the others and is generally staged along with act two. After a farewell scene between
Curiatius and Horatia it shows the final encounter between Marcus Horatius, victorious in the fight, and his distressed sister. Horatia, rebelling against her fate, calls down curses from
443:
In act two
Horatia and Sabina, supported by the people and the priests, endeavour to prevent the abomination of a mortal challenge between relatives by swarming over the Campo Martio just as the struggle is about to start. They manage to wring a postponement in order to allow Apollo's oracle to be
371:
as a masterpiece, as it is for such a large part of the second half of the 18th century’s
Italian opera seria. "Domenico Cimarosa was the standard-bearer of our comic musical theatre and … it is clear that the comic operist not only prevails over the serious one but it rather often gets out of his
230:, however, kept running for several decades, even after the death of Cimarosa. In Venice, for example, the opera had four further runs during the six years following the première and "more than 130 performances" altogether were staged in the same period.
424:
coloraturas of some baroque operists or of the
Neapolitan period’s Rossini. Hence the performers have not the discretion but the duty of integrating the composer’s writing with variations, reductions and interpolation of cadenzas, especially in the
411:
melodrama, but was reported to be "greatly appreciated" by the public. In the première it was performed by two of the most imposing coeval singers: the young beautiful man-eater diva (and great cantatrice), Grassini, and the handsome heroic tenor
281:
The opera has been a matter of renewed interest in modern times with several stagings beginning from the
Genoese Teatro dell’Opera Giocosa’s in 1983, which was also the first world recording, with Curiatius played by the
196:. The première was so unsuccessful that Cimarosa, disappointed, decided to leave the town immediately. The run of the following performances, however, turned into a big success, as would happen twenty years later with
396:
could catch the element either mysterious or fearful or horrid without imitating nature slavishly…; but in the meantime the beautiful recitatives of
Curiatius and of Horatia and Curiatius’Andantino
364:’s friend, chanced to observe: "sometimes Cimarosa gives himself up to a more lyric than tragic affection, at other times to vocalisms and graces which can only be borne in the comic genre".
796:, Introductory essay, which has been quoted directly from its English translation save few minor, but necessary, adaptations from booklet accompanying the first world recording of
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448:
the gods upon her native town which has driven her husband to a bloody death and is in her turn slain by her furious ruthless brother and flung headlong down the staircase.
957:
688:
Lazarevich, p. 718. Indeed
Morelli (pp. 27-28) lists precisely 138 dates, but four of them (the two reported above, 21 November 1798 and 2 March 1802) are repeated twice
556:
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416:(or Babbini), who, besides being a cultured, most refined and expressive singer, could undoubtedly cut a worthy figure by her side, not surely lacking in
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control and inspires him". So it happens in the duet between Curiatius and Horatius that opens with "the solemnity of the typical duets of challenge (
340:’s military successes. The new fashion required melodrama to share in the new times by adequately exalting the republican virtues of ancient Rome.
657:
indeed, Morelli (p. 27) lists in detail 51 dates from the première to 28 February 1797, but two of them (27 and 28 February) are reported twice
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in general, as that of the special kind of melodrama which was forced into fashion in the century’s last decade, following in the wake of
1339:
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206:. At least 49 performances were held throughout the season and the opera was later staged in the major European theatres, including
344:
writes: "Cimarosa had already happened to occupy himself with Gaius Marius and Junius Brutus, but it was unintentionally. Now with
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330:" of his works. It represents the typical example, not so much of the second half of the 18th century’s
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La Scuola Musicale di Napoli e i suoi Conservatori con uno sguardo sulla storia della musica in Italia
234:
1048:
1072:
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304:
164:
80:
380:". Celletti says it is true for all the most noted pages of the opera, first of all Curiatius's
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875:«E voi pupille tenere», uno sguardo furtivo, errante, agli «Orazi» di Domenico Cimarosa e altri
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237:’s staged in 1798 is specially notable, and was also employed as the object of the parody
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intersect, to come to the great resumption of the other solo voices and of the chorus (
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did not normally endure very long in theatres, hardly ever getting through one season.
