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Title Arianna e Teseo
Author Colman, Francis  
Date 20 Dec 1760
Licence Application Date n.d.
First Performance Date 20 Dec 1760
Document Type Play  
Library/Archive The Huntington Library  
Collection Name John Larpent Plays
Reference LA180
Language English; Italian
Document Description The pretext to this Opera is that King Minos of Crete fought a war with King Aegeus of Athens. Ageus has killed Mino's son and taken his daughter away. The daughter was then brought up by King Archeus of Thebes, who was an ally of Aegeus and believed her to be his child. As a term for the ending of the war, Athens was under oath to provide child maidens as tributes to Crete every seven years to be devoured by the Minotaur who lurked in an inescapable labyrinth. This human sacrifice could only end with the slaying of the Minotaur and defeating the Cretan warrior Tauride by an Athenian hero.
Theme Myths, Legends, Folk Tales & Fairy Tales  Greco-Roman Society  
Theatre The King's Theatre, Haymarket  
Lord Chamberlain Cavendish, William (4th Duke of Devonshire)  
Examiner at time of Licence Application Chetwynd, William  
Deputy Examiner at time of Licence Application Capell, Edward  
Actor Handel, George Frederic  
Genre Opera  
Acts Three  
Geographical Setting Crete  
Keywords war  death  family  love  myth  Greek Myth  
Additional Information From Francis Colman, Ariadne in Crete. Original music composed by Handel. The Italian libretto was adapted by Colman from Pietro Pariati's Arianna e Teseo, the text of which was previously set by Nicola Porpora in 1727 and, following that, Leonardo Leo in 1729.
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