Attilio Regolo
| Work data | |
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| Title: | Attilio Regolo |
Third act, last scene. |
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| Shape: | Opera seria |
| Original language: | Italian |
| Music: | First setting by Johann Adolph Hasse |
| Libretto : | Pietro Metastasio |
| Premiere: | January 12, 1750 |
| Place of premiere: | Court Theater , Dresden |
| Place and time of the action: | Rome, during the First Punic War around 250 BC. Chr. |
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Attilio Regolo is an opera - libretto in three acts by Pietro Metastasio . It was in 1740 for a on the name day of Emperor Charles VI. A planned performance was written, but it was thwarted by his death. It was performed for the first time in a setting by Johann Adolph Hasse on January 12, 1750 in Dresden.
A German translation of the libretto by Johann Anton Koch appeared in 1773 under the name Attilius Regulus in the fifth volume of his unfinished complete edition Des Herr Abbot Peter Metastasio Kayserl. Royal Court Poet's Dramatic Poems. In 1786 the composer and music writer Johann Adam Hiller published a German translation in his book Ueber Metastasio und seine Werke: in addition to some pieces translated into German .
action
The libretto is about an incident during the First Punic War in Rome:
“The Roman consul and military leader Attilius Regulus , after many great victories which he carried over the Carthaginians in Africa, had the misfortune of being defeated and captured by them. After the war lasted for a few years, during which the Carthaginians were unhappy, they sought peace, or if they could not maintain it, at least the exchange of prisoners, and the easier it was for the Romans, who were proud of their victories, to go to one or the other to move, they sent Regulus at the same time with their ambassador, so that he might procure either peace or an exchange from his fellow citizens. Before he left, they compelled him to swear an oath that even if he did not receive anything, he would come back, and since they knew his immovable steadfastness, they showed him all the terrible tortures they had caused him from his departure the assurance that they all wanted to do it on him. Regulus left with the ambassador, but when he arrived in Rome he moved the councilors not to accept any of the hostile proposals, because this would be a great pity for the Romans. After this had happened, despite all efforts of the people and senate in Rome to hold him back, he returned to the chains and the most terrible way of death. This famous deed, which can be considered a very rare example of honesty, love for the fatherland, and steadfastness, is the subject of the present tragedy, which was made by the famous Metastasio , and for the local king. The scene has been pulled a little short. "
The following table of contents is based on the libretto of the setting by Johann Adolph Hasse, published in Berlin in 1775.
first act
The palace of the consul in front of the city, with a great wide staircase that leads to magnificent rooms
The Roman tribune Licinio meets his lover Attilia. She is waiting for Consul Manlio to talk to him about her father Regolo, who has been imprisoned in Carthage for five years. With a Carthage envoy expected, this is a good opportunity to press for his release. When Manlio approaches, she sends Licinio away so that she can talk to him undisturbed. In doing so, she points out to him the merits of her father. However, Manlio cannot or does not want to help her and advises her to turn to the senators.
Barce, her brother Publio's Carthaginian slave, reports to Attilia that Regolo has arrived with the envoy. Publio has already spoken to him, but discovered that Regolo has not yet been released. Attilia goes on to tell Licinio the news. Publio now gives Barce the name of the ambassador. It is Amilcare, Hammo's son and Barce's lover. Since Publio also loves Barce, he doesn't want to know any further details. Barce is looking forward to seeing Amilcare again.
The temple of Bellona near Rome, with seats for the consul, the senators and the ambassador
In the peace negotiations, Regolo refuses to take his old place between the senators because he is not a free man. Amilcare advises those present that Regolo is now speaking for Carthage. This states that the condition for peace is that Carthage may keep all possessions or at least the prisoners of both sides are released. Regolo himself now advises rejecting both conditions, however, because the desire for peace already shows Carthage's weakness and indulgence is not compatible with the honor of Rome. He urges the Romans to completely subjugate Carthage in order to avenge the shame of his long imprisonment. Manlio and the Senators withdraw to deliberate.
Regolo refuses to enter his old apartment as an enemy envoy. He also rejects Attilia's request to be allowed to follow him.
Barce and Amilcare finally see each other again. Unfortunately, they have to split up again immediately because the negotiations have failed. Amilcare follows Publio to the apartment assigned to him.
Barce asks Attilia to ask the council members for their pity and help for Attilio.
Second act
Apartments in the Palace of the Envoys near Rome
Regolo sends his son Publio to the Senate to support his tough stance, although it will cost him his life. Publio is torn between love for his father and his patriotic duty.
