sign in sign up
<<
Home , Alfred (Arne opera), Artaxerxes (opera), Charlotte Brent, Comus (Arne), Elizabeth Watts, Il re pastore (libretto)

Linn Records CKD 358 Label of the Year

“Linn is the very model of a modern record company, ensuring that the highest standards are maintained from the studio right through the company’s very impressive digital store.” JAMES JOLLY, EDITOR IN CHIEF, GRAMOPHONE

Discover the world of Linn Records Download at www.linnrecords.com Now you can explore Linn music on-line with even greater ease by using our innovative download facility. Linn albums and tracks are available to download at studio master and CD quality – the quality you desire to achieve the best possible sound. MP3 downloads are also available. linnrecords.com is a multi-format music delivery system that delivers music on vinyl, CD and download. Register online today at www.linnrecords.com to keep up to date about our latest releases and to find out more about our artists.

LINN, GLASGOW ROAD, WATERFOOT, GLASGOW G76 0EQ UK t: +44 (0)141 303 5027/9 f: +44 (0)141 303 5007 e: [email protected] 1710–1778 DISC ONE Act One 1. Overture (Poco più che andante – Larghetto – Gavotta) ...... 5.13 2. : Still silence reigns around ...... 0.29 3. No.1, Duettino: Fair Aurora, prithee stay ...... 2.17 New performing edition with 4. Recitative: Alas, thou know’st that for my love to thee ...... 1.13 5. No.2, Air: Adieu, thou lovely youth ...... 3.22 Artaxerxesby Ian Page and finale by Duncan Druce 6. Recitative: O cruel parting! How can I survive? ...... 0.57 7. No.3, Air: Amid a thousand racking woes ...... 4.38 CLASSICAL COMPANY 8. Recitative: Be firm, my heart...... 1.26 9. No.4, Air: Behold, on Lethe’s dismal strand ...... 3.37 IAN PAGE conductor 10. Recitative: Stay, , stay ...... 0.29 11. No.5, Air: Fair Semira, lovely maid ...... 3.26 CHRISTOPHER AINSLIE Artaxerxes 12. Recitative: I fear some dread disaster...... 1.29 ELIZABETH WATTS Mandane 13. No.6, Air: When real joys we miss ...... 1.59 CAITLIN HULCUP Arbaces 14. Recitative: Ye Gods, protectors of the Persian Empire ...... 0.36 15. No.7, Air: How hard is the fate ...... 4.01 ANDREW STAPLES Artabanes 16. Recitative: Whither do I fly?...... 3.24 REBECCA BOTTONE Semira 17. No.8, Air: Thy father! Away, I renounce the soft claim ...... 1.24 DANIEL NORMAN Rimenes 18 . Recitative: Ye cruel Gods, what crime have I committed ...... 0.14 19. No.9, Air: Acquit thee of this foul offence ...... 1.27 20. Recitative: Appearance, I must own, is strong against me ...... 0.48 Recorded at Air Studios, London, UK 21. No.10, Air: O too lovely, too unkind ...... 4.25 18th – 21st November 2009 & 2nd April 2010 22. Accompanied recitative: Dear and beloved shade ...... 0.49 Produced and engineered by Philip Hobbs 23. No.11, Air: Fly, soft ideas, fly...... 5.01 Post-production by Julia Thomas, Finesplice, UK Act Two Design by John Haxby, www.haxby.net 24. Recitative: Guards, speed ye to the tower ...... 0.38 Photography by Dr Stephen Page, www.fatkoala.biz 25. No.12, Air: In infancy, our hopes and fears ...... 2.12 from The Royal Opera’s 2009 production of Artaxerxes 26. Recitative: So far my great resolve succeeds ...... 1.28 27. No.13, Air: Disdainful you fly me...... 2.46 This recording follows a production of Artaxerxes at the , 28. Recitative: Why, my dear friend, so pensive, so inactive? ...... 2.05 Covent Garden in 2009, directed by Martin Duncan and designed by Johan 29. No.14, Air: To sigh and complain ...... 1.51 Engels. We are very grateful to Elaine Padmore and all those at The Royal 30. Recitative: How many links to dire misfortune’s chain ...... 1.13 Opera who helped to bring this production to fruition. 31. No.15, Air: If o’er the cruel tyrant love ...... 3.01

2 • ARTAXERXES ARTAXERXES • 3 DISC TWO

Act Two continued 1. Recitative: Which fatal evil shall I first oppose?...... 0.31 Artaxerxes The life of Thomas Arne was inextricably linked with Covent Garden. He was born 2. No.16, Air: If the river’s swelling waves ...... 2.34 just off the famous piazza, on King Street, on 12 March 1710, and died, a week 3. Recitative: Ye solid pillars of the Persian Empire ...... 5.00 before his sixty-eighth birthday, in Bow Street. Nowadays a street named in the 4. No.17, Air: By that belov’d embrace ...... 3.31 5. Recitative: Ah me, at poor Arbaces’ parting ...... 0.46 composer’s honour is situated within a minute’s walk of the Royal Opera House, 6. No.18, Air: Monster, away ...... 2.36 just off Long Acre. 7. Recitative: See, lov’d Semira ...... 1.02 8. Accompanied recitative: At last my soul has room ...... 0.38 Arne’s greatest opera, Artaxerxes, was premiered at the Theatre Royal, the 9. No.19, Air: Thou, like the glorious sun ...... 4.59 predecessor of the Royal Opera House, on 2 February 1762, and remained in the Covent Garden repertory until the late 1830s, receiving a documented one hundred Act Three and eleven performances before 1790. The young Mozart almost certainly attended 10. No.20, Air: Why is death for ever late ...... 2.58 11. Recitative: Arbaces! Gracious Heav’n, what’s this I see? ...... 1.14 a performance when he came to London in the mid 1760s, and Haydn was also 12. No.21, Air: Water parted from the sea ...... 2.19 acquainted with the work, enthusiastically exclaiming that he “had no idea we had 13. Recitative: That face, secure in conscious innocence ...... 0.26 such an opera in the English language”. 14. No.22, Air: Though oft a cloud with envious shade ...... 3.38 15. Recitative: My son, Arbaces... where art thou retir’d? ...... 1.52 The main reason for the work’s subsequent neglect is a good one: the manuscript 16. No.23, Air: O let the danger of a son ...... 2.15 and all the original performance materials were burnt in the disastrous fire which 17. Accompanied recitative: Ye adverse Gods! ...... 0.41 destroyed the Theatre Royal in 1808. The opera’s overture, arias and duets had 18. No.24, Air: O, much lov’d son, if death ...... 5.15 already been published, and so survive intact, as does the , but none of the 19. Recitative: Perhaps the King releas’d Arbaces ...... 1.34 recitatives or the finale were printed, and they are therefore lost. This recording of 20. No.25, Air: Let not rage, thy bosom firing...... 4.25 21. Recitative: What have I done? Alas, I vainly thought ...... 0.24 Artaxerxes was made following a new production of the opera at the Royal Opera 22. No.26, Air: ’Tis not true that in our grief ...... 4.08 House, Covent Garden in November 2009. To create a complete version of the work 23. Recitative: Nor here my searching eyes can find Mandane...... 1.20 for this production I wrote new recitatives, and commissioned the musicologist, 24. No.27, Duetto: For thee I live, my dearest ...... 3.38 composer and baroque violinist Duncan Druce to create a new finale in the style of 25. Recitative: To you, my people, much belov’d ...... 2.20 Arne. These are included in this recording. 26. No.28, Air: The soldier, tir’d of war’s alarms ...... 3.33 27. Recitative: Behold, my King, Arbaces at thy feet ...... 2.26 The composer 28. No.29, Finale: Live to us, to Empire live ...... 3.26 Arne’s father, an upholsterer and coffin-maker, originally intended him for a career Recitatives by Ian Page. Finale by Duncan Druce. in the legal profession. With this in mind he had sent him to Eton College, but his son’s determination to become a musician was unwavering (as a child he had

