L'equivoco stravagante

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Work data
Title: L'equivoco stravagante
Title page of the libretto, Bologna 1811

Title page of the libretto, Bologna 1811

Original language: Italian
Music: Gioachino Rossini
Libretto : Gaetano Gasbarri
Premiere: October 26, 1811
Place of premiere: Teatro del Corso, Bologna
Playing time: approx. 2 ½ hours
Place and time of the action: An old castle of Count Gamberotto in Italy in the 19th century
people
  • Ernestina, daughter of Gamberotto ( old )
  • Gamberotto, a nouveau riche farmer ( bass )
  • Buralicchio, selected as future for Ernestina (bass)
  • Ermanno, in love with Ernestina ( tenor )
  • Rosalia, Ernestina's maid ( mezzo-soprano )
  • Frontino, servant of Gamberotto and confidante of Ermannos (tenor)
  • Peasants, writers, soldiers, servants ( male choir )

L'equivoco stravagante is an opera buffa ( Dramma giocoso per musica ) in two acts by Gioachino Rossini , sometimes with a German title such as “Die verrückte Verschlagung”, “Das Extravagante Misunderstanding”, “The bizarre misunderstanding”, “Mit List to the goal ”or“ The wrong bride ”is provided. The libretto is by Gaetano Gasbarri . The opera premiered on October 26, 1811 at the Teatro del Corso in Bologna .

action

Gamberotto, a nouveau riche farmer, has chosen a future husband for his daughter Ernestina, named Buralicchio, who is rich but a bit simple-minded. Ernestina, who is very interested in literature, is adored by the destitute Ermanno, who appears as a tutor in order to be close to his beloved. In order to discredit the candidate for marriage , the rumor is spread by means of a forged letter that Ernestina is actually a neuter named Ernesto, who is disguised as a girl in order to avoid military service. Buralicchio then turns away from the supposedly disguised woman and arrests the alleged Ernesto, who is taken to prison. In a soldier's uniform, however, Ermanno frees the innocent victim again. After further complications, the whole situation finally clears up to the satisfaction of everyone involved, and Ernestina and Ermanno decide to get married.

first act

The exterior of an old castle with a gate

Scene 1. Ermanno waits in front of the gate to see the Ernestina he adores (No. 1). His friends, the servants Frontino and Rosalia, let him in. A choir announces the arrival of the host Gamberotto. He appears and philosophizes about the fact that insects make no distinction between the ranks of the people afflicted by them. Frontino, Rosalia and the choir admire his wisdom. Frontino introduces him to Ermanno as his daughter Ernestina's new tutor. Gamberotto wishes he would teach her philosophy.

Scene 2. Frontino and Rosalia promise Ermanno their support. The first thing to do is look after the husband chosen for them by Ernestina's father, the wealthy Buralicchio. You enter the castle.

Scene 3. Buralicchio sings about his own beauty and attraction to the female sex (No. 2). His only worry is that the bride might die of amazement at the sight of him.

Scene 4. Gamberotto gives the future son-in-law an exaggerated warm welcome (No. 3). Buralicchio assures him that he has already prepared a “niche” for Ernestina in his soul. Gamberotto takes him on to introduce him to her.

Magnificent library

Scene 5. Observed by a choir of writers, Ernestina looks at various books and sings of the inexplicable emptiness that she feels in her heart (No. 4). The choir assures her that she will soon find solace. Ernestina suspects love as the cause of her suffering. The philosophical books in her library do not calm her down. After another hopeful choir, the writers leave the room (No. 5).

Scene 6. Gamberotto prepares Ernestina for the two newcomers - the new philosophy teacher and her bridegroom. Both are already waiting in front of the door.

Scene 7. Gamberotto leads Buralicchio and Ermanno into the room (No. 6). Ernestina greets you warmly. In Ermanno she sees a new Plato and in Buralicchio the wedding god Hymenaios with the candle. The two are speechless. Gamberotto tries to give Buralicchio a helping hand by prompting him to write a love poem. This confuses the words, however, so that Ermanno can hardly hold back the laugh. Ernestina asks everyone to tell her what they admire most about her. Ermanno calls her gentle eye, Buralicchio her soft eyelashes and Gamberotto her silver face (as her father has). Ernestina now announces that Ermanno should receive her spirit and Buralicchio the "matter". Although Buralicchio does not understand Ernestina's attempts in philosophical language, she is satisfied because she can finally perfect her knowledge of philosophy. Buralicchio, on the other hand, feels neglected. Ernestina promised him the "matter", but the new teacher seems to enjoy it.

