La Rosmira fedele
| Opera dates | |
|---|---|
| Title: | La Rosmira fedele |
Title page of the libretto, Venice 1725 |
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| Shape: | “ Dramma per musica ” in three acts |
| Original language: | Italian |
| Music: | Leonardo Vinci |
| Libretto : |
Silvio Stampiglia : La Partenope |
| Premiere: | January 31, 1725 |
| Place of premiere: | Teatro San Giovanni Grisostomo , Venice |
| Playing time: | over 2 hours |
| Place and time of the action: | Naples , mythical time |
| people | |
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La Rosmira fedele ( Partenope in the score manuscript , La Partenope in recent performances ) is an opera seria (original name: "Dramma per musica") in three acts by Leonardo Vinci (music) with a libretto by Silvio Stampiglia , which was released on January 31st First performed in 1725 at the Teatro San Giovanni Grisostomo in Venice.
action
short version
First act. Several princes court the hand of Queen Partenope. Her favorite is Arsace from Corinth . She doesn't know that he left his former fiancée Rosmira because of her. Armindo from Rhodes, however, hardly dares to confess his love to Partenope. In addition, the Armenian Eurimene arrives - in reality, the disguised Rosmira who wants revenge on Arsace and makes him swear not to reveal her identity. Eurimene / Rosmira also pretends to love Partenope. Emilio from Cumae threatens war if Partenope does not accept his advertisement. Since she refuses, a battle is inevitable. Partenope himself takes command of their troops. During the fight, Armindo saves them from the enemies. Arsace in turn saves Eurimene and takes Emilio prisoner.
Second act. At the victory celebration, Eurimene / Rosmira claims victory for themselves and defames Arsace, who is unable to defend himself because of his oath. The angry Partenope has Eurimene arrested. Arsace stands up for him and obtains his release. His attempts to reconcile Rosmira are unsuccessful. The others are confused about the strange relationship between Arsace and Eurimene.
Act III . Eurimene reveals Arsace's past to the queen and the others and explains that he himself was sent by Rosmira to challenge Arsace to a duel. Partenope agrees. Eurimene is supported by Armindo, while Emilio is on Arsace's side. Before the fight, Arsace insists that both parties fight shirtless. So he forces Rosmira to reveal her identity without breaking his oath. This clears the way for a happy ending: Partenope accepts Armindo's advertising, Rosmira and Arsace are reconciled, and Emilio is given freedom.
first act
Square by the sea with Partenopes throne, a statue of Apollo and an inflamed altar
Scene 1. In a public ceremony, Queen Partenope asks the god Apollo to protect the city she founded and named after her (now Naples). The people cheer her (chorus: "Viva viva Partenope viva").
Scene 2. Partenope has two admirers, the princes Arsace of Corinth and Armindo of Rhodes. Arsace left his fiancée Rosmira, the princess of Cyprus , because of her. He is surprised when a foreign Armenian appears who looks astonishingly similar to him. The Armenian claims his name is Eurimene and that he was shipwrecked in a storm. He asks Partenope for help because he lost all of his property in the accident.
Scene 3. Partenopes Captain Ormonte reports that parts of the country have been occupied by the troops of neighboring Cumae. Their leader Emilio had sent a messenger and wanted to speak to Partenope. Arsace's thoughts, however, are concerned with the strange resemblance of Eurimenes to Rosmira (Aria Arsace: “O Eurimene ha l'idea di Rosmira”).
Scene 4. Eurimene / Rosmira hears Armindo about the conditions at Partenope's court. She learns that Armindo loves the queen, but that she prefers his rival Arsace. She recommends Armindo to reveal his love to Partenope (Aria Rosmira: "Spiegati, e di che l'ami").
Scene 5. Armindo decides to follow Eurimenes advice (Aria Armindo: “Al mio tesoro”).
Garden of Partenopes Palace
Scene 6. Arsace returns and confronts the supposed Eurimene. Rosmira does not deny that she was his former bride. Although Arsace claims that he still loves her, she doesn't believe him. But she is ready to forgive him for his bid for the throne of Naples, provided he swears to keep her identity secret under all circumstances. Arsace takes this oath.
Scene 7. Arsace realizes that he still has feelings for Rosmira (Aria Arsace: “La Rondinella, che a noi sen riede”).
