+Roger Propes It doesn't fit dramatically into that point of the story. Having one huge, spectacular, showy aria right after another (Fiordiligi's "Come scoglio" being right before this) is poor dramatic writing. Mozart was a master of the theater, and he would have known this.
@@samcotten2416 I think it had more to do with the fact that the aria was not suited to Benucci's style. If we go by the arias for Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro and Count Robinson in Il matrimonio segreto (roles which he created), as well as Leporello's numbers and Guglielmo's other two arias, Benucci's forte was short bursts of quasi-parlando 'singing' mixed with occasional cantabile passages, and nothing too high; more of a bass tessitura than baritone. Rivolgete is quite high most of the way through, and at the end, when the singer would have been expected to tire vocally, there are three exposed and sustained F#4s. There are also unusual vocal effects he may have balked at (e.g. the graduated trill on 'usignuolo'). I think when it came to the point, Benucci found himself unable to do justice to this taxing piece in the context of a full operatic performance, forcing Mozart to substitute a far shorter and simpler number. And as to being dramatically inappropriate, Rivolgete suits Guglielmo's flamboyant, extroverted character to a T, unlike the weak and washed-out Non siate ritrosi. And Mozart was quite willing to place two major arias one right after the other when it suited his purposes: Act II of Entführung, where Martern aller Arten replaced a planned Konstanze/Blondchen duet, is proof of this.
@Jason Hurd I never thought about that, but it makes a lot of sense. Afraid I‘m entirely unfamiliar with Il matrimonio segreto, though. From what I’ve read, Benucci was a very talented singer, but it’s certainly conceivable that this aria was too hard for him to sing. It is very different from the rest of Guglielmo and both Figaro and Leporello, though I’ve always thought it had a certain richness only otherwise found in the catalogue aria. I (unfortunately) cannot song Figaro or Leporello, but I do sing Rivolgete and really love it. Don’t think I’ve ever heard the aria in the context of a full production, but I’ve heard of it happening and would certainly love to perform it that way someday.
