La Griselda RV 718

The present reduction derives from the critical edition of the score, just published in this catalog. La Griselda, was composed and performed in Venice, in the spring of 1735, for the occasion of the Ascensiontide fair (Sensa). The taskof adapting the libretto by Apostolo Zeno to the particular exigencies of the production was assigned to a young writer of comedies attached to the company led by Giuseppe Imer: Carlo Goldoni.

The latter immortalized in his Mémoires hismeeting with Vivaldi and the composer’s inseparable prima donna, the contralto Anna Giraud, confessing to having been forced against his will to “assassinate” Zeno’s drama at the composer’s whim. La Griselda was favourably received bythe audience at the San Samuele theatre, remained the sole opera by Vivaldi to be staged at a theatre owned by the powerful Grimani family. The present edition includes a synthetic introduction of the historical context, the description of the mainsource employed and a choice of the critical Notes to the musical text.