Florencia en el Amazonas

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Opera dates
Title: Florencia on the Amazon
Original title: Florencia en el Amazonas
Production design for a 2018 Florida Grand Opera performance

Production design for a 2018 Florida Grand Opera performance

Shape: Opera in two acts
Original language: Spanish
Music: Daniel Catan
Libretto : Marcela Fuentes-Berain
Literary source: Gabriel García Márquez : Love in the times of cholera
Premiere: October 25, 1996
Place of premiere: Wortham Theater Center of the Houston Grand Opera
Playing time: approx. 1 ¾ hours
Place and time of the action: The Amazon steamship El Dorado on the voyage from Leticia to Manaus , early 20th century
people
  • Florencia Grimaldi, famous singer ( soprano )
  • Rosalba, journalist (soprano)
  • Paula, married to Alvaro ( mezzo-soprano )
  • Arcadio, nephew of the captain ( tenor )
  • Alvaro, married to Paula ( baritone )
  • Riolobo, mythical figure (baritone)
  • The captain ( bass )
  • Choir

Florencia en el Amazonas (Eng .: Florencia on the Amazon ) is an opera in two acts by Daniel Catán (music) with a libretto by Marcela Fuentes-Berain based on characters from Gabriel García Márquez 's novel Love in the Times of Cholera . It premiered on October 25, 1996 at the Houston Grand Opera's Wortham Theater Center .

action

The opera takes place at the beginning of the 20th century on the steamship El Dorado on the journey from Leticia to Manaus .

first act

A harbor dock on the Amazon in Leticia

Scene 1. Various street vendors advertise their wares in the harbor. Riolobo, a mythical figure from the Amazon, introduces the audience to the plot: the famous singer Florencia Grimaldi will arrive for the reopening of the opera house in Manaus. This one comes from the area, but left her twenty years ago to pursue her singing career. Nobody here will recognize her, because she appears differently on the stage with every performance - shrouded in mystery like an Amazon from this river. Riolobo introduces the other travelers: In addition to the captain, the El Dorado's crew also includes his nephew, Arcadio, who is dissatisfied with his life. The journalist Rosalba, who is working on a biography of the Grimaldi, is hoping for an interview. Paula and Alvaro want to use the trip to revive their troubled marriage. Florencia herself also travels incognito. At the last moment she jumps on board with the help of Riolobo.

Scene 2. Rosalba greets Florencia, who she does not recognize, and is surprised that she shows no interest in the famous diva, who even canceled an appearance at La Scala in Milan for this trip . Alone again, Florencia remembers her life: Twenty years earlier she had a love affair with the butterfly collector Cristóbal back home, who had promised her to wait forever for her return. But Florencia had only cared about her career. Now she has understood that fame is not everything. She hopes to see Cristóbal again.

Scene 3. Engine room. In the afternoon. Arcadio complains about his life to his uncle. After this trip he would like to find another job. But the captain, who loves his job and the reliable El Dorado , has no understanding.

Scene 4. On deck. In the afternoon. The Arcadio, dreaming of foreign lands, approaches Rosalba, who is writing in her notebook. The book falls into the water, but Arcadio can save it. Rosalba thanks them profusely - the book contains her life's work, the Grimaldi biography. Arcadio tells her about his dream of traveling the world as a pilot.

Scene 5. On deck. Later in the evening. Paula and Alvaro appear for dinner. When Riolobo advertises an iguana dish as a specialty , Paula is disgusted. Alvaro orders it for both of them anyway. An argument ensues that ends with the two angry tossing their wedding ring into a champagne bottle, which falls overboard shortly afterwards. Riolobo points out that there is no way to get the bottle back.

Orchestral interlude

Scene 6. On deck. The next morning. Florencia greets the captain at the wheel. He tells her about a young butterfly hunter he met a long time ago in the Amazon. He fell in love with a beautiful woman who once traveled on this ship - the now famous Grimaldi. Cristóbal, on the other hand, went to the jungle after her departure. No one has heard from him since then. Florencia suffers a fit of weakness and, after the captain has brought her to her senses with smelling salts, retires to her cabin.

