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express their love for each other and their despair at Arbace's banishment, Artabano arrives carrying a bloody sword. His fury at Serse's treatment of his son and his desire for Arbace to become King have led him to assassinate Serse. Artabano confesses the murder to Arbace and exchanges his bloody sword for that of Arbace.
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The opera opens in a moonlit garden of the palace of Serse (Xerxes). Mandane, the daughter of King Serse, and Arbace, the son of the King's general
Artabano, are in love. Serse has opposed their marriage and banished Arbace from the palace. Arbace climbs the wall into the garden. As the young lovers
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In the Temple of the Sun
Artaserse, surrounded by his nobles, swears to maintain the rights, laws, and customs of his subjects and is about to pledge this by drinking from a sacred cup, unaware that Artabano has poisoned the drink. Before Artaserse can drink from the cup, news arrives that Megabise
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In the King's palace, the execution of Dario is announced. However, Megabise (also in love with Semira) has Arbace led into the chamber in chains, announcing that the bloody sword used to kill Serse had been found in his possession. Arbace is now condemned to death. However, Artaserse, who had long
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that was originally performed in 1730. It was customary to alter the
Metastasian text considerably for operas in the 1770s, but this one mainly adheres to the original Metastasian text, albeit with the placement of some scenes re-arranged and some scenes omitted. All of Mysliveček's operas are of
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Artaserse, the King's younger son, arrives with his guards. Artabano tells him of his father's death and accuses
Artaserse's older brother Dario of the murder, "Who but he at dead of night could penetrate the palace? Who approach the royal bed? Nay, more, his royal ambition..." Artaserse commands
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Artabano is now faced with seeing his son die or confessing the truth. He confesses to all that he has poisoned the cup, intending to kill
Artaserse and that he had also assassinated Serse. Artabano is led off in chains. Artaserse, out of his love for Semira and his gratitude to Arbace, condemns
275:
and his men are at the palace gates. The danger is averted when Arbace kills the traitor, confirming to
Artaserse that his friend is innocent. Artaserse then offers the sacred cup to Arbace instead so that he may pledge his innocence.
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Eighteenth-century
Italian operas in serious style are almost always set in a distant or legendary past and are built around historical, pseudo-historical, or mythological characters. The main character of Metastasio's
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been a friend of Arbace, doubts his guilt. He releases Arbace from prison and allows him to escape through a secret passage. Megabise, encouraged by
Artabano, then goes off to lead a rebellion against Artaserse.
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is available for study online on the
Italian website Internet Culturale in the form of a reproduction of a manuscript once in the possession of the Teatro San Carlo of Naples.
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Artabano to avenge his father's death by killing Dario. Later in the garden, Artaxerxes expresses his love to Semira, the daughter of
Artabano and sister of Arbace.
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their father to eternal exile rather than death. The opera ends with the two pairs of lovers reunited and the jubilation of all.
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This article is about an opera by Josef Mysliveček. For an earlier opera by Thomas Arne on the same theme, see
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Act I, scene 10 - Quartet of Mandane, Arbace, Artaserse, and Artabano, "Deh, respirar lasciatemi"
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Act II, scene 9 - Accompanied recitative for Artabano, Mandane, and Arbace, "Io gelo"
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Act III, scene 7 - Chorus, "Giusto re, la Persia adora la clemenza assisa in trono"
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Act II, scene 12 - Accompanied recitative for Mandane and Arbace, "Sentimi, Arbace"
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was also successful and helped the composer secure commissions for the operas
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Act II, scene 12 - Duet for Mandane and Arbace, "Tu vuoi ch'io viva, o cara"
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Complete score in manuscript available for viewing and downloading at
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Act III, scene 7 - Aria of Arbace, "Cara, o Dio, nel volto espresso"
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prince, and then king of Persia, friend of Arbace, and lover of Semira
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Act III, scene 7 - Accompanied recitative for Arbace, "S'io meritai"
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Act I, scene 5 - Aria of Artaserse, "Non mi dir ch'io sono ingrato"
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Act II, scene 5 - Aria of Mandane, "Pace e calma in questo sedno"
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Act I, scene 3 - Aria of Artabano, "Su le sponde del torbido Lete"
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94:. Mysliveček received the commission on the strength of his opera
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Act II, scene 4 - Aria of Megabise, "Non temer ch'io mai ti dica"
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Act III, scene 2 - Aria of Artabano, "Figlio, se più non vivi"
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Act II, scene 6 - Aria of Semira, "Se del fiume altera l'onda"
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Act II, scene 9 - Aria of Arbace, "Per quel paterno amplesso"
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Act II, scene 1 - Aria of Artaserse, "Rendimi il caro amico"
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Act II, scene 10 - Aria of Mandane, "Va tra le selve ircane"
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Act II, scene 11 - Aria of Artabano, "Così supisce e cade"
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Act III, scene 3 - Aria of Mandane, "Mi credi spietata?"
