Andrea Bernasconi's earliest operatic music on its way north of the Alps

Abstract

In contrast to the relative thoroughness of research into the life and works of Andrea Bernasconi for the period after his arrival in Munich in 1753, his earlier biography still has many lacunae. Following on from the author's earlier identification of Bernasconi's setting from 1736 of the opera Adriano in Siria for the Royal and Ducal Theatre in Milan, this article analyses the extant score and libretto of his Flavio Anicio Olibrio, produced in January 1737 at the Kärntnertor Theatre in Vienna. Interestingly, this production included four arias from Bernasconi's earlier Adriano and is the source for seven manuscript copies of Bernasconi arias in the Attems collection today preserved in Maribor, Slovenia. Viennese music circles are thus identifiable as one of the sources for this collection. From Vienna Bernasconi's music had already reached Moravia by 1737, and from Milan it was already being sought in late 1736 by the Württemberg Court in Stuttgart. The two discussed operas thus paved the way for the early reception and popularity of Bernasconi's arias north of the Alps.

Keywords

• Andrea Bernasconi (1706–1784)
• his earliest operas
• Adriano in Siria (Milan 1736)
• Flavio Anicio Olibrio (Vienna 1737)
• reception of arias
• Styria