L'inimico delle donne
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| Title: | L'inimico delle donne |
Title page of the libretto, Venice 1771 |
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| Shape: | “ Dramma giocoso ” in three acts |
| Original language: | Italian |
| Music: | Baldassare Galuppi |
| Libretto : | Giovanni Bertati |
| Premiere: | Fall 1771 |
| Place of premiere: | Teatro San Samuele Venice |
| Playing time: | about 2 hours |
| Place and time of the action: | Kibin-Kin-Ka, a town on an island in the China Sea , 18th century |
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L'inimico delle donne (German: 'Der Frauenfeind') is an opera buffa (original name: " Dramma giocoso ") in three acts by Baldassare Galuppi (music) with a libretto by Giovanni Bertati . It was premiered in the autumn of 1771 at the Teatro San Samuele in Venice.
action
The opera takes place in the fictional town of Kibin-Kin-Ka on an island in the China Sea . Prince Zon-zon rules there, a misogynist who, however, has to marry soon if he wants to keep his position. The Italians Agnesina and her uncle Geminiano arrive on the island after a shipwreck. Agnesina detests all men as much as Zon-zon detests women. The welcome party at the end of the first act turns into a drinking bout. After Zon-zon has rejected all of the wives in his homeland who are willing to marry, he realizes that he is not quite as unsympathetic to Agnesina as the others. So he decides to marry her. So that his people can also be convinced, Geminiano has to take on the role of an idol, who represents this as divine will. He is made a mandarin and marries Xunchia, one of the Prince's rejected marriage candidates.
first act
Extensive field on the seashore with various plantings; in the middle an altar with the idol of the patron god Ka-na-gà
Scene 1. The priest Ly-lam, the mandarin Si-sin, the girls Zyda, Xunchia and Kam-si and other people pay homage to their patron god Ka-na-gà (Tutti: "Katomira. Ka-na-gà. Ti Kakira squaquera "). The girls talk about the fact that their Prince Zon-zon still has to choose a wife today. Each prays that she herself will be the chosen one.
Scene 2. Ly-lam reminds Si-sin that Zon-zon is a die-hard misogynist. But if he doesn't get married today, he'll have to cede the rulership to his brother. Si-sin believes that under these circumstances he will make a decision in time. Ly-lam assumes that Zon-zon will choose his own daughter Zyda (Arie Ly-lam: "Quelle orecchie ben aprite").
Scene 3. Si-sin observes how an Italian ship is stranded on the coast after a storm and Geminiano and his niece Agnesina go ashore (duet Geminiano / Agnesina: “Oh terra benedetta”). Similar to Zon-zon women, Agnesina detests all men. She is happy to have finally escaped her admirers.
Scene 4. Si-sin greets the newcomers first with gestures typical of the country. Fortunately, they can communicate, as Kibin-Kin-Ka was visited by an Italian a few centuries ago and Italian has been spoken at court since then. Si-sin gives them his various titles and tasks (Aria Si-sin: "Mi dichiaro vostro amico").
Scene 5. Geminiano advises Agnesina to give up her dislike of the men. Here in a foreign country she won't be well for long without a husband. But Agnesina cannot do anything about her disposition (Aria Agnesina: “Son'io semplice fanciulla”).
Room in the palace of Zon-zon
Scene 6. Zon-zon goes through a list of girls willing to marry in disgust (Aria Zon-zon: “Quanti nomi in questa lista”). He would rather choose a bitch or a mare.
Scene 7. Ly-lam reminds Zon-zon that he will have to announce his decision shortly. Zon-zon has the first three girls on the list come to see them.
Scene 8. Kam-si, Zyda and Xunchia enter (trio: “Zon-zon amabile”), and each of them introduces themselves with an aria (Zyda: “Io sono, poverina” - Xunchia: “Se cercate chi amore v'ispiri ”- Kam-si:“ Se di me vi contentate ”). Zon-zon dismisses all three with humiliating words.
Scene 9. When Si-sin announces the arrival of the Italians, Zon-zon happily sends the girls to greet them with all the pomp and bring them to him.
Scene 10. Ly-lam, Si-sin, and other courtiers lead Geminiano and Agnesina in with great ceremony. Zon-zon can prepare a large banquet right away. Geminiano fetches the wine that he was able to save from the shipwreck and that is completely unknown here (Arie Geminiano: “Torno presto, sì Signore”).
Scene 11. When Zon-zon and Agnesina are alone, they immediately get into an argument, as each of them despises the other because of their gender (Aria Zon-zon: "Io vi guardo fisso in volto"). Zon-zon leaves the room.
Scene 12. Agnesina is annoyed that her host is a man. She would have preferred a dog, mutton or donkey.
Magnificent hall with a table and chairs prepared
Scene 13. The banquet begins with a general binge, which heats everyone up to such an extent that Zon-zon has the food carried away to make room for fans and cold water (finale: “Le noje, ei pensieri”).
Second act
Lovely garden with fountain and summer houses
Scene 1. Xunchia, Kam-si and Zyda talk about their chances with the prince. Kam-si thinks that the others are smarter and more beautiful than them, but she is the youngest of them (Arie Kam-si: "Ditemi pur fraschetta").
