 As the court vice-chapelmaster, Antonio Cesti (1623 Arezzo - 1669 Florence) wrote the opera Il pomo d'oro (Picture: The underworld) for the wedding of his employer, Leopold I, to Margarita of Spain (1665). The libretto was written by the court poet, Francesco Sbarra, the ballets by Johann Heinrich Schmelzer. THe musical example is the aria of Proserpina from the beginning of the opera: It is a powerful lament about her unhappiness at having to live in the darkness of the underworld. The accompaniment of 2 cornetts, 3 trombones, bassoon and regal emphasizes the dark mood of the piece. The opera Pomo d'oro can be seen as a combination of the older Florentine choir opera (i.e. a form in which the choir plays an important dramatic role) and the newer venetian solo opera, which reduces the role of the choir. (E. Stadler)
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