| La verità in cimento | |
| Composer: | Antonio Vivaldi |
| Image Upright: | 1.1 |
| Librettist: | Matteo Noris |
| Language: | Italian |
| Premiere Location: | Venice |
La verità in cimento (pronounced as /it/; Truth in Contention) is an opera by Antonio Vivaldi to a libretto by Giovanni Palazzi. The opera, Vivaldi's 13th, was premiered during the Carnival at Venice in 1720. The work is dedicated to Count Sava Vladislavich,[1] a Serbian merchant and diplomat in the employ of Peter the Great, who resided in Venice from 1716 to 1722. The work is listed as RV 739 in the Vivaldi catalogue.
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 1720 (Conductor: –) |
|---|---|---|
| Rosane | soprano | Anna Maria Strada |
| Rustena | mezzo-soprano | Chiara Orlandi |
| Melindo | contralto (en travesti) | Antonia Laurenti, "La Coralli". |
| Damira | contralto | Antonia Merighi |
| Zelim | soprano castrato | Girolamo Albertini |
| Sultan Mamud | tenor | Antonio Barbieri |
Mamud had two sons, one by his favourite Damira and one by the Sultana Rustena. He had them exchanged at birth, so that Melindo, in truth the son of Damira, is thought to be the legitimate heir, a position rightfully held by Zelim. When marriage is proposed between Melindo and Rosane, the heiress to another Sultanate (who is in fact beloved by Zelim), Mamud resolves to reveal the true state of affairs. After various twists and turns, Zelim inherits the larger portion of his empire, while Melindo contents himself with a secondary kingdom (Rosane's country) and is allowed to marry the fickle princess Rosane. This leaves everyone satisfied.