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was very dear to Napoleon, especially in the Parisian performances of the singer
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849:, Grove (Oxford University Press), New York, 1997, III, pp. 717–718.
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The final furious duet between Marcus Horatius and Horatia is unusual in
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produced by Cimarosa, even though the composer himself considered 1797's
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different from the original ones, mostly drawn from Portugal’s version.
16:
This article is about the Cimarosa opera. For the Mercadante opera, see
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266:— both of whom had been the original creators of the major roles of
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The action takes place in Rome during the war against the town of
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420:(he was tall, blond, slender and with a very fine countenance).
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Sinfonia in B-flat major for two oboes, two horns and strings
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906:, Milano, Baldini Castoldi Dalai, 2007, pp. 932–933,
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in Teatro dell’Opera's programme for the performances of
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in Teatro dell’Opera's programme for the performances of
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in Teatro dell’Opera's programme for the performances of
863:
in Teatro dell’Opera's programme for the performances of
831:
in Teatro dell’Opera's programme for the performances of
810:, 4 volumes, Morano, Naples, 1880–82 (anastatic reprint:
259:
who was for some time a lover of the Emperor, and of the
188:
The opera was first staged on 26 December 1796 at the
902:, in Gelli, Piero and Poletti, Filippo (editors),
812:La Scuola Musicale di Napoli e i suoi Conservatori
245:on Giulio Artusi’s libretto – later to be renamed
233:The opera had several re-adaptations, among which
367:According to Celletti it is rather hard to claim
239:La prima prova dell'opera "Gli Orazi e i Curiazi"
1306:
318:is generally regarded as the best of the eleven
731:" in Act Two (cf: Morelli-Surian, pp. 41 e 42)
1211:
1009:
715:above all, two scenes and arias of Horatia: "
36:
26:
289:. Another notable revival took place at the
384:. The only possible exception is Oratius’s
249:– which was also staged in Venice in 1803.
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648:, 2nd volume, quoted in Toscano, pp. 80–81
52:
1345:Operas based on works by Pierre Corneille
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887:Morelli, Giovanni and Elvidio Surian,
609:Mezio Fufezio (usually not performed)
598:Tullo Ostilio (usually not performed)
274:in 1796. Grassini would almost always
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997:
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222:. In Europe during the 18th century
968:. L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia
13:
1340:Opera world premieres at La Fenice
937:Itinerario di un'avventura critica
697:Lazarevich, p. 718; Morelli, p. 26
14:
1356:
950:
847:The New Grove Dictionary of Opera
462:First performer's vocal register
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465:Premiere cast, 26 December 1796
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717:Lascia almen ch’io riprenda ...
1276:Die Horatier und die Kuriatier
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348:, and the following year with
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402:Regni silenzio muto, profondo
149:) is an opera in three acts (
721:Frenar vorrei le lacrime ...
147:The Horatii and the Curiatii
71:The Horatii and the Curiatii
7:
1335:Operas by Domenico Cimarosa
729:Ah, pietĂ del pianto mio...
431:
295:in 1989 with the conductor
10:
1361:
956:Casaglia, Gherardo (2005).
904:Dizionario dell'opera 2008
845:" in Stanley Sadie (ed.),
467:(Scenery: Antonio Mauro )
386:Se alla patria ognor donai
324:Artemisia, regina di Caria
247:La prova di un'opera seria
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116:26 December 1796
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670:; Rossini; Toscano, p. 80
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390:A voi tutti il vivo lampo
378:A questi accenti adesso …
374:Quando nel campo armata …
292:Teatro dell'Opera di Roma
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1105:L'impresario in angustie
1049:Le stravaganze del conte
935:Toscano, Silvia, (ed.),
814:, Forni, Bologna, 2002.
