A cruel test of love and Vivaldi’s wildly virtuosic vocal fireworks, adorned with a gallant style. *Griselda* is presented by the Royal Danish Theatre and Concerto Copenhagen in Denmark for the very first time.
For the first time ever, the Royal Danish Theatre and Concerto Copenhagen present Vivaldi’s opera *Griselda*. The story of King Gualtiero of Thessaly, who marries the poor shepherdess *Griselda*. The people are opposed to the marriage, so the king subjects Griselda to a series of trials to test her love.
Although most of us today probably know the composer of “The Four Seasons” best for his many instrumental works, Antonio Vivaldi also made a name for himself as an opera composer in his day. In addition to composing the music, he also served as an impresario and manager for both himself and his singers, and he had a clear strategy. By leveraging his background and network as an educator and teacher, Vivaldi found talented but younger (and therefore cheaper) singers at the start of their careers, thereby avoiding the exorbitantly high fees charged by superstars and castrati.
Vivaldi’s virtuosic and high-energy music, composed for new, young singers with sharp technical skills and strong acting abilities, struck a chord with audiences, and Vivaldi’s operas enjoyed considerable success throughout most of Italy—including commercial success. “Griselda” premiered at the Teatro San Samuele on May 18, 1735. Always in step with the trends of the time, Vivaldi combines and contrasts his wildly virtuosic vocal fireworks with the new galant style, which is simpler, more fluid, and more melodic.
In the story of Griselda, taken from *The Decameron*, the heroine is subjected to the most horrific and sadistic ordeals. Traditionally, Griselda is portrayed as penitent and patient, but in Vivaldi’s opera, she instead rages against the injustices inflicted upon her.
In a series of spectacular arias, written for Vivaldi’s fiery protégée, Anna Giró, Vivaldi demonstrates an extraordinarily virtuosic use of fermatas and pauses. “Griselda” also features some of Vivaldi’s most virtuosic and famous arias—notably “Agitata de due venti.”
The Danish premiere features a cast of distinguished international singers. Mezzo-soprano Noa Beinart, a member of the Vienna State Opera ensemble, plays the long-suffering Griselda, and the internationally acclaimed Norwegian soprano Mari Eriksmoen takes on the role of Costanza.
The 1735 performances of “Griselda” were a resounding success, thanks to Vivaldi and his young stars—and we hope to recreate that success in 2025 on Danish soil.
Get ready for the premiere and listen to the music here.
About Vivaldi and Opera
Although most of us today probably know the composer of “The Four Seasons” best for his many instrumental works, Antonio Vivaldi also made a name for himself as an opera composer in his day. His opera debut took place in 1713 in Vicenza with “Ottone in villa” (which Concerto Copenhagen performed during the Copenhagen Opera Festival in 2014). This debut marked the beginning of Vivaldi’s prolific career in “dramma per musica”—a potentially lucrative genre, as it was extremely popular with audiences. Vivaldi also had commercial ambitions with his operas. In addition to composing the music, he served as an impresario and manager for both himself and his singers, and he had a clear strategy. By leveraging his background and network as an educator and teacher, Vivaldi found talented but younger (and therefore cheaper) singers at the start of their careers, thereby avoiding the exorbitantly high fees of superstars and castrati. He also seems to have preferred singers who possessed acting talent. Vivaldi’s virtuosic and high-energy music, composed for new, young singers with sharp technique and strong acting skills, struck a chord with audiences, and Vivaldi’s operas enjoyed considerable success throughout most of Italy—including commercially.
But Vivaldi’s forward-thinking, effective music, his unbridled commercial ambitions, and his generally flamboyant attitude also contributed to making him unwelcome in parts of Italy—especially in Venice, where the opera and theater scene was dominated by conservative tastes and aristocratic families. Nevertheless, it was in Venice where producing opera was most lucrative and exciting, as the largest and most modern theaters were located there. In 1735, one of Vivaldi’s greatest opponents in Venice, the librettist and theater manager Domenico Lalli, retired. He was associated with the Grimani family, who owned several theaters in Venice, all of which had been operating at a significant loss for some time. The Grimani family had observed Vivaldi’s artistic and financial success, and they now decided to give Vivaldi a chance.
“Griselda” premiered at the Teatro San Samuele on May 18, 1735. Always in step with the trends of his time, Vivaldi combines and contrasts his wildly virtuosic vocal fireworks with the new galant style, which is simpler, more fluid, and more melodic. In the story of Griselda, taken from the Decameron, the heroine is subjected to the most horrific sadistic trials. Traditionally, Griselda is portrayed as penitent and patient, but here she instead rages against the injustices inflicted upon her. In a series of spectacular arias, intended for Vivaldi’s fiery protégée, Anna Giró, Vivaldi demonstrates an extraordinarily virtuosic use of fermatas and pauses. With her acting skills, Giró could imbue these sudden moments of silence with passion, defiance, and emotion. “Griselda” also features some of Vivaldi’s most virtuosic and famous arias—notably “Agitata de due venti,” Constanze’s coloratura aria at the beginning of Act 2, which the world-famous mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli often performs as an encore at her concerts. Find it on YouTube!
The 1735 productions of “Griselda” were a resounding success, and thanks to Vivaldi and his young stars, the Grimani family and their theatrical empire were once again on solid financial footing.