Scene 8. Gamberotto, Frontino and Rosalia have heard the loud argument between Buralicchio and Ernestina and intervene. Gamberotto asks Buralicchio to explain his anger, but does not allow him to speak (No. 7). Instead, he praises his daughter as “the ninth wonder of the world” (“La nona meraviglia”), Ermanno as a doctor of philosophy, who can distinguish a man from a woman in a flash, and Buralicchio as a “tree” that has six offspring in less than a year (“Sei germi in men d'un anno”) could testify. If Buralicchio does not drop his suspicions, he will go into battle “with Etna in hand” and, like the Trojan Aeneas, “cremate the sea” (“Col Mongibello in mano, e qual Enea troiano il mare incenerir”). Ernestina feels wrongly offended by Buralicchio.

Scene 9. After Ernestina, Gamberotto and Buralicchio have left, Frontino and Rosalia talk about Ermanno's chances of success. You want to give him advice so that he doesn't give himself away carelessly. In the following aria, Rosalia sings about the cunning of Cupid who does not want to be hidden (No. 8).

Scene 10. Ernestina asks Ermanno for advice on how to behave towards Buralicchio. Despite the insult, she believes she loves him, because it is now customary to worship the fiancé for at least half a week. When Ermanno asks her if she could live happily with an unloved man after this time, she replies that marriage would be useful for her father. Could she find someone else in order to be happy? Ermanno answers this question in the affirmative in the following duet and confesses his love for her (No. 9).

Scene 11. Gamberotto assures Buralicchio that his daughter is incapable of damaging his family's honor. He wants to investigate the allegations in court, because - as he explains to the still offended Ernestina - he is considered a "dubious father" ("un dubbio genitor") until her innocence is proven. Ernestina replies with cumbersome (philosophical) words that Buralicchio's allegations are merely illusions of his jealousy. Gamberotto is impressed and insults Buralicchio as a "wild animal" ("bestia"). Ernestina is relieved. The three make up again and leave the scene in mutual embrace (No. 10).

Scene 12. Ermanno is shocked by Ernestina's reconciliation with his rival. Frontino and Rosalia try in vain to calm him down. Ernestina watched his reaction from afar. She would like to hear it, but must consider the dignity of her rank. Ermanno, who noticed Ernestina, pretends to want to kill himself. Rosalia and Frontino call for help. Ernestina enters. Ermanno takes her hand and kisses it.

Scene 13. Buralicchio and Gamberotto surprise the couple. Now Ernestina's guilt seems proven. Gamberotto demands that Ermanno leave the castle. General chaos breaks out until the choir announces the approach of a military column and calls for silence.

Second act

room

Scene 1. Frontino tells a group of curious farmers about the events in the castle (No. 11).

Scene 2. Frontino tells Rosalia about his plan to get rid of Buralicchio (No. 12). He has prepared a letter for this purpose. When he sees Buralicchio approaching, he drops the letter on the floor and hides behind a door. Rosalia is leaving.

Scene 3. Buralicchio picks up the letter. Frontino comes out and asks him apparently fearful if he has found a letter. This is extremely important for his master. Curious, Buralicchio opens the letter and reads it aloud. He makes a number of mistakes that Frontino corrects (eg: "Gambero" instead of "Gamberotto", "minotauri" instead of "militari", "deserto" instead of "disertore", "in salsa" instead of "in salvo"). The letter warns Gamberotto that a military column is approaching to arrest deserters. He should therefore bring his son Ernesto, disguised as a woman, to safety. Buralicchio is surprised and demands clarification from Frontino. He explains that Gamberotto had his son Ernesto neutered as a child for a singing career for financial reasons. But then he changed his mind and designated him as a soldier. When he finally became wealthy, he let Ernesto desert and took him in under the name Ernestina. Buralicchio is appalled by this news. He decides to leave Ernestina immediately.

Scene 4. Ernestina enters the room. She wants to follow the example of the magnanimous Emperor Titus and forgive Buralicchio for his insults. He feels that he is being kidnapped and grossly rejects her expressions of affection (No. 13). Ernestina is leaving.

Scene 5. Buralicchio wants to take revenge for the supposed fraud and goes away to report the deserter to the column commander.

Scene 6. Ermanno tries to reconcile with Gamberotto in order to be able to stay in the house. Gamberotto points out that this is impossible when the groom is so jealous. But he is ready to pay him a weekly wage. He's welcome to come back after the wedding. Gamberotto goes.