4 • ARTAXERXES ARTAXERXES • 5 smuggled a spinet into his bedroom and dampened the strings with a handkerchief, pieces for the stage was prodigious; yet none of them were condemned or so that he could practice at night while the rest of the family slept), and his father neglected for want of merit in the music, but words, of which the doctor was too eventually consented to his son’s choice of profession. Arne is best known today frequently guilty of being the author”. In the preface to the printed libretto, the as the composer of “Rule, Britannia!”, which was originally written as part of the author attempts to deflect criticism by asserting that it is his “first attempt of the , but his output was immense. His settings of (1738), Alfred kind”, but in truth the text is not without its merits, and generally serves the music (1740) and The Judgement of Paris (1742) established him as the leading English effectively. theatre composer of his day, and he also enjoyed great success with the songs he wrote for Shakespeare’s The Tempest, As You Like It and Twelfth Night. Soon, The first performance though, his productivity and popularity began to wane, and he was not to have Artaxerxes received its first performance on 2 February 1762, with a cast led another major success for nearly twenty years. Then, just as suddenly, he had three by as Mandane and Ferdinando Tenducci as Arbaces. Charlotte triumphs in as many years, with (1760), Artaxerxes and Love in a Brent (1735-1802) had received a rapturous reception at her debut as Polly Village (both 1762). His greatest critical acclaim was reserved for his 1761 oratorio in The Beggar’s Opera in 1759. She was not only Arne’s long-standing pupil but , but this never achieved the success of Artaxerxes, whose fusion of ‘opera also, since 1755, his mistress, so it is not surprising that she was given much seria’ in the Italian style sung in English proved hugely popular with singers and of the opera’s most virtuosic writing. The great Italian , Tenducci audiences alike. (1735-1790) had come to London in 1758, and was to stay in Britain for almost thirty years. Unusually for a castrato he married, but his bride’s family was so furious that The libretto they promptly kidnapped her and had her illustrious bridegroom thrown into prison. The bedrock of Italian ‘’ throughout the middle of the eighteenth The young Mozart met Tenducci in London and was greatly moved by his singing. century was the prolific series of opera texts by the Italian poet and librettist Pietro The title role, which unusually is one of the smaller roles, was taken by another Metastasio (1698-1782). Over eight hundred from the eighteenth and early Italian castrato, Nicolò Peretti, while the three remaining roles were taken by nineteenth centuries were settings of Metastasio, and his , which was English singers, led by (1717-1791) in the role of Artabanes. Earlier in originally written in 1729 and first set by Vinci the following year, was subsequently his career Beard had worked extensively with Handel, creating roles in ten of his set by over ninety composers, including Gluck (Milan, 1741) and J.C.Bach (Turin, operas and all of his English oratorios, and by 1762 he had also become the manager 1760) – in both cases, incidentally, the composer’s very first opera – in locations of the Covent Garden theatre; it was his decision to discontinue the practice of ranging from Padua to Stockholm. Arne was probably already familiar with Hasse’s allowing half-price entry for the third act that provoked riots during a performance setting, which was performed in London in 1754. of Artaxerxes, which wrecked the auditorium and caused damage worth £2,000. The English translation of the libretto for Artaxerxes was published anonymously, The cast was completed by Miss Thomas in the role of Semira and George Mattocks but is known to have been the work of Arne himself. Charles Burney was rather as Rimenes. damning of this aspect of Arne’s work, writing that “the number of his unfortunate

6 • ARTAXERXES ARTAXERXES • 7 The music director from 1810 to 1824, for which he wrote new, heavily cut recitatives and a finale. These, though, made scarcely any attempt to recreate an eighteenth In keeping with the Italian style on which the opera was founded, Artaxerxes is very century idiom, and are stylistically far removed from Arne’s surviving work. This is much aria-dominated, with twenty-six of the twenty-eight surviving numbers being not that surprising; Bishop would probably not have thought twice about writing solo arias. And yet there are significant differences, too, most notably in the relative in his own contemporary style, living as he did in an age when it was still rare brevity and formal variety of the arias, which nearly all eschew the ‘da capo’ form to perform ‘old’ music, and the half century that separates his work from Arne’s so beloved of Handel and his contemporaries. It is intriguing to note that Artaxerxes original had witnessed not only the complete works of Mozart but also all but one dates from the same year as Gluck’s – that is to say, three years of Beethoven’s symphonies. after Handel’s death (although twenty years since his last Italian opera) and five years before Mozart’s first opera – and in keeping with Gluck’s masterpiece Arne’s For the 2009 Royal Opera production of Artaxerxes and this recording, I composed work is actually more notable for its melodic beauty and emotional directness than new recitatives, including the four which Arne set with orchestral accompaniment, for its vocal pyrotechnics. that are hopefully comparable to the style of the early 1760s. This was a time- consuming but not especially arduous process, as recitative was a fairly basic Artaxerxes is also remarkable for the richness of its scoring. Arne had been the first and standardized form which evolved little between the death of Handel and the English composer to include clarinets in his orchestra, and he uses wind instruments composition of Mozart’s Da Ponte operas. Considerably more skilful is Duncan with great imagination and variety throughout the opera. One of the most exquisite Druce’s new setting ‘after Arne’ of the finale, complete with the duet passages pieces of scoring, however, is for strings alone. In Arbaces’ “O too lovely, too unkind”, prescribed in the libretto. But I’m sure I speak for Duncan as well as myself in saying violins are muted and cellos and basses pizzicato, while divided violas weave a that these recreations have not been undertaken with any delusions of grandeur, sustained backdrop to the vocal line in a way which we might now consider to be but merely as a means of enabling this remarkable and beautiful opera to be quintessentially Mozartian. Indeed, this aria is merely the strongest of a number of presented in a complete dramatic form. suggestions throughout the score of Arne’s influence on the young Mozart. © Ian Page, 2010 New performing edition Modern performances of Artaxerxes have been limited by the fact that the work has not survived complete. As was customary, the full score published in 1762 had We would like to thank all those whose support has made this recording possible, omitted all the recitatives and the finale, but the complete libretto has survived, in particular George and Efthalia Koukis, Bob and Laura Cory, Michael and Rosemary Warburg, so we do know the text of all the missing music, and even which recitatives Arne Michael and Harriet Maunsell, Anne Bulford and David Smith, Anthony Fry, wrote with orchestral accompaniment. Mark and Liza Loveday, Dr Stephen Page and Anthea Morland, Tony Wingate, Nineteenth century revivals following the Covent Garden fire of 1808 used a new and the members of the Amadeus Society. version of the opera created in 1813 by Sir , Covent Garden’s musical

8 • ARTAXERXES ARTAXERXES • 9 SYNOPSIS Act One Arbaces is in love with Princess Mandane, on account of which he has been banished from Persia by her father, King Xerxes. The two lovers bid a tender farewell, but before Arbaces can leave the palace grounds he is accosted by his father Artabanes, the general of the King’s army, who informs him that he has just assassinated Xerxes. He gives Arbaces his bloody sword to dispose of. Artabanes then convinces Xerxes’ younger son, Artaxerxes, that his [elder] brother Darius is guilty of the crime, and before his guilt can be disproved Artabanes has Darius executed. Semira, Arbaces’ sister and Artaxerxes’ lover, arrives too late with news that Darius is innocent, and that the real assassin has been caught with the murder weapon. Everyone is astonished when Arbaces is led in under armed guard. He maintains his innocence, but when he refuses to reveal the truth he is presumed guilty.

Act Two Artabanes urges his son to escape and lead a rebellion, but Arbaces refuses. Instead, Artabanes and Rimenes, a captain in the army, plot to kill Artaxerxes themselves, with Semira offered as Rimenes’ reward. When Arbaces stands trial Artaxerxes, torn by indecision, places his fate in the hands of Artabanes, who condemns his son to death; Artaxerxes, though, permits a stay of execution. Mandane and Semira berate Artabanes and Artaxerxes respectively for their failure to save Arbaces.

