Assassinio nella cathedral

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Opera dates
Title: Assassinio nella cathedral
Meister Francke: Martyrdom of St. Thomas of Canterbury, Thomas Altar, around 1424

Meister Francke : Martyrdom of St. Thomas of Canterbury, Thomas Altar, around 1424

Shape: Opera in two acts and an intermezzo
Original language: Italian
Music: Ildebrando Pizzetti
Libretto : Ildebrando Pizzetti
Literary source: TS Eliot : Murder in the Cathedral
Premiere: March 1, 1958
Place of premiere: Teatro alla Scala Milan
Playing time: approx. 1 ½ hours
Place and time of the action: Canterbury , December 1170
people
  • The Archbishop Tommaso / Thomas Becket ( bass )
  • Two luminaries (choir leaders) of the Women of Canterbury ( soprano , mezzo-soprano )
  • Three priests of the cathedral ( tenor , bass, bass)
  • A herald (tenor)
  • Four tempters (tenor, baritone , bass, bass)
  • Four knights of the king (tenor, baritone, baritone, bass)
  • Canterbury women, priests, children ( choir )

Assassinio nella cattedrale (German: Murder in the Cathedral ) is an opera (original name: "Tragedia musicale") in two acts and an intermezzo by Ildebrando Pizzetti (music) with its own libretto based on TS Eliot's verse drama Murder in the Cathedral . The premiere took place on March 1, 1958 at the Teatro alla Scala Milan.

action

The opera is about the assassination of Thomas Becket in 1170. Becket was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury in 1162 as a friend and counselor to King Henry II of England , but then got into a conflict with him over the independence of the Church. From 1164 he spent several years in exile in France. After his return, which was celebrated by the people, he could not be persuaded to come to an agreement with the king. On December 29, 1170, he was murdered by four of the king's knights in the cathedral.

first act

A square between the cathedral and the archbishop's seat; a gray winter afternoon

The Canterbury Women Choir and its two luminaries (choir leaders) approach the cathedral on the street to the left to greet Archbishop Tommaso (Thomas Becket). They fear new reprisals from the king. From the cathedral they meet three priests who talk about the lengthy senseless negotiations of the kings and bishops. A herald announces the arrival of Beckett. Other groups of priests are added. The Herald reports that the Archbishop returned with the approval of the Pope and the French King. No one could predict the reaction of the English king. He leaves, leaving those present with mixed feelings. While the women express their concerns, the three priests invite them to welcome Tommaso.

Surrounded by the choir of priests, the archbishop appears and demands an end to the argument. The second priest apologizes for the behavior of the women and assures him that his rooms are in the same condition as he left them. Tommaso replies that he will leave the rooms in this condition when he leaves. He raises his arms to bless the women. They beg him to return to France. The archbishop enters his official residence with the three priests.

Study in the Archbishop's official residence

Tommaso reports to the three priests about the successful journey despite his many opponents. He dismisses the priests, goes to the table and picks up a book. Now four “tempters” appear to him one after the other. The first hums a dance song and then reminds Tommaso of the happy times of his friendship with the king, which could now return. Tommaso replies that he is twenty years late. The first tempter disappears.

Instead, a second tempter appears, accompanied by two knights, who hold Tommaso the insignia of his office: a splendid coat of purple brocade and a jeweled scepter . He reminds Tommaso of the influence he could exert on the king in his position. If he got involved, he could increase his power. Tommaso replies that he sees it as his duty to condemn the king, not to make common cause with his servants. The tempter and the two knights disappear. Outside the women complain that the air is heavy and full of bad smells. Tommaso goes to the window and ponders the temptations.

A third tempter enters. He assures Tommaso that there is no longer any hope of reconciliation with the king. Instead, he should ally himself with the Norman barons and fight the king by military means. Tommaso replies that he doesn't even trust the king. Therefore he could not rely on anyone other than God. In addition, he should not be said to have betrayed a king.

The fourth tempter appears only in the form of a large shadow on the wall. He confirms Tommaso that all other ways are closed to him and gives him the prospect of death as a martyr . As such, he would gain eternal glory. Tommaso cannot easily resist this temptation - he had already dreamed of it himself. The shadow disappears and Tommaso throws himself on the floor in front of the crucifix .

