This is the first modern edition of Lo spedale, an anonymous one-act comic opera surviving solely in a manuscript in the Contarini Collection of the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana, Venice. Its composer is unknown, though its libretto is by Antonio Abati (d. 1667), who designated it a “dramma burlesco.” Lo spedale is notable for its rare contemporary satirization of the treatment of mentally afflicted, its fine music, and its amusing characterizations, and this combination of factors poses numerous fascinating questions concerning its purpose, its choices of musical style, and the context of its performance. The work’s limited performance forces—six singers (two sopranos, one alto, two tenors, and one bass) with basso continuo—make it suitable for students and amateurs as well as professionals.
- ISBN: 9781987208146 (1987208145)