Scene 7. On deck. Mid afternoon. Rosalba, Arcadio, Paula and Alvaro are playing cards. The tensions between Paula and Alvaro increase. Rosalba and Arcadio, on the other hand, get closer. Each playing card drawn seems to confirm their feelings.

Scene 8. On deck. Afternoon. The captain is steering the ship when a storm approaches and cherry-colored water drops fall on his white uniform. Rosalba notices that the ship is losing speed. The captain asks them to fetch Riolobo and Arcadio. Paula and Alvaro suffer from seasickness. Florencia also appears on deck, where she remains despite the captain's warnings. The ship is wedged between tree trunks. Alvaro manages to push the logs aside. But when the ship turns jerkily, he falls overboard. Lightning strikes the ship and the captain passes out.

Scene 9. Riolobo appears on the river with big wings and begs the Amazons for pity. He hallucinates how the Amazon was dug out of the land by snakes. An invisible choir joins his calls.

Scene 10. Arcadio takes the wheel and calms the travelers. The ship runs aground anyway.

Second act

Scene 11. Florencia's cabin. Night. The ship is stranded on the river bank, covered by a large mosquito net. After surviving the storm, Florencia wonders if Cristóbal could still be alive. She only came back to sing for him. In a surge of emotion, she breaks a mirror and cuts her hand on the splinters. She vows to look for Cristóbal for life.

Scene 12. On deck. Dawn. On opposite sides of the ship, Rosalba and Arcadio seek each other. When they find each other, they discover their strong mutual love, but fear that their passion could eventually turn into hate. They don't want to risk that.

Scene 13. The river bank. In the morning. Paula laments Alvaro's loss. She knows now that she spoke her angry words not out of a lack of love, but out of pride.

Scene 14. Orchestra interlude.

Scene 15. On deck. Day. After the ship was released, Riolobo thanks the amazons of the river for saving them. The captain notices that his nephew is lovesick. He gives him an amulet that Riolobo recognizes as angel wings. When Paula wants to report Alvaro's loss, Alvaro suddenly appears on board. He assures that he actually died - but Paula's voice called him back to life. Rosalba finds her notebook on the floor. Unfortunately only a few pages are still legible. Your life's work is lost.

Orchestral interlude.

Scene 16. On deck. Noon. Florencia tries to comfort Rosalba. She learns that Rosalba just made up many details of her biography. For example, Rosalba believed that the diva was free from feelings of love. She is surprised when Florencia assures her otherwise. Love was even the starting point of her voice. Finally she reveals herself to Rosalba. The two hug. Then the captain reports that they are reaching Manaus.

Orchestral interlude.

Scene 17. On deck. Afternoon. Arcadio and Rosalba want to try to be free together. Paula and Alvaro also remember the beginnings of their love. Florencia is looking forward to finally being able to sing her true love song in Manaus. But then Riolobo reports that cholera has broken out in Manaus. The victims' coffins are already floating on the river. Florencia withdraws to her cabin in horror, but comes back soon. She sings her last aria for Cristóbal not in the opera house, but on board the El Dorado. She knows he can hear her because her voice rises like a bird.

layout

Instrumentation

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

music

The opera's score is often compared to the works of Giacomo Puccini in its exuberant and rich style . Catán develops long vowel lines in order to build and maintain emotional tension. Cadenzas and pauses are both reminiscent of the ship's journey and the development of the characters.

The singing style is kept melodic throughout. Arias and orchestral interludes connect seamlessly with the arioso parts. Recurring ostinatos and wave-like motifs are reminiscent of the movement of the river. The violence of the river and the (partly magical) beings that populate it is represented by large orchestral outbursts. The marimba gives the orchestra a typical “magical” timbre.

libretto

The opera's libretto uses motifs from Gabriel García Márquez 's novel Love in the Times of Cholera and other of his works. Márquez had already attended the world premiere of La hija de Rappaccini and agreed to collaborate with Catán for his next opera. As a librettist, Márquez suggested the screenwriter Marcela Fuentes-Berain, who had already used motifs from his works for some of her works. Márquez's works are determined by a mixture of realistic and supernatural or magical elements. The latter is represented in the opera by the figure of the Riolobo, who on the one hand communicates with the river spirits as a mythical figure and on the other, as a narrator, addresses the audience directly and explains details. In Love in the Time of Cholera especially the love story Florencia and the chronology of the early 20th century go back. Other topics are reminiscent of a hundred years of loneliness . The figure of the Riolobo is reminiscent of the short story A very old man with big wings . After reading the finished libretto, Márquez praised the author for her ideas and the imitation of his own style.