Outside the women complain again. They think they see demons flying in the air. The words of the four tempters mix in the chorus, pointing to the unreality of human life and Tommaso's inflexibility. The two luminaries beg Tommaso to save himself, as this is the only way he can save them too. After Tommaso has risen, he appears transfigured. He considers the last temptation to be the greatest - having searched for amusement, fame and honor for the past thirty years. He is now ready to endure his fate to the point of death by the sword.

intermezzo

Christmas morning 1170 in the cathedral

Tommaso gives a Christmas sermon. After an introduction with a quotation from Gloria and an instrumental interlude, he explains to the people the meaning of martyrdom. He announces that he probably cannot speak to them again and that they will soon have a new martyr.

Second act

The square between the cathedral and the archbishop's seat, as at the beginning of the first act

The women complain that there is not even peace in the world at Christmas. A small group of monks and priests appear, followed by the three solo priests, each with an acolyte , who carry the banners of Saint Stephen , the Apostle John and the “Holy Innocents”. Everyone is unsure of what the future will bring.

The priests of the choir and the standard-bearers move away when four knights suddenly appear and impatiently demand to speak to the archbishop. The first priest enters the bishop's palace to get Tommaso. He comes with some priests, monks and servants and informs the other two priests that the expected time has come and that they will find some signed documents on the table. Then he turns to the knights. These remind Tommaso that he owes his office to the king and accuse him of treason. Tommaso contradicts: he always followed the royal orders exactly. The knights don't want to hear excuses. The king had ordered that if he did not want to justify himself personally to the king, he had to leave before dawn. Tommaso replied that they would have to make the royal orders publicly. He will then also publicly reject them. As the knights seem to take up arms, the monks and servants step in to defend Tommaso. Tommaso waves them back and explains to the knights that he resolutely refuses to appear before the king and that he will not allow himself to be separated from his congregation again. Instead, he wanted to bring the case to Rome. But if he were to be murdered beforehand, he would rise from the grave and present him to God himself. The knights threaten to return with swords and withdraw.

The women complain about premonitions and ask Tommaso to pray for them. Tommaso explains that these events are part of the divine plan. It was just a moment - then another moment would come when they would be filled with joy and pain. But then everything will turn into sweet memories and seem unreal like a dream. The three priests beg Tommaso to go to the monastery as quickly as possible to save his life. He should hold Vespers there . Although Tommaso wants to await his fate outside, the priests pull him into the cathedral with them. The women flee frightened.

In the cathedral

Past the age the priests sing the Dies irae , while women give their terror expression. A small group of priests and monks enter to bolt the church doors. But Tommaso orders it to be reopened, because the church must also remain open to its opponents. Already the four obviously drunk knights penetrate the cathedral and call for Tommaso, whom they insult as a traitor to the king and a schemer of the church. Tommaso faces them fearlessly - ready to give his blood for that of the Savior. The knights ask him one last time to withdraw the excommunications he has exercised , to surrender his usurped power and to renew the broken oath of obedience . When Tommaso refuses, the knights penetrate him. Some priests and monks are still trying to shield him, but are pushed away by the knights. The knights kill Tommaso. Those present cry out in horror. The knights explain to them that they acted out of love for the country and for the king, even if the king would not admit this and they themselves had no choice but to go into exile. Becket had enough opportunities to avoid this end, but he himself wanted martyrdom. Your act is therefore justified. His death could be described as a suicide because of mental illness - but he was still a great man. The knights leave the cathedral. Those who remained behind praise God in a glory for the blood of his saints and martyrs and ask the blessed Tommaso to pray for them.

layout

Pizzetti wrote the opera after a creative crisis that lasted two decades. In doing so, he almost regained the quality of his early works, especially in the choirs and the performance of the title role, which the stringency of the text certainly played a large part in.

Since his first opera Fedra in 1915, Pizzetti had been looking for a new type of opera that would be based on opera of the 17th century and on prose theater. Like his colleagues Gian Francesco Malipiero and Ottorino Respighi , it was primarily about leaving behind the legacy of verismo , which they perceived as decadent. Also Assassinio nella cattedrale in this tradition. It is an "anti-dramatic" opera in which prayer is given a special place. Similar to the Greek drama, the choir is headed by so-called luminaries . The vocal lines are characterized by a simple declamation reminiscent of Gregorian chant . There are only a few polyphonic structures. Harmonics is tonal and often uses modal formulas.

