La morte d'Abel

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Work data
Title: La morte d'Abel
Title page of the libretto from 1737 (music by Innocenzo Gigli)

Title page of the libretto from 1737
(music by Innocenzo Gigli)

Shape: Azione sacra
Original language: Italian
Music: First setting by Antonio Caldara
Libretto : Pietro Metastasio
Premiere: April 8, 1732
Place of premiere: Vienna
people

La morte d'Abel figura di quella del nostro Redentore (German: The death of Abel as the image of our Savior ) is a libretto for an azione sacra in two parts by Pietro Metastasio . It is the third of his seven oratorio librettos written in Vienna and has been set to music around 40 times. It was performed for the first time in the setting by Antonio Caldara on April 8, 1732 in the Hofburg Chapel in Vienna.

In many sources, Georg Reutter is incorrectly named as the composer of the first setting . His work, however, uses a libretto by Leopoldo de Villati (occasionally Giuseppe Salio is also mistakenly called) and was performed in Vienna on March 13, 1727.

A German translation of the libretto was published in Augsburg in 1753 and 1766 as a spoken drama with the name Cain, Abel's fratricide in the clerical theater of the Augustinian Peter Obladen from Ulm.

action

The libretto deals with the biblical story of Cain and Abel , the sons of Adam and Eve . The farmer Cain envied his brother, the shepherd Abel, because God preferred his sacrifice, and finally killed him.

“Although by virtue of divine writing everything that the angel speaks, God the Lord himself spoken; nevertheless it will be permitted, with due respect given beforehand, to follow the instructions of those teachers who consider that all appearances, revelations, and divine illuminations, of which are reported in the old law, and that of graces; mediated by the angel to the children of men and appeared. Dionys. c. 4. de cœlesti Hierar. D. Thom. in Ep. ad Hebr. c. 3. Lect. 1.

The relation and conformity of the new with the old law is known and clear; Yes, all believers are also aware that this is only so far differentiated from the former, as the shadow of the picture from the picture itself, the promise of the real gift, the model of Jesus Christ from Christ himself. Abel's death (as the omission of present action) places the fathers as clear as day before those of our Redeemer. Accordingly, in order to understand the greatness of this mystery (as we commit these days), it will be very useful if we consider, as long ago, and in the first years of the world, pleasing the divine caution, to prepare it to prepare and to promise. "

- Pietro Metastasio : Preface from the German translation of the libretto by Peter Obladen

First part

Abel praises God for his goodness. When his brother Cain accuses him of hypocrisy, he tells of a divine sign: After his last sacrifice of thanksgiving, a fire came down from heaven and burned his gifts. Cain, on the other hand, had no such experience. Her mother Eva joins them and confirms Abel, because she too has already experienced something similar. She advises Cain to put aside his doubts and not to worry. Everyone who does his job be pleasing to God. However, Cain is not so easy to calm down. When he is alone again, he gives in to feelings of envy.

An angel appears and asks Cain to explain his behavior. He reminds him that in order to get justice he must first confess his own guilt. Cain feels that he has been treated unfairly. After Abel's ridicule, he was reprimanded. His hatred of Abel grows. When Abel speaks to him, Cain accuses him of wanting to brag again. His outburst of anger culminates in the accusation that Abel's fault lies precisely in the fact that he has none.

Adam arrives and asks his sons for moderation. Cain asked him to blame Abel for having become haughty and unbearable. Adam advises him not to envy Abel but to emulate his virtues. He worries about Cain's future and the loss of his soul. Cain feels attacked by everyone.

Eva tries to mediate. She says Cain has no greater enemy than himself. Adam thinks his soul is sick and fears its efforts will be in vain. However, Eva does not give up hope. She asks Cain to give in and hug his brother as a sign of reconciliation. At first Cain refuses, and only Eva's reference to her motherly love can change his mind. However, Adam has a premonition. At the end of the first part, the choir warns of the dire effects of envy.

Second part

Cain decided to murder his brother. When Abel comes to him, however, he greets him kindly and claims to have given up his resentment. He now wants to make a new sacrifice to God in the field. Abel expresses a desire to watch him. Before the two of them make their way to the field, Eva comes. She is delighted to meet the two of them in friendship. Abel says goodbye to his mother with unusual fondness. The two brothers go.

Eve is touched by the behavior of her sons and tells Adam about it. When she tells him about the planned victim, however, he is concerned. He does not trust the peace and fears that Cain will be wicked. He goes looking for them.

