The year is 1769. Vienna, the glittering heart of the Habsburg Empire, pulsates with music, intrigue, and the intoxicating allure of the opera. Amidst the grandeur, a singular work emerges: Rolando's *Opera seria*, a biting satire that skewers the very conventions and pretensions of the operatic world it inhabits. This rarely performed masterpiece, recently revived under the masterful baton of Christophe Rousset and the inventive staging of Laurent Pelly, offers a vibrant and exhilarating glimpse into the absurdities of 18th-century Italian opera, proving its enduring relevance in the 21st century. This production, featuring a cast of exceptionally gifted young singers, is a triumph, demonstrating the enduring power of Rolando's comedic genius and the continued vitality of *opera seria* as a genre.
La Opera Seria 1769: A Context of Contradiction
To fully appreciate Rolando's *Opera seria*, we must contextualize its creation within the broader landscape of 18th-century Italian opera. The year 1769 sits squarely within the era of *opera seria*, a style characterized by its serious subject matter, drawn largely from classical mythology or history. These operas were typically structured around da capo arias, elaborate recitatives, and complex ensembles, all designed to showcase the virtuosity of the singers. However, by the 1760s, the *opera seria* was beginning to show signs of fatigue. Its rigid conventions, often prioritizing vocal display over dramatic coherence, had become a target for satire. Composers and librettists began to subtly, and sometimes overtly, undermine the genre's very foundations.
Rolando, whose precise biographical details remain elusive, cleverly tapped into this growing dissatisfaction. His *Opera seria*, presented in Vienna in 1769, is not a straightforward example of the genre; it is a parody, a playful subversion of its own stylistic conventions. The opera exposes the inherent contradictions of *opera seria*: the artificiality of its emotions, the contrived plots, and the self-importance of its performers. This meta-theatrical approach, far from being a mere novelty, provides a sharp critique of the social and artistic hierarchies that underpinned the operatic world. The very title, *Opera seria*, becomes ironic, highlighting the gap between the seriousness the genre aspired to and the often farcical reality of its execution.
Opera Seria Italy: A Legacy of Virtuosity and Satire
current url：https://gislwt.sh-pukun.com/products/lopera-seria-jacobs-rolando-panerai-62397