Il Bajazet was commissioned in 1735 to open Verona’s carnival season. Vivaldi chose a libretto by Agostino Piovene drawn from the well-known story of the defeated Ottoman sultan, King Bajazet, captured by Tamerlane who duly falls in love with Bajazet’s proud daughter, Asteria. Vivaldi was in his late maturity when he completed the opera, modifying his music to suit contemporary taste, and using the pasticcio form, incorporating some arias written by other, mostly Neapolitan, composers. Repurposing of this kind was wholly acceptable at the time and such works enjoyed great popularity. The conductor and Vivaldi specialist, Federico Maria Sardelli, has integrated lost arias, clarified the use of historically appropriate orchestration, and brought the opera to rich theatrical life.

This is a recording first issued on Dynamic DVD (DYN-38056) and Blu-ray (58056).

Renato Dolcini sings the title role, and Italian opera of the 17th and 18th centuries is central to his repertoire. He has sung major roles at the Salzburg Festival, Glyndebourne, Amsterdam, etc., and works with some of the world’s most sought-after directors: Graham Vick, Robert Carsen, Moshe Leiser et Patrice Caurier, Barrie Kosky, Pierre Audi. The New York Times wrote, ‘Renato Dolcini fully embodies Orlando’s mad scene, and would certainly have burned up the stage – if there had been one’.

Of this production, Gramophone wrote that ‘Raffaele Pe sings wonderfully as Andronico’ and that Sonia Prina is ‘a magnetic performer’ and Loriana Castellano ‘sings with coppery mezzo tone’ and Lucia Cirillo ‘ignites the vocal fireworks’.

Cast:
- Bajazet: Renato Dolcini (baritone)
- Tamerlano: Sonia Prina (contralto)
- Asteria: Loriana Castellano (mezzo-soprano)
- Andronico: Raffaele Pé (countertenor)
- Irene: Lucia Cirillo (mezzo-soprano)
- Idaspe: Valeria La Grotta (soprano)