La pace fra le tre dee
| Work data | |
|---|---|
| Title: | La pace fra le tre dee |
Maria Luise at the age of 14 |
|
| Shape: | Festa teatrale |
| Original language: | Italian |
| Music: | Nicola Conforto ? |
| Libretto : | Pietro Metastasio |
| Premiere: | 1765 ? |
| Place of premiere: | Madrid ? |
| people | |
La pace fra le tre dee (German: Peace between the three goddesses ) is a libretto for a Festa teatrale in one act by Pietro Metastasio . It was written on the occasion of the wedding of the Prince of Asturias , later King Charles IV of Spain , to the Infanta Maria Luise of Parma on September 4, 1765 in Madrid. The setting was probably made by Nicola Conforto . It is not certain that the work was actually performed.
action
The scene depicts the "serene and bright palace of Hymenaios ". The deities Juno , Athena , Venus , Hymenaios and Mercurius are preparing for the celebration. The occasion, the marriage of the Prince of Asturias to the Infanta of Parma, is immediately mentioned. Mercurius describes the virtues of the Infanta in flowery words, until he is interrupted by Hymenaios, who points out that there are three countries that claim to be their home: Italy, Spain and France. Hymenaios was given the task by Jupiter to choose one of the three goddesses present as "pronuba" Luises. In ancient Rome, the "pronuba" was a married woman or patron goddess who was supposed to support the bride at the wedding ceremony. However, Hymenaios feels overwhelmed. How is he supposed to choose among so much merit, splendor and beauty if not even the God of Gods himself sees himself capable of doing so? However, the goddesses do not want to know about his doubts. Juno is the first to assert her rights. Their simple reasoning is that it is she who represents the majesty of the throne. Hymenaios does not dare to answer and asks Mercurius and then Venus to decide. Both reject it. When he then also wants to ask Athena for her opinion, he accidentally hurts her dignity by a clumsy choice of words (“Deh non prendere a sdegno” - “Oh don't be outraged”). In a long answer she explains her own merits. She teaches the ruler the reason that shows him how to behave on the throne. In addition, it maintains the social balance that is based on the responsibility of the ruler and the obedience of his subjects. She will fulfill these tasks even if she is not chosen as “pronuba”. Hymenaios convinced this speech. He would like to go to the bride and groom with Athene right away, but is stopped by Venus, who in turn gives a speech. In this, however, she does not explain her own values, but ironically suggests to Athene that she swap her attributes (helmet, armor, staff) and functions with her in a kind of role play. Athena should take over the tasks of love and fertility herself. You, Venus, will in return teach virtue and teach people to overcome their passions. Hymenaios is again undecided. He realizes that the royal bride cannot do without love, majesty or virtue and asks Mercurius for advice. However, this does not help him, but merely reminds him that the audience is waiting for his decision and that the wedding has been postponed until then. Imenaios now declares that he is unable to choose between the different merits. He suggests going to the queen with all three of them. Everyone is relieved and happy with the choir that the wait is over.
However, this end turns out to be a fallacy, because Juno did not take part in the supposed final choir. Mercurius notices her silence and begs her to give up her anger and share in the general joy. It turns out that Juno is still offended by the judgment of Paris . She would be ready to go to the Infanta with Athena, but refuse the company of Venus, because that would repeat the old insult. Athena replies with a long speech in which she refers to the dire consequences of this judgment in the Trojan War . She asks Athena to forget the old argument on the occasion of the wedding. The final solution comes from Venus. She offers to present Luise with the winning prize at the time, the golden apple. Ultimately, the only reason that Paris could not choose her was because she had not even been born at the time. The dispute seems to have ended, and Athena, Hymenaios and Mercurius are already praising Venus, one after the other, for their generosity. But Juno is silent again. When she is asked why, she explains that it is a silence of astonishment and gratitude ( "No sdegno è il mio / Silenzio. È gratitudine, contento, tenerezza, stupor" ). She asks Venus how to thank her for this. But Venus says that the best of thanks is not to delay the wedding reception any longer. At the end of the piece everyone sings about happiness on earth and peace in heaven. Instead of praising the bride and groom, they celebrate the end of this cruel dispute ( “Che vede il fin bramato / Di gara sì crudel” ).