Instrumentation

The orchestral line-up for the opera includes the following instruments:

Work history

Assassinio nella cattedrale is a late work by Ildebrando Pizzetti . The libretto is based on TS Eliot's verse drama Murder in the Cathedral , which Pizzetti himself adapted for his opera based on the Italian translation by Alberto Castelli. He had acquired the text on April 5, 1956 and shortly thereafter submitted his drafts to TS Eliot for assessment.

Nicola Rossi-Lemeni (Tommaso Beckett), Leyla Gencer (1st luminary), Gabriella Carturan (2nd luminary), Mario Ortica (1st priest) and Dino Dondi sang the premiere on March 1, 1958 at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan (2nd priest), Adolfo Cormanni (3rd priest), Aldo Bertocci (herald), Mirto Picchi (1st tempter), Antonio Cassinelli (2nd tempter), Nicola Zaccaria (3rd tempter), Lino Puglisi (4th tempter ), Rinaldo Pelizzoni (1st knight), Enrico Campi (2nd knight), Silvio Maionica (3rd knight), Marco Stefanoni (4th knight). Gianandrea Gavazzeni was the musical director, Margherita Wallmann directed , and Piero Zuffi was responsible for the set. The performance was generally well received.

Pizzetti later deleted the section with the self-justification of the murderers before the final choir.

The opera was performed internationally in the following years, mostly with Rossi-Lemeni in the title role: 1958 in Mexico, Rome, at the Festival of Ellenville and in concert at Carnegie Hall in New York, 1959 in Trieste, Barcelona, ​​Naples, Lisbon and Rome (in the Auditorio di Via della Conciliazione in front of Pope John XXIII. ), 1959 and 1960 at the Empire State Music Festival in New York (with Plinio Clabassi as Tommaso), 1960 in Venice (also with Plinio Clabassi), Genoa, Rio de Janeiro and Vienna (in German with Hans Hotter in the title role; direction: Herbert von Karajan ), 1961 at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and in Treviso, 1962 in Coventry and London (in an English translation by Geoffrey Dunn), 1963 in Antwerp, 1966 at the Festival de Puebla in Mexico, 1967 in Catania and Buenos Aires, 1968 in Parma and 1978 in Barcelona. In 2000 Ruggero Raimondi sang the title role in a performance in Turin in a production by John Cox under the musical direction of Bruno Bartoletti . A video recording was made of a performance on December 22, 2006 in the Basilica of San Nicola in Bari. In 2009 it was played in Milan and in 2011 at the Frankfurt Opera .