Cain returns to Eva. Already from the way he walks and looks, she recognizes that something is wrong. When she noticed the blood on his clothes, she passed out. Cain wants to flee, but the angel appears again and stops him: “ Ferma Caino. / Il tuo germano Abelle / Dov'è? ”(“ Stand still, Cain! Where is your brother Abel? ”) Cain answers evasively:“ Nol so. Forse il custode io sono / Del mio german? ”(“ I don't know. Am I my brother's keeper? ”) The angel explains to him that there is no point in escaping. God is omniscient, and the voice of Abel's blood has already told him everything. From now on, Cain will be cursed on earth. But he does not have to fear death, but should serve people as a terrifying example. The earth will deny him the fruits for his labor. After the angel is gone, Eve wakes up. She laments that she lost both sons at the same time. Abel is dead and Cain guilty of fratricide. Cain has now recognized the severity of his guilt and moves away.

Adam returns with Abel's body. After a moment of mourning, he prophesies that in the future a “true Abel” (“ vero Abelle ”) will redeem humanity through his blood. The final chorus of the oratorio points out in Abel's voice that people hate vices, but do not see them in themselves.

layout

The seven Viennese oratorios Metastasios follow those of his predecessor Apostolo Zeno . Simplicity and clarity in the structure are predominant. Metastasio dispensed with divine and allegorical persons within the plot and stuck to the three Aristotelian units of space, time and action. Therefore, many passages are only told in retrospect. His theological interpretations adhere strictly to the exegetical guidelines of the church. In many places he gave evidence in the form of biblical passages and quotations from writings by church teachers. As in his opera libretti, the action is presented in recitatives that lead to da capo arias. Ensemble pieces and choirs are only used sparingly.

Settings

The following composers set this libretto to music:

year composer premiere Performance location Remarks
1732 Antonio Caldara April 8, 1732, Hofburg Chapel Vienna
1732 Leonardo Leo 1738 Bologna also during Lent 1750 at the court in Modena Leonardo Leo - La morte d'Abelle - titlepage of the libretto - Modena 1750.png
1735 Bracci 1735
1735 Antonio Galeazzi August 15, 1735, Compagnia di Gesù Macerata
1737 Innocenzo Gigli 1737 Bologna Innocenzo Gigli - La morte di Abelle - titlepage of the libretto - Bologna 1737.png
1740 Domenico Valentini February 12, 1740 Venice Performed in 1741 in the Oratorio di S. Filippo Neri in Rome; according to Grove Music Online, this was the premiere.
1744 Thomas Arne February 18, 1744, Smock Alley Theater Dublin as The Death of Abel , translation probably by Arne himself; also in London in 1755
1748 Nicola Conti 1748, Congregazione dell'Oratorio di San Filippo Neri Naples
1748 Ambrogio Meli 1748 Florence Ambrogio Meli - La morte d'Abele - titlepage of the libretto - Florence 1748.png
1752 Dolé 1752
1753 Thank God Harrer April 20, 1753, Nikolaikirche Leipzig Libretto edited by Harrer as Death of Abel the Just with inserted chorales for embedding in the Protestant liturgy
1754 Girolamo subscriptions 1754, Chiesa del Giesù Palermo
1754 Giuseppe Zonca March 10, 1754, court chapel Munich
1757 Domenico Francesco Vannucci 1757, Congregazione degli Angeli Custodi Lucca as L'uccisione d'Abele
1758 Giovanni Battista Costanzi 1758, February 3, 1758, Collegio Germanico Rome
1758 Antonio Gaetano Pampani March 22, 1758, Accademia Filarmonica Venice
1758 Niccolò Piccinni 1758, oratorio della congregazione dell'Oratorio Naples 1768 at King's Theater on Haymarket in London with additional choirs from other composers Niccolò Piccinni - The Death of Abel - titlepage of the libretto - London 1768.png
1759 Angelo del Seaglies 1759
1763 Pietro Maria Crispi February 11, 1763, Collegio Germanico Ungarico Rome
1763 Domenico Fischietti 1763 1767 performed in the Dresden court orchestra; according to Grove Music Online, this was the premiere
1769 Giuseppe Calegari 1769
1776 Jan Antonín Koželuh 1776, Sacro Ordine Militare de Crocigeri con la Stella Rossa nella Chiesa di San Francesco Prague
1778 Luigi Gatti 1778 Salzburg first setting, LG 5.3
1778 Pietro Morandi June 13, 1778, chiesa dei padri Minori Osservanti Matelica
1780 Pedro Avondano around 1780
1785 Giuseppe Giordani September 1785, Teatro Pubblico Jesi also on April 18, 1786 in the Teatro Felicini in Bologna; on September 5, 1788 in Lugo ; in March 1790 at the Teatro Comunale in Reggio nell'Emilia; on April 3, 1790 in the Accademia nella Nobile Conversazione in Bologna Giuseppe Giordani - La morte d'Abelle - titlepage of the libretto - Bologna 1786.png
1788 Stefano Cristiani 1788 as L'Abele Stefano Cristiani - L'Abele - titlepage of the libretto - Bologna 1788.png
1789 Giovanni Battista Borghi 1789, S. Nicola Tolentino also in 1800 in Montefano
1790 Johann Gottlieb Naumann April 3, 1790, court chapel Dresden
1794 C. Angelini 1794 assigned to the composer Filippo Angelini in the catalog of the Biblioteca Archivio della Congregazione dell'Oratorio Rome
1794 Giovanni Agostino Perotti 1794, Oratorio Filippino della Madonna di Galliera Bologna as L'Abele
1801 Franz Seydelmann 1801, court chapel Dresden as The Death of Abel ; also on Holy Saturday 1802 in Dresden
1810 (presumably) Carl Friedrich Rungenhagen September 27, 1841 Berlin
1821 Francesco Morlacchi April 1821, court orchestra Dresden Francesco Morlacchi - La morte d'Abel - german titlepage of the libretto - Dresden 1821.png
1790 Luigi Brengeri March 21, 1790, Oratorio dei Filippini di Santa Maria in Vallicella Rome 1823 in the Congregazione dell'Oratorio in Rome; according to Grove Music Online, that was the premiere
1806 Luigi Gatti July 23, 1806 (dedication) Salzburg second setting as German “Azione tragico-sacra” Abel's death , LG 5.8; probably performed in Salzburg on January 30, 1814.
unknown Giuseppe Morosini unknown as Caino, ed Abele Giuseppe Morosini - Caino, ed Abele - titlepage of the libretto.png
unknown Pietro Alessandro Guglielmi unknown
unknown Georg Waßmuth unknown as The Death of Abel

