| Europa riconosciuta | |
|---|---|
| Opera by Antonio Salieri | |
 Poster for the premiere at the inauguration of La Scala | |
| Librettist | Mattia Verazi |
| Language | Italian |
| Premiere | 3 August 1778 La Scala, Milan |
Europa riconosciuta (Italian: [euˈrɔːpa rikonoʃˈʃuːta]; meaning "Europa revealed" or "Europa recognized") is an opera in two acts by Antonio Salieri, designated as a dramma per musica, set to an Italian libretto by Mattia Verazi.
The opera takes place in Tyre in Phoenicia and tells a story of love, violence and political discord in ancient times. The central character, Europa, was once the lover of Zeus and helps resolve all disagreements after she discloses her identity – thus the title "Europa Revealed".[1] Though a traditional opera seria, the work differentiates itself from several of the typical characteristics of the genre. For example: a murder is seen onstage and an extended finale is used in both acts, a practice more typical of opera buffa. Musically, the opera is quite challenging, requiring four principal singers capable of spanning wide tessituras, sustaining long phrases, and making dextrous leaps.[2] For example, the roles of Europa and Semele go up to a high F sharp above high C a few times.[3]
- ^ Horowitz, Jason, 'For Mozart's Archrival, an Italian Renaissance', New York Times, December 28, 2004
- ^ Sachs, Harvey, 'La Scala Is the Star at Its Own Reopening', New York Times, December 9, 2004
- ^ Gurewitsch, Matthew, 'In search of a lost reputation', Los Angeles Times, May 8, 2005. (Available online here Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine)