Tito Manlio (Noris)

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Opera dates
Title: Tito Manlio
Servilia visits the sleeping Manlio in the dungeon

Servilia visits the sleeping Manlio in the dungeon

Shape: Opera seria in three acts
Original language: Italian
Music: First setting by Carlo Francesco Pollarolo
Libretto : Matteo Noris
Premiere: September 20, 1696
Place of premiere: Summer residence of the Grand Duke of Tuscany in Pratolino
Place and time of the action: Early Rome, during the Latin Wars
people
  • Tito Manlio ( Titus Manlius Imperiosus Torquatus ), Roman Consul
  • Vitellia, daughter of Tito, mistress of Geminio
  • Manlio, Tito's son, Servilia's lover
  • Lucio, Latin knight, in love with Vitellia
  • Decio, Roman captain of the phalanxes , in love with Vitellia
  • Lindo, servant of Vitellia
  • Geminio, Latin captain, Vitellia's lover
  • Servilia, sister of Geminios, engaged to Manlio

Tito Manlio (Titus Manlius) is a libretto for an opera seria in three acts by Matteo Noris . It was set to music about 10 times. The first setting by Carlo Francesco Pollarolo was premiered on September 20, 1696 in the summer residence of the Grand Duke of Tuscany in Pratolino. The best-known version is by Antonio Vivaldi (→ Tito Manlio (Vivaldi) ).

action

The plot of the opera is based on a historical event from the early days of Rome during the Latin Wars , as reported in the 22nd book of Livius' Ab urbe condita in chapter 60. In the “Argomento” of Vivaldi's libretto, it is reproduced as follows:

The Latin tribes allied with Rome demanded equal political rights in the state. When the Roman Senate refused, they rebelled and declared war. The consul Tito Manlio ( Titus Manlius Imperiosus Torquatus ) sent his son to explore the Latin camp, but ordered him under no circumstances to engage in a battle outside of the military formations, as Latins and Romans could not be sufficiently differentiated from one another. When Manlio met the Latin nobleman Geminio Mezio, who insulted him and challenged him to a duel, he sent his companions away and fought against Geminio, whom he killed. On his triumphant return to Rome, he was accused by his father of disregarding the authority of the Senate and of breaking the law and sentenced to death by beheading.

The libretto has been adapted to current needs for each setting and therefore exists in different versions, which differ in the scene structure and above all in the aria texts. The following table of contents is based on the version set to music by Antonio Vivaldi for Mantua in 1719 .

first act

Temple with altar

The Roman consul Tito Manlio made his people and soldiers swear to hate the Latins. While the captain Decio, Tito's son Manlio and also the Latin knight Lucio, who is in love with Tito's daughter Vitellia, take the oath, Vitellia herself (she loves the Latin captain Geminio) and Manlio's Latin bride Servilia refuse it. Tito has Vitellia locked in her apartment until clarification. He then tells his son to scout out the Latin camp, but under no circumstances should he get involved in fights, as a Senate law forbids this.

Chambers

Lucio reveals to Decio his feelings for Vitellia. Decio is in love with Vitellia himself, but has to keep this a secret, as his status does not allow a connection.

Vitellia sends her servant Lindo to the enemy camp with a letter to Geminio. Tito appears with Lucio and asks her to state the reasons for her refusal to swear. Since Vitellia stubbornly remains silent, Tito threatens her with torture. He leaves and leaves the further interrogation to Lucio. This confesses his love to Vitellia. He wanted to ask Tito for her hand and in return take the Latin captain Geminio prisoner. Vitellia hides her indignation - but since she sees his love as an opportunity for her own goals, she allows him to stop and promises to tell Tito what he wants to know.

Latins' camp

Geminio has a conflict of conscience. On the one hand he is eager to fight the Romans, but on the other hand he loves the Roman Vitellia. Lindo appears with Vitellia's letter, in which she tells him about her refused oath and asks him to come to Rome as soon as possible to save her. Geminio lets her know that he cannot neglect his duties as a Latin man without becoming unworthy of her. Manlio appears in the camp and shows off his weapons. Geminio challenges him to a duel. Despite his father's express orders, Manlio agrees. Both take up their swords. Servilia steps in and mediates between the two. Geminio asks her to return to Rome to tell Tito that if he receives Vitellia's hand, he will be ready to become a Roman. After she leaves, Geminio challenges Manlio to fight again.

