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The legendary figure of the libertine Don Juan had been straddling European theatre and opera stages for well over a century before Mozart got into the act with his matchless Don Giovanni. Back in 1669, Alessandro Melani became the first composer to create a dramma per musica out of tales of this witty and licentious character, using a libretto provided by a pair of Roman poets in Filippo Acciaiuoli and Giovanni Filippo Apolloni from their adaption of the celebrated Spanish tragic drama, El burlador de Sevilla by Tirso de Molina. Acciauoli and Apolloni transposed the events of Seville into a mythical landscape and called Don Giovanni Acrimante and his servant Leporello Bibi. But they did not change the original plot. This world premiere recording of Melani's L'empio-punito was captured live during the representations that took place at the Teatro Verdi in Pisa, with an outstanding vocal cast that includes Raffaele Pe in the main role (Acrimante), Raffaelle Milanesi (Atamira), Roberta Invernizzi (Ipomene), Giorgio Celenza (Bibi) and Alberto Allegrezza (Delfa). The instrumental support is provided by the fine orchestra Auser Musici conducted by a Carlo Ipata.
Alessandro Melani (1639-1703)