Scene 2. Agnesina offers her friendship to Xunchia and Zyda. However, the two do not trust her and put her honesty to the test: she should say which of them is the most beautiful. Her cautious answer that both are equally beautiful reveals her as a liar, because no woman considers another beautiful (Aria Zyda: “Una donna mai non vede”).
Scene 3. Agnesina tells Xunchia that men in Italy are always chasing after women in order to marry them and have children. Unlike Agnesina, Xunchia thinks this is very beautiful (Aria Xunchia: “Se fosse in Italia”).
Scene 4. Agnesina gets into an argument with Zon-zon again.
Scene 5. Geminiano interrupts the dispute by pointing out the prince's merits to Agnesina. The two are annoyed by this uninvited interference.
Scene 6. Zon-zon explains to Agnesina that his teacher called women “the worst of all animals”. In return, Agnesina sees men as tyrants (Aria Agnesina: “Son le donne poverine”).
Scene 7. Agnesina's answer made Zon-zon thoughtful. When Ly-lam and Si-sin urge him to finally announce his choice, he demands one last hour to think about it (Aria Zon-zon: “Frà mille pensieri”).
Scene 8. Ly-lam and Si-sin cannot understand the prince's behavior. Si-sin, this rejection of the opposite sex seems quite unnatural (Aria Si-sin: "La natura in sen ne ispira").
Room in the palace of Zon-zon
Scene 9. While Geminiano is annoyed by Agnesina's behavior, Zon-zon is plagued by conflicting emotions. He informs Geminiano that he unexpectedly does not dislike Agnesina and that he therefore wants to marry her. In order to convince the people of this choice of a stranger, however, he had to follow the custom of the land and ask the idol Kin-kin for advice. Geminiano should therefore hide in the temple and proclaim with the voice of the idol that heaven has made Agnesina the bride of the prince. Zon-zon can bring writing utensils to give the temple servant appropriate instructions. Although Geminiano is honored, he has concerns. But he cannot get Zon-zon to transfer this task to someone else (Aria Geminiano: “Pria di scriver, mio Signore”).
Scene 11 [10]. Zon-zon and Agnesina need a while to get their feelings under control (Aria Agnesina: "Chi sà dirmi, poverina"). Then Zon-zon explains itself clumsily to its chosen ones. Agnesina hesitates. Only when the prince declares his love for her (aria Zon-zon: “Par ch'io senta una voce nel petto”) does she respond to his request. Zon-zon gives his subordinates a sign that he has made up his mind.
Scene 12 [11]. Ly-lam, Si-sin, Xunchia, Zyda and the people make their way to the temple, relieved and excited. Ly-lam thanks Heaven that he doesn't have such problems with women himself (Arie Ly-lam: “Io per me ringrazio il Cielo”).
Illuminated temple with an altar in the middle
Scene 13 [12]. Geminiano excitedly takes his place with the idol. When the others appear (finale: "Nume terribile"), the temple servants light incense that almost suffocates him. Those present were amazed to notice the idol's unrest. Nevertheless, Geminiano finally succeeds in proclaiming the oracle. But then Ly-lam asks the temple servants to check the truth of the saying in the traditional way with fifty strokes of the stick on the head of the bigwig. Geminiano flees.
Third act
Room in the prince's palace
Scene 1. Ly-lam and Si-sin have now seen through the fraud. But since Zon-zon himself was the mastermind, they decide to act “politically” and to disguise themselves.
Scene 2. The two of them tell the fearful Geminiano that the oracle is valid. They congratulate him on his resulting mandarin appointment. Geminiano promises them to exercise this office with kindness (Aria Geminiano: "Non dubitate").
Scene 3. Zon-zon orders the two of them to prepare for the wedding feast. He sends for Xunchia.
Scene 4. Zon-zon asks Xunchia to teach his future bride the art of love.
Scene 5. Xunchia is jealous of the happier Agnesina (Aria Xunchia: “Se la prenda, se la tenga”).
room
Scene 6. Before the wedding ceremony, Zyda and Kam-si praise the bride, who is now dressed and adorned in the Chinese way (duet Zyda / Kam-si: "Eviva la sposa").
Scene 7. Xunchia comes in to give Agnesina the "lesson" Zon-zon requested. She advises her to make sure that Zon-zon never loves anyone more than she does. When the prince comes in, she goes out with the other girls.
Scene 8. Agnesina learns from Zon-zon that a man can have as many women as he wants here. She then makes him promise to love only her alone (duet Agnesina / Zon-zon: "Se dal genio, l confesso").
Scene 9. Everyone cheers the newly appointed Mandarin Geminiano (choir: “Viva viva la grandezza”). Zyda proclaims that, according to the custom, no stranger may stay in Kibin-Kin-Ka without taking a wife. So he decided to marry Geminiano and Xunchia. As the two agree, the celebration can begin (choir: “Andiamo tutti, andiamo”).
Work history
The opera's libretto was written by Giovanni Bertati .
