Pimpinone

Pimpinone, TWV 21:15, is a comic opera by the German composer Georg Philipp Telemann with a libretto by Johann Philipp Praetorius. Its full title is Die Ungleiche Heirat zwischen Vespetta und Pimpinone oder Das herrsch-süchtige Camer Mägden (The Unequal Marriage Between Vespetta and Pimpinone or The Domineering Chambermaid). The work is described as a Lustiges Zwischenspiel ("comic intermezzo") in three parts. It was first performed at the Oper am Gänsemarkt in Hamburg on 27 September 1725 as light relief between the acts of Telemann's adaptation of Handel's opera seria Tamerlano. Pimpinone was highly successful and pointed the way forward to later intermezzi, particularly Giovanni Battista Pergolesi's La serva padrona.

Pimpinone
Comic opera by Georg Philipp Telemann
The composer, c. 1745
TranslationThe Unequal Marriage Between Vespetta and Pimpinone or The Domineering Chambermaid
Other titleDie Ungleiche Heirat zwischen Vespetta und Pimpinone oder Das herrsch-süchtige Camer Mägden
LibrettistJohann Philipp Praetorius
LanguageGerman
Premiere
27 September 1725 (1725-09-27)
Oper am Gänsemarkt, Hamburg

Roles
Cast Voice type Premiere cast
Pimpinone bass Johann Gottfried Riemschneider
Vespetta soprano Margaretha Susanna Kayser

Plot

Vespetta the chambermaid wheedles her way into marrying her employer, old Pimpinone. Once married she shows her waspish nature (the name Vespetta means "little wasp") and completely dominates her husband.

Recordings

Sources
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