Scene 7. Left alone, Ermanno sings about the cruel turn of his luck (No. 14). He goes away in despair.

Scene 8. Ernestina has noticed Ermanno's grief. She asks Rosalia to get him. Rosalia leads Ermanno in, brings two more chairs, and leaves again.

Scene 9. Ernestina asks Ermanno if he loves her. This confirms it. If he is not loved again, he would rather die. Ernestina can no longer suppress her feelings. She also wants to confess her love to him. At that moment Rosalia comes back to warn her of Gamberotto's arrival (No. 15). This appears shortly afterwards with Buralicchio. Gamberotto silences Buralicchio and everyone watches the couple continue to talk. Gamberotto is surprised that Buralicchio is no longer jealous, but even seems to be happy about it. A group of soldiers and their captain appear in a mess. Ernestina is arrested and taken away. The others go too.

Scene 10. Frontino and Rosalia are surprised by the unexpected twist and try to find a solution. You go again.

Scene 11. Buralicchio is happy about the successful prank. Gamberotto accuses him of sitting idly by as his daughter is taken to prison. Buralicchio declares that he wants to cast her away because he can no longer do anything with her. In the following aria, Gamberotto sings about the sad fate of his daughter, who will write a biting satire about Buralicchio (No. 16).

Old prison with tall windows that let light in

Scene 12. While Ernestina is almost in despair, Ermanno appears at the window and descends with the help of a rope. He has brought a uniform that Ernestina is supposed to wear to escape. Ermanno asks her to accept his love (No. 17). Both climb out of the window.

An old village near the castle with various houses from which soldiers step out

Scene 13. Ernestina, dressed as a soldier, thanks Ermanno for his courage and his loyalty and assures him of her love (No. 18). They join the soldiers.

Salon in Gamberotto's house

Scene 14. Frontino accuses Buralicchio of treason. Since everyone is now armed against him, he advises him to flee. Frontino offers to accompany him (No. 19). Buralicchio agrees. When they hear people coming, they hide.

Last scene. Gamberotto arrives with the villagers armed with clubs to track down and punish the spy. They disappear again. Ermanno and Ernestina appear. Buralicchio, still trembling with fear, speaks to her. He is surprised that she is free, but has nothing to object to the union of the two. Gamberotto and the farmers return and threaten Buralicchio. Ernestina holds her back. The only important thing is that Buralicchio leave. This “reveals” to Ermanno that Ernestina is in reality a “musico” (castrato) - as he learned from Frontino. Frontino explains his prank to those present. Ermanno asks Gamberotto for forgiveness, and Gamberotto finally gives the couple his blessing. Everyone celebrates the happy day. Only Buralicchio is left alone.

layout

Instrumentation

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

  • Two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons
  • Two horns, two trumpets
  • Timpani, catuba ( bass drum ), cymbals , snare drum
  • Strings
  • Continuo

Music numbers

The opera contains the following musical numbers:

  • Sinfonia (not preserved)

first act

  • No. 1. Introduction (Ermanno, Frontino Rosalia): "Si cela in quelle mura" (scene 1)
  • No. 2. Cavatine (Buralicchio): "Occhietti miei vezzosi" (scene 3)
  • No. 3. Duettino (Gamberotto, Buralicchio): "Ah vieni al mio seno" (scene 4)
  • No. 4. Cavatine (Ernestina): "Oh come tacita osserva e medita!" (Scene 5)
  • No. 5. Choir: "Andrem, vedrem, faremo" (scene 5)
  • No. 6th Quartet (Ernestina, Ermanno, Gamberotto, Buralicchio): "Ti presento a un tempo istesso" (scene 7)
  • No. 7. Aria (Gamberotto): "Parla, favella, e poi" (scene 8)
  • No. 8. Aria (Rosalia): "Quel furbarel d'amore" (scene 9)
  • No. 9. Duet (Ernestina, Ermanno): "Sì, trovar potete un altro" (scene 10)
  • No. 10. Finale I: "Volgi le amabili pupille elastiche" (scenes 11-13)

