Ipermestra (metastasio)
| Work data | |
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| Title: | Ipermestra |
Third act, scene IX. |
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| Shape: | Opera seria |
| Original language: | Italian |
| Music: | First setting by Johann Adolph Hasse |
| Libretto : | Pietro Metastasio |
| Premiere: | January 8, 1744 |
| Place of premiere: | Vienna |
| Place and time of the action: | Royal castle in Argos , mythical time |
| people | |
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Ipermestra is an opera - libretto in three acts by Pietro Metastasio . It was first performed in the setting by Johann Adolph Hasse on January 8, 1744 for the wedding of Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria with Duke Karl Alexander of Lothringen in Vienna.
A German translation of the libretto by Johann Anton Koch appeared in 1773 under the name Hypermnestra in the fifth volume of his unfinished complete edition Des Herr Abbot Peter Metastasio Kayserl. Royal Court Poet's Dramatic Poems.
action
Danao ( Danaos ), the king of Argos , fears the fulfillment of an oracle through which he was prophesied that he would die at the hand of Linceo ( Lynkeus ), a son of his twin brother Egitto ( Aigyptus ). He therefore demands that his daughter Ipermestra ( Hypermestra ), who is engaged to him, kill him on their wedding night. Ipermestra gets into a conflict of conscience between obedience to her father and love for Linceo.
“Danaus, king of Argos, had been frightened by an oracle, which threatened him with the loss of the throne and life at the hand of one of the sons of Aegyptus, and therefore secretly ordered his own daughter, her bridegroom Lynceus, in the first Killing wedding night. All paternal prestige was not able to induce this generous princess to such an inhuman act: On the other hand, even the tenderness of a lover could not be able to reveal the terrible order she received to Lynceus, in order not to expose her father to the vengeance of a prince, who was brave, could not take much, and as much by the people as the army of war was loved. In what way then the generous Hypermenestra, in such fear, the opposed duties, a bride, and a daughter taken into care; and with what amazing samples of virtue she finally made her father, her bridegroom, and herself happy: one can see from the course of this singing game.
Apollodor. Hygin. and other.
The location is in the Königl. Castle in Argos. "
The following table of contents is based on the libretto of the setting by Johann Adolph Hasse .
first act
Some rooms decorated for Ipermestra's wedding
Elpinice congratulates her cousin Ipermestra on her upcoming wedding to Linceo. It is a love marriage. Elpinice himself is in a relationship with the Thessalian Prince Plistene. After she leaves, Ipermestra's father Danao comes to speak to her alone. An oracle prophesied that he would be killed by a son of Egitto, and that Linceo was the only possible perpetrator. So he gives his daughter a dagger and orders her to kill Linceo as soon as he falls asleep on their wedding night.
Ipermestra does not want to carry out this order and decides to flee. Linceo notices her changed behavior. Because she can't stand the sight of him, she leaves the room. Linceo is concerned and tells Elpinice and Plistene about it.
Inner corridors of Argos Castle
On one side you can see a wide field with the river Inachos . On the other side are ruins.
Adrasto and Danao have noticed Linceo's depressed mood and fear that he may have learned of the murder plan. Adrasto therefore wants to reinforce the guards and have him watched. After he leaves, Ipermestra comes to tell Danao of her decision. However, it is interrupted by the Linceo summoned by Danao. He cannot name the reasons for his concern and instead refers to Ipermestra. Danao believes she told him about the murder warrant and is blaming her. Linceo doesn't understand what's going on. But he cannot bear to see Ipermestra treated unfairly. Therefore, in desperation, he declares that he will kill himself if he should have committed any wrong. Danao finally realizes that Ipermestra hasn't revealed anything to him. Ipermestra is desperate that she cannot calm Linceo down. Danao's attempt to appease him with reference to the emotional confusion of women is unsuccessful.
Second act
A corridor with statues and paintings
Adrasto and Danao continue to fear that Linceo will become suspicious. To divert suspicion, they want to try to make him jealous of Plistene. If Ipermestra should not be persuaded to murder Linceo, they want to entrust Elpinice with it, who is to be declared as an incentive to heir to the throne.
