Composer

:

Francesco Gasparini

Genre

:

Opera

Compose Date

:

1692

Average_duration

:

4:58

Atalia is an opera composed by Francesco Gasparini, an Italian composer, in 1690. The opera premiered in Venice, Italy, in the same year. The plot of the opera revolves around the biblical story of Queen Athaliah, who ruled over the kingdom of Judah after the death of her son, King Ahaziah. The story is set in the 9th century BC and is based on the Book of Kings in the Old Testament. The opera is divided into three acts and features a cast of six principal characters, including Atalia, the queen of Judah, Josabeth, a priestess, and Joad, a high priest. The first act opens with Atalia celebrating her victory over the Israelites and her ascension to the throne. However, her reign is threatened by the existence of a young prince, Joas, who is the rightful heir to the throne. Atalia orders the execution of all the descendants of the royal family, including Joas. In the second act, Josabeth, who is Joas's nurse, manages to save the young prince and hide him in the temple. Joad, the high priest, discovers Joas's existence and decides to help him reclaim his rightful place as king. Atalia, on the other hand, becomes increasingly paranoid and orders the destruction of the temple. The final act sees Joad and Josabeth leading a rebellion against Atalia, with Joas as their figurehead. Atalia is eventually defeated, and Joas is crowned king of Judah. The music of Atalia is characterized by its use of recitative and aria, which were popular forms of operatic music in the Baroque era. The opera also features a number of choruses, which were used to highlight the dramatic tension of the story. Overall, Atalia is a powerful and dramatic opera that explores themes of power, betrayal, and redemption. Its premiere in Venice in 1690 was a great success, and it went on to be performed in many other cities throughout Europe. Today, it is considered one of Gasparini's most important works and a significant contribution to the Baroque opera repertoire.

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