Manlio praises Regolo for his steadfastness and offers him, his former rival, friendship. He wants to work towards an exchange of prisoners during the negotiations in order to save him. Regolo firmly rejects this and persuades Manlio to remain adamant.
Licinio and Attilia have meanwhile persuaded the senators to demand his release during the negotiations. Regolo is outraged that they have so disregarded his will and honor.
Since Attilia is desperate about the fate of her father, Licinio tries to comfort her.
A gallery
Publio brings Regolo the news that the Senate has rejected the Carthaginian peace offer. Regolo asks him to stand firm and help Attilia. Publio therefore advises Attilia and Barce to accept fate. Licinio and Amilcare join in and confirm the decision. Amilcare fears that Barce will not be released either, since the prisoner exchange has now failed. He accuses Publio of acting in his own interest because he wants Barce for himself. Publio firmly rejects this and releases his slave Barce with immediate effect.
Licinio is determined to save Attilia's father. He finds an ally in Amilcare who wants to prove to Rome that Africa also has heroes. While Licinio prepares the popular uprising, Attilia and Barce sincerely hope that Licinio and Amilcare will survive the danger.
Third act
A ground floor hall with adjoining gardens
Regolo asks Manlio to look after his children after his departure. Publio brings the news of the popular uprising that Regolo wants to prevent from leaving. The augurs have also gathered to decide. Manlio opposes the people. Regolo sends Publio to Manlio as support.
Amilcare offers Regolo to let him escape. Regolo feels hurt in his honor and rejects it indignantly. He asks Amilcare to prepare the ships for departure.
Attilia reports on the augurs' decision. Accordingly, Regolo's oath is invalid because he swore it in captivity and was unable to make a free decision. The people are already on their way to the port to stop him. Regolo asks his daughter for strength and leaves with Publio and the guard.
Barce cannot understand Regolo's behavior and is amazed at the Romans' exaggerated concept of honor.
Covered corridors on the Tiber. Ships and a drawbridge
Licinio blocks access to the ships with a crowd. Since Manlio tries in vain to clear the way, Regolo gives a speech to the people. In it he praises his luck at being able to end his days gloriously. He calls on everyone not to prevent his triumph: "As a friend I demand this favor from you, as a fellow citizen I admonish you, as a father I command you!" The people lower their weapons and open the passage. Amilcare, Barce and Regolo enter the ship and sail away. A farewell choir from the Romans ends the opera.
history
The story of the voluntary sacrifice of Marcus Atilius Regulus is reported by several ancient authors, including Appian in the fifth and eighth books of his Rhomaika , Cicero in the third book of his ethics treatise De officiis , Florus in the first book of his Epitoma , Horace in the third book of Carmina (No. 5), Silius Italicus in the sixth book of the Punica and Johannes Zonaras in the eighth book of his world chronicle Epitome Historion .
One of the more recent models for Metastasio's libretto was probably the tragedy Régulus by the French playwright Jacques Pradon from 1688. This has an almost identical plot and, since 1711, was also available in an Italian translation by Girolamo Gigli . Before Metastasio, Matteo Noris had already written a libretto with the same name in 1693, which was set to music by Alessandro Scarlatti , among others . Its action, however, only begins after Regolo's departure.
Originally on the name day of Charles VI. The performance planned for November 4, 1740 in Vienna was thwarted by his death on October 20. The text was revised several times over the next few years and read at court. The Saxon Elector Friedrich August finally commissioned Johann Adolph Hasse with a setting for Dresden, in which he took into account additional letters from Metastasio. The first performance took place on January 12, 1750. The second setting was composed by Niccolò Jommelli in 1753 for the Teatro delle Dame in Rome. This was also staged in London in 1754. In this series of performances, the closing words of the Regolo, which were unusually set not as an aria but as a recitative , were regularly repeated as an encore.
Metastasio himself considered this drama to be his best structured work. However, he foresaw early on that it would not be very popular with composers. This was confirmed by the small number of only four settings.
An anonymous German-language adaptation of the libretto as a play was published in Vienna in 1759.
