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Coviello

Argenore

$37.99

Details

Composer
Wilhelmine von Bayreuth, Marlene Streeruwitz
Artist
Magdalena Hinz, Marysol Schalit, Pia Davila, Gerald Thompson, Lena Spohn, Janno Scheller, Gottinger
Format
CD
Label
Coviello
Released
Oct 17, 2025
Catalog #
COV92504
UPC
4039956925040

About

On 10 May 1740, Wilhelmine of Bayreuth's opera Argenore was to premiere at the Margrave's Theatre - a celebration that never happened. The dark dramma per musica, in which only an exile survives and King Argenore rules with brutal force, mirrors Wilhelmine's own life: her isolation at the Prussian court, her father's despotism, and the tense bond with her brother Frederick II are reflected in the opera's characters. Musically, Argenore features emotionally charged keys and a central role for Ormondo, who performs six arias. In 2022, the Gottingen Baroque Orchestra revived the opera in a world marked by crisis, highlighting the dangers of authoritarian rule and misinformation. A newly developed version replaced the Italian recitatives with a German monologue by Marlene Streeruwitz, while preserving all original arias - allowing the full dramatic force of Wilhelmine's music to emerge.