Second act

Hall in the palace of the consul

Lucio asks Tito for Vitellia's hand. Tito has no objection to this connection, but Vitellia deserves death as long as she is hostile to Rome. Vitellia appears to tell Tito about her love for Geminio. She is interrupted by the return of Servilias, who tells of Geminio's offer. To the delight of the two women - and to Lucio's horror - Tito agrees. Servilia should deliver the vows to Geminio immediately. Manlio also returns. He informs those present that he killed Geminio in a duel. The two women faint and are carried into their rooms by servants. When Tito points out the broken law to his son, Manlio justifies himself for his act with the multiple insults of Geminio. In addition, his victory over the Latins is glorious. However, Tito insists that he must be punished for his act.

court

Vitellia thirsts for revenge for the death of her lover. Servilia also wants to avenge her brother and kill Manlio, although she still loves him. Lindo tries in vain to calm them down. Manlio also tries in vain to justify his deed in front of Vitellia and Servilia. He asks Vitellia to give Servilia her dagger so that she can kill him herself. On behalf of Tito, Decio appears to put Manlio anklets and take him to the dungeon. Servilia's love for Manlio is stirring again. She decides to ask for mercy for him. Decio also shows compassion for Manlio. Luico joins them, reading a letter. He thinks Rome is ungrateful to Manlio and wants to stand up for him.

salon

Plagued by self-doubt, Tito wrote the death sentence against his son. One after the other, Decio and Servilia beg him for mercy in vain. Tito only allows Servilia a visit to the dungeon. Finally Vitellia steps forward as well. She does not ask for mercy, but demands vengeance for the death of her lover. In addition, she swears to the Latins "murder, terror, slaughter and doom", since the reason for her original refusal is no longer applicable. Tito instructs Lucio to bring the signed judgment to Manlio. He promises him the hand of Vitellia, but she declares that she will remain loyal to Geminio even after his death. Lucio is determined to save Manlio.

Third act

Horrible dungeon with burning torches. night

Servilia looks lovingly at Manlio, who is sleeping with his feet tied up. After he wakes up, she tells him about her failed petition for clemency. He asks her to go to Tito again to tell him that he would like to ask for mercy himself. Lucio appears with the death sentence. Manlio is said to be beheaded the next morning. Lucio informs him that he has been elected leader by the Latin army. Although he has no personal interest in this position, he will accept it in order to save Manlio with the help of his troops. Manlio is captured. In his opinion he had served Rome faithfully through the duel, and he wanted to continue to do so, even if it cost him his life. He can hardly bear the presence of his beloved in this humiliating situation, but Servilia refuses to go and declares that he wants to die with him.

Chambers

Vitellia assigns Lindo to find out what the people think about the death sentence. Lucio woos her again, but Vitellia, to his horror, demands Manlio's head as a token of love. She goes. Tito and Servilia come in to wait for Manlio, who is allowed to speak to his father again. Manlio appears and wants to kiss his father's hand submissively. But Tito refuses him this last proof of love. Since Manlio will soon kiss the face of death, he is no longer worthy of kissing the judge's hand. He turns away. Manlio cleverly uses this moment to kiss his hand. Tito's fatherly love is stirring again. He does not overturn the sentence, but allows Manlio one last hug. When Manlio asks him to take Servilia in, Tito promises to marry her in his place. He leaves with Lucio. Manlio tries to convince the reluctant Servilia to marry Tito and forgive.

Street outside Rome overlooking the Tiber

Vitellia and Lindo await Manlio on the way to his execution. Servilia joins them. Manlio appears with Lucio, soldiers and editors. He assures Vitellia that he did not know about her love for Geminio before the duel, asks Lucio to end the war against Rome, and makes his way to the place of execution. Vitellia then reflects on her sibling love. She runs after him and, like Servilia, promises to die with him.