Recordings

  • March 1, 1958 (live from Milan, world premiere): Gianandrea Gavazzeni (conductor), orchestra and choir of the Teatro alla Scala . Nicola Rossi-Lemeni (Tommaso Beckett), Leyla Gencer (1st luminary), Gabriella Carturan (2nd luminary), Mario Ortica (1st priest), Dino Dondi (2nd priest), Adolfo Cormanni (3rd priest), Aldo Bertocci (Herald), Mirto Picchi (1st attempt), Antonio Cassinelli (2nd attempt), Nicola Zaccaria (3rd attempt), Lino Puglisi (4th attempt), Rinaldo Pelizzoni (1st knight), Enrico Campi (2nd attempt) Knight), Silvio Maionica (3rd knight), Marco Stefanoni (4th knight). HOPE (LP), OPD (CD).
  • December 5, 1958 (live, in concert from Turin): Ildebrando Pizzetti (conductor), orchestra and choir of the RAI Turin. Nicola Rossi-Lemeni (Tommaso Beckett), Virginia Zeani (1st luminary), Anna Maria Rota (2nd luminary), Mario Ortica (1st priest), Mario Boriello (2nd priest), Adolfo Cormanni (3rd priest), Aldo Bertocci (Herald), Rinaldo Pelizzoni (1st tempter / 1st knight), Paolo Montarsolo (2nd tempter / 2nd knight), Silvio Maionica (3rd tempter / 3rd knight), Marco Stefanoni (4th tempter / 4th knight) . Knight). Stradivarius CD: STR 10056/57 (2 CD), Legendary Recordings 143 (2 LP).
  • March 9, 1960 (live from Vienna, complete, German version by Heinrich Schmidt): Herbert von Karajan (conductor), orchestra and choir of the Vienna State Opera . Hans Hotter (Tommaso Beckett), Hilde Zadek (1st luminary), Christa Ludwig (2nd luminary), Kurt Equiluz (1st priest), Claude Heater (2nd priest), Edmund Hurshell (3rd priest), Anton Dermota ( Herold), Gerhard Stolze (1st tempter / 1st knight), Paul Schöffler (2nd tempter / 2nd knight), Walter Berry (3rd tempter / 3rd knight), Walter Kreppel (4th tempter / 4th knight) . Deutsche Grammophon CD: 457 671-2 (2 CD).
  • March 21, 2000 (live from Turin): Bruno Bartoletti (conductor), orchestra, choir and Coro di Voci bianche of the Teatro Regio di Torino and the Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi . Ruggero Raimondi (Tommaso Beckett), Maria Billeri (1st luminary), Milena Storti (2nd luminary), Maurizio Comencini (1st priest), Carlo Morini (2nd priest), Alessandro Svab (3rd priest), Iorio Zennaro ( Herold), Alfred Kim (1st tempter / 1st knight), István Kovács (2nd tempter / 2nd knight), Enzo di Matteo (3rd tempter / 3rd knight), Andrea Silvestrelli (4th tempter / 4th knight ). House of Opera CD.
  • December 22, 2006 (video, live from the Basilica of San Nicola in Bari): Piergiorgio Morandi (conductor), Daniele d'Onofrio (staging), Orchestra Sinfonica della Provincia Bari, Coro ATER, Coro di voci bianche del Conservatorio di Bari. Ruggero Raimondi (Tommaso Beckett), Paoletta Marrocu (1st luminary), Sonia Zaramella (2nd luminary), Saverio Fiore (1st priest), Filippo Bettoschi (2nd priest), Elia Fabbian (3rd priest), Luca Casalin ( Herold), Salvatore Cordella (1st tempter / 1st knight), Massimiliano Valleggi (2nd tempter / 2nd knight), Antonio De Gobbi (3rd tempter / 3rd knight), István Kovács (4th tempter / 4th knight ). Decca 074 3253 (1 DVD).

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d e f Michele Girardi: Assassinio nella cathedral. In: Piper's Encyclopedia of Musical Theater. Vol. 5. Works. Piccinni - Spontini. Piper, Munich and Zurich 1994, ISBN 3-492-02415-7 , pp. 16-18.
  2. ^ Assassinio nella Cattedrale. In: Kurt Pahlen : The new opera lexicon. Seehamer, Weyarn 2000, ISBN 3-934058-58-2 , p. 120 f.
  3. ↑ Murder in the cathedral. In: Heinz Wagner: The great manual of the opera. 4th edition. Nikol, Hamburg 2006, ISBN 978-3-937872-38-4 , p. 979.
  4. ^ A b John CG Waterhouse:  Assassinio nella cathedral. In: Grove Music Online (English; subscription required).
  5. ↑ a b Ulrich Schreiber : Opera guide for advanced learners. The 20th Century I. From Verdi and Wagner to Fascism. Bärenreiter, Kassel 2000, ISBN 3-7618-1436-4 , p. 645.
  6. ↑ Udo Bermbach (Ed.): Opera in the 20th century. Development tendencies and composers. Metzler, Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-476-01733-8 , p. 269.
  7. ↑ March 1, 1958: “Assassinio nella cathedral”. In: L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia ., Accessed on June 18, 2016.
  8. ↑ a b L'assassino nella cathedral. In: Reclam's Opernlexikon. Philipp Reclam jun., 2001. Digital Library, Volume 52, p. 199.
  9. ↑ a b Product information on the DVD at Unitel , accessed on June 19, 2016.
  10. ^ Carlo Vitali: Idea drama - Pizzetti: Assassinio nella cathedral in Milan. In: Opernwelt from July 2009, p. 49
  11. ↑ Roberto Becker: Murder in the Church. Review of the 2011 Frankfurt performance in Online Musik Magazin , accessed on June 19, 2016.
  12. ↑ a b c d Ildebrando Pizzetti. In: Andreas Ommer: Directory of all opera complete recordings. Zeno.org , volume 20.