Scene 8. Armindo hesitantly declares his love for Partenope. She rejects him because her heart already belongs to Arsace, but shows compassion.
Scene 9. Partenope tells Arsace about the feelings of Armindo, whose loyalty she owes much. When Eurimene / Rosmira arrives, Partenope tells him that Arsace is their favorite. Eurimene pretends to be shocked that he has fallen in love with Partenope himself. Partenope cannot give him any hope (aria Partenope: “Non posso amarti, o Dio”).
Scene 10. Rosmira accuses Arsace of his infidelity and swears revenge (Aria Rosmira: “Tortora, che il suo bene”).
Scene 11. Arsace cannot decide between the two women (Arie Arsace: “Dimmi pietoso Ciel”).
Audience room
Scene 12. Ormonte leads Emilio to an audience with Partenope, in which Eurimene, Arsace and Armindo also take part. Emilio assures Partenope that he did not come as an enemy, but wanted to ask for her hand because he loved her. But if she refuses, he will resort to gun violence. Since Partenope rejects him with disgust, Emilio prepares for the war with confidence (Aria Emilio: "Quest 'anima accesa").
Scene 13. Arsace, Armindo, and Eurimene cannot agree which of them may lead the Neapolitan troops. Partenope therefore decides to take over the high command as an Amazone himself (Arie Partenope: "A far straggi a far vendetta").
Scene 14. Eurimene / Rosmira also wants to take part in the fight. Arsace tries to talk her out of this because he's worried about her safety.
Scene 15. Armindo feels betrayed by Eurimene, who is wooing his lover, even though he has confided his feelings to him.
Scene 16. Rosmira reflects on her feelings towards Arsace (Aria Rosmira: "Sò che il riso, e sò che il vezzo").
Field covered with tents where Emilio's army is stationed
Scene 17. The battle begins (Aria Emilio: “Forti sheer”). Armindo saves Partenope from an attack by enemy soldiers. Emilio overpowers Eurimene / Rosmira in a duel, but Arsace is able to free them and in return take Emilio prisoner. So the victory is certain. Ormonte brings more prisoners and spoils of war, and everyone praises the victorious Queen Partenope (chorus: "Ti circondi la gloria di allori").
Second act
A festive street outside the city with a triumphal arch made of branches and flowers
Scene 1. Partenope appears in a large carriage to the victory celebration (Aria Partenope: “Care mura in sì bel giorno”). Bacchants dance and the captives and booty are presented to the people. Partenope generously lets Emilio loosen the chains. This points out to her the heroism of Armindo. Eurimene / Rosmira agrees and adds that, on the other hand, Arsace would not have distinguished himself in any way after overpowering Emilio himself. Although Emilio contradicts this lie, Arsace does not show himself offended, but even leaves some of the glory to Eurimene. The others don't understand his behavior. Partenope has Eurimene arrested for his continued provocations.
Scene 2. Arsace tries in vain to persuade Rosmira to make up. Armindo and Emilio are amazed at his supposed cowardice and the aggressiveness with which Eurimene reacts to him.
Scene 3. When Armindo and Emilio ask Eurimene / Rosmira about it, to their amazement he defends the attacked man and compares his courage with that of a lion. Rosmira is increasingly suffering from jealousy (Aria Rosmira: "Tormentosa crudel gelosia").
gallery
Scene 4. Arsace asks Partenope to forgive Eurimene. Although he gives no reasons for this other than an "inexplicable impulse", the Queen shows herself graciously for his sake. Eurimene is banned from court, but released. Ormonte should explicitly refer him to Arsace's intercession. Arsace is still unhappy (Aria Arsace: "Sento che và coprendo").
Scene 5. Emilio declares his love for Partenope once more, but is rejected again (Aria Partenope: “In vano s'affanna”).
Scene 6. Emilio is disappointed with her answer (Aria Emilio: “Agitata in mezzo all'onde”).
Scene 7. When Ormonte releases Eurimene / Rosmira and points out the banishment, the latter declares that he will never leave Arsace alone. Ormonte advises him to suppress his feelings (Aria Ormonte: "Celar la gelosia").
Scene 8. Eurimene / Rosmira promises Armindo his help. He should tell the queen that he wanted to reveal a secret to her. This will turn Partenopes heart away from Arsace and to him. Armindo begins to hope (Aria Armindo: "Vanne, e spera").
Scene 9. Emilio confronts Eurimene / Rosmira about their behavior towards Arsace.