Recordings and performances in recent times

  • Pedro Avondano :
  • Antonio Caldara :
  • Leonardo Leo :
    • 1961/1995: LP / CD with the Orchestra da camera dell'Angelicum and the Coro Polifonico di Torino under the direction of Carlo Felice Cillario. Soloists: Giuliana Matteini (Abele), Emilia Cundari (Angelo), Adriana Lazzarini (Eva), Ferrando Ferrari (Caino), Paolo Montarsolo (Adamo).
  • Johann Gottlieb Naumann :
    • 2001: Concert performance in the Military History Museum in Dresden on the occasion of the Naumann Festival year under the direction of Franns-Wilfrid von Promnitz . Soloists: Gertrud Günther (Eva), Gerald Hupach (Adam), Annekathrin Laabs (Abel), Hans-Udo Vogler (Kain), Felix Uehlein (Engel). Choir: Dresdner Kapellknaben
  • Franz Seydelmann :
    • 2006: Staged performances in the German Hygiene Museum in Dresden and at the Dresden Music Festival. with the Dresden Philharmonic , the Dresden Philharmonic Choir and the Dresden Philharmonic Youth Choir under the direction of Ekkehard Klemm and the direction of Henriette Sehmsdorf. Soloists: Britta Schwarz (Eva), Ralph Eschrig (Adam), Olaf Bär (Kain), Eric Stokloßa (Abel), Olivia Stahn (Engel).

Web links

Commons : La morte d'Abel  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Digital copies

