L'Armida immaginaria
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| Title: | L'Armida immaginaria |
Title page of the score manuscript |
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| Shape: | Commedia per musica in three acts |
| Original language: | Italian |
| Music: | Domenico Cimarosa |
| Libretto : | Giuseppe Palomba |
| Literary source: | Torquato Tasso : The Liberated Jerusalem |
| Premiere: | Summer 1777 |
| Place of premiere: | Teatro dei Fiorentini, Naples |
| Playing time: | approx. 2 ¾ hours |
| Place and time of the action: | Torre del Greco |
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L'Armida immaginaria (German: 'Die imaginäre Armida') is an opera buffa (original name: “commedia per musica”) in three acts by Domenico Cimarosa (music) with a libretto by Giuseppe Palomba . It was premiered in the summer of 1777 at the Teatro dei Fiorentini in Naples.
action
The title of the opera refers to the single Marchesa Tisbea, who delusively believes she is the sorceress Armida from Tasso's Liberated Jerusalem , abandoned by her lover Rinaldo . Her servant Bernabò is also crazy. Tisbea's gardener Ermidora loves the young Battistino, who flirts with her but is actually in love with Tisbea. The landlady Stella is engaged to the corsair Spatachiatta, to whom she has lent money. Spatachiatta, however, tied up with the Marchesa in order to get their assets through a wedding. The mad doctor Giorgio, who is in love with Stella, wants to cure Tisbea of her madness. The plot of the opera consists of a sequence of disguise scenes, strokes and mix-ups. In the first act, both Giorgio and Spatachiatta dress up as women to gain Tisbea's trust. In the second act, the Marchesa set her mind to marry the poet Torquato Tasso - whereupon Giorgio and Spatachiatta disguise themselves as the latter and cause confusion. Only in his third disguise as a knight can Spatachiatta win over Tisbea. In the third act, Stella, disappointed by Spatachiatta's infidelity, tries to murder the others - but inadvertently uses make-up powder instead of the poison. Now everything is cleared up. The Marchesa will marry Spatachiatta and will even pay his debts to Stella, the latter finally accepting Giorgio's advertising, and Ermidora and Battistino also get together.
first act
Area by the sea; Stella's inn on one side, a madhouse on the other
Scene 1. While the gardener Ermidora is flirting with the young Battistino in Stella's pub, the mad doctor Giorgio tries to keep his raging patients at bay with strokes of the stick (quartet: "Oimè che stizza! Oimè che rabbia!"). Giorgio loves Stella but has no success here - she detests him and is also engaged to the corsair Caspero Spatachiatta from Vico. Ermidora and Battistino remind Giorgio that he has to take care of their mistress, the Marchesina Tisbea, who thinks she is the sorceress Armida. To do this, he had to disguise himself as a woman, since Tisbea believed that she was abandoned by her lover Rinaldo and would no longer tolerate the presence of men. She even designed her garden based on the information given by Tasso. Your servant Bernabò has also lost his mind. Stella urges Giorgio once again to leave her alone (Aria Stella: “Io so na pimpinella”).
Scene 2. After the others have left, Giorgio is talking to Battistino. He admits that he doesn't really love Ermidora, but just likes to seduce women. However, he has developed real feelings for Tisbea. He asks Giorgio to work during his treatment that she reciprocates his love (Aria Battistino: "Per te scorgo in lontananza").
Scene 3. Caspero Spatachiatta arrives on a ship. On his trip he squandered all the money that Stella had lent him (Aria Spatachiatta: "Catarina Catarinetta").
Scene 4. Stella welcomes her fiancé at first delighted and then outraged about his behavior. To make up for it, she suggests that he ingratiate himself with Tisbea to take her off. Spatachiatta also has to wear women's clothes.
Beautiful garden with natural and artistic plants according to Tasso's description of Armida's garden
Scene 5. Tisbea, dressed like Armida, and her gardener Ermidora sing about the beauty of nature (duet Tisbea / Ermidora: “O bella Venere”). Tisbea wants to reward with her favors whoever kills her faithless lover Rinaldo. She thinks he's in the enchanted forest.
