• Thomas Augustine Arne. Opera in three acts. 1762.
• Libretto probably by the composer, after Metastasio’s Artaserse.
• First performance at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, on 2nd February 1762.

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CHARACTERS

Artaxerxes, son of Xerxes, King of Persia	male alto
Artabanes, generalissimo to the king	tenor
Arbaces, his son	male soprano
Rimenes, general in the king’s army	tenor
Mandane, sister of Artaxerxes, in love with Arbaces	soprano
Semira, sister of Arbaces, in love with Artaxerxes	soprano

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Mandane and Arbaces are to part, since Arbaces has been banished by Xerxes. The latter has been killed by Artabanes, who gives his bloodstained sword to his son, bidding him flee. Artabanes, before Artaxerxes, calls for revenge on the killer of Xerxes. Semira finds her lover Artaxerxes cold, but he is torn between love and duty. Rimenes tells Semira of his own love for her. In a second scene Artabanes claims to have killed the murderer of Xerxes, the crown prince Darius, but Arbaces has been found and is brought in, a captive, incriminated by possession of the bloodstained sword. Semira tells him to defend himself, while Mandane thinks him guilty. In the second act Artabanes plans to make Arbaces king, and tells him to escape, which he is unwilling to do. He offers Rimenes the hand of Semira if he will join in the plot to kill Artaxerxes. In the throne room Artaxerxes makes Artabanes the judge of his son. The latter condemns Arbaces to death, but has his own plans for his son’s future. Arbaces, in prison, is allowed to escape by Artaxerxes, who believes him innocent. Artabanes and Rimenes plan to poison Artaxerxes at his coronation. In the last act Arbaces defeats Rimenes and his men, Artaxerxes is prevented from taking the poison, and Artabanes admits his guilt, when the secretly poisoned cup is offered to Arbaces. Artabanes is banished and all ends happily.

Arne’s opera, his only full-length opera in English, won considerable success and continued in repertoire into the 19th century. The roles of Artaxerxes and Arbaces were sung by castrati, Peretti and Tenducci, and that of Artabanes by John Beard. The two female roles make great technical demands on performers.