Scene 10. Although Arsace declares his love for Rosmira again, she finds that her revenge is not yet complete (Rosmira: “Veggo dimesso il mare”).
Scene 11. Arsace realizes his guilt (Aria Arsace: “Amante, che incostante”).
Third act
room
Scene 1. Armindo asks Partenope to receive Eurimene again to find out his secret. The queen agrees. In the presence of the other princes, Eurimene / Rosmira reveals that Arsace once promised marriage to the Cypriot princess Rosmira and then left her in favor of Partenopes (Rosmira: "Arsace, oh Dio, so"). She sent him (Eurimene) to Naples to challenge Arsace to a duel. The Partenope, deeply disappointed by the behavior of her lover, now explains her love to Armindo (Aria Partenope: "Godi, e spera, e fai perchè?").
Scene 2. Eurimene / Rosmira asks Armindo to second him in the duel. Emilio, on the other hand, encourages Arsace (Aria Emilio: "Men superba andrà la sorte").
Scene 3. Rosmira rejects another attempt at reconciliation by Arsace (Aria Arsace: "Barbara mi scherusci, e questa e fede?").
Scene 4. Rosmira secretly already knows that she will ultimately give in to Arsace's persistent pleading (Arie Rosmira: “Vuol tornare alla sua sponda”).
Scene 5. Partenope appoints Ormonte to referee the duel. Armindo is confident that he will finally see his wishes fulfilled (Aria Armindo: “Dal chiaro splendore”).
Hanging loggias that lead from the palace garden to the forest
Scene 6 [4]. Arsace falls asleep exhausted. Rosmira still doesn't trust him. But if he should manage to keep her secret, that would be a good sign. She allows him to rest as long as his heart stays awake (Aria Rosmira: “Begli occhi del mio?”).
Scene 7. Partenope observes how Eurimene does not insidiously stab her helpless enemy, but wakes him up. When Arsace inadvertently mentions Rosmira's name, this intensifies Partenope's anger against him (Terzett Partenope / Arsace / Rosmira: “Un core infedele”).
The fenced place with a throne for Partenope provided for the duel
Scene 8 (ultima). After Ormonte reads Eurimene's challenge, Partenope gives her consent to the fight. However, Arsace is reluctant to fight Rosmira. When the others accuse him of cowardice, he explains that they insist on a bare-chested fight. Rosmira cannot allow that. She publicly identifies herself as Rosmira. This resolves the conflict. Partenope announces that she wants to marry Armindo, and Rosmira and Arsace get together again. Emilio is released. Although he does not become Partenope's husband, he maintains their friendship. Everyone cheers the queen (chorus: “Viva viva Partenope bella”).
layout
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In addition to the connecting secco recitatives, the score autograph contains a total of 36 musical numbers: three symphonies, two accompaniment recitatives, three arietts, twenty-three da capo arias , two da capo ensemble movements, and three choirs.
The scenes relating to the battle in the first act contain several arias in Vivaldi's style. Emilio's “Quest 'anima accesa” (I: 12) and Partenopes “A far straggi a far vendetta” (I: 13) are similar to concertos. They each begin with an opening unison theme and have final cadences that are interrupted by long, sequential sections with tremolo accompaniment by the strings. Emilio's battle cry “Forti sheer” (I: 17) contains fanfare passages in which sixteenth-note duoles are set against sixteenth-note triplets.
Vinci expanded the performance aria of the Partenope “Care mura in sì bel giorno” at the beginning of the second act into a complete da capo aria. The relatively large opening ritornello with strings, oboes and timpani makes it almost like a Vivaldi symphonia with an obbligato singing voice. Partenopes aria “In vano s'affanna” (II: 5) was taken by Vinci from his opera Eraclea (Naples 1724), but smoothed out the syncopations it contained somewhat. Several arias show a clear stylistic approximation of Vinci to the Venetian style. Typical for Vivaldi, but otherwise not for Vinci, are sequence passages, such as in Rosmira's aria “Spiegati, e di che l'ami” (I: 4). Other arias rather carry on Vinci's style developed with Eraclea . Arsace's “Sento che và coprendo” (II: 4) begins like Vivaldi's storm music with a drum bass, but then slows down the rhythm. A little later in this aria there are chromatics and syncopations in order to depict the soul pain mentioned in the text. Vinci also used chromatics, syncopation and drum bass in Rosmira's previous aria “Tormentosa crudel gelosia” (II: 3) - but here in a minor key and in a completely different way.
