L’OLIMPIADE RV 725

Opera in 3 acts

Vivaldi, 1734, Venice

Libretto by Metastasio

Act 1

Act / Character Form Key Orch. Scenography (Mutazioni) Comments

Scene
I/1 Licida, Aminta Recit E minor BC Narrow and somber wooded valley, shaded
to A from the heights by massive trees, whose
minor branches stretch out to meet one another
between the two hills that enclose the vale.
I/2 Megacle, L, A Recit, Aria To F BC, Licida asks Megacle to
DC (M) major; strings enter Olympics under his
“superbo di Aria in name
me stesso” C/a
I/3 Licida, Aminta Recit, Aria To C;
DC (L), Aria in
recit, Aria G/e;
DC (A) recit to
B; Aria
in A/f
sharp
I/4 Coro, Argene, Coro Chorus Vast landscape on the slopes of a Very long scene, with
Aristea refrain, with in A; mountain, dotted with shepherds’ huts. Argene’s narrative
strophic recit to Rustic bridge on the River Alpheus, made
solos (Arg); A of tree trunks roughly put together. View
Recit of the city of Olympia in the distance,
interrupted by a few trees that adorn the
plain without encumbering it.
I/5 Clistene, Recit, Aria Recit to Clistene told Aristea
attendants; Arg. DC (Cl) B-flat; Licida is here
and Ari., Coro Aria in
E-flat/g
I/6 Aristea, Argene Recit, Aria Recit to
DC (Ari) D; Aria
in F/d
I/7 Argene alone Recit; Aria Recit to Lamenting reflection and
DC (Arg) B; Aria aria
in E
minor/G
I/8 Licida, Recit; Aria Recit to Aria: Very long scene, with
Megacle DC (L) C; Aria “Un Licida’s narrative (Licida
in F/d solo tells Megacle how much
corno he wants Aristea, and want
da Megacle to win Aristea for
caccia” him)
I/9 Megacle Recit Acc To B- Lamenting reflection (how
flat painful it is that Licida
asked him to win Aritea
for him)
I/10 Megacle, Recit; Duet Recit to Love duet closes act.
Aristea, DC (M/Ari) C; Duet
Alcandro in g/D
 Act 2

Scene Character Form Key Orchestration Scenography Comments

1 Argene, Recit Grottesco con fontane,
Aristea contiguo al bosco
2 Alcandro, Alcandro, aria,
Aristea, “Se tu
Argene sprezzar
pretendi”
3 Argene, Aristea, aria,
Aristea “Sta
piangendo la
tortorella”
4 Argene, Argene, aria,
Aminta “Per que’tanti
suoi sospiri”
5 Aminta sola Aminta, aria,
“Siam navi
all’onde
algenti”
6 Clistene, Luogo magnifico
Licida,
Alcandro,
Megacle
coronato
d’ulivo,
Guardie e
Popolo

7 All above Clistene, aria,

plus Aristea “Qual serpe
tortuosa”
8 Aristea,
 Megacle,
Licida
9 Aristea, Megacle,
Megacle recitativo
accompagnato,
“Misero me!”
10 Aristea, Megacle, aria,
Megacle, “Se cerca, se
Licida dice”
11 Licida and Aristea, aria,
Aristea “Tu da me
dividi”
12 Licida, recitativo
Argene
13 Licida, recitativo
Aminta
14 Licida, recitativo
Alcandro
15 Licida solo Licida, aria,
“Gemo in un
punto e fremo
 Act 3

Scene Character Form Key Orchestration Scenography Comments

1 Megacle, recitativo Bipartita, che forma dalle ruine
Aminta; di un antico ippodromo già
Aristea, ricoperte in gran parte d’edera,
Argene di spini e d’altre piante
selvagge.

The two groups of characters

cannot see each other.

2 All above, Alcandro,

plus aria,
Alcandro “Sciagurato,
in braccio a
morte”;
recitativo,
then
Aristea,
aria, “Caro,
son tua
così”
3 Megacle, Megacle,
Argene aria, “Lo
seguitai
felice”
4 Argene, Argene,
Aminta aria, “Per
salvar
quell’anima
ingrata”
5 Aminta solo Aminta,
 aria, “Son
qual per
mare
ignoto”
6 Clistene, Clistene, Aspetto esteriore del gran
Licida, aria, “Non tempio di Giove olimpico, dal
Alcandro, so donde quale si scende per lunga e
Coro di viene” magnifica scala divisa in
sacerdoti diversi piani. Piazza innanzi al
medesimo con ara ardente nel
mezzo. Bosco d’intorno de’
sacri ulivi silvestri, dondo
formavansi le corone per gli
atleti vincitori.
Clistene, che scende dal
tempio, preceduto da un
numeroso popolo, da’ suoi
custodi, da Licida in bianca
veste coronato di fiori, da
Alcandro e dal Coro de
sacerdoti, de’ quali alcuni
portano sopra i bacili d’oro gli
stromenti del sacrificio
7 All above, Coro, “I tuoi
plus strali terror
Megacle, de’
guards mortali”;
then
Clistene,
prayer, “O
degli uomini
padre, e
degli dei”
8 All above, Recitativo
plus Argene
9 All above, Recitativo
plus Aristea
10 All above, Final Coro,
plus Aristea “Viva il
figlio
delinquente”

Aria distribution by character and act

Character Act 1 Act 2 Act 3 Total

Aristea 1 2 1 4
Megacle 1+ Acc. Recit. 1+Acc. Recit. 1 3+2x Acc. Recit.
Argene 1 1 1 3
Licida 2 1 3
Clistene 1 1 1+ Prayer 3+ Prayer
Aminta 1 1 1 3
Alcandro 0 1 1 2
Megacle + Aristea 1 0 0 1 duet

TOTAL 9+1xAcc. Recit. 8+1 Acc. Recit. 8+1 Prayer 21+2xAcc. Rec.+1 Pr.

Arias for each character

Character Act/scene/Incipit Act/scene/Incipit Act/Incipit Act/Incipit

Aristea I/6—È troppo spietato II/3—Sta piangendo II/11—Tu da me dividi III/2—Caro son tua
Megacle I/2—Superbo di me II/10—Se cerca se dice III/3—Lo seguitai felice
stesso
Argene I/7—Più non si trovano II/4—Per que’ tanti suoi III/4—Per salvar
Licida I/3—Quel destrier I/8—Mentre dormi II/15—Gemo in un
 punto
Clistene I/5—Del destin non II/7—Qual serpe III/6—Non so donde
tortuosa viene
Aminta I/3—Il fidars della II/5—Siam navi all’onde III/5—Son qual per
speme mare
Alcandro II/2—Se tu sprezzar III/2—Sciagurato in
braccio