Scene 6. Giorgio in disguise arrives with two assistants. He has two goals: to heal Tisbea and to make her fall in love with herself as he seeks her wealth. Shortly thereafter, Spatachiatta appears, also in women's clothes. The two meet. Since they have never seen Tisbea before, they take each other for the unexpectedly ugly Marchesa. With the support of his assistants, Giorgio forcibly drains the alleged Tisbea in order to cure her (duet Giorgio / Spatachiatta: “Qua le bene no le smiccio”). When Spatachiatta lost consciousness during this procedure, the others fled in horror.
Scene 7. Don Bernabò and the Marchesa enter the garden. Both are completely trapped in their delusions. Spatachiatta wakes up and speaks to the two of them. They only answer in incomprehensible verses (Terzett Bernabò / Spatachiatta - Tisbea: "Oibò non son ragazzo"). Since Spatachiatta does not understand them, he thinks he has gone mad himself. He asks the two of them to take him to the madhouse and takes off his mask. Tisbea now thinks he's the Rinaldo he is looking for. She sends Bernabò away.
Scene 8. Tisbea flatters Spatachiatta so successfully (Aria Tisbea: “Un foco così bello”) that he wants to ditch his fiancée.
Scene 9. Giorgio has brought Ermidora and Battistino. They talk about Spatachiatta, whom they have recognized as a fraud. Ermidora wants to have some fun with him, and Giorgio wants him to be admitted to his clinic. Battistino still hopes to win Tisbea over with Giorgio's help.
Scene 10. Meanwhile Tisbea has decorated the supposed Rinaldo (Spatachiatta) with flowers and garlands and a mirror to indulge in love with him. His fiancée Stella intervenes indignantly. Spatachiatta tries to reassure her by saying that she too will benefit if he becomes a marquis by marrying Tisbea. Stella doesn't respond, but threatens the police if he doesn't go with her. The possible separation from her Rinaldo upsets Tisbea so much that she suffers a fit of weakness. Spatachiatta is torn back and forth (Aria Spatachiatta: "Guarda chi lascio ... ascorda ..."). Finally he follows Stella.
Scene 11. Ermidora has prepared a farce with Giorgio. She tells Tisbea that Rinaldo will be coming soon to cut down the enchanted trees. Tisbea then hides in a tree trunk because she wants to scare her unfaithful admirer. Spatachiatta is now supposed to continue playing his role under pressure from Giorgio and fell this tree. In addition, Ermidora has hired some children to hide between the trees, disguised as nymphs and elves.
Scene 12. Spatachiatta appears with an ax to carry out his mission (Accompagnato Spatachiatta: “O che dolce cantare” - Finale: “Al furor di sferra irata”). Voices from the trees warn him not to strike. He flees.
Scene 13. Giorgio, Ermidora, Battistino and Bernabò tell Spatachiatta to keep going. After its first beat, a lovely melody sounds and a choir sings of love.
Scene 14. Tisbea steps out of hiding and declares her love for Spatachiatta / Rinaldo. He agrees, but the others force him to pick up the ax again. Spatachiatta runs away.
Scene 15. The act ends in general confusion (finale: “Frabutto tiranno”). Stella is angry with Spatachiatta, the others continue playing the farce, and Bernabò suddenly thinks he is the brilliant composer of a symphony .
Second act
A street
Scene 1. Ermidora tells Battistino, Giorgio and Bernabò that the Marchesa had a fit of rage over Rinaldo's departure, chased all the men out of the house and made a solemn vow to marry Torquato Tasso . Giorgio suggests using this for another hoax. Bernabò refuses to go to the madhouse. He now considers himself a tightrope walker (Aria Bernabò: "Alta la testa bravo ritto quel piè").