Arsace's aria “Amante, che incostante” (II: 11) contains sixstole coloratura with appogiatures between successive sequences. Benedetto Marcello described this technique in his satire Il teatro alla moda as "a certain new 3-to-3 tied sixteenth note passage" that is used "in all arias, whether presto, touching or allegro" regardless of the context. Vinci, however, used it here specifically to depict Cupid's volatility.
The most impressive piece of the opera is Arsace's C minor lament "Barbara mi scherusci" (III: 3) with its dotted rhythms, dissonant harmonies and fragmented phrases.
In the trio Partenope / Arsace / Rosmira: “Un core infedele” (III: 7), Arsace is insulted by Partenope and Rosmira and can only tentatively defend himself against their allegations. The music corresponds to this situation. Basically, it is an aria for three people whose vocal line is alternately carried by Arsace and the two women.
Work history
The libretto for Leonardo Vinci's opera La Rosmira fedele was written by Silvio Stampiglia . It was written a quarter of a century earlier for the Partenope by Luigi Mancia, which was played for the Carnival season 1699 in the Teatro San Bartolomeo in Naples . The text was also set to music by many other composers, including Georg Friedrich Handel ( Partenope , London 1730) and Antonio Vivaldi ( Rosmira , Venice 1738, pasticcio ).
In 1722, a new setting by Domenico Sarro was shown at the Teatro San Bartolomeo , for which Stampiglia revised the text and replaced most of the arias. She was resumed there the following year and in 1724 also played at the Teatro della Pace in Rome. Since the production there was not very successful at first, Leonardo Vinci, who was also in Rome, was probably commissioned to adapt the score to Roman taste.
When Vinci received the order for a new setting of the libretto from the Venetian Teatro San Giovanni Grisostomo the next year , he used Sarro's work as the basis for his opera. He used 14 of the aria texts written for Sarro. Instead of the intermezzo that was also played in Naples, ballets were shown in Venice. Vinci took over the sinfonia of the second act and most of the recitatives directly from Sarro's setting, whereby he often had to adapt the closing turns of the recitatives to the new arias that followed. Vinci thus applied the reverse procedure than is customary with the contemporary pasticci, in which the arias were mostly taken over and the recitatives were newly composed. One can only speculate about the reason. Perhaps Vinci wanted to save time. It is also conceivable that he wanted to spare the singer of the Rosmira, Faustina Bordoni , the trouble of learning new recitatives - she had already sung the role in Naples. According to Dinko Fabris, the choir “Viva Partenope” and two marches in the first and third act also come from the previous opera. Vinci took some other pieces from his own older works. The symphonia, for example, comes from his oratorio Maria dolorata. The fact that he changed some aria texts could also indicate that he added older music to them. This applies, for example, to the performance aria of the Partenope "Non posso amarti, o Dio" (I: 9).
Like the original libretto, Vinci's autograph score bears the title Partenope. Vinci's opera was renamed before the libretto went to press, probably to give the star of the opera house, Faustina Bordoni, the honor of the title role. This enabled the work to stand out from Sarro's setting. The opera is dedicated to the Neapolitan Duke Niccolò Del Tocco di Sicignano.
The first performance took place in the Teatro San Giovanni Grisostomo in Venice as the last opera of the carnival season on January 31, 1725. His Ifigenia in Tauride (December 26, 1724) and Giuseppe Maria Orlandini's Berenice (January 20, 1725) had already performed there . The vocal line-up for all three operas was identical. In La Rosmira fedele Faustina Bordoni (Rosmira), Antonia Merighi (Partenope), Carlo Scalzi (Arsace), Antonio Barbieri (Armindo), Giovanni Carlo Bernardi (Emilio) and Giovanni Ossi (Ormonte) sang. With Scalzi, Bernardi and Ossi there were three castrati. Carlo Bernardi was a brother of the famous Senesino , but, according to Owen Swiney, few gifted than him. The sets were by Giuseppe and Domenico Valeriani, the choreography of the ballets by Francesco Aquilante. The performance received general applause. The fact that the production was shown so soon after the premiere of Orlandini's Berenici suggests that the latter had little success.