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prefect of the royal guards, father of Arbace and Semira
357:. Sterling Heights, Mich.: Harmonie Park Press, 2009.
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Act I, scene 1 - Aria of Mandane, "Conservati fedele"
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Act I, scene 6 - Aria of Semira, "Bramar di perdere"
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Act I, scene 2 - Aria of Arbace, "Fra cento affanni"
133:Premiere, 13 August 1774, Teatro San Carlo, Naples
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222:general of the army and friend of Artaserse
66:the serious type in Italian referred to as
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23:. For other operas on the same theme, see
86:on 13 August 1774, the birthday of queen
194:friend of Artaserse and lover of Mandane
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208:sister of Arbace and lover of Artaserse
162:sister of Artaserse and lover of Arbace
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116:at the court of Naples the next year.
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78:The opera was first performed at the
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51:in three acts by the Czech composer
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715:L'impresario delle Isole Canarie
371:(Subcategory: Digital Contents)
55:, set to a popular libretto (or
369:http://www.internetculturale.it
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251:is based on the life of king
355:Josef Mysliveček, "Il Boemo"
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897:Operas by Josef Mysliveček
755:La passione di Gesù Cristo
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16:Opera by Josef Mysliveček
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231:Celidea Squillace (in a
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887:Italian-language operas
337:The complete score of
253:Artaxerxes I of Persia
215:Elisabetta Fiorentini
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747:Alessandro nell’Indie
699:Siface, re di Numidia
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859:Il trionfo di Clelia
445:Il trionfo di Clelia
201:Ferdinando Tenducci
811:La clemenza di Tito
517:La clemenza di Tito
74:Performance history
723:Siroe re di Persia
707:Didone abbandonata
170:Antonia Bernasconi
155:Giuseppe Pugnetti
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21:Artaxerxes (opera)
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835:Ciro riconosciuto
819:Gioas re di Giuda
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485:Il gran Tamerlano
351:Freeman, Daniel E
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187:Giuseppe Tibaldi
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58:dramma per musica
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902:1774 operas
892:Opera seria
795:L'Olimpiade
581:L'Olimpiade
573:La Calliroe
130:Voice type
68:opera seria
876:Categories
843:Ipermestra
541:Demofoonte
469:La Nitteti
461:Ipermestra
453:Demofoonte
421:Semiramide
345:References
220:Megabise,
176:Artabano,
107:Demofoonte
63:Metastasio
779:Demofonte
763:Artaserse
533:Artaserse
339:Artaserse
249:Artaserse
160:Mandane,
139:Artaserse
102:Artaserse
44:Artaserse
25:Artaserse
771:Demetrio
675:Libretti
621:Antigono
597:Demetrio
589:La Circe
509:Antigona
493:Demetrio
477:Motezuma
257:Xerxes I
242:Synopsis
212:soprano
206:Semira,
192:Arbace,
166:soprano
151:castrato
613:Medonte
437:Farnace
148:soprano
882:Operas
862:(1762)
854:(1751)
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694:(1721)
635:Operas
633:List:
624:(1780)
616:(1780)
608:(1780)
605:Armida
600:(1779)
592:(1779)
584:(1778)
576:(1778)
568:(1777)
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432:(1767)
424:(1766)
413:Operas
92:Naples
84:Naples
47:is an
525:Atide
333:Score
183:tenor
127:Cast
120:Roles
61:) by
49:opera
739:Ezio
565:Ezio
549:Ezio
227:alto
113:Ezio
110:and
677:by
90:of
82:in
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