802:(in Italian and English)
451:
1320:Italian-language operas
843:Oriazi e i Curiazi, Gli
841:Lazarevich, Giordana, "
798:Gli Orazii e i Curiazii
305:Anna Caterina Antonacci
235:Marcos AntĂłnio Portugal
165:Antonio Simeone Sografi
81:Antonio Simeone Sografi
1129:Il maestro di cappella
914:(reproduced online at
900:Orazi e i Curiazi, Gli
37:
27:
1257:Gli Orazi e i Curiazi
1145:Gli Orazi e i Curiazi
1121:Il matrimonio segreto
1089:Giannina e Bernardone
981:Gli Orazi e i Curiazi
960:Gli Orazi e i Curiazi
941:Gli Orazi e i Curiazi
893:Gli Orazi e i Curiazi
889:La revisione musicale
879:Gli Orazi e i Curiazi
865:Gli Orazi e i Curiazi
861:Le edizioni in dischi
833:Gli Orazi e i Curiazi
382:Quelle pupille tenere
369:Gli Orazi e i Curiazi
316:Gli Orazi e i Curiazi
253:Gli Orazi e i Curiazi
228:Gli Orazi e i Curiazi
218:’s imperial court in
203:The Barber of Seville
142:Gli Orazi e i Curiazi
28:Gli Orazi e i Curiazi
1294:Horatii and Curiatii
1137:Le astuzie femminili
1073:L'Armida immaginaria
1065:L'Italiana in Londra
1034:List of compositions
806:Florimo, Francesco,
800:, Bongiovanni, 1983
531:Girolamo Crescentini
338:revolutionary France
264:Girolamo Crescentini
873:Morelli, Giovanni,
829:Una volta e poi piĂą
827:Gualerzi, Giorgio,
513:Giuseppina Grassini
398:Ei stesso intrepido
257:Giuseppina Grassini
59:Giuseppina Grassini
987:2008-06-06 at the
921:2016-12-30 at the
859:Marinelli, Carlo,
563:Il Gran sacerdote
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1057:La finta parigina
1025:Domenico Cimarosa
966:26 December 1796"
912:978-88-6073-184-5
855:978-0-19-522186-2
794:Celletti, Rodolfo
740:Marinelli, p. 93.
646:Francesco Florimo
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553:soprano castrato
544:Carolina Maranesi
358:Francesco Florimo
333:dramma per musica
328:the most passable
311:Artistic features
303:as Curiatius and
276:interpolate arias
157:Domenico Cimarosa
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1325:Opera seria
1315:1796 operas
1279:(1936 play)
1249:Les Horaces
1164:Other works
320:opere serie
297:Alan Curtis
167:, based on
67:Translation
1309:Categories
1268:Retellings
629:References
587:l'oracolo
438:Alba Longa
409:Metastasio
120:1796-12-26
77:Librettist
1153:Artemisia
666:Morelli,
576:L'augure
519:Curiazio
508:contralto
392:begins."
272:Curiatius
61:as Orazia
1187:Category
985:Archived
919:Archived
706:Rossini.
550:Licinio
540:soprano
526:castrato
432:Synopsis
261:castrato
216:Napoleon
161:libretto
112:Premiere
95:Based on
87:Language
788:Sources
727:" and "
719:" and "
537:Sabina
523:soprano
500:Orazia
426:da capo
362:Bellini
284:soprano
268:Horatia
198:Rossini
184:History
173:tragedy
118: (
90:Italian
1330:Operas
1287:Source
1260:(1796)
1252:(1786)
1235:(1640)
1232:Horace
1156:(1801)
1148:(1796)
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1041:Operas
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668:passim
612:tenor
601:tenor
590:basso
579:basso
490:tenor
194:Venice
177:Horace
131:Venice
100:Horace
1241:Opera
634:Notes
567:basso
476:tenor
459:RĂ´le
452:Roles
220:Paris
212:Milan
159:to a
908:ISBN
851:ISBN
816:ISBN
621:coro
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270:and
214:and
1229:'s
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