Decio appears with armed soldiers. He explains that Manlio has earned fame and no longer belongs to Rome, but to the army. He puts a laurel wreath on him. Tito recognizes that the will of the army is above the law. He forgives Manlio and unites him with Servilia. Lucio asks him for Vitellia's hand and in return promises to end the war as Commander-in-Chief of the Latins. In order to secure the peace, Vitellia agrees to listen to it. Decio and Servilia praise Manlio as "Heroes of the Capitol". Everyone agrees.

layout

In the libretto for Tito Manlio , Matteo Noris already considered some of the elements of his “new style” (“novo sentiero”), which he described in 1698 in the foreword of his Marzio Coriolano . This meant renouncing simple intrigues, childishness and lascivious love stories, as they were previously common in opera. Instead, greater emphasis should be placed on political and moral maxims. Some characteristics of Tito Manlio are still typical of the time before the reforms of Apostolo Zenos and others. Not all of the arias are at the end of the scene, where they could be used effectively to stop a singer. Most of the arias do not yet use the da capo form , but are composed through or in two parts. Nor is there a strict distinction between main and supporting roles, and there is a comical element in the servant Lindo that was frowned upon in the later opera seria and was outsourced to the intermezzi . As Noris remarked in the preface to the libretto, he enriched the historical model with invented love entanglements and let the story end happily.

The piece is dramatically complex. The poetry is interspersed with references to love and death. The chain metaphor is used several times in a mannerist manner. All main characters are entangled in love relationships and at the same time threatened by violent death.

The main conflicts here exist between heroes and lovers, who all believe in the glory of Rome and obey its strict laws. Although the lovers are evenly divided between the two warring factions, this does not apply to the moral view. The only honorable opponent of the Romans is Geminio, and he is killed by the hero in a forbidden duel. The other Latino, Lucio, is portrayed as morally depraved, but is the only one to undergo personal development during the course of the action. Except for these, all characters correspond to the usual stereotypes of the baroque opera: Tito is the strict ruler, Manlio the heroic general, Vitellia the vengeful lover, Servilia the loyal lover, Lindo the comical servant and Decio the good-natured soldier.

Work history

Pollarolo's setting of Tito Manlio was premiered on September 20, 1696 in the theater of Prince Ferdinando de 'Medici in the summer residence of the Grand Duke of Tuscany in Pratolino, before it was performed with great success in Venice for the following carnival season in the Teatro San Giovanni Crisostomo . The title role was sung by Antonio Francesco Carli . The other actors were Matteo Sassani (Manlio), Michelangelo Gasparini (Decio and Geminio), Maria Domenica Pini (Servilia) and Angiola Gringher (Vitelia). The Corriere praised on February 2, particularly the final scene in which a stage machine the Tiber represented, and wrote on February 9 of unusually strong applause. The Mercurio praised the music, but not the singers. Matteo Noris pointed out that the work had been shortened compared to its original text. Some scenes had been rearranged and additional arias added, but the “heroic character” of the work was not damaged.

About ten other settings by other composers followed, of which Antonio Vivaldi's version is the best known.

The libretto by Matteo Noris is occasionally confused with the libretto of the same name by Gaetano Roccaforte , which was first performed in Rome in 1742 with music by Gennaro Manna . In this text the entire action takes place in Rome. The emphasis is on the conflict between happiness and duty. The characters of the Latin captain Geminio and the servant Lindo are missing - the latter due to the changed taste after the reforms of Zenos and others. Manlio's sister Vitella is called Sabina at Roccaforte. The verses and the set-up also differ from those of Noris. Roccaforte's libretto, after Gennaro Manna (Rome 1742), also set Niccolò Jommelli (Turin 1743, revised Stuttgart 1758; he also set Noris' version in 1746), Girolamo Abos (Naples 1751), Gaetano Latilla (Rome 1755), Pietro Alessandro Guglielmi (Rome 1763 ) to music ), Giovanni Battista Borghi (Rome 1779), Giuseppe Giordani (Genoa 1784), Angelo Tarchi (Rome 1791) and Gioacchino Cocchi (London 1761; incorrectly assigned to Noris in Corago).

Another libretto entitled Tito Manlio was set to music by Attilio Ariosti in 1717 for the King's Theater in London on Haymarket . This text may have been written by Nicola Francesco Haym .