  1. ^ Libretto (Italian) as digitized version at the Munich Digitization Center . In: Opere del signor abate Pietro Metastasio , Volume 7, Herissant, Paris 1780, pp. 299 ff.
  2. ↑ a b Peter Obladen: Cain, the fratricide Abel (German translation of the libretto). In: Geistliche Schaubühne. Second improved edition. Matthäus Rieger and Sons, Augsburg and Leipzig 1766. Digitization at the Munich Digitization Center , p. 95.
  3. ↑ Score of the oratorio by Antonio Caldara as digitized version with the International Music Score Library Project .
  4. ^ Libretto (Italian) of the opera by Leonardo Leo, Modena 1750. Digitized in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna .
  5. ↑ Score of the oratorio by Leonardo Leo as digitized version in the International Music Score Library Project .
  6. ^ Libretto (Italian) of the oratorio by Innocenzo Gigli, Bologna 1737 as digitized version in the Museo internazionale e biblioteca della musica di Bologna .
  7. ^ Libretto (Italian) of the oratorio by Ambrogio Meli, Florence 1748 as digitized version at the Munich Digitization Center .
  8. ^ Libretto (Italian) of the oratorio by Giuseppe Giordani, Bologna 1786 as a digital copy in the Museo internazionale e biblioteca della musica di Bologna .
  9. ^ Libretto (Italian) of the oratorio by Giuseppe Giordani, Lugo 1788 as digitized version in the Museo internazionale e biblioteca della musica di Bologna .
  10. ^ Libretto (Italian) of the oratorio by Giuseppe Giordani, Bologna 1790 as digitized version in the Museo internazionale e biblioteca della musica di Bologna .
  11. ^ Libretto (Italian) of the oratorio by Stefano Cristiani, Bologna 1788 as digitized version in the Museo internazionale e biblioteca della musica di Bologna .
  12. ↑ Libretto (Italian / German) of the oratorio by Francesco Morlacchi, Dresden 1821 as digitized version at the Munich Digitization Center .
  13. ^ Libretto (Italian) of the oratorio by Giuseppe Morosini as digitized version on Google Books .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b La morte d'Abel figura di quella del nostro Redentore (Antonio Caldara) at opening night! Opera & Oratorio Premieres , Stanford University, accessed April 29, 2015.
  2. ^ The works of Pietro Metastasio. Compiled in the University of Western Ontario's Handbook for Metastasio Research , accessed May 17, 2015.
  3. ↑ Metastasio, Pietro in Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart , p. 50861 ff (cf. MGG vol. 9, p. 229 ff.) Bärenreiter-Verlag 1986 ( digital library volume 60).
  4. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Don Neville:  Metastasio [Trapassi], Pietro (Antonio Domenico Bonaventura). In: Grove Music Online (English; subscription required).
  5. ^ Record of the libretto at librettodopera.it , accessed on April 8, 2018.
  6. ^ MOS - Il canto di Farinelli e di Metastasio a Vienna. Article on pietrometastasio.com , accessed May 17, 2015.
  7. ↑ La morte d'Abele (Georg Reutter) at Opening Night! Opera & Oratorio Premieres , Stanford University, accessed May 16, 2015.
  8. ↑ Elizabeth Birnbaum: The Juditbuch in Vienna of the 17th and 18th centuries. Peter Lang, 2009, p. 186 ( online at Google Books ).
  9. ↑ La morte d'Abel (Leonardo Leo) at opening night! Opera & Oratorio Premieres , Stanford University, accessed April 29, 2015.
  10. ↑ La morte d'Abelle figura di quella del nostro Redentore (Leonardo Leo) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on April 29, 2015.
  11. ↑ August 15, 1735: “Galeazzi”. In: L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia ., Accessed on May 17, 2015.
  12. ↑ La morte d'Abele (Innocenzo Gigli) at opening night! Opera & Oratorio Premieres , Stanford University, accessed May 18, 2015.
  13. ↑ La morte d'Abele (Domenico Valentini) at opening night! Opera & Oratorio Premieres , Stanford University, accessed April 29, 2015.
  14. ^ Library dataset of the oratorio by Domenico Valentini at polovea.sebina.it , accessed on May 18, 2015.
  15. ^ Todd Gilman: The Theater Career of Thomas Arne. Rowman & Littlefield, 2013, ISBN 978-1-61149-436-5 , pp. 194 f ( online at Google Books ).
  16. ↑ La morte d'Abel (Nicola Conti) at opening night! Opera & Oratorio Premieres , Stanford University, accessed April 29, 2015.
  17. ↑ La morte d'Abele (Ambrogio Meli) at Opening Night! Opera & Oratorio Premieres , Stanford University, accessed April 29, 2015.
  18. ↑ La morte d'Abele (Gottlob Harrer) at opening night! Opera & Oratorio Premieres , Stanford University, accessed April 29, 2015.
  19. ↑ Reinhart Meyer: A blind spot in German cultural history. For more recent metastasis research (with a few basic considerations). Article on IASLonline , accessed on May 18, 2015.