Settings
The following composers used this libretto for an opera:
| year | composer | premiere | Performance location | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1750 | Johann Adolph Hasse | January 12, 1750, court theater | Dresden | also in Milan in 1750; Carnival 1775 in the Royal Court Opera in Berlin |
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| 1753 | Niccolò Jommelli | January 8th 1753, Teatro delle Dame | Rome | also in 1761 as pasticcio at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples; 1754 and 1762 in London |
|
| 1777 | Carlo Monza | composed for Carnival 1778 | Munich | due to the death of Elector Max III. Josef not listed on December 28, 1777. | |
| 1780 | Luigi Guido Beltrami | 1780, Collegio Vescovile | Verona |
The first setting by Johann Adolph Hasse
The premiere of Hasse's setting, which was written in 1740, was on January 12, 1750 in the Dresden Court Theater, which was reconstructed and expanded after a fire . The roles were distributed as follows:
- Regolo - Domenico Annibali
- Manlio - Angelo Amorevoli
- Attilia - Faustina Bordoni
- Publio - Regina Mingotti
- Barce - Maria Rosa Negri
- Licinio - Joseph Schuster
- Amilcare - Ventura Rocchetti
In the same year 1750, the same opera was also performed in Milan.
Friedrich II had Attilio Regolo re-performed in 1775 at the Royal Court Opera in Berlin.
Recordings and performances in recent times
-
Johann Adolph Hasse :
- 1997: Performance in Göttingen. Head: Günther Weißenborn . Singers: Paul Esswood (Attilio), Montserrat Aparici (Attilia), Barbara Rondelli (Publio).
- 1997: Performance in the Semperoper Dresden. Cappella Sagittariana Dresden, direction: Frieder Bernius . Singers: Derek Lee Ragin (Attilio Regolo), Michael Volle (Licinius), Markus Schäfer (Manlius), Martina Borst (Attilia), Carmen Fuggis (Barce), Randall K. Wong (Amilcar), Sibylla Rubens (Publius).
-
Carlo Monza :
- 2008: Highlights of the opera in the Cuvilliés Theater as part of the Munich Residence Week. New Court Chapel Munich , conductor: Christoph Hammer . Singer: Sophie Marin-Degor .
Web links
- Several different versions of the libretto as full text (Italian) on progettometastasio.it.
- Libretto as full text (Italian) at letteraturaitaliana.net (PDF).
- Representations of singers as characters in the opera by Johann Adolph Hasse at the German Digital Library .
Digital copies
- ^ Johann Anton Koch: The abbot Peter Metastasio Kayserl. Royal Court Poet's Dramatic Poems, translated from Italian. Fifth volume. Krauss, Frankfurt and Leipzig 1773. Digitization at the Munich digitization center .
- ^ Johann Adam Hiller: Ueber Metastasio und seine Werke , Leipzig 1786. Digitized at Google Books .
- ^ A b c d Libretto (Italian / German) of the setting by Johann Adolph Hasse, Berlin 1775. Digitized at the Berlin State Library .
- ^ Regulus Ein Trauerspiel, German translation of the libretto, Vienna 1759. Digitized at the Munich digitization center .
- ^ A b Libretto (Italian) of the setting by Johann Adolph Hasse, Dresden 1750. Digitized at the University Library in Halle .
- ^ A b Libretto (Italian) of the setting by Johann Adolph Hasse, Milan 1750. Digitized in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna .
- ^ Libretto (Italian) of the opera by Niccolò Jommelli, Rome 1753. Digitized in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna .
- ↑ Score of the setting by Niccolò Jommelli. Digitized at the International Music Score Library Project .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Metastasio, Pietro in Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart , p. 50861 ff (cf. MGG vol. 9, p. 229 ff.) Bärenreiter-Verlag 1986 ( digital library volume 60).
- ↑ a b c d e Don Neville: Attilio Regolo. In: Grove Music Online (English; subscription required).
- ^ Attilio Regolo (Johann Adolf Hasse) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on January 29, 2015.
- ↑ a b c Attilio Regolo (Johann Adolf Hasse) at operabaroque.fr , accessed on January 29, 2015.
- ^ Attilio Regolo (Niccolò Jommelli) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on October 9, 2014.
- ^ List of the stage works by Niccolò Jommelli based on the MGG at Operone, accessed on January 29, 2015.
- ^ Attilio Regolo (Carlo Monza) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on October 9, 2014.
- ^ A b Music program of the Munich Residence Week ( memento from October 16, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) 2008 on deutschland-im-web.de, accessed on October 9, 2014.
- ↑ Attilio Regolo (Luigi Guido Beltrami) at Opening Night! Opera & Oratorio Premieres , Stanford University, accessed October 9, 2014.