Berenice and Lucilla
| Work data | |
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| Original title: | Berenice and Lucilla, or The virtuous loving |
Title page of the libretto from 1712 |
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| Shape: | Singspiel |
| Original language: | German , Italian |
| Music: | Christoph Graupner |
| Libretto : | L. Osiander and Aurelio Aureli |
| Literary source: | Lucio Vero by Apostolo Zeno |
| Premiere: | 1710 |
| Place of premiere: | Darmstadt |
| Place and time of the action: | Ephesus in the 2nd century |
| people | |
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Berenice and Lucilla, or the virtuous love is a baroque - opera in three acts by Christoph Graupner . The libretto wrote L. Osiander by an Italian master of Aurelio Aureli . It is based on the libretto Lucio Vero by Apostolo Zeno, which has been set to music many times . Graupner created the work in his capacity as court composer at the court of the Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt for the 1710 carnival season. The first performance took place on March 4, 1710 in Darmstadt .
The opera is mainly written in German, but also contains some arias in Italian. Berenice's aria “Heaven plants my happiness” at the end of the third act comes from Graupner's employer, Landgrave Ernst Ludwig .
action
The Roman emperor Lucius Verus won the war against the Parthians and stole Berenice. He wants to marry her, although he has already been promised Lucilla , the daughter of his co-emperor Marc Aurel . Berenice remains steadfast towards the emperor, because she is already engaged to the Parthian king Vologesus . He is arrested while trying to sneak into the Imperial Palace. In the course of the plot, Lucilla calls her unfaithful fiancé to reason by starting a riot against him. In the end, morale wins, and Berenice marries Vologesus and Lucilla the Lucius Verus.
prehistory
The Roman emperor Marc Aurel had appointed Lucius Verus as his co-regent and successor and promised him the hand of his daughter Lucilla. Vologesus, the King of the Parthians, was engaged to be the Armenian Queen Berenice. When war broke out between the Parthian Empire and Rome , Lucius went into the field as commander and defeated the Parthians. Vologesus apparently fell in battle, but was found badly injured and rescued by his people. Berenice, on the other hand, was captured by the Romans. Lucius Verus fell in love with her and took her with him to Ephesus. When the recovered Vologesus heard of this, he also went incognito to Ephesus to save her.
first act
Lucius Verus orders his confidante Anicetus to fetch Berenice. He confesses his love to her. The conversation is overheard by Vologesus. He storms out angrily. Berenice recognizes her fiancé, who was believed dead, but does not betray him. Vologesus poses as the ambassador of the Parthian king. He reproaches Lucius for wanting to rob him of his bride after the crown and his life. Lucius has him arrested. Now his servant brings Nisus the news that Lucilla has arrived in Ephesus. Lucius isn't exactly happy about that. Berenice, however, is relieved that Vologesus is still alive and asks Nisus to let her speak to the prisoner alone. He allows her.
At the port, Lucilla and Claudius enjoy the beauty of nature. When Lucius Verus arrives, Lucilla tells him that he is missing in Rome because he has not been seen there for a year after his victory over the Parthians. Claudius announces the order of the emperor Marc Aurel that Lucius must finally marry Lucilla. Otherwise he should renounce the imperial dignity. Lucius pretends that Lucilla still loves her. Claudius, however, did not escape his pretense. He resolves to avenge Lucilla.
Nisus brings Vologesus to Berenice and leaves with the guards. You and Vologesus affirm their love. Vologesus tells how he was saved by his servants after the battle, seriously injured. This report is overheard by Anicetus. Now Lucius Verus, Lucilla and Claudius come and surprise them both. Lucius orders Vologesus to be thrown immediately to the lions. Berenice faints in horror. Lucius is moved by her pain and gives Lucius freedom. Claudius and Lucilla feel betrayed. Lucilla is torn between her love for Lucius and the desire for revenge.
Second act
In the garden, Lucius asks Claudius for advice. Claudius advises against Berenice because she is already engaged. After he leaves, Anicetus comes into the garden and encourages Lucius. He has the power to do anything he wants. Rome must be silent about this. When Nisus arrives, Lucius orders him to fetch Berenice. Anicetus is supposed to go to Lucilla to tell her that he wants to follow his affection for Berenice.
Lucius woos Berenice and offers her the imperial crown. Berenice refuses, however, and continues to stand by Vologesus. Lucius asks her to think about it again and walks away for a while. Vologesus and Berenice are now talking about their hope. Lucius hears parts of this conversation and has Vologesus arrested again. Nisus is supposed to bring Berenice to his room and have him guarded there.
