Amleto
| Opera dates | |
|---|---|
| Title: | Hamlet |
| Original title: | Amleto |
Pavel Černoch as Hamlet, |
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| Shape: | Opera in four acts |
| Original language: | Italian |
| Music: | Franco Faccio |
| Libretto : | Arrigo Boito |
| Literary source: |
William Shakespeare : Hamlet |
| Premiere: | May 30, 1865 |
| Place of premiere: | Teatro Carlo Felice (Genoa) |
| Playing time: | about 3 hours |
| Place and time of the action: | Helsingør , early Middle Ages |
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Amleto is a lyric tragedy in four acts by the Italian composer Franco Faccio , based on the tragedy Hamlet by William Shakespeare . The original version of the work was set to music in Italian, the libretto comes from the composer and librettist Arrigo Boito .
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The first performance in the Teatro Carlo Felice of Genoa took place successfully on May 30, 1865. After that, the work saw only one performance in the 19th century in 1871 at the Teatro alla Scala in Milano, conducted by the composer. There the work fell through - mainly because the main actor was indisposed and could hardly be heard.
The rediscovery of the Amleto took place in the 21st century by the composer and conductor Anthony Barrese , who reconstructed the work and presented it in concert in Baltimore (Maryland) and staged at the Opera Southwest in Albuquerque (New Mexico) in October 2014 . The first European performance since 1871 was met on July 20, 2016 at the Bregenz Festival with cheers from the audience and hymnal reviews.
action
first act
Part 1
While the people are celebrating the new King Claudius of Denmark ( Viva il Re! ), Prince Hamlet laments the death of his father and the quick marriage of his mother Gertrude to the brother of the deceased within a month ( Ah si dissolva quest'abbietta forma di duolo e colpe! ). He eludes the festivities. Ophelia, the prince's fiancee, approaches him tenderly and reminds him of the power of love ( Dubita pur che brillino degli astri le carole ). The court, the queen and the new king celebrate exuberantly. Apart from Horatio and Marcellus, friends of Hamlet, they tell him that they saw the ghost of Hamlet's father wandering around during their night watch. The three decide to wait for the ghost together the next night. The festival goes on.
Part 2
Hamlet, Horazio and Marcellus keep watch. The ghost appears and wants to speak to Hamlet alone ( Tu dêi sapere ch'io son l'anima lesa ). He reveals that the one who killed him, his own brother, is now wearing his crown ( Che mi diè morde ... ). He calls on Hamlet to take revenge and resigns. Hamlet swears retribution ( Angioli e Santi! Inferno e ciel! ) And demands of his friends not to speak a word about this encounter.
Second act
Part 1
Polonius, father of Ophelia, tries to convince the royal couple that Hamlet's melancholy is due to his love for his daughter ( Quand'ei qui giunga, a lui verrà mia figlia ). Hamlet ponders death, sleep and dreams ( Essere o non essere ). Ophelia appears and wants to give Hamlet back coins of gold and silver he has received. However, he renounces marriage and asks her to go to the monastery ( Fatti monachella ). Ophelia desperately calls on God to save him from his confusion ( Lo salva, o Signore ). She resigns. Polonius comes and tells of a group of actors. Hamlet decides to hire her. You're supposed to play a play about a regicide so he can watch Claudius react to it.
Part 2
The court gathers for the drama. The game begins. Hamlet instructs Horatio to watch the new king closely. When asked by his mother, Hamlet gave the title of the play, The Trap ( La trappola ), and asks himself who the mouse was. And answers himself that the mouse is the king ( Il sorcio è il re…. ). In the course of the play, Claudius gets increasingly excited ( Regina nel core ). Gertrude cannot understand her husband's strange behavior. At the climax of the piece, Claudius calls for a light and storms out of the hall. Hamlet revels in satisfaction. His plan worked ( Viva la trappola! ).
Third act
Part 1
Claudius is alone, plagued by torments of conscience ( O nera colpa! ). Hamlet enters to kill Claudius. However, when he sees him praying, he fails to do so. Death on his knees would take him straight to Heaven. Resign. Claudius prays to God and asks for forgiveness ( O Padre nostro - che sei nel cielo ). Eventually, however, he renounces repentance and prayer and resigns.
