ROMAN HISTORY/ITALIAN MELODRAMA: Dall'A alla Z

Speranza

STORIA DI ROMA E MELODRAMMA ITALIANO: dall'A alla Z

This is a list of historical figures dealing with Ancient Roman history who have been characters in opera or operetta. Historical accuracy in Italian melodrama has often been subject to the imperatives of dramatic presentation. Consequently, in many cases, historical characters appear alongside fictional characters. Also, historical characters who never met, or whose lives did not even overlap, appear on stage together. Historical events depicted are transported to earlier or later times or to different places. Historical people are seen participating in entirely fictional events, or vice-versa. The actions of historical people are attributed to other persons.

REFERENCES:

Jellinek, George, "History Through the Opera Glass: from the rise of Caesar to the fall of Napoleon". Pro/Am Music Resources.

Morgan, Christopher, "The true stories behind operas", Oxford University Press.

Heller, Wendy, "Tacitus Incognito: Opera as History in L'incoronazione di Poppea", Journal of the American Musicological Society, 52,  pp. 39–96.

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 A

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EZIO. Flavius Aetius, Roman general. Giuseppe Gazzaniga, Ezio. George Frideric Handel: Ezio. Gaetano Latilla: Ezio. Giuseppe Verdi, "Attila"

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Agrippa. Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Roman statesman and general. Samuel Barber: Antony and Cleopatra.

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Ahenobarbus, Gnaeus Domitius, Roman consul (32 BC) Samuel Barber: Antony and Cleopatra (as Enobarbus)

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ALESSANDRO .Emperor Alexander Severus of Rome. George Frideric Handel: Alessandro Severo

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AUGUSTO. Caesar Augustus, Roman Emperor. Samuel Barber: Antony and Cleopatra (as Octavius Caesar)

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Aurelian, Emperor of Rome. Gioachino Rossini: Aureliano in Palmira

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B

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BRUTO. Marcus Junius Brutus the Younger. Roman politician, co-assassin of Julius Caesar. Giselher Klebe: Die Ermordung Cäsars -- L'assassinio di Giulio Cesare.Tratto da Shakespeare.

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C

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Servilius Casca, co-assassin of Julius Caesar. Gaius Cassius Longinus, Roman politician, co-assassin of Julius Caesar. Giselher Klebe: Die Ermordung Cäsars

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CATONE in Utica
Vivaldi.

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Tillius Cimber, co-assassin of Julius Caesar
Giselher Klebe: Die Ermordung Cäsars (as Metellus Cimber)

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Helvius Cinna, Roman poet. Lorenzo Ferrero: Le piccole storie – ai margini delle guerre. Giselher Klebe: Die Ermordung Cäsars

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Lucius Cornelius Cinna, Roman consul. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Lucio Silla. Emperor Claudio of Rome
George Frideric Handel: Agrippina

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Clelia, early Roman figure. Filippo Amadei, Giovanni Battista Bononcini and George Frideric Handel: Muzio Scevola

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ORAZIO Cocles, Roman military officer
Filippo Amadei, Giovanni Battista Bononcini and George Frideric Handel: Muzio Scevola

Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus,
Roman consul, husband of Lucretia
Benjamin Britten: The Rape of Lucretia

Emperor Constantine I "The Great" of Rome
Gaetano Donizetti: Fausta

Gaius Marcius Coriolanus, Roman leader
Francesco Cavalli: Coriolano

Marcus Licinius Crasso, Roman general and politician
Francesco Cavalli: Pompeo Magno

CRISPO, Flavio Giulio. Caesar of the Roman Empire
Gaetano Donizetti: Fausta

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D

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DIOCLEZIANO. Emperor Diocletian of Rome. Henry Purcell: Dioclesian

DOLABELLA. Publius Cornelius Dolabella, Roman general. Samuel Barber: Antony and Cleopatra

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E

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Emperor Elagabalus of Rome (Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus). Francesco Cavalli: Eliogabalo. Pietro Simone Agostini: Eliogabalo

 

ENEA, Trojan leader.

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F

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Fausta Flavia Maxima, Empress of Rome, second wife of Constantine the Great. Gaetano Donizetti: Fausta

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G

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Galla Placidia, Roman regent, daughter of Emperor Theodosius I. Jaume Pahissa i Jo: Gal·la Placídia (1913)

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H

ADRIANO, Roman emperor. José de Nebra: Más gloria es triunfar de sí, o, Adriano en Siria. Girolamo Abos: Adriano in Siria

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I

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J

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Julia Caesaris, daughter of Julius Caesar, 4th wife of Pompey the Great. Francesco Cavalli: Pompeo Magno

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GIULIO CESARE Consul and Dictator of Rome. Francesco Cavalli: Pompeo Magno. Carl Heinrich Graun: Cesare e Cleopatra. George Frideric Handel: Giulio Cesare (in Egitto) (LONDRA) . Giselher Klebe: Die Ermordung Cäsars. Antonio Sartorio: Giulio Cesare in Egitto (VENEZIA)

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K

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L

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Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, Roman triumvir. Samuel Barber: Antony and Cleopatra

Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, heir to Emperor Caligula of Rome. Reinhard Keiser: Octavia

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Lucan, Roman poet
Claudio Monteverdi: L'incoronazione di Poppea

