Scipione affricano
# Scipione affricano

Scipione affricano (Scipio Africanus) is an opera in a prologue and three acts by Francesco Cavalli. It was designated as a dramma per musica. The Italian libretto was by Nicolò Minato, based on Livy's "The Continence of Scipio".

## Performance history

It was first performed in Venice at the Teatro SS. Giovanni e Paolo on 9 February 1664. It was also given in Rome in 1671 with the castrato Giovanni Francesco Grossi as a celebrated Siface. Giovanni Buonaventura Viviani produced a greatly revised version of the opera for the Carnival of Venice in 1678.

## Roles

Roles, voice types, premiere cast :

| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast, 9 February 1664 |
| - | - | - |
| Asdrubale | tenor | |
| Ericlea | soprano | |
| Luceio | soprano | |
| Polinio | soprano | |
| Siface | alto castrato | Giovanni Francesco Grossi |
| Massanissa | bass | |
| Sofonisba | soprano | |

## Recordings

* Atto III Scena 3: "A tuo dispetto amor" Cappella Mediterranea, Leonardo García Alarcón, Clematis, Thomas Dunford 2014
* "Hora si ch'assai più fiero" Filippo Mineccia (counter-tenor) Nereydas Javier Ulises Illán Glossa 2018