Scene 2. Stella accuses Spatachiatta of playing the game with the Marchesa too far. But now he has to help her rob her. He is supposed to disguise himself as "Torquato grasso" ('Torquato of the Fats') in order to gain access to her apartment. Then they want to flee together to Vico, where Stella wants to start a new life as a singer (Aria Stella: "Si la cantante mme mett'a fare").
Scene 3. After Ermidora and Battistino have told Giorgio, who is already disguised as Tasso, a few more details about his character, he is ready for his new role (Giorgio's aria: “Occhi dolci di melazzo”).
Scene 4. The two tassos meet and get into an argument.
Scene 5. Watched by Stella and Battistino, both Giorgio and Spatachiatta try to convince Tisbea that she is the real Tasso. You try to quote some of his verses. Confused Tisbea challenges both of them to a sword fight, but then faints. When she comes to, she has forgotten everything (Aria Tisbea: "Chi siete? E dove io sono!").
Scene 6. Giorgio reveals himself to the other and asks the other Tasso to do the same. When Spatachiatta fled, Battistino accused him of cheating. Spatachiatta accomplice Stella in return reveals to Ermidora the intentions of Battistino, who secretly wooed the Marchesa. Ermidora is deeply disappointed with his behavior (duet Ermidora / Battistino: "Giusto amor, se nume sei").
At night; Landscape, on one side a hut with a movable window
Scene 7. Spatachiatta, who has spent the night in the lonely hut for fear of his pursuers, wants to flee further. Tisbea, dressed as a sorceress, and her servant Bernabò appear. Tisbea believes she must learn the various languages of the Crusaders in order to be able to fight them adequately. For his part, Bernabò is looking for a music and dance teacher. Tisbea therefore conjures up a spirit that is supposed to teach them (Accompagnato Tisbea: "Ecco col scinto piè"). When she discovers Spatachiatta, she believes he is the language teacher who has been summoned. She asks him to present a sample of his art (Aria Spatachiatta: “Un minuetto alla svezzese”). After a while he manages to escape. Tisbea now wants to dress as an Amazon and defeat Rinaldo in battle.
Scene 8. Stella plans to disguise Spatachiatta as a warrior and tells him to follow her to the lemon grove, where she has hidden her clothes. However, Spatachiatta cannot leave as people approach.
Scene 9. Giorgio and Battistino both want to win the Marchesa independently of one another. They mistake Spatachiatta for Tisbea in the dark and woo him with their oaths of love. Spatachiatta also believes he is speaking to the Marchesa (Concertato: “Dove sei mio bel tesoro?”). Only when they take their hands do they realize the mistake.
Scene 10. Ermidora warns the others about the arrival of Tisbea, who has boarded a war chariot and is seriously dangerous in her madness.
Illuminated forest
Scene 11. Tisbea, dressed as a warrior Amazon and armed, is ready in her car to fight Rinaldo (Concertato: “Ah cessate il rimbombo severi”). She calls out to her fighters Altemor and Tisaferno.
Scene 12. Giorgio and Battistino take Tisbea's side.
Scene 13. Spatachiatta, dressed as a knight, appears and threatens to hack his opponent to pieces (concertato: “Muorto pe muorto nquanto mme lasso”).
Scene 14. At the sight of Spatachiatta the anger of Tisbea vanishes immediately. She now only thinks of her love for Rinaldo (Finale: “Già t'amo ben mio”). However, Spatachiatta has to flee again because everyone else is now turning against him.
Third act
Scene 1. Battistino and Giorgio realize that they have to give up their hope in the Marchesa. Stella tells them that the mysterious knight is Spatachiatta.
Scene 2. Ermidora reports that the Marchesa is determined to marry her knight. The jealous Stella then decides to poison him. Giorgio, on the other hand, is now hoping for Stella again, who has lost her fiancé through this development. Battistino turns back to Ermidora and swears his love to her (Aria Battistino: “Mentre placide, e serene”).
Scene 3. Stella has meanwhile prepared the glasses with poison. Everyone awaits the arrival of the Marchesa and her lover.
