La verità in cimento (; Truth in Contention) is an opera by Antonio Vivaldi to a libretto by Giovanni Palazzi and Domenico Lalli. The opera, Vivaldi's 13th, was premiered on 26 October 1720 at the Teatro San Angelo in Venice."La verità in cimento, work and performance details, Corago Project, University of Bologna The work is dedicated to Count Sava Vladislavich, a Serbian merchant and diplomat in the employ of Peter the Great, who resided in Venice from 1716 to 1722. The work is listed as RV 739 in the Vivaldi catalogue.
Roles +RoleVoice typePremiere cast, 26 October 1720RosanesopranoAnna Maria StradaRustenamezzo-sopranoChiara OrlandiMelindocontralto (en travesti)Antonia Maria LaurentiDamiracontraltoAntonia MerighiZelimsoprano castratoGirolamo AlbertiniSultan MamudtenorAntonio Barbieri
Synopsis Mamud had two sons, one by his favourite Damira and one by the Sultana Rustena. He had them exchanged at birth, so that Melindo, in truth the son of Damira, is thought to be the legitimate heir, a position rightfully held by Zelim. When marriage is proposed between Melindo and Rosane, the heiress to another Sultanate (who is in fact beloved by Zelim), Mamud resolves to reveal the true state of affairs. After various twists and turns, Zelim inherits the larger portion of his empire, while Melindo contents himself with a secondary kingdom (Rosane's country) and is allowed to marry the fickle princess Rosane. This leaves everyone satisfied.
Recording Ensemble Matheus, conducted by Jean-Christophe Spinosi, Naïve Records (2002) Vivaldi: Arie ritrovate (2 arias), Sonia Prina, Accademia Bizantina, Ottavio Dantone. Naïve Records. (2008)
References
Further reading Frédéric Delaméa, translated by Charles Johnston, essays in 2008 Naïve Records booklet
External links
, (Rosane), Guillemette Laurens (Rustena), Sara Mingardo (Melindo), Nathalie Stutzmann (Damira), Philippe Jaroussky (Zelim), Anthony Rolfe Johnson (Mamud); Ensemble Matheus, conducted by Jean-Christophe Spinosi