Edipodia operistica: una cronologia

Speranza Continuing with my research on what I call "opera greca" (i.e. Italian opera based on Greek tragedy), I am sharing some rudimentary notes I'm compiling on the Italian treatment of the "Edipo" myth -- by which I include all the Labdacids -- i.e. at least Edipo's twin sons and his daughter Antigone -- there is a rather well known setting by Legrenzi on the former. There are a few points to consider. As it is general with topics pertaining to "Greek tragedy" (which some place at the heart of that project that we call 'opera') it is good to review the treatment of the myth in "pre-tragic" sources -- in this case, pre-Sophocles. One sees that Corneille, for example, wrote a 'libretto' for Edipo that does not quite fit the Sophocles mould and so different versions of the myth should be taken into account along with their historical bases. There is of course a matter of change of style between 'Cinquecento' treatments of Edipo and Leoncavallo's early Novecento one. The choice of register (Edipo as baritone or tenor) is also an interesting factor, and the development of the dramatic conflict. In reviewing the treatments of the myth one can find some unexpected results: like a general underconsideration (if that's the word), in the history of opera, for Gabrieli's rather monumental setting of "Edipo" in 1585 for the launching of the equally monumental Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza: a proto-opera if ever there was one! While a student of the "Edipo" myth has to consider the Greek and Latin (notably Seneca) sources, and the (however scarce) mediaeval commentaries, it is best to start focusing on the renditions of the myth in the 'vulgar tongue' (Italian). It all seems to have started when Renaissance people like Pazzi de' Medici provided more or less complete accounts of the story in the 'vernacular'. This predates 'opera' as we know it for at least a century, but when we start considering musical settings by the late Cinquecento the borderline with opera becomes more diffuse, and if Gabrieli's setting does not feature too importantly in the history of proto-opera (as they know it) it's the historians' loss! THE CHRONOLOGY (rudiments). EDIPODIA OPERISTICA. Il cinquecento Il primo cinquecento 1520. Alessandro Pazzi de' Medici, "Edipo". Il secondo cinquecento 1560. Lodovico Dolce, "Giocasta". 1560. Giovan Andrea dell'Anguilara, "Edipo". 1585. Andrea Gabrieli. 4 cori -- "Edipo re", Vicenza, Teatro Olimpico. Libretto: Giustiniani. il seicento il primo seicento 1615. Leone Leoni. "Edipo", Teatro Olimpico, Vicenza. il secondo seicento 1659. Luli, "Edipo" 1661. Emanuele Tesauro (Piemonte). "Edipo" 1675. Legrenzi, "Eteocle e Polinice" (aria: 'Festeggia mio core', 1680, Venezia). 1678. Purcell-Dryden."Edipo". 1696. Wilderer, "Edipo" (Wilderer a student of Legrenzi in Venice) il settecento il primo Settecento 1729. Torri, "Edipo". il secondo Settecento 1740. Arne 1751. Gebel, "Edipo". 1786. Sacchini, "Edipo". Lainez, tenore, Polinice. VERY important, libretto in Italian by G. Schmidt. 1791. Mereaux, "Edipo". l'ottocento il primo ottocento 1802. Zingarelli, "Edipo", La Fenice. 1836. Huettenbrenner, "Edipo a Colono" 1837. Pacini, "Edipo", Teatro Olimpico, Vicenza. il secondo ottocento 1893. Vanzo, "Edipo". il novecento il primo novecento 1919. Leoncavallo, "Edipo re". 1948. Pedrollo. "Edipo", Teatro Olimpico, Vicenza.