‘Collected’ Pages for the Issipile (Teatro San Carlo, 1763)*

During the 1763–64 season, numerous intersections and connections occur behind the scenes of the principal Neapolitan opera house of Teatro di San Carlo. On the one hand, the focus on Metastasian repertoire persists without interruptions – a long and boundless tradition which will only fade towards the end of the century; on the other hand, Hasse’s world still exerts its fascination.

Along with Metastasio’s Olimpiade, Issipile and Didone abbandonata, Migliavacca’s Armida was also staged. This libretto had been set to music by Traetta in 1760 for Vienna, a city which played a significant role in the annual schedule of the Teatro di San Carlo due to the presence of the ‘virtuosa’ Caterina Gabrielli. The singer had made her debut in that role in the Habsburg capital; the opera was presented with the same music composed by Traetta for the imperial opera house.

In the Neapolitan context Cochetta revealed herself in all her splendour, yet also giving a hard time to all those who were in charge of the San Carlo. The selected repertoire was thus a kind of compromise, a diplomatic act aimed to ‘tame’ the stubborn soprano through an offer of operas suited to her voice and skills, and in all likelihood they were works proposed by herself. While the scores of Armida and Didone arrived in time, Scarlatti’s Issipile did not; in order to prevent the diva’s anger, another negotiation started under the guidance of Pasquale Cafaro, working at the San Carlo, who would ‘conduct’ the repertoire operas, and who offered to adapt them to the hired cast.