Description

• Opera Score Mirena e Floro
• Full title:  Mirena e Floro ovvero La Nana francese e Armenaovvero 
• By Francesco Gasparini and Giovanni Bononcini
• Transcribed and translated by Kathleen and Peter van de Graaff
• ISBN: 978-0-9760777-7-0

• Complete intermezzo (comic chamber opera) score
• For soprano and bass-baritone
• In Italian with a singable English version
• Three acts and one hour in length
• Accompaniment transcribed for piano
• String parts are available for rental
•  Naxos recording of Mirena e Floro and Moschetta e Grullo here

Description

Piano/Vocal score of Gasparini/Bononcini’s intermezzo,  Mirena e Floro; a 1-hr comic intermezzo for Soprano & Bass-Baritone.  Available in an Italian and English text.

Historical backgound

Francesco Gasparini (1661–1727) was a towering figure of the early 18th-century Italian Baroque. Born near Lucca, he occupied several prestigious positions across Italy before becoming a leading opera composer in Venice. Notably, Gasparini was among the first composers to develop the intermezzo genre. His extensive catalog includes over 50 opere serie and more than 15 comic intermezzi, marking him as a pivotal influence on the era’s theatrical music.

The Collaborative Genius of Mirena e Floro

One of Gasparini’s most fascinating works is Mirena e Floro, also known as Nana francese e Armena (“The French Maid and the Armenian”). Composed in 1718, it was originally paired with Antonio Lotti’s opera seria, L’Ascanio. Interestingly, Giovanni Bononcini (1670–1747) collaborated with Gasparini on this specific production.

While the librettist remains unknown, the musical division is clear: Bononcini composed the second act, while Gasparini wrote the first and third acts. This type of collaboration was a common and respected practice during the Baroque period. Consequently, the arias from the first and third acts remain highlights of Gasparini’s comedic style.

Giovanni Bononcini: Master of Melodic Elegance

Giovanni Bononcini was a celebrated Italian Baroque composer and cellist. Originally from Modena, he became a central figure in European music with high-profile positions in Rome, Vienna, and London. Furthermore, Bononcini was a master of intimate vocal forms, significantly advancing the Italian cantata and the comic intermezzo.

His contributions to Mirena e Floro showcase his rare ability to blend sophisticated harmony with witty, theatrical characterization. As a result, his work remains an essential pillar of the Baroque operatic tradition and continues to be studied by musicians and historians alike.