L'Olimpiade

Cimarosa was born in 1749 and was one of the leading European composers at the end of the 18th century. His Olimpiade, a grand opera seria that was transformed into a magnificent belcanto drama, was composed during his most productive period. Herein Cimarosa teaches heroism to the athletes competing in the Olympic Games, where the winner will marry Princess Aristea: The seemingly inextricable plot enables the composer to write some of the most extraordinary arias based on Metastasio's libretto. Christophe Rousset, the master of Italian repertoire of the late 18th century, leads a whirlwind cast in this whirlwind of bel canto!