"The fierce competition between the opera houses in Venice is probably the main reason why the Venetian opera model dominated in Italy and indeed in all of Europe for a long time. Librettists and composers were well aware that their work would be measured against that of others. The success of an opera was judged not least by its financial success, so that the audiences were the decisive factor. What pleased them was repeated and copied; what displeased them was dropped and forgotten.
"Political undertones had been more or less overtly present in Venetian opera ever since public performances began. One theme interested the Venetians in particular: the excellence of the city’s constitution. In contrast to almost all the other realms at that time, Venice was a republic, one whose constitution and laws were considered perfect by Venetians and also by others. In the operas, this situation was mostly reflected by monarchies being depicted as degenerate and corrupt – everyone likes to see others' faults pilloried on stage. (The often encountered assertion that these operas exclusively reflected the libertine spirit of Venice is a modern myth with which the so-called 'funloving society' seeks to establish a link with supposedly historical models).
"Political statement is central to the opera Artemisia, although it is not in the foreground of the action. The problem of power in a monarchy is closely interwoven with love and honour. In the person of Artemisia we have a character who undergoes an important inner change in the course of the opera. At the beginning of the drama we meet her as a queen brought up from childhood by her teacher Indamoro to be aware of her own superiority. Her love for King Mausolus, though sincerely felt, was no more than a ritual. After his death Artemisia takes drastic action to affirm the picture she has of herself. She has a mausoleum (one of the seven wonders of the world) built for her dead husband, drinks his ashes and vows revenge on Meraspe, his supposed murderer. The love she feels for the supposed servant 'Clitarco' – who is actually none other than her deadly enemy Meraspe – not only hinders her sorrow but also represents a genuine loss of power when she finds that she has no control over her own feelings. She moreover feels positively insulted by the fact that the man she adores seems to be of low birth. She initially tries to defend herself by forbidding love affairs at her court, by wishing that her heart would turn to stone and by dedicating herself to conducting wars.
"But the old, not entirely successful devices with which she had demonstrated her mourning now fail completely; she is powerless against her feelings. The ban on love works only in fighting jealousy, her prayers for a heart of stone are not heard and the impending war turns into a complete farce when she sees that it enables Alindo, her general, to seize power. In this way Artemisia learns that her old means of exercising power no longer work, and she surrenders to her fate. It is not important that 'Clitarco' turns out to be of noble birth, nor that he was her deadly enemy. The problem now is rather that she had promised King Mausolus' avenger the right to decide over her wedding. So long as it was only about finding a worthy king, she felt no loss of power; but now that love has come into play, the thought of a stranger holding sway over her is intolerable. The problem can only be solved from outside, and there lies the true loss of power. As the action clearly shows, the state in a monarchy is subject to the ruler’s vacillating emotions; in consequence, Artemisia's loss of power at the same
time signifies great damage to the commonweal.
"Meraspe on the other hand constantly veers between hope and despair. The dilemma of his love causes him to lose individuality – the queen cannot love him, not as 'Clitarco' because of his social standing, not as Meraspe because of what he has done. He sees himself as a passive victim, not able to act; indeed, he never even attempts to extricate himself from the dilemma.
"Divided into pairs, the other characters primarily exemplify an individual principle. Oronta and Alindo represent honour, Artemia and Ramiro love. The women are stronger here, with the men seeking to make up for their weakness by acting unscrupulously. Oronta follows Alindo because he has injured her honour through his betrayal, and she succeeds in deceiving him through disguise and ends up pulling all the strings, so that she can solve the problems almost in the manner of a deus ex machina. Alindo on the other hand strives so much for the honour of being king that he resorts to untoward means, particularly after he has realized that the queen is not as dignified as he thought. His attempt to force her back into the old convention fails, and he returns to Oronta when he realizes that that is what his honour demands.
"Ramiro is so helpless against his love that he does not shrink from blackmailing Artemia and thus betraying Meraspe, his master. Artemia submits to this blackmail out of strength, because she is unwilling to endanger her love, but that is tragically just what causes her to lose her love, for she must obey the command of her beloved Meraspe after already having done so much for him.