First, however, Ipermestra comes to Danao, who praises her for her secrecy. She begs him to refrain from the murder because otherwise his conscience would not leave him in peace. However, he is more afraid of Linceo than of his conscience. When she finally refuses to commit the murder, Danao forbids her ever to see Linceo again. If she does not obey, he must die immediately.
Plistene asks Ipermestra to calm Linceo down. However, she demands of him to keep Linceo away from her for his own protection. She cannot tell him the reasons, but assures him that she continues to love Linceo. After she leaves, Linceo comes and asks Plistene about Ipermestra. He replies that he should leave her alone for the time being. Linceo warns him of his budding jealousy, which could lead him to desperate acts.
Danao has meanwhile offered Elpinice to make her his heir if she agrees to marry Linceo and kill her. She wants to tell Plistene about it and ask his advice. Because of the general confusion, this no longer happens, but she has secretly decided against it.
In the front a pleasant place in the royal gardens, which is shaded by tall trees
In the back, long and wide corridors made of flowers and hedges, at the end of which you can see beautiful buildings and artificial waters.
Because Linceo cannot be kept away from Ipermestra, Danao and Adrasto look for another solution. Danao wants to speak to his daughter's conscience again and instructs Adrasto to send Linceo to him afterwards. When Ipermestra arrives, he orders the guard to secretly observe the following conversation. He assumes that Linceo will jealously confront Ipermestra. Ipermestra is supposed to listen to him, but is not allowed to contradict him. Should she warn him or justify himself, the soldiers will strike. Linceo comes now and actually speaks to her about her supposed new lover. Ipermestra evasively replies that she never wanted to keep a secret from him. When Linceo now accuses her of infidelity, Ipermestra cannot justify himself without endangering his life and urges him to leave. Offended, he announces that he wants to commit suicide in order to please her. However, since she expressly orders him to stay alive, Linceo is deeply confused.
Third act
Secret room
Elpinice tells Ipermestra that Danao has now told her to marry and kill Linceo. In order to gain time, she pretended to do it. Now she and Plistene want to warn Linceo. Ipermestra is worried about her father. She asks Elpinice to stop Plistene and do nothing yet. When Linceo himself arrives, he can no longer hold back and assures him of her continued love and that his jealousy is groundless. She asks him to flee Argos immediately, without asking why.
Plistene tries to persuade Linceo to riot. He tells him that the king wants to see him dead and that he tried to incite Ipermestra and Elpinice to murder. Linceo understands everything now. But because he has promised Ipermestra to leave Argos, he cannot take part in the uprising. Only when Elpinice reports that Ipermestra was forcibly led to the king because the latter found out about her conversation with Linceo does he change his mind.
Magnificently decorated place in the royal corridors and rooms, illuminated at night
The uprising has broken out. Danao tries to escape from his castle. Adrasto points out that it is too unsafe outside now. He sets out to get reinforcements.
Danao accuses his daughter of choosing Linceo over him and thus being responsible for his impending death. She assures him that she has not revealed anything to Linceo. Linceo, Plistene and their supporters now invade the castle. However, Ipermestra takes a protective position in front of Danao. There is no way she wants to let her lover kill her father. Meanwhile Adrasto approaches with the royal soldiers, and Plistene urges them to hurry. However, because Ipermestra does not want to leave her father, Linceo also decides to stay with her. After Adrasto's people have occupied the castle, Plistene and Elpinice explain to Danao that it is not Linceo but they who are responsible for the uprising. Ipermestra also pleads guilty. Because of her, Linceo is now in the power of Danao, but if he should really be sentenced to death, she doesn't want to live either. Now Danao is finally realizing his wrongdoing. He is ready to let them both live. Because he survived the uprising because of her and his own honor as king has been damaged, Ipermestra is to rule as queen from now on.
history
The mythological foundations of the plot can be found, as stated in the libretto, in the second book of the library of Apollodorus and in No. 168 of the Fabulae by Hyginus . According to the myth, the fifty daughters of Danaos , the so-called Danaids , were ordered by their father to kill their husbands, the sons of Aegyptus , on their wedding night. Only the eldest daughter, Hypermnestra , spared her husband Lynkeus and helped him to escape. Aeschylus processed the myth in his Danaiden trilogy , of which only the beginning ( The Protectors ) has survived .
