ABSTRACT
The cultural resonance of the azione sacra in the kingdom of Naples was without question as an emblem of Sovereignty and State first, and only then the Church. Sernicola and Piccinni's Gionata provides a compelling window into the cultural life of Naples in the period 1787-92, and establishes a critical nexus among the religious, political, and artistic spheres of the city. Gionata is also a musical composition of considerable value, set by the renowned composer Piccinni, who had returned to Naples after a fifteen-year tenure in Paris, where he was at the center of innovative practices in that city. Despite the rather subdued tone and limited address of the frontispiece, Gionata is an opera carefully attuned to the theatrical traditions and culture of Naples. Piccinni's return to Naples and the status of Gionata as among his first post-Parisian compositions is a provocative context for the musical content of this opera.