Settings

The following composers set the libretto by Matteo Noris to music:

year composer premiere Performance location Remarks
1696 Carlo Francesco Pollarolo September 20, 1696, summer residence of the Grand Duke of Tuscany Pratolino also at the end of 1696 in the Teatro San Giovanni Crisostomo in Venice; 1598 in the Teatro San Sebastiano in Livorno; revised on January 15, 1698 in the Teatro Bonacossi in Ferrara; 1699 in Verona; 1703 in the Teatro Regio in Turin; revised on October 1, 1720 by Ignazio Prota in the royal palace in Naples Carlo Francesco Pollarolo - Tito Manlio - titlepage of the libretto - Florence 1696.png
1698 Luigi Mancia Carnival 1698, Teatro San Bartolomeo Naples With a Buffo couple Zelta / Bruno instead of the servant Lindo. Luigi Mancia - Tito Manlio - title page of the libretto - Naples 1698.png
1701 Antonio Giannettini Mass 1701, Teatro Pubblico Reggio nell'Emilia Antonio Giannettini - Tito Manlio - title page of the libretto - Reggio 1701.png
1710 Paolo Magni February 8, 1710, Teatro Regio Ducale Milan possibly together with Andrea Stefano Fiorè Paulo Magni - Tito Manlio - title page of the libretto - Milan 1710.png
1719 Antonio Vivaldi
→ Tito Manlio (Vivaldi) 		Carnival 1719, Teatro Arciducale Mantua Original version of the libretto from 1696;
Score only incomplete;
the composition or the fair copy of the score was created according to the company's own information in five days ("fatto in 5 giorni") 		Tito Manlio opera.jpg
1720 Pasticcio with music by Gaetano Boni (first act), Giovanni Giorgi (second act) and Antonio Vivaldi (third act) January 8, 1720, Teatro della Pace Rome only textbook and individual arias preserved;
Libretto based on the Neapolitan version of 1698 (Luigi Mancia) with the Buffo couple Breno / Dina. 		Tito Manlio - title page of the libretto - Rome 1720.png
1721 Luca Antonio Predieri Carnival 1721, Teatro della Pergola Florence Luca Antonio Predieri - Tito Manlio - title page of the libretto - Florence 1720.png
1724 anonymous Carnival 1724, court theater Munich Tito Manlio - title page of the libretto - Munich 1724.png
1725 anonymous 1725, Teatro di Santa Cecilia Palermo
1733 anonymous Carnival 1733, Teatro San Sebastiano Livorno Tito Manlio - title page of the libretto - Livorno 1733.png
1742 Michele Fini January 22nd 1742, Cocomero Theater Florence Michele Fini - Tito Manlio - title page of the libretto - Florence 1742.png
1746 Niccolò Jommelli November 12th 1746, Teatro San Giovanni Crisostomo Venice Libretto edited by Jacopo Antonio Sanvitale without the comical role of the servant Lindo;
also on October 5, 1747 in Vienna 		Niccolò Jommelli - Tito Manlio - titlepage of the libretto - Venice 1746.png

Recordings and performances in recent times

Web links

Commons : Tito Manlio  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Digital copies

