Artaserse

Artaserse was a setting by Vinci, unveiled in Rome by an all-male cast on February 4, 1730 (Erato, 1/13, 7/14). Only seven days later Hasse’s setting of the same libretto was premiered at Venice’s Teatro San Giovanni Gristostomo. The cast included the castrato Farinelli as the hero Arbace (wrongfully condemned for treason); his beloved Mandane was sung by the prima donna Cuzzoni, who had left Handel’s company in London about 18 months previously; and the villain Artabano was played by the castrato Nicolini, for whom Handel had written the title-role in Rinaldo nearly 20 years earlier.  Click here to read more about the history of Artaserse.