Act Three Artaxerxes comes to Arbaces’ cell and orders him to escape. When Artabanes and Rimenes then arrive and find the cell empty, they assume that Arbaces has already been executed, and resolve to take revenge by poisoning Artaxerxes as he takes his coronation oath. Mandane, meanwhile, is confronted by Arbaces, and struggles to resist her feelings for him. At his coronation Artaxerxes is about to drink from the poisoned cup, but is interrupted by news that Arbaces has single-handedly quelled a rebellion led by Rimenes. Arbaces enters, and Artaxerxes offers him the cup with which to pledge his innocence. Horrified, Artabanes confesses to his crimes. Artaxerxes spares his life but banishes him from the kingdom, and the two couples – Arbaces and Mandane, Artaxerxes and Semira – are united.

10 • ARTAXERXES ARTAXERXES • 11 LIBRETTO MANDANE: Thy noble father, mighty Artabanes, Disposes at his will the heart of Xerxes, Disc One And the young Prince, my brother Artaxerxes, 1. OVERTURE brought up with thee in worthy emulation, (Poco più che andante – Larghetto – Gavotta) Honours thy worth, and boasts thy valu’d friendship; Their interest may soften his resentment. Act One ARBACES: Weak are their efforts, while his kingly pride SCENE I Disdains to rank a Princess with a subject. An inner garden belonging to the Palace of the King of Persia. MANDANE: My spirits sink, my heart forgets to beat; Moonlight. MANDANE and ARBACES. I lack the fortitude to bear thy loss. 2. MANDANE: Still silence reigns around, suspicion sleeps, And must we part? Then all good angels guard thee. And unperceiv’d, you may escape these walls. ARBACES: Adieu my Love; O think on thy Arbaces. 5. No.2, AIR MANDANE: Yet stay, sweet youth, a few short minutes stay… MANDANE: Adieu, thou lovely youth, ARBACES: Ador’d Mandane, see, the dawn appears! Let hope thy fears remove; Preserve thy faith and truth, 3. No.1, DUETTINO But never doubt my love. MANDANE, ARBACES: Fair Aurora, prithee stay; 6. SCENE II O retard, unwelcome day: ARBACES: O cruel parting! How can I survive? Think what anguish rends my breast, Divided thus from all that’s sweet and fair, Thus caressing, thus caress’d, From her for whom alone I live. From the idol of my heart ARTABANES: My son, Arbaces. Forc’d at thy approach to part. ARBACES: Father! ARTABANES: Give me thy sword. 4. ARBACES: Alas, thou know’st that for my love to thee, ARBACES: Sir, I obey. The King, great Xerxes, thy too rigid father, ARTABANES: Here, take mine. Has banish’d me from the Palace; should he hear ARBACES: ’Tis drench’d in blood! That in defiance of his stern command ARTABANES: Fly, hide it from all eyes; I have presum’d to scale this garden wall, Xerxes the King this daring arm hath slain. How little wou’d a lover’s plea avail, ARBACES: Forbid it, Heav’n! When thou, his daughter, couldst not move his pity. ARTABANES: O much lov’d son!

12 • ARTAXERXES – ACT ONE ARTAXERXES – ACT ONE • 13 Thy treatment was the spur to my revenge… ARTAXERXES: O, if here lives a heart that calls me friend For thee I’m guilty. Or feels compassion for his slaughter’d King, ARBACES: Would I had ne’er been born. Quick, let him bring the traitor to our presence. ARTABANES: Let not weak scruples thwart my great design; ARTABANES: That welcome task be mine – Perhaps Arbaces shall be King of Persia. Guards, follow me. ARBACES: I’m all confusion… ARTAXERXES: Yet stay… Darius is the son of Xerxes. ARTABANES: No more – be gone. ARTABANES: Who kills the father, is no more a son. ARBACES: O fatal day! Unhappy lost Arbaces. 9. No.4, AIR 7. No.3, AIR ARTABANES: Behold, on Lethe’s dismal strand ARBACES: Amid a thousand racking woes, Thy father’s troubled spirit stand! I pant, I tremble, and I feel In his face, what grief profound: Cold blood from ev’ry vein distil, See, he rolls his haggard eyes; And clog my lab’ring heart. Hark! Revenge! Revenge he cries, And points to his still bleeding wound: SCENE III Obey the call, revenge his death; 8. ARTABANES: Be firm, my heart. In the pursuit of guilt, And calm his soul that gave thee breath. The first advance admits not a retreat: The Royal blood, to the last hateful drop, SCENE IV Must then be shed. Conscience, thy checks are vain… 10. SEMIRA: Stay, Artaxerxes, stay. The Prince appears – now art’s my only refuge. ARTAXERXES: Adieu, Semira. ARTAXERXES: Dear Artabanes, glad I met thee here; SEMIRA: And dost thou fly me? Disastrous Fate, yonder my father lies Go then, cruel Prince, Savagely murder’d! No more shall ill-tim’d fondness importune thee. ARTABANES: Ah! My ill-boding fears! ARTAXERXES: Beauteous Semira, should I longer stay, Unsated thirst of Empire! There’s such a siren sweetness in thy voice Alas, will nothing but a father’s blood ’Twould lull me to forget my filial duty. Allay thy heat, and quench thy raging fever? SEMIRA: Away, ungrateful. ARTAXERXES: Well I conceive… my cruel, faithless brother Darius. ARTABANES: Who but he at dead of night could prenetrate 11. No.5, AIR The Palace? Who approach the Royal bed. ARTAXERXES: Fair Semira, lovely maid, Besides, his known ambition… Cease in pity to upbraid

14 • ARTAXERXES – ACT ONE ARTAXERXES – ACT ONE • 15 My oppress’d but constant heart: The soldier dreams of wars, Full sufficient are the woes And conquers without scars; Which my cruel stars impose; The sailor in his sleep Heav’n, alas, has done its part! With safety ploughs the deep: So I through fancy’s aid SCENE V Enjoy my heav’nly maid, 12. SEMIRA: I fear some dread disaster… say, Rimenes: And blest with thee and love What means this strange confusion in the Prince? Am greater far than Jove. RIMENES: Xerxes is slain. Suspicion points the finger at Darius; SCENE VI And Artaxerxes bears a dreadful conflict 14. SEMIRA: Ye Gods, protectors of the Persian Empire, ’Twixt filial duty to revenge his father Preserve my Artaxerxes. Yet if he be blest, And brotherly compassion for Darius. Semira’s state is wretched: Xerxes dead, SEMIRA: O fatal deed! The effect of wild ambition; This Prince will mount the throne; Heav’n knows if Artaxerxes’ life be safe. Belov’d by me, and rais’d above my hopes, RIMENES: Let Fate be busy in destructive slaughter; The hand which he entreated when a subject We blest with love, and seated on the shore, When Sovereign of Persia he’ll disdain. Will view the destin’d shipwreck. SEMIRA: Think not that love can find a place to enter 15. No.7, AIR When the sad heart’s surrounded with misfortunes; SEMIRA: How hard is the fate, Leave me, Rimenes, to my troubled thoughts. How desp’rate the state, RIMENES: Your web of scorn is not so closely woven When virtue and honour excite But I can see between each subtle thread. To suffer distress, Yet, born to love, undaunted I’ll pursue thee: Contented to bless Since hope inspires my breast, what you deny, The object in whom I delight. Ungrateful Maid, kind fancy shall supply! Yet midst all the woes 13. No.6, AIR My soul undergoes RIMENES: When real joy we miss, Through virtue’s too rigid decree, ’Tis some degree of bliss I’ll scorn to complain To enjoy ideal pleasure, If the force of my pain And dream of hidden treasure. Awaken his pity for me.