Anicetus visits Lucilla in the imperial room and tells her about Lucius' decision not to marry her. He is secretly in love with Lucilla himself. After he leaves, Lucius comes. He orders his guards to get Vologesus. Lucius confesses to Lucilla that he is in love with Berenice. Lucilla is disappointed but ready to forgive him. She leaves the room. Now the captured Vologesus is brought about. Lucius has his bonds removed and offers him to get his kingdom and his crown back if he lets him Berenice. Otherwise he should feel the wrath of the emperor. Vologesus would rather be put back in chains than accept it.
Anicetus urges Berenice to give in again. However, she continues to reject him. Lucius, who has listened to the end of the conversation, orders Vologesus to be killed again. When Berenice asks him to see Vologesus again, he gives her permission - but only in the presence of Anicetus. Lucius banishes Lucilla and Claudius from Ephesus.
Berenice and Anicetus come to Vologesus' prison and tell him about the death sentence. Anicetus asks him again in vain for insight. However, Vologesus and Berenice prefer to die together.
Third act
In the Roman encampment, Lucilla and Claudius incite the soldiers against Lucius, who has left the imperial daughter in favor of a deposed queen and violated Roman law. The soldiers are ready to follow them.
In a black curtained room, Berenice accuses Lucius of his tyrannical behavior. She suspects that Vologesus has already been executed and demands to see his body. Funeral music can be heard in the distance. A page brings Berenice a basin covered with his black cloth. She fears that it may contain her lover's head and only reveals it after a long period of hesitation. At that moment the music becomes more cheerful and the scene turns into an imperial room. In the basin there is a crown that Lucius Berenice offers as proof of his love. She rejects him again. Lucius now instructs Anicetus to bring Vologesus a dagger and poison so that he should choose his way of death. Berenice asks Lucius to be allowed to die in Vologesus place. After all, she is the one who angered him. The death of Vologesus could also tarnish his own fame.
Trumpets and kettledrums can be heard from outside. Nisus brings the news of the uprising of Lucilla and Claudius. The people have joined the two. Lucius sends Nisus to jail to tell Anicetus that the execution must be postponed. He allows Berenice to go with him.
Claudius and Lucilla come with the insurgents. Claudius tells Lucius to lay down the crown. This takes up the sword. But before a fight starts, Lucilla intervenes. She wants to talk to Lucius one more time and offers to forgive him and to break off the uprising when he finally understands. He should release Berenice and Vologesus, banish Anicetus, forgive Claudius, love them and obey the law. Lucius accepts the conditions. He and Lucilla make up.
Berenice comes with a blood-stained dagger. She believes Vologesus has already been executed and is about to stab herself with the dagger as well. Vologesus appears and stops them at the last moment. He explains to her that the blood on the dagger comes from Anicetus. When the latter had come to the dungeon to give him the choice of the method of death, he had taken the dagger and killed Anicetus with it. He is ready to take the punishment, but Lucius declares that Vologesus received his just punishment. He releases the two of them. The opera ends with general cheers.
Performance history
More recently, the work was performed again in October 2010 in the Darmstadt Orangery with the Darmstädter Hofkapelle and the Darmstadt Concert Choir under the musical direction of Wolfgang Seeliger and the direction of Sigrid T'Hooft . The singers were Petra van der Mieden (Berenice), Bettina Ranch (Lucilla), David Pichlmaier (Lucius Verus), Jean-Pierre Ouellet (Vologesus), Richard Logiewa (Claudius), Christian Rathgeber (Anicetus) and Burkhard Hildebrandt (Nisus).
Web links
- Berenice e Lucilla, overo L'amar per virtù (Christoph Graupner) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna
- Libretto from 1712 as digitized version in the Wolfenbütteler Digital Library (WDB) of the Herzog August Library .
Individual evidence
- ^ Alberto Martino: The Italian literature in the German-speaking area. Rodopi, Amsterdam and Atlanta 1994, ISBN 90-5183-644-9 , p. 54 ( preview on Google Books )
- ↑ a b Sigrid T'Hooft staged Christoph Graupner's baroque opera BERENICE UND LUCILLA in the orangery - announcement of the 2010 performance ( memento of August 24, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) on the website of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Mittelrheinische Musikgeschichte e. V.
- ↑ Big gestures to deep feelings - announcement of the performance of 2010 ( memento of August 26, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) in the Darmstädter Echo of October 14, 2010.
- ↑ Photos of the 2010 performance on the website of tenor Jean-Pierre Ouellet, accessed on August 25, 2014.