Angela Devia (Agnesina), Giuseppe Pinetti (Zon-zon), Giacomo Caldinelli (Geminiano), Teresa Gibetti (Xunchia), Antonia D'Arbes (Zyda), Vincenzo Dal Moro sang at the premiere in autumn 1771 at the Teatro San Samuele in Venice (Ly-lam), Caterina Gibetti (Kam-si) and Giovanni De Simoni (Si-sin).
The work was also performed in the following years in the Teatro Carignano Turin (autumn 1772), in the Teatro Pubblico in Reggio nell'Emilia (May 30, 1773), in the Teatro de Salvaterra in Lisbon (Carnival 1774), in the Real Teatro di Corte in Parma (also Carnival 1774), played in the Kleiner Hoftheater in Dresden (1775) and in the Teatri Privilegiati in Vienna (1775). In the Carnival of 1779 there was a resumption in the Teatro San Samuele.
Giuseppe Gazzaniga 's opera Zon Zon, principe di Kibin-Kin-Ka , premiered in Milan on October 16, 1773 , is a setting of the same libretto.
There have also been some productions in recent times. In October 2005 the work was shown in the Venetian Teatro Goldoni in a production by Rosalba Trevisan. Fabio Pirona directed the Orchestra Accademia Musicale di San Giorgio. Roberta Canzian (Agnesina), Elvis Fanton (Zon-zon), Omar Carata (Geminiano), Cosetta Tosetti (Xunchia), Marina Bontempelli (Zyda), Luca Favaron (Ly-lam), Cristiana Bertoldo (Kam-si) and Massimo Marin (Si-sin).
In 2006 a semi-staged version was played as part of the International Baroque Days in Melk Abbey.
In 2011 L'inimico delle donne was presented by the Opéra Royal de Wallonie in Liège in a production by Stefano Mazzonis di Pralafera. Rinaldo Alessandrini was the musical director. The main roles sang Anna Maria Panzarella as Agnesina, Filippo Adami as Zon-zon and Alberto Rinaldi as Geminiano.
Recordings
- June 4, 2006 - Ivano Zanenghi (conductor), L'Opera Stravagante.
Marina Bartoli (Agnesina), Filippo Pina Castiglioni (Zon-zon), Omar Camata (Geminiano), Silva Pozzer (Zyda), Elena Bertuzzi (Kam-si), Ester Castriota (Xao-Chia), Bernhard Trebuch (narrator).
Live from the Kolomanisaal of Melk Abbey ; with German subtexts. - February 3, 2011 - Rinaldo Alessandrini (conductor), Stefano Mazzonis di Pralafera (director), Jean-Guy Lecat (stage), orchestra of the Opéra Royal de Wallonie .
Anna Maria Panzarella (Agnesina), Filippo Adami (Zon-zon), Alberto Rinaldi (Geminiano), Liesbeth Devos (Xunchia), Federica Carnevale (Zyda), Juri Gorodetski (Ly-lam), Priscille Laplace (Kam-si), Daniele Zanfardino (Si-sin).
Video; live from the Opéra Royal de Wallonie in Liège.
Dynamic DVD 33677. - February 5, 2011 - Rinaldo Alessandrini (conductor), Orchestra of the Opéra Royal de Wallonie .
Cast as in the video recording of February 3, 2011.
Live from the Opéra Royal de Wallonie in Liège.
Broadcast on the radio.
Digital copies
- L'inimico delle donne : Sheet music and audio files in the International Music Score Library Project
- Libretto (Italian), Venice 1771. Digitized at Google Books
- The enemy of women. Libretto (Italian / German), Dresden 1775. Digitalisat the State and University Library Dresden
Web links
- L'inimico delle donne (Baldassare Galuppi) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna
- Thomas Molke: Review of the performance in Liège 2011. In: Online Musik Magazin
Remarks
- ^ Scene indication based on the Dresden libretto from 1775. The indication is missing in the original text from 1771.
- ↑ Scene 10 of the first act is missing in the libretto from 1771. Therefore the following scene numbers are shifted by one.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Voices according to the instrumentation of the available recordings.
- ↑ a b c d L'inimico delle donne (Baldassare Galuppi) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on May 21, 2020.
- ↑ Record of the performance at the Teatro San Samuele in autumn 1771 in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on May 21, 2020.
- ↑ L'inimico delle donne (L'ennemi des dames) on operabaroque.fr, accessed on May 22, 2020.
- ^ International Baroque Days Melk with opera rarity. In: Der Standard , February 8, 2006, accessed May 22, 2020.
- ↑ a b Keris Nine: DVD review from Liège 2011. In: OperaJournal, February 6, 2012, accessed on May 21, 2020.
- ↑ Baldassare Galuppi. In: Andreas Ommer: Directory of all complete opera recordings (= Zeno.org . Volume 20). Directmedia, Berlin 2005, p. 5024.
- ^ Opera: Baldassare Galuppi: L'inimico delle donne in the program of Radio SRF 2 Kultur , May 8, 2011, accessed on May 21, 2020.