Second act

  • No. 11. Introduction (frontino, choir): "Perché sossopra, diteci un po '" (scene 1)
  • No. 12. Aria (Frontino): "Vedrai fra poco nascere" (scene 2)
  • No. 13. Duet (Ernestina, Buralicchio): "Vieni pur, a me t'accosta" (scene 4)
  • No. 14. Recitative and aria (Ermanno): "E mi lascia così?" (Scene 7)
  • No. 15. Quintet (Rosalia, Ernestina, Ermanno, Gamberotto, Buralicchio): "Speme soave" (scene 9)
  • No. 16. Aria (Gamberotto): "Il mio germe" (scene 11)
  • No. 17. Cavatine (Ermanno): "D'un tenero ardore" (scene 12)
  • No. 18 scene and rondo (Ernestina): “Il periglio passò; fra poco io sono "/" Se per te lieta ritorno "(scene 13)
  • No. 19. Finale II: "Scapperò: questo mi pare" (scenes 19-20)

libretto

In the past, the text of the opera was mostly rated as inferior. It contains a number of suggestive puns that led to the performance ban after the premiere. Nevertheless, they show the high education of the librettist Gaetano Gasbarri. Individual lines ironically quote Pietro Metastasio so that the text looks like a parody of his opera libretti. Upstart people who devote themselves to philosophy after their ascent and use the taught vocabulary in exaggerated or incorrect ways are satirized. The motive of the alleged castrato is an indication of a current problem at the time, since the castration of boys was banned after the arrival of the Napoleonic troops and the young men affected now had difficulties gaining a foothold in society.

music

Although it is an early work by Rossini, the opera is already showing its full maturity, especially in the ensemble movements. It contains an abundance of pastoral, burlesque, buffon-style and romantic ideas. The introduction of the first act (No. 1) begins with a pastoral introduction that leads to a buffon-style trio. The duet by Gamberotto and Buralicchio (No. 3) is characterized by burlesque stuttering ("Ahi! Ahi! Che già gocciolo [...] che già verso" - "Au! Au! I'm already dripping [...] I'm already running"). The role of Ernestina has both naive and malicious and heroic traits.

Work history

Teatro del Corso Bologna (1805)
Marietta Marcolini (no year)

After his success with La cambiale di matrimonio in Venice, the barely nineteen year old Rossini returned to Bologna. There he was commissioned by an impresario at the Teatro del Corso in the summer of 1811 to accompany two operas ( L'Oro non compra amore by Marcos António Portugal and Ser Marcantonio by Stefano Pavesi ) on the harpsichord and to compose a new opera. He was to receive 50 piastres for the composition . The libretto came from Gaetano Gasbarri, a rather mediocre librettist from Florence. The premiere took place on October 26, 1811. The singers were the alto Marietta Marcolini (Ernestina), the basses Domenico Vaccani (Gamberotto) and Paolo Rosich (Buralicchio), the tenors Tommaso Berti (Ermanno) and Giuseppe Spirito (frontino) and the mezzo-soprano Angela Chies Sacconi (Rosalia). The performance was well received by the audience. The censors found the play offensive for several reasons, in particular they criticized ambiguous situations, ridicule of the wealthy and the military, and ridicule of the castrati. Despite some changes in the text, the performance of the opera was banned after three performances in Bologna.

In 1825, parts of the music were adapted to another libretto together with pieces from other Rossini operas and performed under the original title in Trieste. Then the opera fell into oblivion. It was not performed again until September 1965 in an arrangement by Vito Frazzi in Siena. This version was performed at the Wexford Festival Opera in Ireland in 1968 . Since then the opera has been performed occasionally, for example in Bern 1973, Bad Wildbad ( Rossini in Wildbad ) 1993/94 and 2000, Hamburg-Altona 2001/02, New York (Bronx Opera) 2004, Berlin ( Deutsche Oper , concertante) 2004, at English Festival Garsington Opera 2004, Pesaro ( Rossini Opera Festival Pesaro ) 2002 and 2008 and in Riehen ( Opernfestival Riehen ) 2011.

It is not certain which overture Rossini intended for L'equivoco stravagante . The Ricordi edition of the vocal score, which was published in the middle of the 19th century, contains the overture from Il barbiere di Siviglia (1816), which Rossini also used for Aureliano in Palmira (1813) and Elisabetta regina d'Inghilterra (1815) would have. Perhaps this choice was made by the editor. It is believed that the original overture (if any) was later carried over to a later opera. The quintet in the second act is based on the quartet from Demetrio e Polibio . Rossini used it - as did the trio in act one - in La pietra del paragone the following year .

