La finta semplice

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Work data
Title: The supposedly simple-minded one
Original title: La finta semplice
Title page of the libretto, Salzburg 1769

Title page of the libretto, Salzburg 1769

Shape: “ Dramma giocoso ” in three acts
Original language: Italian
Music: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Libretto : Marco Coltellini
Literary source: Carlo Goldoni :
La finta semplice
Premiere: probably 1769
Place of premiere: Court Theater Salzburg
Playing time: approx. 2 ½ hours
Place and time of the action: near Cremona ,
18th century
people
  • Fracasso, Hungarian captain ( tenor )
  • Rosina, baroness, sister Fracassos, the allegedly simple-minded ( soprano )
  • Giacinta, sister of Don Cassandro and Don Polidoro (soprano)
  • Ninetta, maid (soprano)
  • Don Polidoro, simple-minded nobleman (tenor)
  • Don Cassandro, simple-minded and stingy nobleman, brother Polidoros ( bass )
  • Simone, sergeant of the captain (bass)

La finta semplice (German title: Die ostensibly simple-minded , The disguised simplicity , The simple-minded from cleverness , The clever girl or The clever hypocrite ), KV 51 / 46a, is an opera buffa (original name: " Dramma giocoso ") in three acts and five pictures by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , which he composed at the suggestion of Emperor Joseph II at the age of twelve. It was probably premiered in Salzburg in 1769.

action

The main characters are Cassandro and his naive younger brother Polidoro, who lead a secluded bachelor life together with their youngest child, the virgin sister Giacinta, in their country castle near Cremonas . The brothers host the Hungarian captain Fracasso and his sergeant Simone in their house. Ever since Don Cassandro was mistreated by a woman, he has played the misogynist. His brother Don Polidoro, who is also unmarried and who would love to chase after any woman, is under his brother's thumb and must also stay away from women. Fracasso falls in love with Don Cassandro and Don Polidoro's sister Giacinta, and Simone with their maid Ninetta. The only way out of getting the misogynist to agree to the sister's marriage plans seems to be a trick: Fracasso's clever sister, Baroness Rosina, is simple-minded and woos both brothers. When they realize they are rivals, another ruse gets them so confused that Cassandro eventually approves the marriage of Giacinta and Fracasso.

first act

Garden at the Cassandros and Polidoros country house

Scene 1. Giacinta and her maid Ninetta flirt with the Hungarian soldiers Fracasso and Simone (No. 1. Quartet: "Bella cosa è far l'amore!"). They fear that the head of the family, Cassandro, an avowed misogynist, will not approve of the connections. Ninetta has an idea how to solve this problem. Simone complains about the difficulties of courtship (No. 2. Aria Simone: "Troppa briga a prender moglie").

Scene 2. Ninetta gets ready to carry out her plan. Giacinta and Fracasso talk about their chances of success. Giacinta wants a man who does not cause her any problems (No. 3. Aria Giacinta: “Marito io vorrei, ma senza fatica”).

Scene 3. Fracasso finds Giacinta's attitude very cool compared to his own. Cassandro confirms his will to remain unmarried (No. 4. Aria Cassandro: "Non c'è al mondo altro che donne"). Fracasso thinks that if Cassandro knew his soon-to-be-expected sister Rosina, he would speak differently. When Cassandro compares himself to an Orlando , Fracasso replies that the latter went crazy out of love. Cassandro will also fall victim to love (No. 5. Arie Fracasso: “Guarda la donna in viso”).

Room in the country house

Scene 4. Fracasso's sister Rosina has meanwhile arrived. She is supposed to play the central role in Ninetta's plan. In her performance aria, she notices that most people talk about love without putting their hearts into it. She herself is completely different (No. 6. Aria Rosina: “Colla bocca, e non col core”). Your task is to make both brothers fall in love with her at the same time and thus make them susceptible to blackmail. She has an easy game with Polidoro: he wants to marry her right away. So that everything is in order, she asks him to give him a present and his signature on a sales letter with a promise of marriage that Ninetta will draw up.

