thinking, as i often am, about male sopranos. specifically vitige from flavio. and how it's absolutely integral that he is a soprano and not an alto/mezzo because of how at several points throughout the opera, he acts as a mirror of guido, albeit a more shallow one. of course, other elements of composition also contribute to that ( compare the accompaniment in their respective arias about having to break it off with their lovers- the buoyant-sounding accompaniment of "che bel contento" vs. the smoother progressions in "l'armellin vita non cura" )
but i'd like to draw attention to the voicing, specifically, because once again- it's something that i feel has been neglected, even outright erased, one too many times ( also i just want an excuse to fanboy over male soprano characters again ). guido was written for senesino. the handelian hero. of course, he's been played by plenty of people who aren't senesino, but that association between his voice and his position within the story is still very much there.
vitige having a higher, lighter voice than guido is a reflection of the comparative lack of depth in his ( vitige's ) motivations and struggles. guido is properly engaged to emilia and tension forms between their families; his struggle would be viewed as more legitimate and concrete. as for vitige, he and teodata's relationship is a secret, and the existence of the love triangle between him, her, and flavio is likewise unknown to the rest of their world. for most of the opera it exists only in asides and in scenes where the only witnesses to their emotions are themselves.
giving vocal weight and depth to vitige would make him appear to bear equal ( or at least closer ) weight in the narrative as guido, and it'll definitely interfere with the balance that's very much in place ( consider the structure of the cast- main couple, side couple, the two old men butting heads, the king who has a hand in the whole mess and sort of ties everything together ).
