About This Item
The legendary figure of the libertine Don Juan had been straddling European theatre and opera stages for well over a century before Mozart got into the act with his matchless Don Giovanni. Back in 1669, Alessandro Melani became the first composer to create a dramma per musica out of tales of this witty and licentious character, using a libretto provided by a pair of Roman poets in Filippo Acciaiuoli and Giovanni Filippo Apolloni from their adaption of the celebrated Spanish tragic drama, El burlador de Sevilla by Tirso de Molina. Acciauoli and Apolloni transposed the events of Seville into a mythical landscape and called Don Giovanni Acrimante and his servant Leporello Bibi. But they did not change the original plot. This world premiere recording of Melani's L'empio-punito was captured live during the representations that took place at the Teatro Verdi in Pisa, with an outstanding vocal cast that includes Raffaele Pe in the main role (Acrimante), Raffaelle Milanesi (Atamira), Roberta Invernizzi (Ipomene), Giorgio Celenza (Bibi) and Alberto Allegrezza (Delfa). The instrumental support is provided by the fine orchestra Auser Musici conducted by a Carlo Ipata. Album Tracks 1. Empio Punito-Atto I Sinfonia 2. Empio Punito-Atto I Coro Gran Tormento Que Mi Par 3. Empio Punito-Atto I Aria Aurette Vezzose 4. Empio Punito-Atto I Coro O Che Pena 5. Empio Punito-Atto I Aria Armenti Guerrieri 6. Empio Punito-Atto I Duetto O Lumi Beati 7. Empio Punito-Atto I Coro Alla Caccia Compagni 8. Empio Punito-Atto I Aria Vaghe Frondi 9. Empio Punito-Atto I Arioso Si Salvi Chi Può - Coro Eolo Muove in Mar la Guerra 10. Empio Punito-Atto I Recitativo/Arioso Misera, E Che Rimiro 11. Empio Punito-Atto I Coro Giunt'è Più Volte 12. Empio Punito-Atto I Recitativo Ah, Barbaro Infedele 13. Empio Punito-Atto I Aria Io V'amai E V'adorai 14. Empi
