La vera costanza ("True Constancy"), is an operatic dramma giocoso in three acts by Pasquale Anfossi. The comédie larmoyante-influenced Italian libretto was by Francesco Puttini. The opera preceded Joseph Haydn's better known setting of the same libretto by three years.
Performance history
The work was first performed on 2 January 1776 at the Teatro delle Dame, Rome. It was successful and performed widely throughout Europe during the following two decades.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 2 January 1776 (Conductor: – ) |
|---|---|---|
| Count Errico, secret husband of Rosina | tenor | Gioacchino Costa/Filippo Tonnini |
| Rosina, a fisherwoman abandoned by Errico | soprano castrato travesti | Pietro Tiburzj |
| Marquis Ernesto, friend of Errico | tenor | Francesco Paolo Agresta |
| Baroness Irene, Count Errico's aunt who wishes to marry Ernesto | soprano castrato travesti | Antonio Rosselli |
| Villotto, a foolish gentleman, would-be suitor for Rosina | bass | Serafino Blasi |
| Lisetta, baroness's maid | soprano castrato travesti | Domenico Bruni |
| Masino, fisherwoman, brother of Rosina | baritone or tenor | Francesco Ciaranfi |
Synopsis
See also
- Anfossi's operas L'avaro and Il curioso indiscreto
- Complete list of Anfossi's operas
Sources
- Hunter, Mary (1992), 'Vera costanza, La (i)' in The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, ed. Stanley Sadie (London) ISBN 0-333-73432-7