history
On September 4, 1765, the 13-year-old Maria Luise von Bourbon-Parma was married to the Prince of Asturias , later King Charles IV . The wedding was intended to cement relations between the Bourbons ruling Spain and Parma , and the Spanish court commissioned Metastasio to write a libretto for the occasion. Metastasio had already written three texts for Spain between 1753 and 1760 at the request of his friend Farinelli : L'isola disabitata , La ritrosia disarmata and L'ape. However, Farinelli was at the end of 1759 after the death of King Ferdinand VI. released and exiled from Madrid. Metastasio therefore explained to him in detail in a letter dated July 18, 1765 why he nevertheless accepted the contract. Due to the death of the bride's father, Duke Philip of Parma on July 18, and of Emperor Franz I on August 18, the performance of the work that had already been completed had to be postponed. In May 1766, Metastasio wrote to Tommaso Filipponi that he had received a reward for his work in the form of five tobacco tins - four silver and one gold - but he had no information on whether it had been performed publicly or even privately was. An actual performance has still not been proven with certainty, although there is evidence of a performance in the house of the Lord Chamberlain to the Prince of Asturias. Whether the music actually comes from Nicola Conforto is only suspected. This work is the last libretto of Metastasio to have a contest between gods on the subject. The title La pace fra le tre dee recalls the name of the serenata La pace fra la virtù e la bellezza , which Metastasio wrote in 1738 to celebrate Maria Theresa. There are also similarities in terms of content due to the references to the judgment of Paris .
The poet's irony becomes clear in several places in the work. So z. For example, when Hymenaios has to interrupt Mercurius' extensive description of the Infanta at the beginning so that the audience does not lose patience, or when Hymenaios is so intimidated by Juno's authoritative first plea that he asks Mercurius for help. With her suggestion to swap tasks with Athene, Venus pretends to want to renounce her own claim - but at the same time demands that Athena take over her traditional tasks of love and fertility.
The performance of the piece itself is portrayed as a "spoilsport". It does not have the function of a celebration following the actual wedding, but the purpose of delaying the same to anticipate the later pleasure. It has to be long enough to let you enjoy the joys of waiting, but at the same time short enough not to get bored.
Mercurius' pleading aria before the second part forms the actual dramatic climax of the work. Accordingly, it also has an expanded form of two stanzas with six five-syllable verses each instead of the otherwise preferred quatrains. It is also conspicuous through the chiasmus in “Cure più liete; / Più liete immagini ” and the use of paroxy tones (stresses on the penultimate syllable). Metastasio probably originally intended to insert the duet “Bella dea, non più rigore” after this aria, which Bruno Brunelli later found in Budapest. In it, Venus and Hymenaios also noticed Juno's sulking and encourage them to explain. This duet would have strengthened the dramatic character of the work, but at the same time destroyed its balance.
In describing the Trojan War, Metastasio may have intended to appeal for general reconciliation after the Seven Years' War . This would have been in line with Austria's new policy. However, there had been no hostilities between the courts of Parma and those of Madrid. This pacifist stance can already be found in his Serenata Egeria from the previous year. Juno's grumpy demeanor contrasts with the general harmony of the other characters. It maintains the legacy of the past, but unlike Metastasio's earlier depictions of mythological allegories, it shows significantly more personality. She is less predictable and also more humorous than the other characters.
literature
- Jacques Joly: Les fêtes théâtrales de Métastase à la cour de Vienne, 1731–1767. Pu Blaise Pascal, 1978, ISBN 978-2845160194 , pp. 411-428
Digital copies
- ^ Libretto (Italian) as digitized version at the Munich Digitization Center . In: Opere del signor abate Pietro Metastasio , Volume 11, Herissant, Paris 1782, pp. 211 ff.
Individual evidence
- ^ Don Neville: Metastasio [Trapassi], Pietro (Antonio Domenico Bonaventura). In: Grove Music Online (English; subscription required).
- ↑ a b Joly p. 411
- ↑ pronuba. In: Dizionario Biografico - Treccani , accessed April 10, 2015.
- ↑ Joly p. 415
- ↑ a b Joly p. 416
- ↑ Joly p. 418
- ↑ Joly p. 420
- ↑ Joly p. 422
- ↑ Joly p. 423 f
- ↑ Joly p. 424
- ↑ Joly p. 426