  20. ↑ La morte d'Abel (Girolamo Abos) at Opening Night! Opera & Oratorio Premieres , Stanford University, accessed April 29, 2015.
  21. ↑ La morte d'Abel (Giuseppe Zonca) at opening night! Opera & Oratorio Premieres , Stanford University, accessed April 29, 2015.
  22. ↑ L'uccisione de Abele (Domenico Francesco Vannucci) at Opening Night! Opera & Oratorio Premieres , Stanford University, accessed April 29, 2015.
  23. ↑ La morte d'Abel (Giovanni Battista Costanzi) at Opening Night! Opera & Oratorio Premieres , Stanford University, accessed April 29, 2015.
  24. ^ Record of the oratorio by Giovanni Battista Costanzi at librettodopera.it , accessed on April 8, 2018.
  25. ↑ La morte d'Abele (Antonio Gaetano Pampani) at opening night! Opera & Oratorio Premieres , Stanford University, accessed April 29, 2015.
  26. ↑ La morte d'Abele (Niccolò Piccinni) at Opening Night! Opera & Oratorio Premieres , Stanford University, accessed April 29, 2015.
  27. ^ Dataset of the oratorio by Niccolò Piccinni at librettodopera.it , accessed on April 8, 2018.
  28. ^ Library dataset of the oratorio by Niccolò Piccinni in the catalog of the Eichstätt-Ingolstadt University Library, accessed on May 18, 2015.
  29. ↑ La morte d'Abel (Pietro Maria Crispi) at Opening Night! Opera & Oratorio Premieres , Stanford University, accessed April 29, 2015.
  30. ↑ La morte d'Abele (Domenico Fischietti) at opening night! Opera & Oratorio Premieres , Stanford University, accessed April 29, 2015.
  31. ^ Dataset of Giuseppe Calegari's oratorio at librettodopera.it , accessed on April 8, 2018.
  32. ↑ La morte d'Abel (Johann Antonin Kozeluch) at opening night! Opera & Oratorio Premieres , Stanford University, accessed April 29, 2015.
  33. ↑ a b Ernst Hintermaier: Luigi (Maria Baldassare) Gatti (1740-1817). Salzburg's last court conductor (PDF), p. 52 and 55 f
  34. ^ Dataset of Pietro Morandi's oratorio at librettodopera.it , accessed on April 8, 2018.
  35. ↑ La morte d'Abele (Giuseppe Giordani) at opening night! Opera & Oratorio Premieres , Stanford University, accessed April 29, 2015.
  36. ↑ La morte d'Abele (Giuseppe Giordani) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on April 29, 2015.
  37. ^ Record of the oratorio by Giovanni Battista Borghi at librettodopera.it , accessed on April 8, 2018.
  38. ↑ La morte d'Abel (Johann Gottlieb Naumann) at opening night! Opera & Oratorio Premieres , Stanford University, accessed April 29, 2015.
  39. ↑ Library record of the Oratory of Filippo Angelini ( Memento of 4 March 2016 Internet Archive ) at opacapitolino.cineca.it , accessed on May 18, 2015.
  40. ↑ L'Abele (Giovanni Agostino Perotti) at Opening Night! Opera & Oratorio Premieres , Stanford University, accessed April 28, 2015.
  41. ↑ La morte d'Abele (Johann Nikolaus Franz Seydelmann) at opening night! Opera & Oratorio Premieres , Stanford University, accessed April 29, 2015.
  42. ↑ La morte d'Abele (Franz Seydelmann) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on April 29, 2015.
  43. ↑ La morte d'Abele (Karl Friedrich Rungenhagen) at Opening Night! Opera & Oratorio Premieres , Stanford University, accessed April 29, 2015.
  44. ^ Arnold Schering: History of the oratorio. Georg Olms Verlag, 1966, p. 428 ( online at Google Books ).
  45. ↑ La morte d'Abele (Francesco Morlacchi) at Opening Night! Opera & Oratorio Premieres , Stanford University, accessed April 29, 2015.
  46. ↑ La morte d'Abel (Luigi Brengeri) at Opening Night! Opera & Oratorio Premieres , Stanford University, accessed April 29, 2015.
  47. ^ Record of the oratorio by Luigi Brengeri, Rome 1823 at librettodopera.it , accessed on April 8, 2018.
  48. ↑ Abel's death (Luigi Gatti) at opening night! Opera & Oratorio Premieres , Stanford University, accessed April 28, 2015.
  49. ^ Barrie Jones: The Hutchinson Concise Dictionary of Music. Helicon Publishing, 1999, ISBN 1-57958-178-1 , pp. 270 f. ( online at Google Books ).
  50. ^ "A Morte d'Abel" estreia no CCB. Press release from February 10, 2012 on SAPO Música (Portuguese) , accessed on May 18, 2012.
  51. ^ Oratorio - La morte d'Abel in the archive of the Salzburg Festival , accessed on June 14, 2019.
  52. ↑ Antonio Caldara - La Morte d'Abel on musicasacrapavia.com , accessed June 14, 2019.
  53. ^ Leo: La Morte di Abele. Record in the Bielefeld Classic Catalog , accessed on July 19, 2015.
  54. ^ A production of the Dresden Music Festival 2006 for the 800th anniversary of the city - "The Death of Abel". Production data on the website of the Kulturperlen-Agentur ( Memento from February 14, 2015 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on May 18, 2015.