Several other authors worked on the subject before Metastasio, for example in the tragedies Les Danaïdes by Jean Ogier de Gombauld (1644 or 1658), Lyncée by Gaspard Abeille (1678) and Hypermnestre by Théodore de Riupeirous (1704). There have also been various other opera libretti on the myth, such as by Giovanni Moniglia ( Hipermestra , set to music by Francesco Cavalli in 1658 ), by Antonio Salvi ( Ipermestra , set to music by Geminiano Giacomelli in 1724 , by Antonio Vivaldi in 1727 and by Francesco Feo in 1728 ) and by Joseph de La Font ( Hypermnèstre , set to music by Charles-Hubert Gervais in 1716 ). Metastasio's version is most similar to the latter.
According to Metastasios, he wrote the work within 18 days for the setting of Johann Adolph Hasse , which was performed on January 8, 1744 on the occasion of the wedding of Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria to Duke Karl Alexander of Lorraine as part of a private event in Vienna . It wasn't until January 25 that the actual premiere at the court theater took place. With around thirty settings, the libretto only achieved average popularity. Nevertheless, it was set to music several times in the nineteenth century.
Settings
The following composers used this libretto for an opera:
| year | composer | premiere | Performance location | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1744 | Johann Adolph Hasse | January 8, 1744, Royal Theater | Vienna | revised on January 20, 1746 in the Teatro San Carlo in Naples; revised on October 7, 1751 for the Dresden court for the birthday of August III. in Hubertusburg, WA for the carnival in 1752 at the court theater in Dresden |
|
| 1744 | Christoph Willibald Gluck | November 21, 1744, Teatro San Giovanni Crisostomo | Venice | ||
| 1748 | Egidio Romualdo Duni | Carnival 1748, Teatro Falcone | Genoa | ||
| 1748 | Ferdinando Bertoni | May 22, 1748, Teatro San Samuele | Venice | Also in 1751 in the court theater in Munich and in 1753 in the Teatro Dolfin in Treviso |
|
| 1751 | Niccolò Jommelli | October 9, 1751, Teatro de 'Nobili | Spoleto | ||
| 1751 | Pasquale Cafaro | December 18, 1751, Teatro San Carlo | Naples | first version | |
| 1752 | Andrea Adolfati | 20th January 1752, Rangoni Theater | Modena | ||
| 1754 | Davide Perez | March 31, 1754, Teatro Real Corte | Lisbon | ||
| 1755 | Giuseppe Re | 1755, Teatro Solerio | Alessandria | ||
| 1757 | anonymous ( pasticcio ) | May 18, 1757, Teatro San Samuele | Venice | ||
| 1757 | Gregorio Sciroli ( pasticcio ) | Autumn 1757, Teatro Sacchi | Casale Monferrato | Librett is not specified | |
| 1758 | Baldassare Galuppi | January 14th 1758, Teatro Regio Ducale | Milan | also on Ascension Day 1761 in the Teatro San Salvatore in Venice | |
| 1759 | Ignazio Fiorillo | Summer fair 1759, court theater | Braunschweig | ||
| 1761 | Johann Ernst Eberlin | 1761, court theater | Salzburg | revised in 1763 | |
| 1761 | Pasquale Cafaro | December 26th 1761, Teatro San Carlo | Naples | second version | |
| 1765 | anonymous | Autumn, Teatro San Benedetto | Venice |
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| 1766 | Giuseppe Sarti | January 8, 1766, Teatro Argentina | Rome | also in two acts in 1797 at King's Theater on Haymarket in London | |
| 1768 | Gian Francesco de Majo | August 13th, Teatro San Carlo | Naples | ||
| 1769 | Josef Mysliveček | March 27, 1769, Teatro della Pergola | Florence | ||
| 1772 | Niccolò Piccinni | November 4, 1772, Teatro San Carlo | Naples | ||
| 1773 | Gian Francesco Fortunati | Carnival 1773, Teatro di Corte | Modena | ||
| 1774 | Johann Gottlieb Naumann | February 1, 1774, Teatro San Benedetto | Venice |
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| 1778 | Raimondo Mei | 1778, Teatro Prini | Pavia | ||
| 1780 | Vicente Martín y Soler | May 30, 1780, Teatro San Carlo | Naples | ||
| 1785 | Salvatore Rispoli | December 26th 1785, Teatro alla Scala | Milan |
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| 1789 | Gennaro Astarita | Assumption 1789, Teatro San Benedetto | Venice | ||