Polonius asks Gertrude to calm Hamlet down. When he appears, Polonius hides behind a curtain. Hamlet and his mother get into an argument, Hamlet threatens them. When Polonius calls for help for the queen, he is stabbed to death by Hamlet, who takes him for Claudius. After his mother's exclamation ( Che festi! ), Hamlet accuses his mother of killing the king and marrying his brother ( Meno crudele che d'uccidere un re, madre, per poscia isposarne il fratello! ). As if in delirium, Hamlet sings about the weaknesses and vices of Claudius ( O re ladrone… Re babbuino!…. Re pulcinella! ). The ghost appears and reminds Hamlet of vengeance. Hamlet asks for forgiveness ( Celesti spirti! O lugubre ). Gertrude, who cannot see the ghost, thinks her son is crazy.
Hamlet withdraws, Gertrude, now alone, confesses her guilt ( Ah! Che alfine all'empio scherno ).
Part 2
Laertes storms into the castle, the people rage. Claudius wants to flee. Laertes poses him and wants to know where his father is. Claudius confesses his death, but not by his hand. Both freeze when Ophelia, delusional, appears. She sings of her father's funeral ( la bara involta ). Claudius informs Laertes that it was Hamlet who killed his father. Both of them go to find Hamlet. Ophelia is hallucinating. She thinks she heard the name Hamlet ( Amleto! Amleto! Chi parlò d'Amleto? ). She sings about the willow, the stream, the branches and finally goes into the water.
Fourth act
Part 1
Two grave diggers prepare a grave, one of them philosophizes about death ( Oggi a me, domani a te ). Hamlet and Horatio arrive and talk to one of them. When the mourners approach, both hide. The funeral procession arrives, at the head of Ophelia's corpse. Laertes curses Hamlet ( Che Iddio scaraventi l'ardente saetta ), who then reveals himself. They begin to fight, but Claudius has them separated by guards. Hamlet expresses his love for the deceased ( Io quella morta amai ). Claudius reminds Laertes of the plan they shared last night.
Part 2
A herald announces that Hamlet and Laertes will have a sporting competition ( Illustri cortigiani e cavalieri ). Laerte assures Claudius that his sword is poisoned and that the first wound will kill Hamlet. Hamlet approaches Laertes and excuses his behavior as a mental confusion. The duel begins, Hamlet claims a point, Laertes denies. Claudius offers Hamlet his goblet ( La coppa è colma ), Gertrude whispers in her husband's ear that she knows that the drink is poisoned. Hamlet wants to end the fight and refuses the drink. He makes one more point. Claudius already sees Hamlet as the winner and offers him the drink again. Gertrude seizes the goblet, drinks it and sinks to the floor. While Hamlet is so distracted, Laertes meets him. Outraged, Hamlet disarms his opponent, exchanges swords and wounds Laertes with his own weapon. He confesses that he was the victim of his own ruse, that his sword and chalice were poisoned. Laertes dies. Hamlet stabs his father's murderer, Claudius, to death before he dies too.