Scene 4. After Tisbea, Spatachiatta and Bernabò have arrived, they all celebrate happily (chorus: “Tutti tutti venite venite”). Stella toasts Spatachiatta, and everyone toasts. Then she announces her impending death to them and goes out. The others are already feeling the effects of the poison (Concertato: "Che caso orribile! Ch'è questo oimè!").
Scene 5. Stella comes back and explains that she accidentally put make-up powder in the wine instead of the poison. She threatens that Spatachiatta will end up in jail within an hour. Fortunately, the Marchesa agreed to pay his debts.
Scene 6. Stella now accepts Giorgio's proposal of marriage (Aria Stella: “Zengariello mio d'amore”).
Scene 7. Battistino and Ermidora also get together, and Tisbea is already looking forward to the big parties she wants to take part in with her cavalier (finale: “Tutta grazia entrar bel bello”). Spatachiatta now has to deal with his crazy wife.
layout
Music numbers
The opera contains the following musical numbers:
- Sinfonia
first act
- Quartet: “Oimè che stizza! oimè che rabbia! "(scene 1)
- Recitative: "Dunque dell'amor tuo, certa son io?" (Scene 1)
- Aria (Stella): "Io so na pimpinella" (scene 1)
- Recitative: "Scaltra questa ragazza" (scenes 1–2)
- Aria (Battistino): "Per te scorgo in lontananza" (scene 2)
- Recitative: "Chisto è pazzo, se il quadro è saporito" (scene 2)
- Aria (Spatachiatta): "Catarina Catarinetta" (scene 3)
- Recitative: "Ora su Patrò Caspero, parlammo" (scenes 3–4)
- Duet (Tisbea, Ermidora): "O bella Venere" (scene 5)
- Recitative: "O sventurata Armida, e che ti giova" (scenes 5–6)
- Duet (M. Giorgio, Spatachiatta): "Qua le bene no le smiccio" (scene 6)
- Recitative: "Cancaro, la marchesa è assimpicata" (scenes 6–7)
- Trio (D. Bernabò, Spatachiatta, Tisbea): "Oibò non son ragazzo" (scene 7)
- Recitative: "Dove inoltri i tuoi passi" (scenes 7–8)
- Aria (Tisbea): "Un foco così bello" (scene 8)
- Recitative: "Caspita, comm'è cara" (scenes 8-10)
- Aria (Spatachiatta): "Guarda chi lascio ... ascorda ..." (scene 10)
- Recitative: “Rinaldo? ah più non vi è? potè l'ingrato "(scenes 10–12)
- Recitative accompagnato (Spatachiatta): "O che dolce cantare" (scene 12)
- Finale: "Al furor di sferra irata" (scenes 12-14)
- Finale (continued): "Frabutto tiranno" (scene 15)
Second act
- Recitative: "La burla con piacere è terminata" (scene 1)
- Aria (D. Bernabò): "Alta la testa bravo ritto quel piè" (scene 1)
- Recitative: "Vi silo vuò chiù pazzo" (scenes 1–2)
- Aria (Stella): "Si la cantante mme mett'a fare" (scene 2)
- Recitative: "Entra qua, Mastro Giorgio" (scene 3)
- Aria (M. Giorgio): "Occhi dolci di melazzo" (scene 3)
- Recitative: "Chi è chillo" (scenes 4–5)
- Aria (Tisbea): “Chi siete? E dove io sono! "(Scene 5)
- Recitative: "Io già sò Mastro Giorgio" (scene 6)
- Duet (Ermidora, Battistino): "Giusto amor, se nume sei" (scene 6)
- Recitative: "Ncarrera dinto ccà mme so annascuso" (scene 7)
- Recitative accompagnato (Tisbea): "Ecco col scinto piè" (scene 7)
- Aria (Spatachiatta): "Un minuetto alla svezzese" (scene 7)
- Recitative: "Lo spirito fuggì!" (Scenes 7–9)
- Concertato: "Dove sei mio bel tesoro?" (Scenes 9-10)
- Concertato: "Ah cessate il rimbombo severi" (scenes 11-12)
- Concertato: "Muorto pe muorto nquanto mme lasso" (scenes 13-14)
- Finale: "Già t'amo ben mio" (scene 14)
Third act
- Recitative: "Dunque di possederla mia marchesa" (scenes 1–2)
- Aria (Battistino): "Mentre placide, e serene" (scene 2)
- Recitative: "Stanno le bocce" (scene 3)
- Choir: "Tutti tutti venite venite" (scene 4)
- Recitative: "Si Spatachiatta salute, e figlie mascole" (scene 4)
- Concertato: “Che caso orribile! ch'è questo oimè! "(scene 4)
- Recitative: "Uh che mannaggia le cervella meje" (scenes 5–6)
- Aria (Stella): "Zengariello mio d'amore" (scene 6)
- Recitative: "Be contenta mio ben?" (Scene 7)
- Finale: "Tutta grazia entrar bel bello" (scene 7)
music
The opera's orchestra consists essentially of two horns , two oboes , strings and basso continuo . Occasionally the oboists also play the flute . In the continuo there should be a bassoon that has to play a solo in the finale of the second act. Tisbea's aria “Chi siete? E dove io sono! ”Also requires two harps.