| 1791 | Giovanni Paisiello | June 1791, Teatro Nuovo | Padua | ||
| 1810 | Francesco Morlacchi | February 11, 1810, Teatro Argentina | Rome | Libretto edited by Stefano Scatizzi as Le Danaidi in two acts; also in 1812 in the Small Electoral Theater in Dresden, on March 2, 1819 in the Teatro alla Scala in Milan and in autumn 1820 in the Teatro Contavalli in Bologna |
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| 1827 | Saverio Mercadante | September 1827, Teatro de Sao Carlos | Lisbon | an earlier opera of this name, performed in the Teatro San Carlo in Naples in the winter of 1825, is based on a libretto by Luigi Ricciuti | |
| 1838 | Baltasar Saldoni | 1838, Teatro del la Cruz | Madrid | Libretto edited by Ignazio Pasini | |
| 1843 | Ramon Carnicer | 1843, Liceo | Zaragoza |
Recordings and performances in recent times
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Gian Francesco de Majo :
- 1963. Admission to the Naples RAI . Direction: Armando La Rosa Parodi . Singers: Franco Ventriglia (Danao), Emilia Cundari (Ipermestra), Herbert Handt (Linceo), Bianca Maria Casoni (Elpince), Mario Boriello (Plistene), Robert El Haage (Adrasto).
Web links
- Several different versions of the libretto as full text (Italian) on progettometastasio.it.
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 in 1773 as digitization at the Munich digitization center .
- ↑ a b c Libretto (Italian / German) of the opera by Johann Adolph Hasse, Hubertusburg 1751 as a digital copy at the University and State Library of Saxony-Anhalt .
- ^ Libretto (Italian) of the opera by Johann Adolph Hasse, Naples 1746. Digitized in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna .
- ^ Libretto (Italian) of the opera by Christoph Willibald Gluck, Venice 1744. Digitized in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna .
- ^ Libretto (Italian) of the opera by Ferdinando Bertoni, Venice 1748. Digitized in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna .
- ^ Libretto (Italian / German) of the opera by Ferdinando Bertoni, Munich 1751. Digitized in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna .
- ^ Libretto (Italian) of the opera by Andrea Adolfati, Modena 1752 as digitized version in the Museo internazionale e biblioteca della musica di Bologna .
- ^ Libretto (Italian) of the opera by anonymous, Venice 1757. Digitized in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna .
- ^ Libretto (Italian) of the opera by Baldassare Galuppi, Milan 1758. Digitized in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna .
- ^ Libretto (Italian) of the opera by anonymous, Venice 1765. Digitized in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna .
- ^ Libretto (Italian) of the opera by Giuseppe Sarti, Rome 1766 as digitized version in the Museo internazionale e biblioteca della musica di Bologna .
- ↑ Score of the opera by Gian Francesco di Majo, c. 1768 as digitized version with the International Music Score Library Project .
- ^ Libretto (Italian) of the opera by Josef Mysliveček, Florence 1769 as digitized version in the Museo internazionale e biblioteca della musica di Bologna .
- ^ Libretto (Italian) of the opera by Johann Gottlieb Naumann, Venice 1774. Digitized in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna .
- ^ Libretto (Italian) of the opera by Salvatore Rispoli, Milan 1786 as digitized version in the Museo internazionale e biblioteca della musica di Bologna .
- ^ Libretto (Italian) of the opera by Gennaro Astarita, Venice 1789 as digitized version in the Museo internazionale e biblioteca della musica di Bologna .
- ^ Libretto (Italian) of the opera by Francesco Morlacchi, Rome 1810 as digitized version in the Museo internazionale e biblioteca della musica di Bologna .
- ^ Libretto (Italian / German) of the opera by Francesco Morlacchi, Dresden 1812 as digitized version at the Munich Digitization Center .
- ^ Libretto (Italian) of the opera by Saverio Mercadante (earlier version based on the libretto by Luigi Ricciuti), Naples 1825 as a digitized version in the Museo internazionale e biblioteca della musica di Bologna .
