''Il Mitridate Eupatore'' ('' Mithridates Eupator'') is an opera seria in five acts by the Italian composer Alessandro Scarlatti with a libretto by Girolamo Frigimelica Roberti. It was first performed, with the composer conducting, at the

Teatro San Giovanni Grisostomo The Teatro Malibran, known over its lifetime by a variety of names, beginning with the Teatro San Giovanni Grisostomo (or Crisostomo) after the nearby church,Lynn 2005, pp. 101—103 is an opera house in Venice which was inaugurated in 1678 with a ...

, Venice, on 5 January 1707. A failure at its premiere, ''Mitridate Eupatore'' is now considered one of the finest of Scarlatti's operas.

Roles

Synopsis

In the ancient kingdom of

Pontus Pontus or Pontos may refer to: * Short Latin name for the Pontus Euxinus, the Greek name for the Black Sea (aka the Euxine sea) * Pontus (mythology), a sea god in Greek mythology * Pontus (region), on the southern coast of the Black Sea, in modern ...

, Farnace has seized the throne, killing the king and marrying his wife, Stratonica. The murdered king's daughter, Laodice, has been married to the ruined nobleman, Nicomede, now reduced to working as a cowherd, while her brother, Mitridate Eupatore, has taken refuge in

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...

. Mitridate and his wife, Issicratea, arrive at the court of Pontus disguised as Egyptian ambassadors. They promise Mitridate's head to the usurping king and queen in return for peace between Egypt and Pontus. Mitridate's mother assents to the death of her own son. Mitridate meets his sister Laodice and reveals his true identity. Mitridate and Issicratea assassinate Farnace and Stratonica, and Nicomede announces to the people the return of their rightful king.

Performances

The opera was performed in July 2017 at the

Festival de Beaune The Festival de Beaune: ''Festival international d’opéra baroque'' is a month-long annual summer festival of baroque opera in Beaune, France. It is notable for revivals of many baroque operas and performances of Mozart on original instruments H ...

by Thibault Noally and his ensemble Les Accents.''Mitridate Eupatore'' de Scarlatti au Festival de Beaune : une découverte
25/07/2017 Emmanuel Deroeux ; "Comme chaque année au Festival international d’opéra baroque de Beaune, Thibault Noally et son orchestre Les Accents offrent au public une œuvre italienne méconnue, voire inédite : Mitridate Eupatore d’Alessandro Scarlatti."

Roles

Synopsis

Performances

References

Further reading