Didone (opera)
# Didone (opera)

Didone is an opera by Francesco Cavalli, set to a libretto by Giovanni Francesco Busenello (later librettist for Claudio Monteverdi). The opera was first performed at Venice's Teatro San Cassiano during 1640.

The plot is based on Virgil's Aeneid (Book 4 in particular), though Busenello, in his second libretto for Cavalli, replaces Dido's tragic suicide of Virgil with a happy ending in which Dido marries Iarbas, King of the Getuli, who saves Dido from herself after Aeneas abandons her. The action is divided into a prologue and 3 acts.

## Roles

| Role | Voice type |
| - | - |
| Enea | tenor |
| Didone | soprano |
| Iarbas | contralto |
| Cassandra | soprano |
| Anchise | tenor |
| Ascanio | soprano |
| Hecuba | contralto |
| Creusa | soprano |
| Anna | soprano |
| Mercurio | contralto |
| Sicheo | tenor |
| Pirro | tenor |
| Corebo | contralto |
| Sinon Greco | bass |
| Ambasciatore Ilionèo | contralto |
| Acate | tenor |
| Giove | bass |
| Giunone | soprano |
| Iride | soprano |
| Venere | soprano |
| Amore | soprano |
| Nettuno | bass |
| Eolo | tenor |
| Fortuna | soprano |
| Three court ladies | sopranos |

## Recordings

* Live Video recording on DVD - 2006 - Teatro Malibran, Venice - Fabio Biondi, conductor - Orchestra Europa Galante Cast: Claron McFadden, Magnus Staveland, Jordi Domènech, Manuela Custer, Marina De Liso, Donatella Lombardi - Dynamic cat. 33537