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Don Neville: Ipermestra. In: Grove Music Online (English; subscription required).
- ^ Anna Amalie Abert : Metastasio, Pietro. In: Friedrich Blume (Hrsg.): The music in past and present (MGG). First edition, Volume 9 (Mel - Onslow). Bärenreiter / Metzler, Kassel et al. 1961, DNB 550439609 , Sp. 229 (= Digital Library Volume 60, pp. 50861-50865).
- ^ Ipermestra (Johann Adolph Hasse) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on November 14, 2014.
- ↑ Ipermestra (Johann Adolf Hasse) at operabaroque.fr , accessed on February 2, 2015.
- ^ Ipermestra (Christoph Willibald Gluck) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on November 14, 2014.
- ^ Ipermestra (Egidio Romualdo Duni) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on November 14, 2014.
- ^ Ipermestra (Ferdinando Bertoni) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on November 14, 2014.
- ^ Ipermestra (Niccolò Jommelli) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on November 14, 2014.
- ↑ Ipermestra (Niccolò Jommelli) at Opening Night! Opera & Oratorio Premieres , Stanford University, accessed November 14, 2014.
- ^ List of the stage works by Pasquale Cafaro based on the MGG from Operone, accessed on October 2, 2014.
- ↑ Ipermestra (Pasquale Cafaro) at Opening Night! Opera & Oratorio Premieres , Stanford University, accessed November 14, 2014.
- ^ Ipermestra (Andrea Adolfati) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on November 14, 2014.
- ^ Ipermestra (Davide Perez) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on November 14, 2014.
- ↑ Ipermestra (Giuseppe Re) at Opening Night! Opera & Oratorio Premieres , Stanford University, accessed November 14, 2014.
- ^ Ipermestra (anonymous) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on November 15, 2014.
- ↑ L'Ipermestra (Gregorio Sciroli) in Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed November 15, 2014.
- ^ Ipermestra (Baldassare Galuppi) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on November 15, 2014.
- ^ Ipermestra (Ignazio Fiorillo) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on November 15, 2014.
- ^ A b Don Neville: Metastasio [Trapassi], Pietro (Antonio Domenico Bonaventura). In: Grove Music Online (English; subscription required).
- ↑ Constantin Schneider: History of Music in Salzburg from the Earliest Times to the Present , Olms 1935, p. 105 ( online at Google Books)
- ^ Ipermestra (Pasquale Cafaro) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on November 14, 2014.
- ↑ Ipermestra [VE 1765] (anonymous) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on November 14, 2014.
- ^ Ipermestra (Giuseppe Sarti) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on November 15, 2014.
- ^ Ipermestra (Gian Francesco de Majo) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on November 15, 2014.
- ^ Ipermestra (Josef Mysliveček) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on November 15, 2014.
- ^ Ipermestra (Niccolò Piccinni) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on November 15, 2014.
- ^ Ipermestra (Gian Francesco Fortunati) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on November 15, 2014.
- ^ Ipermestra (Johann Gottlieb Naumann) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on November 15, 2014.
- ↑ Ipermestra (Raimondo Mei) at Opening Night! Opera & Oratorio Premieres , Stanford University, accessed November 15, 2014.
- ^ Ipermestra (Vicente Martín y Soler) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on November 15, 2014.
- ^ Ipermestra (Salvatore Rispoli) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on November 15, 2014.
- ^ Ipermestra (Gennaro Astarita) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on November 15, 2014.
- ^ Ipermestra (Giovanni Paisiello) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on November 15, 2014.
- ^ List of stage works by Giovanni Paisiello based on the MGG at Operone, accessed on September 29, 2014.
- ↑ Le Danaidi (Francesco Morlacchi) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on November 15, 2014.
- ↑ Composers (Giuseppe Saverio Mercadante) on the website of the Neapolitan Music Society, accessed on November 16, 2014.
- ^ Ipermestra (Saverio Mercadante) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on November 15, 2014.
- ↑ Ipermestra (Baltasar Saldoni) at Opening Night! Opera & Oratorio Premieres , Stanford University, accessed November 15, 2014.
- ^ Ipermestra (Ramón Carnicer) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on November 15, 2014.
- ↑ CD data set on premiereopera.net , accessed on February 2, 2015.