Around 1777, Cimarosa began to equip his operas with additional ensemble numbers in addition to the introduction and the final movements. L'Armida immaginaria contains a total of fourteen arias, three finals, two duets, a trio, an opening quartet, a sextet and a choir.
Cimarosa's music is always graceful. His melodies are often popular, but formally refined. Appoggiatures support the impression of lightness. They also serve to sharpen the rhythm and represent the Neapolitan idiom of some roles. Despite all the carelessness, the music is full of sophistication, and it is balanced and natural in the classical sense.
In the finale of the first act, Don Bernabò introduces the various instruments: "Corni, flauti ed oboè / piano, forte, le viole" - "horns, flutes and oboes / soft and loud the violas".
Comedy arises from the use of Neapolitan, the mix-ups, pranks and scenes of madness, from absurd characterizations such as the “witty and ignorant” psychiatrist and from onomatopoeic effects in the music.
libretto
Dramaturgically, the libretto is based on a pattern introduced by Carlo Goldoni with three couples of different classes. The text is multilingual: the Marchesa Tisbea, Ermidora and Battistino sing in Italian, the others in the Neapolitan dialect.
The libretto contains several quotations from Tasso's epic, which can be divided into different types. In some places the figures explicitly declaim sections from the Liberated Jerusalem. They are indicated in the libretto by quotation marks. In the fifth scene of the second act, Giorgio and Spatachiatta recite distorted texts from the epic to convince the Marchesa that they really are Torquato Tasso. Giorgio's "Mirasi qui fra le mamozie ancelle", for example, comes from the 3rd punch of the 16th song:
Giorgio
Mirasi qui fra le mamozie ancelle
Favoleggiar con la Conocchia Cilla
Le lanterne spognò rise e setelle
Or torce il fuso e amor zingarda, e ride.
Tasso
Mirasi qui fra le meonie ancelle
Favoleggiar con la conocchia Alcide.
Se l'inferno espugnò, resse le stelle,
Or torce il fuso; Amor sel guarda e ride.
Spatachiatta's "Intanto Armenia nfra l'ombrose piante" is based on the 1st punch of the 7th song:
Spatachiatta
Intanto Armenia nfra l'ombrose piante
D'antica serva dal Cavallo e sporta,
Né più governa il fien la man tremante,
E meuza… qua si spara vita, e morta
Tasso
Intanto Erminia infra l'ombrose piante
d'antica selva dal cavallo è scorta,
nè più governa il fren la man tremante,
e mezza quasi par tra viva e morta
Other literal text passages are sung but not marked. There are also directing and scene instructions that relate directly to the epic. The description of the garden in the first act corresponds to that of Armida's palace and garden at the beginning of Canto 16. In scenes 11 to 13 of the first act, Spatachiatta is supposed to cut down the trees in the garden. This relates to the 17th to 40th stanza in the 18th song, in which Rinaldo has to destroy the magic forest in order to receive the forgiveness of his general Gottfried von Bouillon . Rinaldo is stopped by sweet music and dancing nymphs, which he has to ignore in order to fell the magical myrtle in the center of the forest and banish the magic.
