Il trionfo dell'onore

The charming but unscrupulous Riccardo pursues women while avoiding the consequences of his libertine lifestyle. His latest target is Leonora, whose love becomes entangled with the schemes of her brother Ercole and the virtuous protagonist Rosina. As Riccardo’s deceptions unravel, he is forced to face the consequences. But can the notorious libertine truly reform and find redemption?

Premiered on 26 November 1718 in Naples at the Teatro dei Fiorentini, Il trionfo dell'onore is Alessandro Scarlatti’s only known comedy. Considered an early model of opera buffa, it has a coherent dramaturgical-musical structure with its interplay of no less than four couples. Scarlatti juggles a series of ensemble pieces, culminating in the superb concertato at the close of the second act. Stefano Vizioli’s production from La Fenice in Venice created with pop artist Ugo Nespolo, is a riot of colourful shapes and comic-book imagery, a convincing blend of commedia dell’arte and slapstick. The excellent cast tackles a rich variety of arias, duets and quartets conveying the work’s pathos as well as its sassy humour.