Scene 5. When Polidoro tells his brother that the beautiful Rosina has fallen in love with him, Cassandro thinks she is a fool. He tells Polidoro to forget the girl. Polidoro wonders why he is so fascinated by women (No. 7. Aria Polidoro: “Cosa ha mai la donna indosso”).

Scene 6. Cassandro takes pride in his intransigent attitude towards women. When he meets Rosina, he wants to put her intelligence to the test. Rosina answers all his questions with mock stupidity, but claims to know her way around and flatters him. He is gradually kindling for her. But when she asks him for his precious ring as a token of love, he thinks about another and remains steadfast (No. 8. Arie Cassandro: “Ella vuole ed io torrei”).

Scene 7. Rosina tells Fracasso and Ninetta about her progress. She is still unsure which of the two brothers she will ultimately marry (No. 9. Aria Rosina: “Senti l'eco ove t'agiri”).

Scene 8. Polidoro sends Fracasso out and receives the advertising letter to be signed from Ninetta (No. 10. Aria Ninetta: “Chi mi vuol bene”).

Scene 9. In the presence of Fracasso and Ninetta, Polidoro wants to give Rosina his present and the sales letter (No. 11. Finale: “Dove avete la creanza?”). Rosina and Fracasso are deeply indignant and force Polidoro to beg her apology on her knees. At that moment his brother Cassandro comes in. Rosina now claims that the love letter is meant for him, Cassandro. While Cassandro is reading the letter, Polidoro tries to give Rosina his present. However, she turns to Cassandro and explains to him that his brother gave her his wallet to get her approval for the wedding. She then persuades Cassandro to lend her his ring for a while and says goodbye. Out of concern for his ring, Cassandro invites everyone to dinner.

Second act

Loggia in the Cassandros country house

Scene 1. Ninetta and Simone, who are not allowed to attend their masters' meal, could use the time for a rendezvous. To Ninetta's disappointment, Simone only thinks about food (No. 12. Aria Ninetta: “Un marito, donne care”).

Scene 2. Giacinta asks Simone for help: Fracasso and the drunk Cassandro got into such a heated argument that Fracasso wanted to leave. Simone is supposed to mediate between the two, but secretly hopes for a fight (No. 13. Aria Simone: “Con certe persone vuol esser bastone”).

Scene 3. Polidoro tells Giacinta that he is confident that he will be able to marry Rosina soon and have a son with her. Giacinta has its own ideas about marriage (No. 14. Aria Giacinta: "Se a maritarmi arrivo").

Scene 4. Ninetta tells Polidoro that the baroness wants to see him. Polidoro asks her to come along.

Hall with chairs and chandeliers, night

Scene 5. Rosina does not want to be bothered by the "love gods flying around" (No. 15. Aria Rosina: "Amoretti, che ascosi qui siete"). When Polidoro and Ninetta arrive, she informs them that another suitor has arrived who wants to woo them in the most beautiful French way. She asks Polidoro to show her his own skills: he has to wander around with a candlestick in hand.

Scene 6. Now the still drunk Cassandro arrives (No. 16. Aria Cassandro: “Ubriaco non son io”). The two brothers find that they are courting the same woman. Polidoro leaves the room indignantly (No. 17. Aria Polidoro: "Sposa cara, sposa bella").

Scene 7. Rosina now has to fight off Cassandros, who accuses her of stealing his ring. She asks him to speak only with gestures. Cassandro falls asleep. In order to confuse him further, she puts the ring on his finger unnoticed (No. 18. Aria Rosina: “Ho seintito a dir da tutte”).

Scene 8. Cassandro, who has not yet noticed that the ring is back in his possession, meets Fracasso and accuses his sister of theft. They get into an argument and finally fight each other with swords (No. 19. Duet Fracasso, Cassandro: "Cospetton, cospettonaccio!").

Scene 9. When Rosina arrives, Cassandro ends the argument and withdraws.

Scene 10. Everything is going according to plan for Fracasso and Rosina. Fracasso would like to stir up the jealousy between the brothers, but Rosina has already developed feelings for Cassandro.

Scene 11. Fracasso and Simone consider fleeing with the women. Ninetta would be ready to come. However, she believes that her mistress is too afraid of her brothers. Fracasso assures her that Giacinta loves him (No. 20. Aria Fracasso: “In voi, belle, è leggiadria”).