Work history

Daniel Catán's predecessor opera La hija de Rappaccini premiered in 1991 at the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City and was re-enacted in San Diego in 1994 with overwhelming success. Therefore he quickly received a joint follow-up contract for Florencia en el Amazonas from the Houston Grand Opera , the Seattle Opera and the Los Angeles Music Center Opera . It was the first Spanish-language opera to be commissioned by one of the major US opera houses.

Frank Hernandez (Florencia Grimaldi), Yvonne Gonzales (Rosalba), Suzanna Guzmán (Paula), Hector Vasques (Arcadio), Gabor Andrasy (Alvaro), Sheri Greenawald sang at the world premiere on October 25, 1996 at the Wortham Theater Center of the Houston Grand Opera (Riolobo) and Greg Fedderly (Captain). The Houston Grand Opera Orchestra was directed by Vjekoslav Šutej . It was directed by Francesca Zambello . The set was designed by Robert Israel. The production with its “mixture of sensualistic nostalgia and local coloristic drum and marimba background for the river spirit Riolobo” was enthusiastically received by the audience.

Many other productions followed in the USA (until 2017: New York, East Lansing, Maryland, Chautauqua, Tempe, Denver, Urbana, Salt Lake City, Boston, Washington, Los Angeles, Nashville, Phoenix, Tuscon, Bloomington, Winston-Salem and Madison) and Mexico. The German premiere took place in April 2006 at the Heidelberg Theater in a production by Michael Beyer under the musical direction of Noam Zur.

In 2003 the composer put together an orchestral suite from the work:

  1. On the pier
  2. Arcadio
  3. The Storm
  4. Sunrise
  5. Paula
  6. Florencia's Farewell

Recordings

  • 2002 - Patrick Summers (conductor), Houston Grand Opera Orchestra and Choir .
    Patricia Schuman (Florencia Grimaldi), Ana Maria Martinez (Rosalba), Suzanna Guzmán (Paula), Chad Shelton (Arcadio), Hector Vasquez (Alvaro), Mark S Doss (Riolobo), Oren Gradus (captain).
    Live from the Houston Grand Opera.
    Albany TROY531-32 (2 CD).
  • October 2016 - David Neely (conductor), Candace Evans (production), Mark Frederic Smith (stage), Linda Pisano (costumes).
    Singer from the Jacobs School of Music .
    Video; live from the Indiana University Opera Theater.
    Internet stream.

literature

  • Andrea Flores: Florencia Grimaldi: Latin America's Soprano Heroine. Doctoral thesis from Arizona State University, 2013 ( online, English, PDF )

Web links

Commons : Florencia en el Amazonas  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b work information on musicsalesclassical.com, accessed on April 8, 2017.
  2. ↑ a b c d Christine Wisch: Program Notes for the Indiana University production, accessed April 9, 2017.
  3. ↑ a b Ulrich Schreiber : Opera guide for advanced learners. The 20th century III. Eastern and Northern Europe, branch lines on the main route, intercontinental distribution. Bärenreiter, Kassel 2006, ISBN 3-7618-1859-9 , pp. 582-583.
  4. ↑ Piano reduction of the opera, p. Vii.
  5. ↑ Florencia en el Amazonas. In: The Oxford Companion to Music ( online, subscription required ).
  6. ↑ Information on the work of the orchestral suite from 2003 on musicsalesclassical.com, accessed on April 8, 2017.
  7. ↑ CD information on musicsalesclassical.com, accessed April 8, 2017.
  8. ↑ Florencia en el Amazonas on the Indiana University website, accessed April 8, 2017.