16 • ARTAXERXES – ACT ONE ARTAXERXES – ACT ONE • 17 SCENE VII SEMIRA: Darius is not guilty of the murder. The Palace. MANDANE: What do I hear? 16. MANDANE: Whither do I fly? Ah, hapless maid! ARTAXERXES: I’m struck with double horror. Thus, in one fatal instant, SEMIRA: The assassin is secur’d. To lose a brother, a father and a lover! ARTAXERXES: O quick, proceed. ARTAXERXES: Alas, Mandane! SEMIRA: Your watchful sentinels, when he had leap’d MANDANE: Does Darius live? The garden wall, o’ertook him as he fled. Or are thy guilty hands His deep confusion, pallid countenance Imbru’d in brother’s blood? And sword yet reeking with the crimson blood ARTAXERXES: Fain would I shun that deed, Strongly proclaim him guilty. Which to prevent, I’ve search’d throughout the Palace ARTAXERXES: But the name? For Artabanes and Darius – SEMIRA: At my request to know it, But all in vain. All hung their heads in silence. MANDANE: See, Artabanes comes. ARTABANES: (Alas, it is my son.) ARTAXERXES: Must Artaxerxes then ascend the throne SCENE VIII Distain’d with brother’s blood? ARTAXERXES: My friend! O, I shall never taste of peace again. ARTABANES: Sir, all is accomplish’d. Quick, bring this traitor, that unbounded rage ARTAXERXES: Ha! Speak, explain. May execute the vengeance he deserves. ARTABANES: Your father’s death’s reveng’d, Hold, Artabanes, dear Mandane, stay. Darius is slain, and Artaxerxes now Semira, leave me not in this distress… Is Persia’s King. Where is my friend Arbaces? ARTAXERXES: O Gods! ARTABANES: He was forbid the Court by Royal Xerxes, MANDANE: O dire misfortune! For his presumptuous love of fair Mandane. ARTABANES: Why that deep sigh, my Liege? ’Twas your command… ARTAXERXES: Fly, bring him to my arms – I here absolve him. ARTAXERXES: Alas, ’tis true, the guilt is only mine! ARTABANES: What guilt, my Sovereign? SCENE X ’Twas merely justice to your murder’d father. RIMENES: Who in this Royal presence would believe Arbaces to be guilty? SCENE IX ARTABANES: How! SEMIRA: O Artaxerxes! ARTAXERXES: My friend! ARTAXERXES: Say, fair Semira, why this seeming joy? ARTABANES: My son!

18 • ARTAXERXES – ACT ONE ARTAXERXES – ACT ONE • 19 SEMIRA: My brother! 19. No.9, AIR MANDANE: Oh ye Gods, my lover! SEMIRA: Acquit thee of this foul offence, ARTAXERXES: Would in the pangs of death I’d met my friend, Return with spotless innocence; Rather than thus in fetters like a traitor. Then shall my hapless brother see ARBACES: I’m innocent. That never sister lov’d like me. ARTAXERXES: O, make but that appear and doubly ’twill endear thee to my love. ARBACES: I am not guilty, that’s my only plea. SCENE XII ARTABANES: (This prudent caution answers to my wish.) 20. ARBACES: Appearance, I must own, is strong against me, MANDANE: But your resentment ’gainst the King… But truth is on my side: I’m innocent. ARBACES: … was just. ARTAXERXES: Pray Heav’n thou may’st; but till the Law decide, ARTAXERXES: Didst thou not fly? You must remain a prisoner. ARBACES: … I did. ARBACES: Ah, dear Rimenes, pity my hard fate… MANDANE: This thy reserve… My friend! ARBACES: … is requisite. RIMENES: I am no traitor’s friend. Adieu. RIMENES: This bloody sword… ARBACES: … was in the scabbard when you took me prisoner. SCENE XIII ARTABANES: And can’st thou yet deny the cruel deed? ARBACES: Beauteous Mandane, turn at least and hear me. ARBACES: Great Sir, I still assert my innocence. MANDANE: Away! You sue in vain. ARTABANES: Audacious boy! Thus obstinate in ill, ARBACES: O stay, I charge thee… Thy sight’s my torment, and this deed my shame. Think on thy former love. ARBACES: And does my father join in my destruction? MANDANE: ’Tis turn’d to hate. ARBACES: And you believe me guilty? 17. No.8, AIR MANDANE: I’m convinc’d. ARTABANES: Thy father! Away, I renounce the soft claim; Thou spot to my honour, thou blast to my fame, 21. No.10, AIR Let justice the traitor to punishment bring; ARBACES: O too lovely, too unkind; His father he lost when he murder’d his King. If my lips no credit find, Pierce my breast; my heart shall prove SCENE XI Strong in virtue, firm in love. 18. ARBACES: Ye cruel Gods, what crime have I committed Guiltless, wretched, left forlorn, To draw relentless vengeance on my head? And worse than murder’d by thy scorn. Semira! Sister! Hear me with compassion.

20 • ARTAXERXES – ACT ONE ARTAXERXES – ACT ONE • 21 SCENE XIV And his fair truth was ne’er ’till now suspected: 22. MANDANE: Dear and beloved shade of my dead father, I will withdraw. Thee I invoke to spirit up my rage, O, reconcile the safety of your son Lest fond credulity too strongly plead, With your King’s peace, and the honour of his throne. And turn my purpose from a just revenge. For, oh, I feel the tyrant love within; 25. No.12, AIR He rends my heart, he struggles for Arbaces. ARTAXERXES: In infancy, our hopes and fears Help me, kind Gods, to tear away his image. Were to each other known, And friendship in our riper years 23. No.11, AIR Has twin’d our hearts in one. MANDANE: Fly, soft ideas, fly; O clear him then from this offence, That neither tear nor sigh Thy love, thy duty prove; My virtue may betray. Restore him with that innocence Nature’s great call, Which first inspir’d my love. That governs all, A daughter must obey. SCENE II Alas, my soul denies 26. ARTABANES: So far my great resolve succeeds. To hear revenge’s cries. Approach, Arbaces… Dare not, fond heart, And you, his guards, in the next chamber wait. To take his part, ARBACES: My father! But drive his form away. ARTABANES: Ever watchful to preserve thee, I artfully have gain’d from Artaxerxes Act Two The liberty to question thee; SCENE I Take then this fortunate occasion, The Royal apartments. And by a secret way which I will show thee 24. ARTAXERXES: Guards, speed ye to the tower, Delude the guards, and fly. And instantly conduct Arbaces to me. ARBACES: Sir, my escape ARTABANES: Good my Lord, Would rise in evidence to prove me guilty. Think not the partial fondness of a father ARTABANES: ’Tis folly all! I give thee liberty; Has urg’d this council. From the King’s wrath I snatch thee, and perhaps ARTAXERXES: No; ’tis justice dictates; The public voice shall call thee to the throne. He still persists that he is innocent, ARBACES: What said you, Sir?

22 • ARTAXERXES – ACT TWO ARTAXERXES – ACT TWO • 23 ARTABANES: Long have you known SCENE III the people’s hatred of the Royal blood. 28. RIMENES: Why, my dear friend, so pensive, so inactive? Away! The sight of you will fire the mut’nous troops, ARTABANES: My wayward son, that bar to my ambition, Whose leaders to your interest are sworn. At once rejects both liberty and crown. ARBACES: I turn a rebel! Horror’s in the thought… RIMENES: Let us away, and force him from the tower. Your pardon, Sir… Is this a father’s counsel? ARTABANES: The present time may better be employ’d Guards enter quick, bring me again my chains – If Artaxerxes perish by our hand… Conduct me to the prison. Let not my friend betray me. ARTABANES: I burn with rage. RIMENES: I, my Lord! ARBACES: Yet calm this transport; think on my affliction. Forbid it, gratitude! My abject state Sir… father… turn… O grant one kind adieu. Cast me below the notice of mankind, ARTABANES: Unworthy boy! I’m deaf to thy request. ’Till your great pow’r exalted me to honour. ARTABANES: Small recompense for thy good services: 27. No.13, AIR But should kind Fortune smile on this attempt, ARBACES: Disdainful you fly me, Then judge if Artabanes loves his friend. In anger exclaim; RIMENES: My hand, my heart, are guided by your will. All comfort deny me, ARTABANES: I have observ’d thy passion for Semira… And murder my fame. Spare thy confusion; and let this great instance Prove my esteem – Semira shall be thine. No grief can the heart RIMENES: Thanks, gracious Sir – my joy is past expression. To pity incline, ARTABANES: Come hither, daughter. That bears not a part In sorrow like mine. SCENE IV Nature’s tender plea is vain; ARTABANES: In this valiant chief, Welcome then my chains again. Behold thy lord and husband. SEMIRA: Cruel sound! O rigour unjust! O Sir reflect… is this a time for nuptials, O counsel accurst! When my unhappy brother… Ambition ill-plac’d; ARTABANES: Peace, no more. My virtue disgrac’d: ’Tis my command… reply not, but obey. The pains I endure Death only can cure.