Scene 12. Ninetta and Simone want to be ready as a precaution and warn Giacinta in advance. Simone leaves when the others approach.

Scene 13. Cassandro beats up his brother Polidoro (No. 21. Finale: “T'ho detto, buffone”). Rosina pretends to leave. Fracasso reports that Giacinta disappeared with the brothers' money. Ninetta also withdraws. While the brothers are still wondering what to do, Simone appears with the news that Ninetta has stolen the rest of their property. Polidoro and Cassandro promise the two soldiers that they can marry the fugitives if they should find them.

Third act

Road leading to the country house

Scene 1. Simone persuades Ninetta to return to the country house and get married (No. 22. Aria Simone: “Vieni, vieni, oh mia Ninetta”). Ninetta agrees (No. 23. Aria Ninetta: “Sono in amore, voglio marito”).

Scene 2. Giacinta is now close to desperation on her flight (No. 24. Arie Giacinta: “Che scompiglio, che flagello”), but Fracasso gives her new courage (No. 25. Arie Fracasso: “Nelle guerre d'amore non val semper il valore ").

Scene 3. Rosina tells Cassandro that she has chosen “the more beautiful one” of them. But she doesn't want to announce her choice yet. When she sees Polidoro approaching, she asks Cassandro to hide.

Scene 4. Polidoro asks Rosina again to become his wife. When she insists that he needs his brother's permission, Polidoro asks her to get it herself. He tries to take her hand - but Rosina gives it to his brother, who has meanwhile left his hiding place (No. 26. Finale: “Se le pupille io giro”). It is therefore clear that she will marry Cassandro.

Scene 5. Now the other two couples join. Cassandro can no longer refuse Fracasso his sister's hand. The “innocent ruse” is forgiven. Only Polidoro remains alone for the time being.

layout

The libretto, the original version of which was by Carlo Goldoni , is not one of his best works. The only topic is everyone's wish to marry, and the intrigue with Rosina's feint also offers little potential for a sustainable plot. Instead of a dramatic development, there is a series of amusing episodes with the typical contemporary comedy elements. The quarrel-loving Captain Fracasso (German: "noise") is modeled on the Capitano of the Commedia dell'arte , who in turn is based on the Miles Gloriosus of ancient times. The figure of the Pantalone is found twice in the two brothers. The usual servant couple with the cunning maid and the always hungry page are also used. The editor Coltellini changed the text only slightly. Above all, he converted the third act into a more effective finale. Cassandro's aria “Ella vuole ed io torrei” (I.6) is a new poem that relates more directly to the plot than the original aria. In the eighth scene of the second act, Coltellini shortened the recitative and exchanged the aria for the duet “Cospetton, cospettonaccio!”. He also shortened the recitative of the 10th scene. New in the third act are Simone's aria “Vieni, vieni, oh mia Ninetta” (No. 22) and the subsequent recitative (III.1) and Giacinta's aria “Che scompiglio, che flagello” (III.2). He rearranged scenes three to five, expanded them and replaced the last verses.

The socially highest standing figures Rosina and Fracasso are most differentiated, both in the libretto and especially in Mozart's setting. Some of her arias (numbers 5 and 25) are in da capo form and, like Rosina's “Amoretti” cavatina (number 15), refer to the more serious opera seria . The pantomimes Rosinas and Cassandros (Accompagnato in Scene II.7) and the duel scene by Fracasso and Cassandro (Duet No. 19) are particularly effective. Although Mozart did not reach maturity at the age of twelve, his music already shows "something new and above all fresh" in comparison with other typical operas of his contemporaries. The melodies are mostly song-like. Instrumentation and composition technique show advanced skills. The final movements are still relatively simply structured, and there are only a few ensemble movements.

orchestra

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

Music numbers

In addition to the symphony, for which Mozart reworked his symphony in D major KV 45 , there are a total of 26 musical numbers with connecting secco or accompaniment recitatives . The opera contains 21 arias, a duet and an introduction designed as a quartet. Polidoro's aria no. 7 ("Cosa ha mai la donna indosso") was taken from Mozart in an abbreviated form from his sacred singspiel The debt of the first commandment . There it bears the name "Sometimes evil wants" and is sung by the Christian spirit.