Recordings

  • Year unknown (German recitatives, reconstructed original version by Rüdiger Boh): Rüdiger Boh (conductor), Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra , Prague Men's Chorus, Prague Wind Ensemble. Heidi Brunner (Ernestina), Mark Holland (Gamberotto), Hernan Itturalde (Buralicchio), Omar Jara (Ermanno), Sonia Malta (Rosalia), Alexander Judenkow (Frontino).
  • September 7, 1965 (live from the Siena Music Week ): Alberto Zedda (conductor), Orchestra dell'Accademia Musicale Chigiana, Coro dei Cantori Pisane. Margherita Rinaldi (Ernestina), Carlo Badioli (Gamberotto), Paolo Pedani (Buralicchio), Pietro Bottazzo (Ermanno), Elena Barcis (Rosalia), Florindo Andreolli (Frontino). EJ Smith "The Golden Age of Opera" EJS 348 (2 LP).
  • February 8, 1974 (live, concert performance from Naples, abridged version by Vito Frazzi with finale from La gazzetta ): Bruno Rigacci (conductor), Orchestra A. Scarlatti della RAI di Napoli, Coro dell'Associatione A. Scarlatti di Napoli. Margherita Guglielmi (Ernestina), Sesto Bruscantini (Gamberotto), Rolando Panerai (Buralicchio), Giuseppe Baratti (Ermanno), Elena Zilio (Rosalia), Carlo Gaifa (Frontino). GAO CD: GAO 154/55.
  • July 2000 (Live from the Rossini Festival in Wildbad , revised original version by Alberto Zedda ): Alberto Zedda (conductor), Czech Chamber Soloists Brno, men of the Czech Chamber Chorus. Petia Petrova (Ernestina), Mario di Felici (Gamberotto), Marco Vinco (Buralicchio), Dario Schmunck (Ermanno), Monica Minarelli (Rosalia), Eduardo Santamaría (Frontino). Naxos 8.660087-88 (2 CD).
  • October 2001 (video, live from Modena): Francesco Esposito (production), Carmine Carrisi (conductor), Orchestra del Conservatorio di Musica GB Martini di Bologna, Coro Filarmonica di Piacenza. Olga Voznessenskaja (Ernestina), Carlo Morini (Gamberotto), Luciano Miotto (Buralicchio), Vito Martino (Ermanno), Silvia Vajente (Rosalia), Daniele Maniscalchi (Frontino). Kikko Classic KC 081 (2 CD).
  • August 10, 2002 (live from the Rossini Opera Festival Pesaro , secco recitatives slightly shortened): Donato Renzetti (conductor), Pesaro Festival Orchestra, Prague Chamber Chorus. Silvia Tro Santafé (Ernestina), Bruno Praticò (Gamberotto), Lorenzo Regazzo (Buralicchio), Antonio Siragusa (Ermanno), Natalia Gavrilan (Rosalia), Stefano Ferrari (Frontino). House of Opera CD 836 (2 CD).

literature

  • Ulrich Schreiber : Opera Guide for Advanced Students 2 - The History of Music Theater. Baerenreiter-Verlag, 2008, ISBN 3-7618-1028-8
  • Reto Müller (translator and publisher): Gioachino Rossini: L'equivoco stravagante (The crazy confusion). Libretto Italian / German. Text by Gaetano Gasbarri. (Opera texts by the German Rossini Society; 3) Leipziger Universitäts-Verlag, Leipzig 2012, ISBN 978-3-86583-644-1

Web links

Commons : L'equivoco stravagante  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Information on the Rossini Society's works , accessed on October 26, 2015.
  2. ↑ L'equivoco stravagente. Notes on the critical edition by Marco Beghelli and Stefano Piana , accessed November 9, 2015.
  3. ↑ L'equivoco stravagante on rossinigesellschaft.de , accessed November 14, 2015.
  4. ↑ a b c Text accompanying CD Naxos 8.660087-88 , accessed on October 26, 2015.
  5. ^ Richard Osborne: Rossini - life and work. Translated from the English by Grete Wehmeyer. List Verlag, Munich 1988, ISBN 3-471-78305-9
  6. ^ A b Herbert Weinstock : Rossini - A biography. Translated by Kurt Michaelis. Kunzelmann, Adliswil 1981 (1968), ISBN 3-85662-009-0
  7. ^ A b c Charles Osborne : The Bel Canto Operas of Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini. Amadeus Press, Portland, Oregon, 1994, ISBN 978-0-931340-71-0
  8. ^ Record of the performance of L'equivoco stravagante on October 26, 1811 in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna
  9. ↑ Seth Kugel: Bronx Journal; So Class, How Do You Make a Cello? Fatten up a violin. New York Times January 18, 2004, accessed October 26, 2015.
  10. ↑ a b c d e f Gioacchino Rossini. In: Andreas Ommer: Directory of all opera complete recordings. Zeno.org , volume 20.