24 • ARTAXERXES - ACT TWO ARTAXERXES – ACT TWO • 25 SCENE V MANDANE: Our views are different; thou desir’st to save him, SEMIRA: I tremble… hear me, Sir… O, if you love me, I seek his death. Prevent this marriage. SEMIRA: Is this a language for Arbaces’ lover? RIMENES: Sure Semira mocks me? MANDANE: It well becomes the daughter of dead Xerxes. SEMIRA: Though by constraint you seize my helpless hand, SEMIRA: Away, thou cruel maid! My heart disdains the brutal violence. Enforce his crime, and urge his speedy death. RIMENES: Give me thy beauty and reserve thy heart; But first prepare your heart, and quite erase Thou keep’st the worst, I gain the better part. The soft remembrance of your former passion, The tender hopes and fears, warm vows of truth, 29. No.14, AIR Fond sighs exchang’d, and, last, the sweet idea RIMENES: To sigh and complain Of that dear form which first inspir’d your love. Alike I disdain, MANDANE: Ah barbarous Semira, thus to wake Contented my wish to enjoy: My guilty pity, rebel to my duty! I scorn to reflect On a lady’s neglect, 31. No.15, AIR Or barter my peace for a toy. MANDANE: If o’er the cruel tyrant love A conquest I believ’d, In love as in war The flattering error cease to prove; I laugh at a scar, O let me be deceiv’d. And if my proud enemy yield, The joy that remains Forbear to fan the gentle flame Is to lead her in chains, Which love did first create; And glean the rich spoils of the field. What was my pride is now my shame, And must be turn’d to hate. SCENE VI 30. SEMIRA: How many links to dire misfortune’s chain Then call not to my wav’ring mind Are woven in one day! The weakness of my heart, Stay, dear Mandane… Which, ah, I feel too much inclin’d Why this haste? To take a traitor’s part! MANDANE: I attend the Council. SEMIRA: I’ll too attend, if ought within my pow’r May help my brother.

26 • ARTAXERXES - ACT TWO ARTAXERXES – ACT TWO • 27 Disc Two Has double reason for severity: SCENE VII I ought to vindicate the death of Xerxes; 1. SEMIRA: Which fatal evil shall I first oppose? But if Arbaces be the criminal, My princess, my brother, this detested lover, His father with more rigour will revenge The King, my father – all are enemies; His monarch’s death, and his own public shame. And each attacks me in some tender part: ARTABANES: Ah, Sir, what trial? While I exert my pow’r against the one, ARTAXERXES: Worthy of thy virtue – The others rush on my defenceless breast. If any think me partial, let him speak. RIMENES: This silence is a gen’ral approbation. 2. No.16, AIR SEMIRA: My brother comes. SEMIRA: If the river’s swelling waves MANDANE: Ah me! Overflow their usual bed, ARTAXERXES: Give me your attention. Scarce th’affrighted peasant saves MANDANE: (Now prudence guide the reins of my affection; From the flood his homely shed. Cease, busy heart, to flutter in my breast.) Though he stop one open shore, SCENE IX Where the waters swiftly glide, ARBACES: Am I so much the hatred of all Persia In an hundred places more That it unites to witness my misfortune? Rushes in the impetuous tide. My Sovereign! SCENE VIII ARTAXERXES: O Arbaces, call me friend; A Hall of Royal Council. For till thy crime is prov’d, that title’s thine. 3. ARTAXERXES: Ye solid pillars of the Persian Empire, But as a name so tender ill becomes Behold me, fated to sustain the cares The impartial judge, thy most unhappy cause Of my paternal throne, and much I’m griev’d I have assign’d to worthy Artabanes. That my lov’d father’s death so heavy lies ARBACES: My father judge? Upon my absent friend; but since Arbaces ARTAXERXES: Yes, he. Denies the accusation, let the father, ARBACES: I’m chill’d with horror. Whose virtues have endear’d him to our favour, ARTABANES: Arbaces, in this presence thou appear’st Be the son’s judge to cast him or acquit him; To be the murderer of Royal Xerxes: In him is vested all our regal pow’r. The circumstances urg’d are these: MANDANE: In him? Does friendship so prevail o’er duty? That thou hast entertain’d presumptuous love ARTAXERXES: Not so, Mandane, for his loyal father Of this most honour’d Princess;

28 • ARTAXERXES - ACT TWO ARTAXERXES – ACT TWO • 29 For which, by Xerxes banish’d from the Court, ARBACES: My patience, Sir, at last begins to leave me: You sought revenge, and found it in his death. Barbarous Father… (Ah, I lose myself!)… Adieu. ARBACES: Nay more: the bloody sword, the time, the place ARTABANES: (I freeze.) And , conspire to fix the guilt on me. MANDANE: I die. And yet my heart is free; I’m innocent. ARBACES: Stay, rash Arbaces! (Returning.) ARTABANES: Demonstrate that, and so appease the wrath Where would’st thou go? Ah, Sir, forgive your son; Of this offended Princess. Behold me at your feet. MANDANE: Whether he plead or not, Excuse the transports of my frantic grief; He equally is guilty. Where is justice? Shed all my blood, ’tis yours – I’ll not complain, Is this the father that should vindicate But kiss the honour’d hand that sign’d my death. His murder’d King, and his own public shame? ARTABANES: Enough, arise… ARBACES: Cruel Mandane, does thy voice condemn me? Thou hast but too much reason to lament. MANDANE: (Bear up, my heart.) But know… (O Gods!)… take one last embrace, and part. ARTABANES: Your just resentment, Princess, Spurs on my lazy virtue. 4. No.17, AIR Let Persia then, in Artabanes’ rigour, ARBACES: By that belov’d embrace, Record his justice, and his loyalty. By this my fond adieu, My Son I here condemn… (He signs.) Arbaces dies. Deplore my hapless case, MANDANE: Oh Gods! Condemn’d, alas, by you! ARTAXERXES: Suspend a while this rash decree. Appease my love, my truth commend, ARTABANES: ’Tis sign’d, my Liege… I have fulfill’d my duty. Yourself preserve, my King defend. ARTAXERXES: Unnatural sentence! My sentence I obey, SEMIRA: O inhuman father! To filial duty true; MANDANE: Alas, my tears betray me. And scarce have pow’r to say ARBACES: Weeps Mandane A long and last adieu! (Exit, guarded.) In pity of my cruel destiny? MANDANE: Pleasure may start a tear, as well as grief. SCENE X ARTABANES: Now I have finish’d the stern judge’s part, 5. MANDANE: Ah me, at poor Arbaces’ parting, Permit, O King, the feelings of a father. I feel the stroke of death! Pardon, my son, the effect of tyrant duty; ARTABANES: I hope Mandane’s wrath will now subside; Suffer with patience, and remember this: For I have sacrific’d my only son The worst of ev’ry evil is the fear. To satisfy her vengeance.