"The characters in the comical subplot are intended to contrast with the serious action. Niso and Eurillo make fun of the old nursemaid Erisbe, who stands for the old conditions at the court. Niso even nurtures the hope of marrying
the queen himself; her loss of power could not be symbolized more aptly.
"It is only on the surface that this opera reaches a lieto fine, a happy end. While the couples are all united, it is clear that the principles of power and love are mutually exclusive. Indeed, it is even possible for power to hold sway over love. Love is ultimately subordinate to power. This cynical view was hardly calculated to send audiences home with a satisfied feeling, and yet it seems to have been what the Venetian expected, since many other operas of the time end in similar fashion. At all events, to judge by the popularity of this opera throughout Italy between 1657 and 1663, Eurillo's direct request at the end that the audience applaud the work cannot have fallen on deaf ears all too often." (Hendrik Schulze, tr. J. & M. Berridge. From the liner notes.)
Performers: La Venexiana, Claudio Cavina, Francesca Lombardi, Roberta Mameli, Valentina Coladonato, Maarten Engeltjes
1.1. Sinfonia: 'Dure Selci'
1.2. Atto I: 'Ecco Il Mio Vago'
1.3. Atto I: 'Dubbia M'appar'
1.4. Atto I: 'Che Saetti Ed Incateni'
1.5. Atto I: 'Son Le Luci Ch'adoro'
1.6. Atto I: 'Quando Il Cor'
1.7. Atto I: 'Amori, Eh?'
1.8. Atto I: 'Pur Andò L'importuno'
1.9. Atto I: 'Gl'artefici O Regina'
1.10. Atto I: 'Su L'April'
1.11. Atto I: 'Zeffiretti Placidetti'
1.12. Atto I: 'Hor Che Soli Restiamo'
1.13. Atto I: 'Clitarco Prenditi Un Fior'
1.14. Atto I: 'Gran Favor! Gran Mercede!'
1.15. Atto I: 'Ardo, Sospiro, E Piango'
1.16. Atto I: 'Già Del Vostro Nettuno'
1.17. Atto I: 'Cari, Cari Vegetabili'
2.1. Atto II: 'S'Amor Vuol Così'
2.2. Atto II: 'Che Sospiri Clitarco?'
2.3. Atto II: 'Ver Me Un Sol Fiato'
2.4. Atto II: 'Perdon Ti Chiedo'
2.5. Atto II: 'Di Trombe Guerriere'
2.6. Atto II: 'Niso, Niso!'
2.7. Atto II: 'Cara, Cara De Gl'occhi Miei'
2.8. Atto II: 'Ella È Qui'
2.9. Atto II: 'Hor Vieni Ad Abbellirmi'
2.10. Atto II: 'Se Meraspe Crudel'
2.11. Atto II: 'Altri È Gradito'
2.12. Atto II: 'Che Gratie!'
2.13. Atto II: 'Dir, Ch'io V'amo'
2.14. Atto II: 'Indamoro!'
2.15. Atto II: 'Se Tu Vuoi Ch'io T'ami'
3.1. Atto III: 'Ch'io Peni Così'
3.2. Atto III: 'Artemia?'
3.3. Atto III: 'Dammi Morte'
3.4. Atto III: 'Ecco Il Mio Bene'
3.5. Atto III: 'Servi, Ò Là'
3.6. Atto III: 'Dite Il Vero, Son Nera?'
3.7. Atto III: 'Cor Mio Che Sarà'
3.8. Atto III: 'E Che Fia Mai Quel Foglio?'
3.9. Atto III: 'Veggio Venir Clitarco'
3.10. Atto III: 'Hor Siate À Preghi Miei'
3.11. Atto III: 'Al Fin Vuole Il Mio Fato'
3.12. Atto III: 'Non Oso Alzar Le Ciglia'
3.13. Atto III: 'Respiri, Chiudete'
3.14. Atto III: 'Ma' Sen Viene Artemisia'
3.15. Atto III: 'Regina?'
3.16. Atto III: 'Ecco Alindo'
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