Arne: Artaxerxes

Name: Arne: Artaxerxes
SKU: 2728
Availability: InStock

£18.00

Reissue on Signum Records.

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Category: CD

“The performance is thrilling, with exemplary singing and playing.”

GRAMOPHONE

Artaxerxes was one of the most important and successful of all English operas. It remained in the London repertoire almost continuously from its première in 1762 until the 1830s, and received a documented one hundred and eleven performances before 1790.

The young Mozart almost certainly attended a performance when he came to London in 1765, and Haydn was also acquainted with the work, reportedly saying that he “had no idea we had such an opera in the English language”.

The Mozartists’ recording of Artaxerxes was selected as a Recording of the Year by Audiophile Audition and by BBC Radio 3’s CD Review, and as Disc of the Month by Opera magazine.

Act One

Mandane and Arbaces are in love, but Mandane’s father, King Xerxes, has banished Arbaces from the palace. Artabanes enters with a bloody sword, having just murdered Xerxes. He exchanges swords with his son – Arbaces – and tells Artaxerxes that his father – Xerxes – must have been killed by Darius, Artaxerxes’ elder brother and heir to the throne; he offers to arrest Darius.

Artaxerxes expresses his love for Semira, Arbaces’ sister, who shrugs off the advances of Rimenes before considering how unhappy she would be were Artaxerxes to be killed.

Artabanes announces that he has had Darius executed, but Arbaces is then discovered with the blood-stained sword. He refuses to incriminate his father, leaving the other characters to contemplate his apparent guilt.

Act Two

Artabanes offers to let Arbaces escape and lead a rebellion, but Arbaces refuses. Instead, Artabanes and Rimenes plot to kill Artaxerxes, with Semira offered as Rimenes’ reward. Torn by indecision, Artaxerxes places Arbaces’ fate in the hands of Artabanes, who condemns his son to death; Artaxerxes, though, permits a stay of execution. Mandane and Semira berate Artabanes and Artaxerxes respectively for their failure to save Arbaces.

Act Three

Artaxerxes comes to Arbaces’ cell and enables him to escape. When Artabanes and Rimenes then arrive with the same intention and find the cell empty, they assume that Arbaces has already been executed; they resolve to take revenge on Artaxerxes by poisoning him as he takes his coronation oath. Meanwhile, Mandane is reunited with Arbaces, whom she thought dead.

At his coronation Artaxerxes is about to drink from the poisoned cup, but is interrupted by news that Arbaces has single-handedly quelled a rebellion led by Rimenes. Arbaces enters, and Artaxerxes offers him the cup with which to pledge his innocence. Artabanes is forced to intercept, confessing to the poison and to his previous crimes. Artaxerxes spares his life but banishes him from the kingdom, and the two couples – Arbaces and Mandane, Artaxerxes and Semira – are joyfully united.

	CD1
	ACT ONE
1	Overture (Poco piu che andante – Larghetto – Gavotta)
2	Recitative: “Still silence reigns around” (Mandane, Arbaces)
3	No. 1, Duettino: “Fair Aurora, prithee stay” (Mandane, Arbaces)
4	Recitative: “Alas, thou know’st that for my love to thee” (Arbaces, Mandane)
5	No. 2, Air: “Adieu, thou lovely youth” (Mandane)
6	Recitative: “O cruel parting! How can I survive?” (Arbaces, Artabanes)
7	No. 3, Air: “Amid a thousand racking woes” (Arbaces)
8	Recitative: “Be firm, my heart” (Artabanes, Artaxerxes)
9	No. 4, Air: “Behold, on Lethe’s dismal strand” (Artabanes)
10	Recitative: “Stay, Artaxerxes, stay” (Semira, Artaxerxes)
11	No. 5, Air: “Fair Semira, lovely maid” (Artaxerxes)
12	Recitative: “I fear some dread disaster” (Semira, Rimenes)
13	No. 6, Air: “When real joy we miss” (Rimenes)
14	Recitative: “Ye Gods, protectors of the Persian Empire” (Semira)
15	No. 7, Air: “How hard is the fate” (Semira)
16	Recitative: “Whither do I fly?” (Tutti)
17	No. 8, Air: “Thy father! Away, I renounce the soft claim” (Artabanes)
18	Recitative: “Ye cruel Gods, what crime have I committed” (Arbaces)
19	No. 9, Air: “Acquit thee of this foul offence” (Semira)
20	Recitative: “Appearance, I must own, is strong against me” (Arbaces, Artaxerxes, Rimenes, Mandane)
21	No. 10, Air: “O too lovely, too unkind” (Arbaces)
22	Accompanied recitative: “Dear and beloved shade” (Mandane)
23	No. 11, Air: “Fly, soft ideas, fly” (Mandane)

