Farnace, RV.711
Opera
Farnace is an opera by Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi, set to a libretto by Antonio Maria Lucchini initially set by Leonardo Vinci during 1724. Vivaldi's setting received its first performance in 1727 at the Teatro Sant'Angelo in Venice. Popular at the time, and revived with great success at the Sporck theater in Prague in 1730, Vivaldi's Farnace (RV 711) slipped into oblivion until the last quarter of the 20th century when it emerged from obscurity.
Synopsis
The opera tells the story of Pharnaces II; according to the uses of the time there is no historical accuracy since the fate of Pharnaces is quite different from the one in history books.
Farnace, King of Pontus, has been defeated, and to avoid their falling into the hands of the enemy, he commands his wife, Tamiri, to kill their son and then herself. Tamiri's mother, Berenice, hates Farnace and is in cahoots with Pompey, the Roman victor, to kill him. Selinda, Farnace's sister, is taken captive by the Roman Aquilius, who falls in love with her, as does Berenice's Captain, Gilades. Selinda plays them off one another in an attempt to save her brother. Somehow, it ends happily and everyone is spared.
- Sinfonia: D: Sinfonia: I. ...
- Sinfonia: D: Sinfonia: II. Andante
- Sinfonia: D: Sinfonia: III. ...
Atto I
- Da quel ferro che ha svenato
Atto II
- Scena V. Recitativo "Dunque morì l'amata prole?" (Farnace)
- Scena VI. Aria “Gelido in ogni vena” (Farnace)
- Atto III
Synopsis from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Most recent recordings
- Vivaldi: Farnace, RV 711 (Live) — Antonio Vivaldi, Erin Helyard, Orchestra of the Antipodes, Christopher Lowrey, Helen Sherman, Taryn Fiebig, Jacqueline Dark, Max Riebl, Michael Petruccelli, Timothy Reynolds (2025) Spotify
New releases via Spotify — surfaced automatically, not editorial picks.