The sequence of the pieces of music is as follows:

Sinfonia

  • Molto allegro (D major)
  • Andante (G major)
  • Molto allegro (D major)

first act

  • No. 1. Choir / Quartet (Ninetta, Giacinta, Fracasso, Simone): "Bella cosa è far l'amore!" (Scene 1)
  • Recitative (Giacinta, ninetta, Fracasso, Simone): "Ritiriamoci, amici" (scene 1)
  • No. 2. Aria (Simone): "Troppa briga a prender moglie" (scene 1)
  • Recitative (Ninetta, Fracasso, Giacinta): "L'un de 'patroni è alzato" (scene 2)
  • No. 3. Aria (Giacinta): "Marito io vorrei, ma senza fatica" (scene 2)
  • Recitative (Fracasso): "Oh, starem male insieme" (scene 3)
  • No. 4. Aria (Cassandro): "Non c'è al mondo altro che donne" (scene 3)
  • Recitative (Fracasso, Cassandro): "Con chi l'ha Don Cassandro?" (Scene 3)
  • No. 5. Aria (Fracasso): "Guarda la donna in viso" (scene 3)
  • Recitative (Cassandro): “Eh! ben ben, ci vedremo "(scene 3)
  • No. 6. Aria (Rosina): "Colla bocca, e non col core" (scene 4)
  • Recitative (Ninetta, Rosina, Polidoro): "Sicchè m'avete inteso?" (Scene 4)
  • Recitative (Polidoro, Cassandro): "Oh, prendo da vero" (scene 5)
  • No. 7. Aria (Polidoro): "Cosa ha mai la donna indosso" (scene 5)
  • Recitative (Cassandro, Rosina): "Grand'uomo che son io" (scene 6)
  • No. 8. Aria (Cassandro): "Ella vuole ed io torrei" (scene 6)
  • Recitative (Fracasso, Rosina, Ninetta): "Eh ben, sorella mia?" (Scene 7)
  • No. 9. Aria (Rosina): "Senti l'eco ove t'agiri" (scene 7)
  • Recitative (Polidoro, Ninetta, Fracasso): “Ninetta. - Che volete? "(Scene 8)
  • No. 10. Aria (Ninetta): "Chi mi vuol bene" (scene 8)
  • Recitative (Polidoro): "Adesso è fatto tutto" (scene 9)
  • No. 11. Finale (Rosina, Ninetta, Giacinta, Polidoro, Fracasso, Cassandro, Simone): "Dove avete la creanza?" (Scene 9)

Second act

  • Recitative (Ninetta, Simone): "Sono i padroni miei a pranzo ancor" (scene 1)
  • No. 12. Aria (Ninetta): "Un marito, donne care" (scene 1)
  • Recitative (Simione, Giacinta): "Eh quando sia mia sposa" (scene 2)
  • No. 13. Aria (Simone): "Con certe persone vuol esser bastone" (scene 2)
  • Recitative (Giacinta, Polidoro): "Non mi marito più" (scene 3)
  • No. 14. Aria (Giacinta): "Se a maritarmi arrivo" (scene 3)
  • Recitative (Polidoro, Ninetta): "Quando avrò moglie anch'io" (scene 4)
  • No. 15. Aria (Rosina): "Amoretti, che ascosi qui siete" (scene 5)
  • Recitative (Polidoro, Rosina, Ninetta): "Madama, è fatto tutto" (scene 5)
  • No. 16. Aria (Cassandro): "Ubriaco non son io" (scene 6)
  • Recitative (Rosina, Cassandro, Polidoro): "L'ha conn'anello ancora" (scene 6)
  • No. 17. Aria (Polidoro): "Sposa cara, sposa bella" (scene 6)
  • Recitative (Cassandro, Rosina): "L'ho fatta grossa assai" (scene 7)
  • Recitative [pantomime] (Rosina, Cassandro): "Me ne vo 'prender spasso" (scene 7)
  • Recitative (Rosina, Cassandro): "Ehi ... dormite, signore?" (Scene 7)
  • No. 18. Aria (Rosina): "Ho seintito a dir da tutte" (scene 7)
  • Recitative (Cassandro, Fracasso): "Sciocca è la Baronessa" (scene 8)
  • No. 19. Duet (Fracasso, Cassandro): "Cospetton, cospettonaccio!" (Scene 8)
  • Recitative (Rosina, [Fracasso], Cassandro): "Dove andate, signore?" (Scene 9)
  • Recitative (Rosina, Fracasso): "Siam quasi in porto adesso" (scene 10)
  • Recitative (Fracasso, Simone, Ninetta): "Vieni a tempo, Simone" (scene 11)
  • No. 20. Aria (Fracasso): "In voi, belle, è leggiadria" (scene 11)
  • Recitative (Ninetta, Simone): "Come andersà, Simone" (scene 12)
  • No. 21. Finale (Rosina, Ninetta, Polidoro, Fracasso, Cassandro, Simone): "T'ho detto, buffone" (scene 13)