30 • ARTAXERXES - ACT TWO ARTAXERXES – ACT TWO • 31 MANDANE: Savage, no more… All Persia knows my friendship for Arbaces, Avoid my presence; dare not to view the light And my faithful love to thee. Of sun or stars, but hide thy cruel head SEMIRA: I thought you once Within the deepest bowels of the earth. A tender lover and a gen’rous friend; ARTABANES: Is then my virtue… But in one instant you have prov’d yourself MANDANE: Silence, inhuman! in friendship false, and treacherous in love. ARTABANES: Did not Mandane’s rage excite my justice? MANDANE: The daughter ought to vindicate the father; SCENE XII But thou, a father, should’st have sav’d thy son. ARTAXERXES: O Artabanes… ARTABANES: Lament not, Sir, but leave complaints to me; 6. No.18, AIR I am the most unhappy of mankind. MANDANE: Monster, away ARTAXERXES: Thy woe must needs be great, From cheerful day! When mine is unsupportable. To the barren desert fly; Paths explore 8. SCENE XIII Where lions roar, ARTABANES: At last my soul has room to indulge its grief! And devouring tigers lie. What racking thoughts surround the guilty Breast… Though for food O my dear son, forgive the piercing woes They wade in blood, Which my foul deeds inflict upon thy youth: All to save their young agree; I come to save thee from the jaws of death, Ev’ry creature And pay thy virtues with a kingly throne. Fierce by nature Harmless is compar’d to thee. 9. No.19, AIR ARTABANES: Thou, like the glorious sun, SCENE XI Thy splendid course shalt run. 7. ARTAXERXES: See, lov’d Semira, What though the night How Heav’n conspires the ruin of Arbaces! Obscure his light, SEMIRA: Inhuman tyrant! When prison’d in the West; You first destroy your friend, The day returns, And then bewail him. Again he burns, ARTAXERXES: I to thy father’s will his life committed. The God of Day confest. How was I then a tyrant?

32 • ARTAXERXES - ACT TWO ARTAXERXES – ACT TWO • 33 Act Three 12. No.21, AIR SCENE I ARBACES: Water parted from the sea A Prison. May increase the river’s tide; 10. No.20, ARIETTA To the bubbling fount may flee, ARBACES: Why is death for ever late Or through fertile valleys glide; To conclude a wretch’s woe? Yet in search of lost repose, Those who live in happy state Doom’d, like me, forlorn to roam, Feel too soon the untimely blow. Still it murmurs as it flows, Till it reach its native home. 11. ARTAXERXES: Arbaces! ARBACES: Gracious Heav’n, what’s this I see! SCENE II Does royal Artaxerxes deign to visit 13. ARTAXERXES: That face, secure in conscious innocence, The wretch Arbaces, in this horrid gloom! Defies the charge of guilt. Affliction’s veil ARTAXERXES: Pity and friendship brought me here to save thee. Can never quite eclipse the inward light ARBACES: To save me? That from a noble soul darts forth its rays, ARTAXERXES: Yes. That secret passage leads When in the countenance the heart is seen. To life and liberty; then quickly fly – Remember Artaxerxes, and be happy. 14. No.22, AIR ARBACES: Your pardon, Sir, the world esteems me guilty – ARTAXERXES: Though oft a cloud with envious shade Then let me die; your honour, Sir, requires it. Conceals the face of day, Happy my exit, having once preserv’d The sun is still in flames array’d, My Sov’reign’s life, and now his spotless honour. His beams immortal not decay’d. ARTAXERXES: Such noble sentiments can ne’er proceed Soon the gloomy veil retires; From guilty minds. Belov’d Arbaces fly – He darts each pow’rful ray, As friend I beg thee to preserve thyself; And light and heat inspires. But if that fails, as sov’reign I command thee. ARBACES: In gratitude to thy exalted friendship, SCENE III I’ll quit this scene of horror and despair. 15. ARTABANES: My son, Arbaces… where art thou retir’d ? But oh! thus exil’d, I shall only fly Sure he should hear my voice… What ho, Arbaces! Restless to tread the paths of misery. O Heav’n! Guards, watch the entrance of the prison Till I can find my son. O unhappy father!

34 • ARTAXERXES - ACT THREE ARTAXERXES – ACT THREE • 35 My son I seek in vain. My blood grows chill; 16. No.23, AIR I fear… I doubt… Perhaps in… RIMENES: O let the danger of a son RIMENES: Artabanes! Excite vindictive ire; ARTABANES: Where is Arbaces? The prospect of a kingdom won RIMENES: Is he not with you? Should light ambition’s fire. ARTABANES: O cruel Gods! The unfortunate has perish’d. To wounded minds revenge is balm, RIMENES: Suspicion always borders on extremes; With vigour they engage, And might not Artaxerxes or Mandane, And sacrifice a pleasing calm The friend or lover, have procur’d his flight? To a more pleasing rage. What strange delay is this!— let’s to our task; Behold the way that leads us to the Palace. SCENE IV ARTABANES: And what great enterprise shall I accomplish, 17. ARTABANES: Ye adverse Gods! You have found the only way My son being lost? To quell my vast ambition. Perplexing doubt RIMENES: What! Have you then for nought Whether my son yet lives awakens fear, Secur’d the Royal guards, and I the troops? And the dire image of despair starts up, Determine, Sir; this instant, Artaxerxes Unnerves my arm, and checks my daring soul. Prepares to take the coronation oath; 18. No.24, AIR The sacred cup is by your order poison’d. ARTABANES: O, much lov’d son, if death And shall we then so basely… Has stol’n the vital breath, ARTABANES: O my friend! I’ll share thy hapless fate. Arbaces lost, for whom should I engage? But e’er the dagger drinks my blood, He was my life, my soul; to make him King A murder’d King, at Lethe’s flood, A traitor I became, and hate myself. The tidings shall relate. He gone, despair comes like an envious blast, And chills the ripening fruits of all my crimes. Bid Charon cease from toil, RIMENES: Thy son Arbaces from thy hand expects And rest upon his oar, The throne, if living; and if dead, revenge. ’Till I attain the happy soil ARTABANES: That, that alone recalls my fleeting spirit. Where we shall part no more. Lead on, kind friend; my fate depends on thee. RIMENES: I’ll lead thee on to joyful victory. SCENE V Mandane’s apartment. 19. MANDANE: Perhaps the King releas’d Arbaces.

36 • ARTAXERXES - ACT THREE ARTAXERXES – ACT THREE • 37 SEMIRA: No – rather destroy’d him. Nor with rancour never ending, MANDANE: How? Heap fresh sorrows on the oppress’d. SEMIRA: ’Tis known to all; In secret he resign’d his wretched life. Heav’n, that ev’ry joy has cross’d, MANDANE: O hapless youth! O tidings worse than death. Ne’er my wretched state can mend; SEMIRA: I hope your vengeance now is satisfied – I, alas, at once have lost Or would you other victims? Speak! Father, brother, lover, friend. MANDANE: I cannot. Light cares are often soften’d by complaint, SCENE VI But such as mine arrest the pow’r of speech. 21. SEMIRA: What have I done? Alas, I vainly thought, SEMIRA: Ne’er liv’d a heart more lost to sense of pity. Dividing grief, to lessen my affliction. All eyes in Persia bewail his hapless fate, These cruel insults vented on Mandane But yours are dry. Have pierc’d her breast, and not reliev’d my own. MANDANE: The deeper my affliction; Small is the grief that vents itself in tears. 22. No.26, AIR SEMIRA: Go, if not satisfied, and feast your eyes SEMIRA: ’Tis not true that in our grief Upon the slaughter’d spoils of my dear brother. Others weeping in distress With secret joy, number his bloody wounds… To our troubles bring relief, MANDANE: Be silent… Leave me. Making each misfortune less. SEMIRA: Never; while thou liv’st, No, when sore oppress’d by Fate, I’ll haunt thee like a spirit, and my wrongs Better ’tis to sigh alone Shall dash thy hopes, with bitterness and woe. Than support a double weight: MANDANE: You think me cruel, and denounce revenge; Others’ sorrows, and our own. Ah! How have I deserv’d thy enmity? SCENE VII 20. No.25, AIR 23. ARBACES: Nor here my searching eyes can find Mandane. MANDANE: Let not rage, thy bosom firing, Fain would my heart, before eternal exile, Pity’s softer claim remove; Indulge its fondness with a last adieu. Spare a heart that’s just expiring, Perhaps this way… but whither do I wander? Forc’d by duty, rack’d by love. Rash Man… O heav’nly pow’rs, behold her there! Each ungentle thought suspending, My spirits fail me… yet I’ll speak – Mandane! Judge of mine, by thy soft breath; MANDANE: Ye Pow’rs! Arbaces, and at liberty!

