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' (English: ''Ariadne'') (SV 291), composed in 1607–1608, was the second opera by the Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi. One of the earliest operas, it was first performed on 28 May 1608, as part of the musical festivities for a royal wedding at the court of Duke Vincenzo Gonzaga in Mantua. All the music is lost apart from the extended recitative known as "" ("Ariadne's Lament"). The libretto, which survives complete, was written in eight scenes by Ottavio Rinuccini, who used Ovid's ''Heroides'' and other classical sources to relate the story of Ariadne's abandonment by Theseus on the island of Naxos and her subsequent elevation as bride to the god Bacchus. The opera was composed under severe pressure of time; the composer later said that the effort of creating it almost killed him. The initial performance, produced with lavish and innovative special effects, was highly praised, and the work was equally well received in Venice when it was revived under the composer's direction in 1640 as the inaugural work for the Teatro San Moisè. Rinuccini's libretto is available in a number of editions. The music of the "Lamento" survives because it was published by Monteverdi, in several different versions, independently from the opera. This fragment became a highly influential musical work and was widely imitated; the "expressive lament" became an integral feature of Italian opera for much of the 17th century. In recent years the "Lamento" has become popular as a concert and recital piece and has been frequently recorded. A new completion of the "Lamento", which includes a setting of the surviving texts of the choruses to new music by Scottish composer Gareth Wilson (b. 1976), was performed at King's College, London University, on 29 November 2013, the 370th anniversary of Monteverdi's death. ==Historical context== In about 1590 Claudio Monteverdi, born in Cremona in 1567, secured a position as a viol player at the Mantuan court of Duke Vincenzo Gonzaga. Over the following ten years he advanced to become the duke's ''maestro della musica''.〔Fenlon, ''The Mantuan Orfeo'' pp. 5–7〕 During that time, significant developments were taking place in the world of musical theatre; in 1598 the work generally recognised as the first in the new genre of "opera"—Jacopo Peri's ''Dafne''—was performed in Florence.〔Carter 2002, p. 24〕 The duke was quick to recognise the potential of this new musical form, and its potential for bringing prestige to those willing to sponsor it.〔Ringer, p. 16〕 As part of his duties to the Gonzaga court, Monteverdi was often required to compose or arrange music for staged performances. These works included a fully-fledged opera, ''L'Orfeo'', written to a libretto by Alessandro Striggio the Younger and presented before the court on 24 February 1607. This performance pleased the duke, who ordered a repeat showing for 1 March.〔Fabbri, pp. 63–64〕 A contemporary account records that the piece "could not have been done better ... The music, observing due propriety, serves the poetry so well that nothing more beautiful is to be heard anywhere".〔Fenlon, "Correspondence" pp. 167–72〕 Monteverdi was then required to write several pieces for performance at the wedding of the duke's son and heir Francesco, planned for early May 1608.〔Ringer, p. 91〕 These included a musical prologue for Battista Guarini's play ''L'idropica'' and a setting of the dramatic ballet ''Il ballo delle ingrate'' ("Dance of the Ungrateful Ladies"), with a text by Ottavio Rinuccini. There was also to be an opera, though it was not initially certain that Monteverdi would provide this. Other works under consideration were Peri's ''Le nozze di Peleo e Titede'' ("The marriage of Peleus and Thetis") with a libretto by Francesco Cini, and a new setting of ''Dafne'' by Marco da Gagliano. In the event, the former was rejected and the latter designated for performance at the 1607–08 Carnival. The duke decreed that the wedding opera should be based on the myth of Arianna (Ariadne), and that Rinuccini should write the text. Monteverdi was instructed to provide the music.〔Fabbri, pp. 77–82〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「L'Arianna」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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