Cavalli's Erismena is usually performed in the manuscript recently acquired by the Bodleian for £85,000, following an appeal launched largely on the initiative of the Warden of New College and by Michael Burden, Director of NCO.
The importance of this find is that it is dates from the middle of the seventeenth century.
At a Cavalli Conference held in New College, the manuscript was discussed by a number of distinguished experts revealing almost complete ignorance of the circumstances and whether it was ever performed, let alone before whom or with what reception, though hints of possible references to unknown works exist.
It became clear in performance however that immense care had been taken to fit the words of the libretto to Cavalli’s music.
The Erismena manuscript contains, as well as the three Acts of the opera, a previously unknown allegorical Prologue for Fortune, Beauty, Virtue and Fancy.
It was announced that during the course of the Conference it had been established that the music was by Cavalli thus enhancing the musical value of the manuscript.
The discovery was too late to allow the Prologue to be performed as part of the opera.
So how does Erismena as a melodrama rate?
The fear was that it would prove to be purely of historical interest.
Far from it!
The balmy atmosphere in the Garden, preceded by smoked salmon and champagne combined to make this a thoroughly enjoyable light-hearted evening’s entertainment.
This is not a great opera.
In relation to the composer’s best known opera, La Calisto, or my favourite, "IL GIASONE" (not to mention "La Didone") it stands as an amusing "operetta", with little depth of characterisation and with over elaboration of plot – as was typical of the vast explosion of popular opera in Venezia in the baroque era but unlikely to make it into a major opera house today.
The cast of nine represent a group of characters, some, known or unknown to themselves, in disguise until the denouement, falling in and out of love with each other.
Erismena herself is disguised as a soldier until revealed at the end as daughter of King Erimante, in love with Aldimira (around whom the plot revolves), as a slave until revealed as a Princess Stella who has replaced Erismena in the affections of Prince Idraspe, disguised as Erineo until revealed as Aldimira’s brother and bestows her on Orimeno, whom she has previously spurned.
Mention must also be made of Aldimira’s nurse Alcesta, sardonically representing the mature woman’s point of view, and a buddy of Aldimira with characteristic charm.
Although every word could be heard, it would have been impossible to follow the plot without the scene by scene synopsis included in the programme, unreadable in the second half in fading light.
But by this time one had sorted the various O’s, E’s and A’s of the cast and could enjoy the wit of their exchanges to the accompaniment of the tuneful score (if a little long on recitative) performed by the Band of Instruments, with a notable contribution from the theorbo.
It is directed from a keyboard.
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