38 • ARTAXERXES - ACT THREE ARTAXERXES – ACT THREE • 39 ARBACES: A friendly hand unlock’d my cruel fetters. SCENE VIII MANDANE: Ah fly, begone! A temple. ARBACES: How can I part for ever from such beauty? 25. ARTAXERXES: To you, my people much belov’d, I offer MANDANE: Perfidious traitor! What wouldst thou with me? Myself, not less a father than a king. ARBACES: Am I no longer dear to my Mandane? Your native rights, your customs and your laws, MANDANE: Thou art become the object of my hate. With jealous care I ever will maintain, ARBACES: Barbarous Maid, my death shall end thy scorn! And raise up treasure in my people’s hearts. I fly to meet my fate… ARTABANES: Here is the sacred cup – Adieu – for ever. (Going.) Your solemn oath must bind the lasting tie; MANDANE: Hear me, Arbaces. Fulfill the accustom’d rites… (aside) and drink thy death. ARBACES: Ha! What torture more? ARTAXERXES: Resplendent Gods, by whom sweet April blooms, MANDANE: I cannot speak. Thou genial beam that warms us and enlightens, ARBACES: O Heav’n! Look awful down, and if my treacherous lips MANDANE: Fly, save thyself. Have utter’d falsehood, may this wholesome draft ARBACES: What means my Princess? This returning pity… Change, as it passes, into deadly poison. MANDANE: Does not arise from love… But fly – and live. SCENE IX 24. No.27, DUET SEMIRA: Fly quick, my Liege; thousands of rebel troops ARBACES: For thee I live, my dearest; Surround the Palace, by Rimenes led. But if I meet disdain, Your death is plotted, and your guards corrupted. For thee, my dear, I’ll die. ARTAXERXES: O Gods!… MANDANE: How lovely thou appearest ARTABANES: What fear you, Sir? My single presence My blushes will explain. Shall quell this tumult, and protect my King. I can no more reply. ARTAXERXES: Away, my friend, to victory or death. ARBACES: Then hear me… MANDANE: No. SCENE X ARBACES: Thou art… MANDANE: Hold, brother, the rebellious crew are dead. MANDANE: Divide not thus my heart; ARTAXERXES: Say how, Mandane? Leave me… In pity go. MANDANE: Led by false Rimenes, BOTH: (Ye Gods that torture so, some timely respite send. They forc’d the gates and enter’d, when Arbaces, When will your rigour end?) Departing to eternal banishment, (Exeunt, different ways.) His single breast oppos’d, and swore to die

40 • ARTAXERXES - ACT THREE ARTAXERXES – ACT THREE • 41 In his great master’s cause. All dropp’d their arms, ARBACES: Resplendent Gods, by whom sweet April blooms, Except that daring rebel at their head; Thou genial beam that warms us and enlightens… On him Arbaces like a lion flew, ARTABANES: (O wretched Father!) Clove through his helmet, slew him, and revenged thee. ARBACES: Look awful down, and if my treacherous lips ARTAXERXES: Where’s my preserver? Bring him to my arms! Have utter’d falsehood, may this wholesome draft He murder Xerxes? Impious supposition! Change, as it passes, into… MANDANE: My heart respires. ARTABANES: Hold, ’tis poison. SEMIRA: O loyal brother! ARTAXERXES: What fury urg’d thee to so vile a deed? MANDANE: Valour suppress’d now springs again to glory. ARTABANES: Away, disguise; the draught was meant for thee. But my paternal fondness has betray’d me. 26. No.28, AIR I murder’d Xerxes; and, to gain the throne, MANDANE: The soldier, tir’d of war’s alarms, Would have destroy’d thee too. Forswears the clang of hostile arms, ARTAXERXES: Wretch, thou shalt die. And scorns the spear and shield. ARBACES: Then I disdain to live. But if the brazen trumpet sound, ARTAXERXES: Mandane shall reward thy spotless virtue, He burns with conquest to be crown’d, And thy fair sister shall partake our throne: And dares again the field. But for that traitor… ARBACES: I will die for him. 27. ARBACES: Behold, my King, Arbaces at thy feet. My blood is his, and shall atone his crimes. ARTAXERXES: O still my friend! Come to my grateful breast. ARTAXERXES: Thy loyalty and virtue, injur’d youth, MANDANE: Yet that my brother may with better grace Shall change his sentence into banishment… Reward this deed, and satisfy the people, Make no reply; his exile is for life. Some reason give us for the bloody sword, MANDANE: Sure Heav’n inspir’d this merciful decree; Thy tim’rous flight, and all that wak’d suspicion. Arbaces and Semira must approve it. ARBACES: If deeds, not words, proclaim a loyal heart, Though for his crimes the father justly suffers, Permit me to be silent – I am innocent. His life is spar’d, that you his guiltless children ARTAXERXES: Confirm it with a solemn imprecation, May not be ever wretched in his death. And of the truth, as Persia’s law prescribes, That vessel drain’d shall be the sacred pledge. 28. No.29, FINALE [Duncan Druce] ARBACES: I am prepar’d. ALL: Live to us, to Empire live; ARTABANES: (O cruel Gods! If my son drinks he’s poison’d.) Great Augustus, long may’st thou

42 • ARTAXERXES - ACT THREE ARTAXERXES – ACT THREE • 43 From the subject world receive Laurel wreaths to adorn thy brow. MANDANE, ARBACES: Of his country ever free, There the royal father see! ALL: To the patron of our laws, Pierce the air with loud applause. SEMIRA, ARTABANES: Virtue in his soul resides; In his truth the world confides. ALL: To the patron of our laws, Pierce the air with loud applause. MANDANE, ARBACES: Pity from the throne descending, How the monarch it endears; When with justice, mercy blending, In the King a God appears. SEMIRA, ARTABANES: Tyrants claim with iron sceptre Duty which our fears impart; But our gentle kind Protector Monarch reigns o’er ev’ry heart. ALL: Live to us, to Empire live; Great Augustus, long may’st thou From the subject world receive Laurel wreaths to adorn thy brow.