- Singer of the premiere in 1725, caricatures by Marco Ricci
Carlo Scalzi (Arsace), here presumably as Oreste in Ifigenia in Tauride
Antonio Barbieri (Armindo), here presumably as Flaviano in Berenice
Giovanni Carlo Bernardi (Emilio), here presumably as a pilade in Ifigenia in Tauride
Giovanni Ossi (Ormonte), here probably as Antioco in Berenice
In the same year Georg Friedrich Händel used parts of Vinci's music for his pasticcio L'Elpidia, ovvero Li rivali generosi . Pasticcio versions of Vinci's opera were played in Klagenfurt on February 8, 1738 and in Graz in autumn 1739. Both carried the title Rosmira.
More recently, the work was played again in June 2004 at the Festival dell'Aurora under the direction of Antonio Florio based on an edition by Dinko Fabris. The production is considered outstanding. The staging was modeled on the customs of the time of creation down to the last detail.
Recordings
- May 21, 2002 as La Partenope - Antonio Florio (conductor), La Cappella della Pieta de 'Turchini.
Maria Grazia Schiavo (Rosmira), Sonia Prina (Partenope), Maria Ercolano (Arsace), Makoto Sakurada (Armindo), Lucia Cirillo (Emilio), Rosario Totaro (Ormonte).
Live from the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris. - July 10, 2004 as La Partenope - line-up as on May 21, 2002.
Live from Beaune. - April 29 to May 1, 2011 as La Partenope - Antonio Florio (conductor), I Turchini di Antonio Florio.
Maria Grazia Schiavo (Rosmira), Sonia Prina (Partenope), Maria Ercolano (Arsace), Stefano Ferrari (Armindo), Eufemia Tufano (Emilio), Charles Do Santos (Ormonte).
Also as DVD; live from the Auditorium V. Villegas, Murcia;
critical edition and score by Antonio Florio; musicological edition by Dinko Fabris.
Dynamic CDS 686 / 1-2 (2 CDs), Dynamic 33686 (2 DVDs, with Intermezzo Eurilla e Beltramme ).
literature
- Kurt Sven Markstrom: The Operas of Leonardo Vinci, Napoletano. Pendragon Press, Hillsdale, New York 2007, ISBN 978-1-57647-094-7 , pp. 103-116.
Web links
- La Rosmira fedele : Sheet music and audio files in the International Music Score Library Project
- La Rosmira fedele (Leonardo Vinci) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna
- Libretto (Italian), Venice 1725. Digitized by the Fondazione Giorgio Cini
- Libretto (Italian / German), Graz 1739. Digitized version of the Austrian National Library
Remarks
- ↑ The clearly shortened recording of Antonio Florio takes about 2 hours
- ↑ At the premiere, the mezzo-soprano Faustina Bordoni sang the role of Rosmira. On Antonio Florio's CD it has a high soprano.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h The scene is missing on Antonio Florio's CD.
- ↑ Scene I: 13 (“XIII”) is incorrectly referred to as number 8 (“VIII”) in the 1725 libretto.
- ↑ a b The aria is missing on Antonio Florio's CD.
- ↑ Scene III: 6 ("VI") is incorrectly referred to as number 4 ("IV") in the 1725 libretto.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Kurt Sven Markstrom: The Operas of Leonardo Vinci, Napoletano. Pendragon Press, Hillsdale, New York 2007, ISBN 978-1-57647-094-7 , pp. 103-116.
- ↑ Relazioni opera Partenope in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on August 6, 2020.
- ^ A b Eleanor Selfridge-Field: A New Chronology of Venetian Opera and Related Genres, 1660-1760. Stanford University Press, Stanford 2007, ISBN 978-0-8047-4437-9 , p. 319.
- ↑ a b c d Dinko Fabris, Eva Pleus (transl.): Naples' musical myth: Partenope from the siren to the queen. In: Supplement to CD Dynamic CDS 686 / 1-2, pp. 11–14.
- ↑ La Rosmira fedele (Leonardo Vinci) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on August 2, 2020.
- ↑ a b Leonardo Vinci. In: Andreas Ommer: Directory of all complete opera recordings (= Zeno.org . Volume 20). Directmedia, Berlin 2005.
- ↑ Supplement to CD Dynamic CDS 686 / 1-2.
- ^ Göran Forsling: Review of the DVD Dynamic 33686. In: MusicWeb International, accessed on August 3, 2020.