Bajazet (Gasparini opera)

Bajazet (Italian pronunciation: [baʒaˈze]) is an opera by Francesco Gasparini, a revision of his 1711 work Tamerlano.

[1] The first production included Francesco Borosini in the title role, Antonio Bernacchi (Tamerlano), Marina Benta Bulgarelli (Asteria), Faustina Bordoni (Irene), Diana Vico (Andronico), Antonio Piasi (Clearco), Battista Roberti (Leone) and Girolamo Bartoluzzi Regiano (Zaida).

The original libretto by Agostino Piovene was extensively rewritten by Ippolito Zanelli - the role of Bajazet was expanded and made central to the new work, with his suicide now shown on stage rather than merely described.

The parts in Bajazet are more evenly balanced, and the minor characters were rewritten and given more arias to sing.

Handel had already written his own opera Tamerlano on the basis of the 1711 Piovene libretto, simplifying it by eliminating all the secondary characters except Leone.