44 • ARTAXERXES - ACT THREE ARTAXERXES • 45 Orchestra of the Classical Opera Company of the ‘original’ version), Ascanio in Alba and Lucio Silla, Thomas Arne’s Artaxerxes, violin 1 cello bassoon J.C.Bach’s Adriano in Siria and Gluck’s (UK premiere). In 2009 it Matthew Truscott (leader) Joseph Crouch (continuo) Zoë Shevlin was invited to present The Royal Opera’s new production of Artaxerxes, which was Bojan Cicic Natasha Kraemer Katrina Russell immediately followed by this recording of the work. Daniel Edgar Ellen O’Dell bass horn The company presents regular concerts, including themed programmes at Wigmore Emilia Benjamin Timothy Amherst Gavin Edwards Hall (a Mozart travelogue series, an early Haydn series and retrospectives of Ruth Slater Elizabeth Bradley Clare Penkey J.C.Bach, Handel and Gluck), Kings Place (residencies devoted to Mozart, Haydn and Handel in Italy) and the Barbican (The A-Z of Mozart Opera and The Truth about flute trumpet violin 2 Love). In 2006 it was invited to launch Wigmore Hall’s Mozart anniversary series, Lisa Beznosiuk/ Paul Sharp (solo, no.28) William Thorp and it has been a regular feature of the Barbican’s Mostly Mozart festival. It was Elizabeth MacCarthy Rachel Brown Simon Desbruslais Georgia Browne Ross Brown ensemble-in-residence at both of Martin Randall Travel’s ‘Mozart in the Marches’ Jill Samuel festivals in Italy, and has also appeared at the Royal Opera House’s Linbury Studio Nia Lewis oboe timpani Theatre (La finta semplice, and several concerts), Sadler’s Wells (Così Hilary Michael James Eastaway Thomas Foster fan tutte, Le nozze di Figaro, Mitridate and Zaide), Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, George Crawford Rachel Baldock harpsichord Theatre Royal Bath, the Sheffield Lyceum, The Anvil, Basingstoke, St George’s, viola clarinet Steven Devine (tutti) Bristol, the Schwetzingen Rokokotheater, the Lufthansa Baroque Festival, the Bath Dorothea Vogel Jane Booth Mark Packwood International Music Festival, the Brighton Festival and the Buxton Festival. Rose Redgrave Julian Wheeler (recitatives) The Classical Opera Company has established an outstanding track-record for its The Classical Opera Company was founded by conductor Ian Page. It specialises work in discovering and developing world-class young artists. Singers who have in the music of Mozart and his contemporaries, performing with its own period- worked with the company at the outset of their careers include Emma Bell, Sophie instrument orchestra, and is emerging as one of Britain’s most exciting and highly Bevan, Cora Burggraaf, Allan Clayton, Lucy Crowe, Klara Ek, Sarah Fox, Ashley regarded young arts organisations. It has attracted considerable critical and public Holland, , Darren Jeffrey, Gillian Keith, , Anna acclaim, not only for the high quality of its performances but also for its imaginative Leese, Sally Matthews, Robert Murray, Matthew Rose and Lawrence Zazzo, and programming and its ability to discover and nurture outstanding young singers. such established artists as Rebecca Evans, Gerald Finley, Susan Gritton, Philip Langridge, Mark Padmore, Joan Rodgers and Amanda Roocroft have also appeared The company has mounted staged productions of Mozart’s Die Schuldigkeit des with the company. ersten Gebots, Grabmusik, Apollo et Hyacinthus, La finta semplice, Bastien und Bastienne, Mitridate, re di Ponto, Il re pastore, Zaide, Le nozze di Figaro and Così fan The Classical Opera Company’s debut recording, The A-Z of Mozart Opera, attracted tutte, and concert performances of Mozart’s Mitridate, re di Ponto (world premiere widespread acclaim and was selected by Gramophone magazine as one of its

4446 • ARTAXERXES ARTAXERXES • 47 recordings of the year in 2007. This was recently followed by the release of Blessed (L’incoronazione di Poppea) for Glyndebourne on Tour and Drottningholm, Medoro Spirit – a Gluck retrospective on the Wigmore Hall Live label. This recording of () for Independent Opera, Ruggiero (Alcina) for Latvian National Opera Artaxerxes marks the beginning of a new partnership with Linn Records. and The Voice of Apollo (Death in Venice) for Opéra de Lyon. Concert appearances include performances with the Philadelphia and Irish Baroque Orchestras, the Ian Page (conductor) London Handel Players, the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and The English is the founder, conductor and artistic director of the Concert, and a Wigmore Hall recital. Classical Opera Company. He studied at York University and the Royal Academy of Music, and joined the music staff at Elizabeth Watts (Mandane) Scottish Opera before working for three years as assistant studied at Sheffield University and the Royal College of conductor at Glyndebourne. With the Classical Opera Music. Her numerous awards include the 2006 Kathleen Company he has conducted numerous Mozart operas, Ferrier Prize and the Rosenblatt Song Prize at the 2007 including Apollo et Hyacinthus, Il re pastore, Le nozze Cardiff Singer of the World competition. A former BBC New di Figaro, the world premiere of the ‘original’ version of Generation Artist, she became an Artist in Residence at Mitridate, re di Ponto, which he prepared in collaboration London’s Southbank Centre in 2010. Her opera roles have with the late Stanley Sadie, and Così fan tutte, which he included Susanna (Le nozze di Figaro) for Santa Fe Opera also directed. The 2009 Covent Garden production of Artaxerxes marked his Royal and , Papagena (Die Zauberflöte) and Opera debut, and he has also conducted rare performances of J.C.Bach’s Adriano in Music and Hope (Orfeo) for and Arthébuze (Actéon) with Siria and the UK premiere of Gluck’s La clemenza di Tito. He gives regular concerts Emmanuelle Haïm at the Aldeburgh Festival. She is a committed recitalist, regularly with the company’s period-instrument orchestra, and has devised acclaimed series performing across the UK and in Europe, and her debut recording of Schubert Lieder of Mozart Travelogues, Haydn at Esterháza and retrospectives of J.C.Bach, Handel on Sony Red Seal was selected for Gramophone magazine’s Editor’s Choice. and Gluck at Wigmore Hall. Caitlin Hulcup (Arbaces) Christopher Ainslie (Artaxerxes) was born in Australia, and won the vocal section of the was born in Cape Town, and studied at the Royal College Symphony Australia Young Performers Awards in 2001. of Music in London. He won the 2008 Richard Tauber Prize, She studied at the National Opera Studio in London before and second place at the 2007 Handel Singing Competition. taking up Opera Foundation Australia’s Vienna State Opera His opera roles include the title roles in Tamerlano Award in 2004. Her opera roles include Cherubino (Le (Göttingen Festival) and Poro (London Handel Festival), nozze di Figaro), Donna Elvira (Don Giovanni) and Rosina Fourth Innocent in the world premiere of Birtwistle’s The (Il barbiere di Siviglia) for West Australian Opera, the title- Minotaur (Royal Opera House, Covent Garden), Ottone role in Ariodante at London’s Barbican Centre, the Theater

48 • ARTAXERXES ARTAXERXES • 49 an der Wien and the in Madrid, and further roles at the Deutsche English National Opera, Charmeuse (Thaïs) at the Théâtre du Châtelet and Tytania Staatsoper in Berlin, Scottish Opera, La Monnaie in Brussels and the Bavarian State (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) for Garsington Opera. In concert she has worked Opera. In 2010 she joined the ensemble of the Vienna Staatsoper, where her roles with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the Philharmonia, the King’s Consort and the include Rosina, Donna Elvira and Dorabella (Così fan tutte). Gabrieli Consort, and her previous recordings include The A-Z of Mozart Opera with the Classical Opera Company. Andrew Staples (Artabanes) studied at King’s College Cambridge and the Royal College Daniel Norman (Rimenes) of Music. His opera roles include Jacquino (Fidelio), First studied at Oxford University, in the USA and Canada, and Armed Man (Die Zauberflöte) and Narraboth (Salome) at the Royal Academy of Music. His opera roles include at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Belfiore (La Peter Quint (The Turn of the Screw) at Glyndebourne, finta giardiniera) at the National Theatre, Prague and La Borsa (Rigoletto) at the Royal Opera House, Mao (Nixon Monnaie in Brussels, Lysander (A Midsummer Night’s in China) for Opera Boston, the title role in Arne’s Alfred Dream) for Garsington Opera, Ferrando (Così fan tutte) and (Covent Garden Festival), Judas (The Last Supper) at the (Il re pastore) for the Classical Opera Company, Deutsche Oper and Sam Kaplan (Street Scene) at the Tamino (Die Zauberflöte) for Opera Holland Park and Aret BBC Proms. Concert performances include Britten’s War (Philemon und Baucis) at the Eisenstadt Haydn Festival. His concert engagements Requiem (Warsaw), Schumann Lieder at Wigmore Hall with Julius Drake, and include appearances with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, London Symphony concerts with Europa Galante, the CBSO and the Mahler Chamber Orchestra. His Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and previous recordings include four volumes of the Hyperion Schubert Lieder Edition the Mahler Chamber Orchestra, working with conductors including Sir Simon Rattle, with Graham Johnson and, with Richard Hickox, Maintop (Billy Budd) and Slender Daniel Harding and Robin Ticciati. (Sir John in Love).

Rebecca Bottone (Semira) studied at the Royal Academy of Music. Her extensive work with the Classical Opera Company includes Melia (Apollo et Hyacinthus) and Despina (Così fan tutte), and further roles include the Maid (Powder Her Face) and First Innocent (The Minotaur) at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Cricket and Parrott in Jonathan Dove’s Pinocchio for Opera North, Blonde (Die Entführung aus dem Serail) for the Aix-en-Provence Festival, Casilda (The Gondoliers) for

50 • ARTAXERXES ARTAXERXES • 51