Third act

  • No. 22. Aria (Simone): "Vieni, vieni, oh mia Ninetta" (scene 1)
  • Recitative (Ninetta, Simone): "Io non ho gran pauro" (scene 1)
  • No. 23. Aria (Ninetta): "Sono in amore, voglio marito" (scene 1)
  • No. 24. Aria (Giacinta): "Che scompiglio, che flagello" (scene 2)
  • Recitative (Fracasso, Giacinta): "Che smorfie, che paura!" (Scene 2)
  • No. 25. Aria (Fracasso): "Nelle guerre d'amore non val semper il valore" (scene 2)
  • Recitative (Cassandro, Rosina): "E così, Baronessa?" (Scene 3)
  • Recitative (Polidoro, Rosina): "Eh ben, quando facciamo queste nozze, signora?" (Scene 4)
  • No. 26. Finale (Rosina, Ninetta, Giacinta, Polidoro, Fracasso, Cassandro, Simone): "Se le pupille io giro" (scene 4)

Work history

The text to Mozart's early opera La finta semplice comes from Marco Coltellini , who revised a libretto by Carlo Goldoni for the "Dramma giocoso" (Venice 1764) by Salvatore Perillo . The latter, in turn, is based on the "comédie en prose" La fausse Agnès ou Le poète campagnard (1736) by Philippe Destouches .

The creation of the work can only be traced back to documents from his father Leopold Mozart , whose presentation is of course not to be regarded as neutral. Accordingly, at an audience on January 19, 1768 , Emperor Joseph II suggested that Mozart, not yet twelve years old, should compose an opera and conduct it himself. Shortly thereafter, a contract was signed with Giuseppe Afflisio, the tenant of the Vienna theaters, who probably also set the libretto. Mozart probably finished the composition in the summer of the same year and was already rehearsing with the singers. Among other things, he presented the complete work “on the piano” to Baron von Swieten . However, Afflisio, who had financial problems, delayed the planned performance and finally canceled it entirely. Leopold Mozart complained about this to the Kaiser in a detailed report on September 21. On June 29, Leopold had already speculated about the intrigues of the librettist Coltellini and various composers, including Christoph Willibald Gluck , which would also have turned the singers against the work. Doubts about the authenticity had also been expressed: The work did not actually come from Wolfgang Amadeus, but from his father. Vienna's best singers at the time were scheduled for the performance: Filippo Laschi (Fracasso), Clementina Poggi (Rosina), Theresia Eberhardi (Giacinta), Antonio Bernasconi (Ninetta), Gioacchino Garibaldi (Don Polidoro), Francesco Carattoli (Don Cassandro) and Domenico Poggi (Simone).

In 1977 Rudolph Angermüller discovered a libretto published in Salzburg with the year 1769. It contains a reference that Mozart composed the music at the age of twelve. This suggests that there could have been a performance before his birthday on January 27, 1769, that is, during the carnival season of 1768/1769. The Prince Archbishop Sigismund von Schrattenbach was named as the client . The cast was also given. Accordingly, Joseph Meißner (Fracasso), Maria Magdalena Lipp (Rosina), Maria Anna Braunhofer (Giacinta), Maria Anna Fesemayr (Ninetta), Franz Anton Spitzeder (Polidoro), Joseph Hornung (Cassandro) and Felix Winter (Simone) sang . In the literature, May 1, 1769 is variously mentioned as the date of the premiere. However, that is not tenable. There are no contemporary sources to show that it was performed on that day, and there is evidence that the Prince Archbishop was not in Salzburg that day.

