In fact, it was not staged in Cavalli's lifetime[1] and was replaced with a revised text by Aureli, in which Eliogabalo repents and lives, and with music by the much younger composer Giovanni Antonio Boretti,[2][3] perhaps because Cavalli's style was considered too old-fashioned or because the Jesuits, who were regaining power in Venice at the time, were thought likely to oppose putting a story about a regicide on stage.

[4][5] Eliogabalo received its world premiere on 27 November 1999,[6] for the inauguration of the Teatro San Domenico [it] in Crema, Italy,[7] the city in which Cavalli was born.

Roberto Solci conducted the instrumental ensemble I Concertanti with countertenor Antonio Giovannini as Eliogabalo and soprano Paola Cigna as Flavia Gemmira.

[9] The opera was revived at Belgium's La Monnaie in May 2004 in a production by Vincent Boussard that was conducted by René Jacobs.

It included two flutes, three trombones, two cornets, two violins, two violas, two violas da gamba and lirone, percussion, and continuo instruments including chamber organ, three harpsichords, dulcian, theorbo, harp, guitar, cello and double bass.

According to John McCann, who reviewed the performance in the British magazine Opera: "Purists might complain, but the impact was certainly striking".

The nine-member period-instrument ensemble was conducted from the harpsichord by Cavalli scholar Jane Glover.

Christian Curnyn conducted players from the Early Opera Company, and mezzo-soprano Renata Pokupić sang Eliogabalo.

[11] The Dortmund Opera performed Eliogabalo, beginning on 9 October 2011, in a production by Katharina Thoma.

[12][13] Gotham Chamber Opera performed it in 2013 in a Manhattan nightclub in Chrystie Street, Richard Kimmel's The Box, directed by James Marvel.

The baroque ensemble Hemiolia played under the musical direction of Claire Lamquet and François Grenier.

The singers were Alice Habellion (Eliogabalo), Xavier de Lignerolles (Alessandro), Nicolas Zielinski (Giuliano), Marie Cubaynes (Flavia Gemmira), Ekaterina Levental ("Une spéciale"), Stephanie Gouilly (Atilia), Yves Vandenbussche (Zotico), Christophe Crapez (Lenia) and Cyril Costanzo (Nerbulone and Tiferne).

[16] In a co-production with the Dutch National Opera, the Paris Opera opened its 2016/17 season in the Palais Garnier with Eliogabalo under the baton of Leonardo García Alarcón and with Franco Fagioli in the title role, Paul Groves as Alessandro, Nadine Sierra as Flavia, Valer Barna-Sabadus as Giuliano, Elin Rombo as Eritrea.

[18] The San Francisco East Bay company West Edge Opera performed Eliogabalo in July and August of 2021 in a post-Covid pandemic production at the outdoor Bruns Amphitheater in Orinda.

The title role was sung by countertenor Randall Scotting; tenor Derek Chester sang Alessandro, and soprano Nikki Einfeld was Gemmira.

[19] The Zurich Opera gave the Swiss premiere in December 2022 with 35 members of the period-instrument ensemble La Scintilla conducted by Dmitry Sinkovsky in a modern production by Calixto Bieito.

Alessandro loves Gemmira, the sister of Praetorian Prefect Giuliano, who in turn is engaged to the noble Roman woman Eritea.

Further complications arise from the fact that the young Roman woman Atilia is in love with Alessandro and keeps trying to win him over.

After Alessandro has crushed a revolt by the Praetorian Guard, the soldiers and their prefect Giuliano beg the emperor for mercy.

Giuliano is horrified to hear that the emperor confirms his word and then orders him to take Eritea to his chambers.

He orders Lenia to provide him with further pleasures and to bring him, at her own choice, either Atilia or Gemmira, whose beauty he has already heard about.

In front of the temple, Gemmira complains to the gods about her feelings of jealousy, which torment her despite her loyalty to Alessandro.

Lenia defuses the situation by persuading Eliogabalo to reaffirm his promise to make Eritea empress.

At the same time, Zotico is supposed to poison Alessandro, who has become too popular with the guards in Eliogabalo's view.

Alessandro decides to go to the banquet disguised as a mute Ethiopian in order to be able to protect Gemmira if necessary.

At first he is outraged by Eritea's infidelity, but then he shows mercy and promises to release her if Giuliano gives him his sister Gemmira.

Giuliano, who would rather die than betray either his lover or his sister, declares he must choose between the plague and cholera.

She has no concerns about the sleeping potion, but the murder of the imperial cousin and designated heir to the throne seems to her to be a shameful crime.

Nerbulone refers to the wine and tells Alessandro that Eliogabalo wants to repeat the banquet the following day.

From outside, shouts of the Praetorians ring out, demanding the Emperor's death because they still haven't received their pay.