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Lucretia, Roman noblewoman raped by Sextus Tarquinius
Benjamin Britten: The Rape of Lucretia
Ottorino Respighi: Lucrezia

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M

 

MACEDONICO. Lucius Aemilius Paullus Macedonicus, Roman general, natural father of Scipio Aemilianus
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Il sogno di Scipione, K. 126

MECENA. Gaius Maecenas, political adviser to Octavian (Caesar Augustus)
Samuel Barber: Antony and Cleopatra

MARC'ANTONIO. Roman politician and general. Samuel Barber: Antony and Cleopatra. Domenico Cimarosa: La Cleopatra. Louis Gruenberg: Antony and Cleopatra. Henry Kimball Hadley: Cleopatra's Night. Giselher Klebe: Die Ermordung Cäsars. Jules Massenet: Cléopâtre

Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maximianus Herculius, aka Maximian, Roman ruler. Gaetano Donizetti: Fausta

MASSIMILIANO. Maximinian, co-Emperor of Rome

Henry Purcell: Dioclesian

MESSALINA. Valeria Messalina, Roman Empress
Isidore de Lara: Messaline

METELLA. Cecilia Metella Dalmatica, fourth wife of Lucius Cornelius Sulla
George Frideric Handel: Silla

 

METELLA. Cornelia Metella, Pompey's second wife. George Frideric Handel: Giulio Cesare (in Egitto) (as Cornelia)

 

MUZIO. Gaius Mucius Scaevola, Roman figure. Francesco Cavalli: Mutio Scevola. George Frideric Handel: Muzio Scevola

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N

 

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NERONE. Emperor Nero of Rome. Arrigo Boito: Nerone. George Frideric Handel: Agrippina. Reinhard Keiser: Octavia. Pietro Mascagni: Nerone (as Claudio Cesare Nerone). Claudio Monteverdi: L'incoronazione di Poppea. Anton Rubinstein: Néron. Juan Manén: Acté and Neró i Acté

 

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O

 

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OTTAVIA. Empress Claudia Octavia of Rome, consort of Nero. Reinhard Keiser: Octavia
Claudio Monteverdi: L'incoronazione di Poppea

OTTAVIA. Octavia the Younger, fourth wife of Mark Antony. Samuel Barber: Antony and Cleopatra
Jules Massenet: Cléopâtre

ORBIANA. Sallustia Orbiana, wife of Emperor Alexander Severus of Rome. George Frideric Handel: Alessandro Severo

OTTONE. Emperor Marcus Salvius Otho of Rome
Antonio Vivaldi: Ottone in villa

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P

 

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Gaius Petronius Arbiter, Roman courtier, writer. Claudio Monteverdi: L'incoronazione di Poppea

Gaius Calpurnius Piso, Roman senator. Reinhard Keiser: Octavia

Pompey the Great, Roman military and political leader. Francesco Cavalli: Pompeo Magno

Empress Poppaea Augusta Sabina, consort of Roman Emperors Nero and Otho. George Frideric Handel: Agrippina. Claudio Monteverdi: L'incoronazione di Poppea

 

Lars Porsena, King of Etruria. Filippo Amadei, Giovanni Battista Bononcini and George Frideric Handel: Muzio Scevola

Publius Valerius Publicola, Roman consul. George Frideric Handel: Muzio Scevola

 

Q

 

R

 

S

 

Scipio Aemilianus, aka Scipio Africanus the Younger, Roman general, nephew and adopted son of Scipio Africanus the Elder
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Il sogno di Scipione, K. 126
Scipio Africanus, aka Scipio Africanus the Elder, Roman general
Francesco Cavalli: Scipione affricano
Gioacchino Albertini: Scipione Africano
George Frideric Handel: Scipione
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Il sogno di Scipione, K. 126
Antonio Sacchini: Scipione in Cartagena

 

Seneca the Younger, Roman philosopher, dramatist
Gavin Bryars, Philip Glass and others: The Civil Wars: A Tree Is Best Measured When It Is Down
Reinhard Keiser: Octavia
Claudio Monteverdi: L'incoronazione di Poppea

 

Sextus Pompey, Roman general, son of Pompey the Great
Francesco Cavalli: Pompeo Magno
George Frideric Handel: Giulio Cesare (in Egitto) (as Sesto)

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Lucius Cornelius Sulla, Roman general and dictator. George Frideric Handel: Silla. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Lucio Silla

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Lucius Tarquinius, one of 3 kings of Rome. Filippo Amadei, Giovanni Battista Bononcini and George Frideric Handel: Muzio Scevola

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Sextus Tarquinius, son of Lucius Tarquinius Superbus, King of Rome. Benjamin Britten: The Rape of Lucretia

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TITO. Emperor Titus of Rome. Antonio Caldara: La clemenza di Tito. Christoph Willibald Gluck: La clemenza di Tito. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: La clemenza di Tito. Josef Mysliveček: La clemenza di Tito -- and settings of La clemenza di Tito by about 40 other composers.

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Titus Manlius Torquatus, Roman dictator. Antonio Vivaldi: Tito Manlio

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Valentinian III, Western Roman Emperor. George Frideric Handel: Ezio

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Publius Quinctilius Varus, Roman general. George Frideric Handel: Arminio

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Gaius Iulius Vindex, Roman general. Anton Rubinstein: Nerone

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