The first guaranteed performance of the work did not take place until 1921 in an arrangement by Anton Rudolph with the title Die Verstellte Einfalt in Karlsruhe. This was also played in Copenhagen in 1923 (in Danish), in Vienna in 1925, in Breslau in 1927 and in Prague in 1928 (under the direction of William Steinberg ).

In 1956, on the occasion of the Mozart Week in Salzburg, a new arrangement by Bernhard Paumgartner entitled The Clever Girl was shown (Conductor: Paumgartner, Director: Géza Rech), which was also shown in Ludwigsburg in 1959, at the Salzburg Festival in 1960 , in Schönbrunn in 1964 and at the Volksoper in 1977 Vienna was played.

In 1983 Rudolph Angermüller and Wolfgang Rehm published the score as part of the New Mozart Edition . This version was performed in concert for the first time during the Salzburg Mozart Week in the same year. In 1985 it was played in the Park Lane Theater in London, in 1988 in Bern, 1989 in Lübeck and Hof and in 1990 in Darmstadt in a German translation by the director Peter Brenner under the musical direction of Jun Märkl .

An arrangement with spoken dialogues by Volker Elis Pilgrim and Elke Neidhardt was shown in 1993 in the studio of the Cologne Opera . In 1997 there was a performance at the Potsdam Sanssouci Music Festival .

Recordings

Web links

Commons : La finta semplice  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Personal descriptions based on the Salzburg libretto; Voices according to NMA II / 5/2: La finta semplice. Sheet music edition. Angermüller / Rehm, 1983, p. 2.
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k Reinhard Wiesend : La finta semplice. In: Piper's Encyclopedia of Musical Theater . Volume 4: Works. Massine - Piccinni. Piper, Munich / Zurich 1991, ISBN 3-492-02414-9 , pp. 278-381.
  3. ↑ NMA II / 5/2: La finta semplice. Sheet music edition. Angermüller / Rehm, 1983, p. XVI f.
  4. ↑ a b La finta semplice. In: Rudolf Kloiber , Wulf Konold , Robert Maschka: Handbuch der Oper. 9th, expanded, revised edition 2002. Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag / Bärenreiter, ISBN 3-423-32526-7 , pp. 443–444.
  5. ↑ a b Julian Rushton:  Finta Semplice, La. In: Grove Music Online (English; subscription required).
  6. ↑ NMA II / 5/2: La finta semplice. Sheet music edition. Angermüller / Rehm, 1983, pp. 3-4.
  7. ^ Leopold Mozart to Joseph II in Vienna, species facti. Vienna, September 21, 1768, regulation (PDF) in the Digital Mozart Edition.
  8. ↑ NMA II / 5/2 / 1-2: La finta semplice. Sheet music edition. Angermüller / Rehm, 1983, p. X.
  9. ↑ NMA II / 5/2 / 1-2: La finta semplice. Sheet music edition. Angermüller / Rehm, 1983, p. XIII f.
  10. ↑ NMA II / 5/2 / 1-2: La finta semplice. Sheet music edition. Angermüller / Rehm, 1983, p. XVII.
  11. ↑ NMA II / 5/2 / 1-2: La finta semplice. Sheet music edition. Angermüller / Rehm, 1983, p. XV.
  12. ↑ a b La finta semplice. In: Harenberg opera guide. 4th edition. Meyers Lexikonverlag, 2003, ISBN 3-411-76107-5 , pp. 558-559.
  13. ↑ a b c d e Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In: Andreas Ommer: Directory of all complete opera recordings (= Zeno.org . Volume 20). Directmedia, Berlin 2005.
  14. ^ Admission by René Clemencic (1995) in the discography of La finta semplice at Operadis.
  15. ↑ intake of Fabrizio Dorsi (2006) in the discography to La Finta Semplice at Operadis.