Organization

Festival Vicenza in Lirica

Conductor

Francesco Erle

Stage director

Bepi Morassi

Costume designer

Carlos Tieppo

Set designer

Beatrice Tavares Alves Fardilha

Lighting designer

Andrea Grussu

Matteo Bianchi

Singer

Tenor

Patrizio La Placa

Clistene

Contralto

Daniela Salvo

Aristea

Francesca Lione

Argene

Sandro Rossi

Licida

Soprano

Maddalena De Biasi

Aminta

Bass

Elcin Huseynov

Alcandro

Stefania Carlesso

Narrator

Luca Rossi

Actor

Francesco Motta

Emma Alessi Innocenti

Megacle

Andrea Castello

Orchestra

Ensemble barocco del Festival Vicenza in Lirica

Concetto Armonico: Associazione culturale di promozione sociale

Italian

L'olimpiade -  (The Olympiad)

Vicenza

Italy

Teatro Olimpico

L'olimpiade

Public

Private

The Olympiad

Approved

Nacquero a Clistene, re di Sicione, due figliuoli gemelli, Filinto ed Aristea: ma, avvertito dall’oracolo di Delfo del pericolo ch’ei correrebbe d’esser ucciso dal proprio figlio, per consiglio del medesimo oracolo fece esporre il primo e conservò la seconda. Cresciuta questa in età ed in bellezza, fu amata da Megacle, nobile e valoroso giovane ateniese, più volte vincitore ne’ giuochi olimpici. Questi, non potendo ottenerla dal padre, a cui era odioso il nome ateniese, va disperato in Creta. Quivi assalito, e quasi oppresso da masnadieri, è conservato in vita da Licida creduto figlio del re dell’isola; onde contrae tenera e indissolubile amistà col suo liberatore. Avea Licida lungamente amata Argene, nobil dama cretense, e promessale occultamente fede di sposo. Ma, scoperto il suo amore, il re, risoluto di non permettere queste nozze ineguali, perseguitò di tal sorte la sventurata Argene, che si vide costretta ad abbandonar la patria e fuggirsene sconosciuta nelle campagne d’Elide, dove sotto nome di Licori ed in abito di pastorella visse nascosta a’ risentimenti de’ suoi congiunti ed alle violenze del suo sovrano. Rimase Licida inconsolabile per la fuga della sua Argene; e dopo qualche tempo, per distrarsi dalla mestizia, risolse di portarsi in Elide e trovarsi presente alla solennità de’ giuochi olimpici, ch’ivi, col concorso di tutta la Grecia, dopo ogni quarto anno si ripetevano. Andovvi lasciando Megacle in Creta, e trovò che il re Clistene, eletto a presiedere a’ giuochi suddetti, e perciò condottosi da Sicione in Elide, proponeva la propria figlia Aristea in premio al vincitore. La vide Licida, l’ammirò, ed, obliate le sventure de’ suoi primi amori, ardentemente se n’invaghì; ma disperando di poter conquistarla, per non esser egli punto addestrato agli atletici esercizi, di cui dovea farsi pruova ne’ detti giuochi, immaginò come supplire con l’artificio al difetto dell’esperienza. Gli sovvenne che l’amico era stato più volte vincitore in somiglianti contese; e (nulla sapendo degli antichi amori di Megacle con Aristea) risolse di valersi di lui, facendolo combattere sotto il finto nome di Licida. Venne dunque anche Megacle in Elide alle violenti istanze dell’amico; ma fu così tardo il suo arrivo, che già l’impaziente Licida ne disperava. Da questo punto prende il suo principio la rappresentazione del presente drammatico componimento.

italiano

Twin sons, Philinthus and Aristea were born to Clisthenes, king of Sicyon, but, warned by the oracle of Delphos of the danger that he would run of being killed by his own son, by the advice of the same oracle he had the first exposed and kept the second. She grew up in age and in beauty, she was loved by Megacles, noble and valiant young Athenian, several times winner of the Olympic Games. Not being able to obtain it from her father, who hated the Athenian name, he went to Crete in despair. There, attacked and almost oppressed by robbers, he is kept alive by Licida, believed to be the son of the king of the island; hence he contracts a tender and indissoluble friendship with him, his liberator. Licida had long loved Argene, a noble Cretan lady, and secretly promised her husband's wedding ring. But, discovering his love for her, the king, resolved not to allow this unequal marriage, he persecuted the unfortunate Argene with this fate, who was forced to abandon his homeland and flee unknown to the countryside of Elis, where under the name of Licori and in the dress of a shepherdess he lived hidden from the resentments of his relatives and from the violence of his sovereign . Licida was inconsolable for the flight of her Argene; and after some time, to distract herself from her sadness, she resolved to go to Elis and be present at the solemnity of the Olympic Games, which there, with the help of all Greece, were repeated after every fourth year. She went there leaving Megacles in Crete, and she found that King Clisthenes, elected to preside over the aforementioned games, and therefore having gone to Sicyon in Elis, was offering his own daughter Aristea as a prize to the victor. She saw Licida, admired her, and, forgetting the misfortunes of her first loves, fell ardently in love with her; but despairing of being able to win her, for not being at all trained in the athletic exercises, which he had to prove himself in the said games, he imagined how to make up for the lack of experience with the artifice. He reminded him that his friend had been the winner several times in similar disputes; and (knowing nothing of Megacles' former love affairs with Aristea) resolved to make use of him, making him fight under the false name of Licida. So Megacle also came to Elide at the violent requests of his friend; but his arrival was so late that the impatient Licida already despaired of it. The representation of this dramatic composition takes its beginning from this point. he imagined how to make up for the lack of experience with artifice. He reminded him that his friend had been the winner several times in similar disputes; and (knowing nothing of Megacles' former love affairs with Aristea) she resolved to make use of him, making him fight under the false name of Licida. So Megacle also came to Elide at the violent requests of his friend; but his arrival was so late that the impatient Licida already despaired of it. The representation of this dramatic composition takes its beginning from this point. he imagined how to make up for the lack of experience with artifice. He reminded him that his friend had been the winner several times in similar disputes; and (knowing nothing of Megacles' former love affairs with Aristea) she resolved to make use of him, making him fight under the false name of Licida. So Megacle also came to Elide at the violent requests of his friend; but his arrival was so late that the impatient Licida already despaired of it. The representation of this dramatic composition takes its beginning from this point. but his arrival was so late that the impatient Licida already despaired of it. The representation of this dramatic composition takes its beginning from this point. but his arrival was so late that the impatient Licida already despaired of it. The representation of this dramatic composition takes its beginning from this point.

English

Performance credits (Cast & Crew )

Cast

Crew

Ensemble

Co-Producer