NICCOLÒ PICCINNI (1728-1800): Didon.

Description: NICCOLÒ PICCI0NNI (1728-1800): Didon. An anti-Gluck faction of French and Italian critics and men of letters had adopted Piccinni as far back as the 1750 as a model. The partnership between Piccinni and the men of letters was officially sealed in 1778, when the musician, champion of the new concepts, composed Roland and Phaon; true artistic success, however, was attained only with Iphigénie en Tauride (1781) and Didon (1783), where anti-Gluck instances blend so to speak with some of Gluck’s own successful traits. Didon debuted on 16th October at Fontainebleau and was so successful that it was staged just a couple of months later, in December, at Paris’s Académie Royale de Musique and it continued to be given until 1836. It is written in the form of a tragédie lyrique, with accompanied recitatives, ariosi, arias, choruses, ballets sensibly inserted in the story, and instrumental interludes. 2 CDs. No info on libretto. Denia Mazzola Gavazzeni, Gonah Jeong (sopranos), Shohei Ushiroda (tenor), Ab Harmoniae Chorus, Orchestra Filarmonica Italiana; Damiano Cerruti.