Performance history
| roll |
Carlo Felice Theater May 30, 1865 |
Teatro alla Scala February 12, 1871 |
Opera Southwest February 12, 2014 |
Bregenz Festival July 20, 2016 |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amleto (Hamlet) | Mario Tiberini | Mario Tiberini | Alex Richardson | Pavel Černoch | ||||
| Ofelia (Ophelia) | Angiolina Ortolani-Tiberini | Virginia Pozzi-Branzati | Abla Lynn Hamza | Julia Maria Dan | ||||
| Geltrude (Gertrude) | Elena Corani | Marietta Bulli-Paoli | Caroline Worra | Djamilja Emperor | ||||
| Claudio (Claudius) | Antonio Cotogni | Zenone Bertolasi | Shannon DeVine | Claudio Sgura | ||||
| Lo Spettro (The Spirit) | Eraclito Bagagiolo | Ormondo Maini | Jeffrey Beruan | Gianluca Buratto | ||||
| Laerte (Laertes) | Napoleone Sinigaglia | Luigi Manfredi | Javier Gonzalez | Paul Schweinester | ||||
| Polonio (Polonius) | Cesare Sonino | Angelo De Giuli | Matthew Curran | Eduard Tsanga | ||||
| Orazio (Horatio) | Antonio Furlani | Augusto Gabrielli | Joseph Hubbard | Sébastien Soulès | ||||
| Marcello (Marcellus) | Alessandro Romanelli | Fausto Mola | Paul Bower | Bartosz Urbanowicz | ||||
| Un Sacerdote (priest) | Angelo De Giuli | Gianluca Buratto | ||||||
| Un Araldo (Herald) | Angelo Rocca | Jonathan Winell | ||||||
| Il Re Gonzaga (King Gonzaga), actor | Napoleone Sinigaglia | Luigi Manfredi | Jonathan Winell | |||||
| La Regina (Queen), actress | Angelina Borotti | Ferdinanda Cappelli | Sabine Winter | |||||
| Luciano, actor | Alessandro Romanelli | Fausto Mola | Yasushi Hirano | |||||
| Primo Becchino (First Gravedigger) | Eraclito Bagagiolo | Fausto Mola | Matthew Curran | Yasushi Hirano | ||||
| Secondo Becchino (Second Gravedigger) | ||||||||
| Leading team | ||||||||
| conductor | Angelo Mariani | Franco Faccio | Anthony Barrese | Paolo Carignani | ||||
| Director | David Bartholomew | Olivier Tambosi | ||||||
| Stage design | Cathy Wong | Frank Philipp Schlößmann | ||||||
| Costumes | Gesine Völlm | |||||||
The Bregenz production was taken over by the Chemnitz Opera (premiere on November 3, 2018 - title role: Gustavo Pena, musical direction: Gerrit Prießnitz)
Sources of the cast lists:
Discography
- 2014: Alex Richardson (Amleto), Abla Lynn Hamza (Ofelia), Shannon DeVine (Claudio), Caroline Worra (Geltrude), Opera Southwest Chorus and Orchestra, Anthony Barrese (conductor). (Opera Southwest; recorded live at the National Hispanic Cultural Center on October 26, 2014)
- 2016: Pavel Černoch (Amleto), Iulia Maria Dan (Ofelia), Claudio Sgura (Claudio), Dshamilja Kaiser (Geltrude), Prague Philharmonic Choir, Vienna Symphony, Paolo Carignani (conductor). (Live recording at the Bregenz Festival on July 20, 2016)
Web links
- Anthony Barrese: Amleto Project with background information (English) and libretto (Italian, English)
- Video of the Bregenz performance on Arte Concert
Individual evidence
- ↑ Personaggi . In: Amleto - Tragedia lirica in quattro atti . Ricordi. Carnevale 1870-71,.
- ↑ The full libretto can be found in the original version and English translation under Anthony Barrese: Amleto Project: Libretto . accessed on July 21, 2016.
- ↑ Stephanie Hainsfurther: Opera Southwest Conductor Finds a Neglected Gem (PDF) ABQ Free Press, May 7, 2014, accessed April 4, 2018.
- ↑ Cheers for "Hamlet" new discovery at the start in Bregenz . Austria Press Agency , quoted here from Salzburger Nachrichten , July 21, 2016.
- ↑ Cheers for “Hamlet” new discovery at the start in Bregenz. ( Memento from August 13, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Vorarlberg Online , July 21, 2016.
- ↑ Daniel Ender: "Hamlet": Not a salvation of honor, but a coup . In: Der Standard (Vienna), July 21, 2016.
- ↑ Based on the libretto by Arrigo Boito, see: Amleto Project . Libretto (Italian, English), accessed August 9, 2016.
- ↑ In the version from 1871 the second scene of the 4th act was deleted and thus this role too.
- ^ Ricordi (Milano, Napoli): Amleto di F. Faccio . Program book for the Genovese premiere in 1865; Text archive - Internet Archive