  1. ^ Libretto (Italian) of the opera by Carlo Francesco Pollarolo, Florence 1696. Digitized at Google Books .
  2. ^ Libretto (Italian) of the opera by Luigi Mancia, Naples 1698. Digitized at Google Books .
  3. ^ Libretto (Italian) of the opera by Antonio Giannettini, Reggio nell'Emilia 1701. Digitized in the Internet Archive .
  4. ^ Libretto (Italian) of the opera by Andrea Stefano Fiorè, Paolo Magni. Digitized by the Biblioteca Nazionale Braidense .
  5. ^ Libretto (Italian / German, PDF) of the opera by Antonio Vivaldi, Mantua 1719 in the archive of the Heidelberg Theater , accessed on August 11, 2016.
  6. ^ Libretto (Italian) of the anonymous opera, Rome 1720. Digitized at Google Books .
  7. ^ Libretto (Italian) of the opera by Luca Antonio Predieri, Florence 1721. Digitized version of the Museo internazionale e biblioteca della musica di Bologna.
  8. ^ Libretto (Italian) of the anonymous opera, Munich 1724. Digitized version of the Munich digitization center .
  9. ^ Libretto (Italian) of the anonymous opera, Livorno 1733. Digitized version of the Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale di Firenze .
  10. ^ Libretto (Italian) of the opera by Michele Fini, Florence 1742. Digital copy from the Biblioteca Nazionale Braidense .
  11. ^ Venice 1746 Libretto (Italian) of the opera by Niccolò Jommelli, Venice 1746. Digitized at Google Books .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f g Reinhard Strohm: The Operas of Antonio Vivaldi I. Leo S. Olschki, Florence 2008, ISBN 978-88-222-5682-9 .
  2. ↑ a b c Michael Talbot , Siegfried Saak (transl.): Vivaldi's “Tito Manlio”. In: Supplement to the Vivaldi / Tito Manlio record (Vittorio Negri), LP ETERNA 827126-130.
  3. ^ A b c Siegbert Rampe : Antonio Vivaldi and his time. Laaber, 2010, ISBN 978-3-89007-468-9 .
  4. ^ A b c Eleanor Selfridge-Field: A New Chronology of Venetian Opera and Related Genres, 1660-1760. Stanford University Press, Stanford 2007, ISBN 978-0-8047-4437-9 .
  5. ↑ a b c Dorothea Link:  Tito Manlio (Roccaforte). In: Grove Music Online (English; subscription required).
  6. ↑ Tito Manlio (Gennaro Manna) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on August 11, 2016.
  7. ↑ Tito Manlio [1a ver.] (Niccolò Jommelli) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on August 11, 2016.
  8. ↑ Tito Manlio [3a ver.] (Niccolò Jommelli) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on August 11, 2016.
  9. ↑ Tito Manlio (Girolamo Abos) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on August 11, 2016.
  10. ↑ Tito Manlio (Gaetano Latilla) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on August 11, 2016.
  11. ↑ Tito Manlio (Pietro Alessandro Guglielmi) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on August 11, 2016.
  12. ^ Tito Manlio (Giovanni Battista Borghi) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on August 11, 2016.
  13. ↑ Tito Manlio (Giuseppe Giordani) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on August 11, 2016.
  14. ↑ Tito Manlio (Angelo Tarchi) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on August 11, 2016.
  15. ↑ Tito Manlio (Gioacchino Cocchi) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on August 11, 2016.
  16. ↑ Tito Manlio (Attilio Ariosti) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on August 11, 2016.
  17. ^ Lowell Lindgren:  Ariosti, Attilio. In: Grove Music Online (English; subscription required).
  18. ^ Lowell Lindgren:  Haym, Nicola Francesco. In: Grove Music Online (English; subscription required).
  19. ^ Winton Dean , John Merrill Knapp: Handel's Operas 1704–1726. Boydell, Woodbridge 1987/2009, ISBN 978-1-84383-525-7 , p. 164.
  20. ↑ Tito Manlio (Carlo Francesco Pollarolo) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on August 11, 2016.
  21. ^ Hanns-Bertold Dietz:  Prota: (1) Ignazio Prota. In: Grove Music Online (English; subscription required).
  22. ↑ Tito Manlio (Luigi Mancia) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on August 11, 2016.
  23. ↑ Tito Manlio (Antonio Giannettini) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on August 11, 2016.
  24. ↑ Tito Manlio (Paolo Magni) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on August 11, 2016.
  25. ↑ Tito Manlio (Antonio Vivaldi) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on August 11, 2016.
  26. ^ Tito Manlio (Boni, Giorgi, Vivaldi) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on August 11, 2016.
  27. ↑ Tito Manlio (Luca Antonio Predieri) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on August 11, 2016.
  28. ↑ a b c Tito Manlio (Anonimo) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on August 11, 2016.
  29. ^ Tito Manlio (Michele Fini) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on August 11, 2016.
  30. ↑ Tito Manlio [2a ver.] (Niccolò Jommelli) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on August 11, 2016.
  31. ↑ a b c d e Antonio Vivaldi. In: Andreas Ommer: Directory of all opera complete recordings. Zeno.org , volume 20.