ERCOLE AMANTE
ERCOLE AMANTE
An opera composed by Antonia Bembo in 1707 on a libretto by Francesco Buti
The Plot
The hero Hercules (Ercole) is madly in love with the maiden Iole, and intends to wed her. Unfortunately there are a few obstacles in the way:
He’s already married.
He killed her father.
She’s in love with his son, Hyllo.
The whole idea outrages his stepmother Juno, the goddess of marriage.
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Will the Man Who Always Gets What He Wants have his way once again? High tragedy and comedy alternate in this rare work by the eminent soprano and composer Antonia Bembo.
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Creative Team
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Céline Ricci - Director, Ars Minerva Founder and Artistic Director
Matthew Dirst - Conductor
Costume Designer - Marina Polakoff
Projections Designer - Entropy
Light Designer - Del Medoff
Translation - Joe McClinton
Cast
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Ercole - Zachary Gordin
Giunone - Aura Veruni
Venere - Melissa Sondhi
Deianira - Kindra Scharich
Hyllo - Max Ary
Iole - Lila Khazoum
Paggio - Sara Couden
Nettuno/Eutyro/Sonno/Mercurio - Nick Volkert
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Cynthia Black as Antonia Bembo
Antonia Bembo
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Antonia Bembo (1640 –1720) was an Italian composer and singer. She was born in Venice and died in Paris. She was the daughter of Giacomo Padoani, a doctor, and married Lorenzo Bembo in 1659. She moved to Paris before 1676, to leave a bad marriage. There she sang for Louis XIV. Louis granted her a pension and housing at Petite Union Chrétienne des Dames de Saint Chaumont, a religious community.
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Six volumes of Bembo's music survive in manuscript in six volumes at the Bibliothèque nationale de France as the Produzioni armoniche, most of them dedicated to Louis XIV. She was taught by Francesco Cavalli and by 1654 wrote in all the major genres of the time, including opera, secular and sacred cantatas, and motets. Her work is a combination of French and Italian styles. She uses the virtuosic elements of Italian style of the period, as well as French dance forms. Much of her work is for soprano voice with continuo accompaniment. Her opera was L'Ercole amante (1707), to a libretto by Francesco Buti.
We are sincerely grateful to the Sam Mazza Foundation for their generous support.
Cynthia Black as Antonia Bembo
Picture by Valentina Sadioul
Artwork by Entropy