Fedora (opera)
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| Original title: | Fedora |
| Original language: | Italian |
| Music: | Umberto Giordano |
| Libretto : | Arturo Colautti |
| Literary source: | Victorien Sardou : Fédora (Drama) |
| Premiere: | November 17, 1898 |
| Place of premiere: | Teatro Lirico in Milan |
| Place and time of the action: | St. Petersburg , Paris and the Bernese Oberland , 1881 |
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Fedora is an opera in three acts by the Italian composer Umberto Giordano based on a libretto by Arturo Colautti . The opera is based on Victorien Sardou's play Fédora and, along with Andrea Chénier, is one of Giordano's most important works.
history
The premiere took place in 1898 at the Teatro Lirico in Milan . Gemma Bellincioni gave the fedora and Enrico Caruso appeared as Loris Ipanov. The great success quickly brought her to the Vienna State Opera, then to Paris. The first performance took place at the New York Metropolitan Opera on December 5, 1906, with Caruso as Count Loris and Lina Cavalieri as Fedora. German premieres: Mainz, October 10, 1899 (in Italian) - Hamburg, January 12, 1900 (in German) - Stadttheater Dortmund, October 27, 1938 (in the new German translation by Walter Dahms ); Juliana Doederlein (Fedora), Johannes Barton (Loris), Josef Lex (de Siriex), Elfriede Weidlich (Olga) sang under the conductor Wilhelm Buschkötter. In the middle of the 20th century, fedora was performed less often with changing musical tastes. There was a resurgent interest in fedora in the 1990s, with new productions at the Vienna State Opera, La Scala, the Metropolitan Opera New York, Chicago Lyric Opera, and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. The aria "Amor ti vieta" is the most famous piece of the opera. Not only did the rise of Caruso begin with it, it has been sung by many tenors from the first performance until today, often as a single piece or an encore.
action
first act
In the palace of Count Vladimir Andrejevich in St. Petersburg, Princess Fedora sings of her love for the Count. She wants to marry him the next day, not realizing that he has cheated on her with another woman. The sound of bells can be heard and Count Vladimir Andrejevich is fatally wounded. Doctors and a priest are called. After questioning, one suspects that Count Loris Ipanov - politically motivated - is probably the murderer. The diplomat De Siriex and the police inspector Grech open an investigation. Fedora swears that Count Andrejevich's death will be avenged.
Second act
Fedora followed Loris Ipanov to Paris to avenge the murder of her fiancé. During a reception at Fedora's house, Loris confesses his love to Fedora. But she tells him that she has to go back to Russia the next day. Loris is desperate because he has been banished from Russia and cannot follow her. He confesses to Fedora that it was he who killed her fiancé. Fedora asks Loris to tell her the full story after the reception. But Fedora quickly writes a letter to the chief of the Russian police, in which she accuses Loris of murdering Count Vladimir. Loris returns and confesses to Fedora killing Count Vladimir after finding out that he and his wife had a love affair. On the night of the murder, Loris caught them both together. Count Vladimir fired a shot at Loris and wounded him; Loris shot back and killed Count Vladimir.
Fedora recognizes her love for Loris and forgives him because he did not shoot for political reasons, but to defend himself and his honor. They hug and she convinces him to spend the night with her.
Third act
Loris and Fedora now live as lovers in their villa in the Bernese Oberland, Switzerland. With them is the Countess Olga Sukarev. De Siriex comes to visit to invite Olga to go on a bike tour. He tells Fedora that the letter she wrote to the Russian police chief resulted in the arrest of Lori's brother. He had been interned as a conspirator in a fortress on the Neva River . One night the river overflowed and the brother drowned. When Lori's mother heard this news, she collapsed and died.
This news weighs on Fedora. She feels guilty about the two deaths. Loris also receives a letter from a friend in Russia. In it he reads that the death of his mother and brother was the result of a letter from a woman in Paris. In the letter to the Russian police, he was accused of murder. Fedora confesses to Loris that it was she who wrote the letter. She asks his forgiveness. But Loris refuses and curses her. Fedora now only sees one way and ingests poison to kill himself. Loris tries to save Fedora's life, but the doctor who has been summoned cannot do anything more. Fedora dies in Loris' arms.
Web links
- Fedora : Sheet music and audio files in the International Music Score Library Project
- Action by Fedora (Opera) on Opera-Guide landing page due to URL change currently not available
Individual evidence
- ↑ Theater bill in Dortmund theater collection.