The Stuart-Sobieska opera patronage in Rome

Abstract

The Italian exile of James III Stuart started in 1717 at the court of Urbino. In 1719, the Teatro Alibert opened in Rome and Stuart entered the Eternal City with his consort Maria Clementina Sobieska. These royal personalities became the protectors of the theater in 1720; they were appreciated by the Catholic Roman society and had close relations to some of the most important Roman noble families. This chapter examines the operatic performances organized for the royal couple on the basis of archival documents, librettos, and the music itself. The aim is to determine how the sojourn of Stuart at Urbino and Fano, where he first experienced Italian opera music, influenced the musical choices at the Teatro Alibert. The differences in the music styles of Francesco Gasparini, Nicola Porpora, and Leonardo Vinci are detailed. To determine the stylistic characterizations of the theater in the 1720s, various compositions of the two Neapolitan composers and their singers are evaluated and different musical trends explained.