Di chi è la Penelope? Sull’autorialità di un melodramma di tardo Settecento

The textual tradition of Penelope, an opera seria written in 1795 by Giuseppe Maria Diodati and Domenico Cimarosa, refl ects not only the creative project of the original authors, but also those of others who modified the score over time. Particulary notable in this sense is the case of the contralto Giuseppina Grassini (1779-1850) who sang the title role several times between 1795 and 1803. Reconstructing some of the changes effected by her, I seek to explain why this singer should herself be considered one of the main authors of Penelope.