Work history
The libretto of Cimarosa's Commedia per musica L'Armida immaginaria is by Giuseppe Palomba . The content refers to the Armida episodes from Torquato Tasso's epic The Liberated Jerusalem .
The opera premiered in the summer of 1777 in the Neapolitan Teatro dei Fiorentini . Anna Benvenuti (Marchesina Tisbea), Francesca Benvenuti (Ermidora), Maria Giuseppa Migliozzi (Stella), Giuseppe Casaccia (Mastro Giorgio), Antonio Casaccia (Patrò Caspero Spatachiatta), Nicola Zarlatti (Battistino) and Giovanniabò) (Don Berno).
In addition to at least one resumption in Naples, the work was also performed in Castelbuono (July 1780) and at the Teatro del Falcone in Genoa (autumn 1787) in the 18th century.
Score manuscripts are in the library of the Conservatorio San Pietro a Majella Naples, in the Bibliothèque nationale de France Paris and in the private collection “Massimo princes” in Rome.
There was a first revival in recent times in July 1994 at the Montpellier Festival in a heavily abridged version in French. The complete opera was only played again on August 8 and 9, 1997 in the Palazzo Ducale in Martina Franca at the 23rd Festival della Valle d'Itria . A recording was published on CD. The arrangement of the score on the basis of the Neapolitan manuscript came from Anna Trombetta and Luca Bianchini.
Recordings
- 7/9 August 1997 - Eric Hull (conductor), Orchestra del Teatro Massimo Bellini di Catania, Coro dell'Ente Artistico Teatro Petruzzelli di Bari.
Alla Simonischvili (Marchesina Tisbea), Anna Rosa Peraino (Ermidora), Giovanna Donadini (Stella), Domenico Colaianni (Mastro Giorgio), Piero Guernera (Patrò Caspero Spatachiatta), Simon Edwards (Battistino), Massimiliano Chiarolla (Don Bernabò).
Live from the Festival della Valle d'Itria in Martina Franca; Completely.
Dynamic 205 / 1-3 (3 CDs).
Web links
- L'Armida immaginaria : Sheet music and audio files in the International Music Score Library Project
- L'Armida immaginaria (Domenico Cimarosa) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna
- Discography about Armida immaginaria at Operadis
- Armida Immaginaria di Domenico Cimarosa, Opera completa in MIDI files, libretto e descrizione on italianopera.org (italian)
Remarks
- ↑ In Tasso's epic, the pagan sorceress Armida falls in love with the crusader Rinaldo and enchants him so that he will return her love. However, his friends can dispel the spell and flee with Rinaldo.
- ↑ The historical background of Tasso's drama is the First Crusade . As a pagan sorceress, Armida is an opponent of the crusaders.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Booklet of the CD Armida immaginaria. Dynamic 205 / 1-3.
- ↑ a b c d e f Nick Rossi, Talmage Faunderoy: Domenico Cimarosa, His Life and His Operas. Greenwood Press, Westport 1999, ISBN 0-313-30112-3 .
- ↑ a b c d e f g Anna Trombetta, Luca Bianchini, Eva Pleus (transl.): Booklet of the CD Armida immaginaria. Dynamic 205 / 1-3, pp. 10-13.
- ↑ Record of the premiere in the summer of 1777 in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on January 15, 2019.
- ^ L'Armida immaginaria (Domenico Cimarosa) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on January 12, 2019.
- ↑ Jennifer E. Johnson, Gordana Lazarevich: Cimarosa, Domenico. In: Grove Music Online (English; subscription required).
- ^ Domenico Cimarosa. In: Andreas Ommer: Directory of all complete opera recordings (= Zeno.org . Volume 20). Directmedia, Berlin 2005, p. 3002.