	ACT TWO
24	Recitative: “Guards, speed ye to the tower” (Artaxerxes, Artabanes)
25	No. 12, Air: “In infancy, our hopes and fears” (Artaxerxes)
26	Recitative: “So far my great resolve succeeds” (Artabanes, Arbaces)
27	No. 13, Air: “Disdainful you fly me” (Arbaces)
28	Recitative: “Why, my dear friend, so pensive” (Rimenes, Artabanes, Semira)
29	No. 14, Air: “To sigh and complain” (Rimenes)
30	Recitative: “How many links to dire misfortune’s chain” (Semira, Mandane)
31	No. 15, Air: “If o’er the cruel tyrant love” (Mandane)

	CD2
1	Recitative: “Which fatal evil shall I first oppose?” (Semira)
2	No. 16, Air: “If the river’s swelling waves” (Semira)
3	Recitative: “Ye solid pillars of the Persian Empire” (Tutti)
4	No. 17, Air: “By that belov’d embrace” (Arbaces)
5	Recitative: “Ah me, at poor Arbaces’ parting” (Mandane, Artabanes)
6	No. 18, Air: “Monster, away” (Mandane)
7	Recitative: “See, lov’d Semira” (Artaxerxes, Semira, Artabanes)
8	Accompanied recitative: “At last my soul has room” (Artabanes)
9	No. 19, Air: “Thou, like the glorious sun” (Artabanes)

	ACT THREE
10	No. 20, Air: “Why is death for ever late” (Arbaces)
11	Recitative: “Arbaces! Gracious Heav’n” (Artaxerxes, Arbaces)
12	No. 21, Air: “Water parted from the sea” (Arbaces)
13	Recitative: “That face, secure in conscious innocence” (Artaxerxes)
14	No. 22, Air: “Though oft a cloud with envious shade” (Artaxerxes)
15	Recitative: “My son, Arbaces… where art thou retir’d?” (Artabanes, Rimenes)
16	No. 23, Air: “O let the danger of a son” (Rimenes)
17	Accompanied recitative: “Ye adverse Gods!” (Artabanes)
18	No. 24, Air: “O, much lov’d son, if death” (Artabanes)
19	Recitative: “Perhaps the King releas’d Arbaces” (Mandane, Semira)
20	Recitative: “Perhaps the King releas’d Arbaces” (Mandane, Semira)
21	No. 25, Air: “Let not rage, thy bosom firing” (Mandane)
22	Recitative: “What have I done? Alas, I vainly thought” (Semira)
23	No. 26, Air: “’Tis not true that in our grief” (Semira)
24	Recitative: “Nor here my searching eyes” (Arbaces, Mandane)
25	No. 27, Duetto: “For thee I live, my dearest” (Arbaces, Mandane)
26	Recitative: “To you, my people, much belov’d” (Artaxerxes, Artabanes, Semira, Mandane)
27	No. 28, Air: “The soldier, tir’d of war’s alarms” (Mandane)
28	Recitative: “Behold, my King, Arbaces at thy feet” (Arbaces, Artaxerxes, Mandane, Artabanes)
29	No. 29, Finale: “Live to us, to Empire live” (Semira, Mandane, Arbaces, Artaxerxes, Artabanes)