Artaxerxes · Opera
Songs in Artaxerxes
This page features the songs from Artaxerxes. Song cards link to details such as style, context, vocal notes, and audition cut suggestions when available. Explore the list below to access song guides.
Overture
Act One
Scene 1
- Recitative ‘Still silence reigns around’ - Mandane, Arbaces
- Duet ‘Fair Aurora, pr’ythee stay’ - Mandane, Arbaces
- Aria ‘Adieu, thou lovely Youth’ - Mandane
Scene 2
- Recitative ‘O cruel parting!’ - Arbace, Artabanes
- Aria ‘Amid a thousand racking woes’ - Arbace
Scene 3
- Recitative ‘Be firm my heart’ - Artabanes
- Recitative ‘Dear Artabanes, glad I meet thee here’ - Artaxerxes, Rimenes, Guards
- Aria ‘Behold! On Lethe’s dismal Strand’ - Artabanes
Scene 4
- Recitative ‘Stay, Artaxerxes, stay’ - Semira, Artaxerxes
- Aria ‘Fair Semira, lovely Maid’ - Artaxerses
Scene 5
- Recitative ‘I fear some dread disaster’ - Semira, Rimenes
- Aria ‘When real joy we miss’ - Rimenes
Scene 6
- Recitative ‘Ye Gods, protectors of the Persian Empire’ - Semira
- Aria ‘How hard is my fate’ - Semira
Scene 7
- Recitative ‘Where do I fly?’ - Mandane, Artaxerxes
Scene 8
- Recitative ‘My Friend!’ - Artaxerxes, Artabanes
Scene 9
- Recitative ‘O Artaxerxes!’ - Semira, Artaxerxes, Mandane, Artabanes.
Scene 10
- Recitative ‘Who in this Royal presence’ - Rimenes, Artabanes, Artaxerxes, Semira, Mandane, Arbaces
- Aria ‘Thy Father! Away’ - Artabanes
Scene 11
- ‘Recitative ‘Ye cruel Gods’ - Arbaces
- Aria ‘Acquit thee of this foul Offence’ - Semira
Scene 12
- Recitative ‘Appearance, I must own’ - Arbaces, Artaxerxes, Rimenes
Scene 13
- Recitative ‘Beauteous Mandane’ - Arbaces, Mandane
- Aria ‘O too lovely, too unkind’ - Arbaces
Scene 14
- Accompanied recitative ‘Dear and beloved shade’ - Mandane
- Aria ‘Fly, soft ideas, fly’ - Mandane
Act Two
Scene 1
- Recitative ‘Guards, speed ye to the Tower’ - Artaxerxes, Artabanes
- Aria ‘In infancy, our hopes and fears’ - Artaxerxes
Scene 2
- Recitative ‘So far my great resolve succeeds’ - Artabanes, Arbaces, Guards
- Aria ‘Disdainful you fly me’ - Arbaces
Scene 3
- Recitative ‘Why, my dear friend’ - Rimenes, Artabanes
Scene 4
- Recitative ‘Come hither, daughter’ - Artabanes, Semira
Scene 5 * Recitative ‘I tremble - hear me, Sir’ - Semira, Rimenes * Aria ‘To sigh and complain’ - Rimenes
Scene 6
- Recitative ‘How many links to dire misfortune’s chain’ - Semira, Mandane
- Aria ‘If o’er the cruel tyrant love’ - Mandane
Scene 7
- Recitative ‘Which fatal evil shall I first oppose?’ - Semira
- Aria ‘If the river’s swelling waves’ - Semira
Scene 8
- Recitative ‘Ye solid pillars of the Persian Empire’ - Artaxerxes, Mandane, Artabanes, Rimenes, Semira, Guards, Nobles
Scene 9
- Recitative ‘Am I so much the hatred of all Persia’ - Arbaces, Artaxerxes, Artabanes, Mandane, Semira
- Aria ‘By that belov’d Embrace’ - Arbaces
Scene 10
- Recitative ‘Ah me! At poor Arbace’s parting’ - Mandane, Artabanes
- Aria ‘Monster, away!’ - Mandane
Scene 11
- Recitative ‘See, lov’d Semira!’ - Artaxerxes, Semira
Scene 12
- Recitative ‘O Artabanes?’ - Artaxerxes, Artabanes
Scene 13
- Accompanied Recitative ‘At length my soul has room’ - Artabanes
- Aria ‘Thou, like the glorious sun’ - Artabanes
Act Three
Scene 1
- Arietta ‘Why is death for ever late’ - Arbaces
- Recitative ‘Arbaces! Gracious Heav’n’ - Artaxerxes, Arbaces
- Aria ‘Water parted from the sea’ - Arbaces
Scene 2
- Recitative ‘That front, secure in conscious innocence’ - Artaxerxes
- Aria ‘Tho’ oft a cloud, with envious shade’ - Artaxerxes
Scene 3
- Recitative ‘My son, Arbaces’ - Artabanes, Rimenes, Conspirators
- Aria ‘O let the danger of a son’ - Rimenes
Scene 4
- Accompanied Recitative ‘Ye adverse gods!’ - Artabanes
- Aria ‘O, much lov’d son, if death’ - Artabanes
Scene 5
- Recitative ‘Perhaps the king releas’d Arbaces’ - Mandane, Semira
- Aria ‘Let not rage the boson firing’ - Mandane
Scene 6
- Recitative ‘What have I done!’ - Semira
- Aria ‘Tis not true, that in our grief’ - Semira
Scene 7
- Recitative ‘Nor here my searching eyes’ - Arbaces, Mandane
- Duet ‘For thee I love, my dearest’ - Arbaces, Mandane
Scene 8
- Recitative ‘To you, my people’ - Artaxerxes, Artabanes, Nobles
- Accompanied recitative ‘Resplendent God!’ - Artaxerxes
Scene 9
- Recitative ‘Fly quick, my liege’ - Semira, Artaxerxes, Artabanes
Scene 10
- Recitative ‘Hold, brother, the rebellious crew are fled’ - Mandane, Artaxerxes, Semira
- Aria ‘The soldier, tir’d of war’s alarms’ - Mandane
Final Scene
- Recitative ‘Behold my king, Arbaces at thy feet’ - Arbaces, Artaxerxes, Mandane, Artabanes
- Accompanied Recitative ‘Resplendent god’ - Arbaces, Artabanes, Artaxerxes, Mandane
- Duet and Chorus ‘Live to us, to Empire live’ - Tutti
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number.