(Photo: Szofi Raffay) Domènec Terradellas, a composer born in 1711 in Catalonia, remains a somewhat elusive figure in the case of 18th-century opera. Following training at the prestigious Naples conservatory, his music flourished in Italy and London prior to his untimely death in suspicious circumstances in 1751. His “La Merope,” a testament to the abiding popularity of Merope’s tragic tale, {…}
(Photo: Innsbrucker Festwochen/Rupert Larl) In 1732, “Merope” was premiered at the Turin carnival. It was written by the now little known composer Riccardo Broschi to a libretto by Apostolo Zeno. The complex plot is typical of the period, in which a usurper, Polifonte, has taken the throne of Messene, after having murdered its King, Cresfonte, and his children. Such an {…}
(Photo: Jonas Lampens) The great castrato, Carlo Maria Michelangelo Broschi, better known as Farinelli, had such impact on 18th century opera-seria that his fame has lasted down the centuries, so that even today his name remains well-known amongst opera-goers. His older brother, Riccardo Broschi, however is less well-known, few will recognize his name. Yet, during his lifetime he was a {…}
