Le siège de Corinthe

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Opera dates
Title: The Siege of Corinth
Original title: Le siège de Corinthe
Title page of the libretto, Brussels 1829

Title page of the libretto, Brussels 1829

Shape: Tragédie lyrique in three acts
Original language: French
Music: Gioachino Rossini
Libretto : Luigi Balocchi and Alexandre Soumet
Literary source: Gioachino Rossini / Cesare della Valle: Maometto II
Premiere: October 9, 1826
Place of premiere: Paris, Académie Royale de Musique
Playing time: approx. 2 ½ hours
Place and time of the action: Corinth , 1458
people
  • Mahomet II, leader of the Turks ( bass )
  • Cléomène, leader of the Greeks and father of Pamyra ( tenor )
  • Pamyra, daughter of Cléomènes ( soprano )
  • Néoclès, young Greek officer (tenor)
  • Hiéros, old grave guard (bass)
  • Adraste, Cléomènes confidante (bass or tenor)
  • Omar, confidante of Mahomets (bass or tenor)
  • Ismène, Pamyra's confidante ( mezzo-soprano )
  • Greek and Turkish women, soldiers in the wake of Mahomet and Cléomène, imams, Turkish and Greek soldiers ( choir )

Le siège de Corinthe (German: The Siege of Corinth , Italian: L'assedio di Corinto ) is an opera (original name: "tragédie-lyrique") in three acts by Gioachino Rossini (music) with a libretto by Luigi Balocchi and Alexandre Soumet . It is a revision of his Maometto II , published in 1820, for French opera. The premiere took place on October 9, 1826 at the Académie Royale de Musique in Paris.

action

The action takes place in 1458, a few years after the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottomans under Sultan Mehmed II , who is called Mahomet here. Now they are about to storm the city of Corinth . The position of the Greek defenders under their leader Cléomène is hopeless. Still, they choose to keep fighting. To protect his daughter Pamyra, Cléomène promises her hand to his officer Néoclès. Pamyra is not very enthusiastic about it because she fell in love with Almanzor years ago in Athens. The Ottomans conquer the city and take Cléomène prisoner. The Greeks can only hold the citadel. Pamyra asks Mahomet for mercy for her father. In doing so she recognizes her former lover in the conqueror. Mahomet has not forgotten them either. He promises to spare Greece if she marries him. Cléomène refers to her engagement to Néoclès and curses his daughter when she hesitates with the decision. She follows Mahomet to his camp with a bad conscience. There the Ottomans prepare the wedding. Néoclès follows her, but is also captured. The festivities are interrupted when the Greeks achieve a partial victory and the Ottomans have to move out again to fight. They crush the Greeks. The last survivors withdraw into the tomb where they prepare to be martyred. Here Pamyra reconciles with her father by marrying Néoclès in front of her mother's grave. The victorious Muslims invade the catacombs. Pamyra evades Mahomet with a suicide threat. At that moment the vault collapses and reveals the burning city.

first act

Porch of the Senate Palace in Corinth

Portico of the Senate Palace in Corinth, first act, scene 1, Paris 1826

Scene 1. In view of the threatened conquest of Corinth by the Ottomans, the Greek leader Cléomène, the young officer Néoclès and the old grave guard Hiéros discuss the situation with the Greek soldiers (introduction: “Ta noble voix seigneur”). Their uprising against the Turkish conquerors threatens to fail. Since the bravest warriors have now fallen, Cléomène asks those present for their opinion, whether they want to continue fighting or hand over the city. Néoclès and Hiéros manage to reassure the others. Cléomène asks everyone to swear that they will fight to the death (recitative: “Vaillants guerriers”). The soldiers move away.

Scene 2. Cléomène and Hiéros affirm their hope for a happy ending (recitative: “La Grèce est libre encore”). After Hiéros left the scene, Néoclès reminds Cléomène that he had promised him the hand of his daughter Pamyra (scene: “Ta fille m'est promise”). Cléomène assures him that he will keep his word.

Scene 3. Pamyra joins them. Cléomène tells her that for her own safety he wants to marry her off to Néoclès today. Pamyra confesses to them that their hearts already belong to someone else: Almanzor, whom she met in Athens (trio: “Disgrâce horrible!”).

Scene 4. Greek soldiers and women appear on the scene and beg those present for help as the Ottomans are about to overcome the city walls. Before Cléomène and Néoclès set off to defend the citadel, he gives his daughter a dagger. In the worst case scenario, it should take its own life.

Corinth city square

Scene 5. In pursuit of the Greeks, the victorious Muslim soldiers push in (march and chorus of the Turks: “La flamme rapide”).

Scene 6. Mahomet exhorts his warriors to spare the art treasures of the city and the palace (recitative: “Qu'à ma voix” - aria: “Chef d'un peuple indomptable”).

Scene 7. Mahomet's confidante, Omar, reports that the Greeks have been defeated (scene and beginning of Finale I: “Nous avons triomphé”). The citadel is still being defended, but one of the Greek officers has been captured. Mahomet orders him to be kept alive because he wants to interrogate him. He tells Omar that he had previously visited Greece under the name Almanzor and fell in love with Athens. Therefore he wanted to be lenient.

Scene 8. The captured Cléomène is brought in. Mahomet asks him to get his soldiers to surrender. Cléomène refuses. He declares that his people will defend the citadel to the death. Mahomet orders him to be taken away.

Scene 9. Pamyra, her confidante Ismène, and other Greek women appear. Pamyra begs the Sultan for mercy for her father. Mahomet and Pamyra recognize each other. She is horrified to see her former lover again as a conqueror (continuation of Finale I: "Ah! L'amant qui m'enchaîne"). But Mahomet is touched. He wants to win Pamyra back and asks her to follow him to his camp. Then he will spare Greece. Cléomène contradicts and refers to his daughter's engagement to Néoclès. Pamyra is torn between love and duty. Cléomène angrily curses them. Pamyra can finally be continued by Mahomet.

Second act

In Mahomet's tent

Mahomets tent, second act, scene 1, Paris 1826

Scene 1. Surrounded by Ismène and Turkish women, Pamyra complains of her fate (recitative: “Que vais-je devenir?”). She commemorates her deceased mother, while the women point out that her marriage to Mahomet will change the fate of Greece (aria with chorus: "Du séjour de la lumière").

Scene 2. Mahomet tries to win Pamyra over with gifts and flattery (scene: “Rassure-toi”). Pamyra is in despair because she was unfaithful to God and was cursed by her father. She bursts into tears and longs for death. Mahomet cannot comfort her (duet: “Que vois-je”).

Scene 3. Omar, Turkish soldiers, courtiers, imams, harem ladies and others appear for Mahomet's upcoming wedding with Pamyra (chorus: “La fête d'Hyménée”). Their jubilation is in stark contrast to Pamyra's feelings, which Ismène describes in a ballad (“L'hymen lui donne une couronne”). Those present try again to calm them down. After two dances (airs de dance) the altar is prepared for the wedding ceremony (hymn: “Divin prophète”). But before this can begin, noise can be heard from outside (recitative: “Quel bruit se fait entendre?”).

Scene 4. Omar leads in the shackled Néoclès who was caught trying to get Pamyra back. To save him, Pamyra pretends he is her brother. Mahomet believes her and lets loose his bonds so that he can stay at the wedding party (beginning of Finale II: “Il est son frère”). Pamyra is on the verge of despair and Néoclès seeks revenge.

Scene 5. Omar reappears. This time he has bad news: The Corinthians had succeeded in repelling the Ottoman troops and taking their weapons away from them (continuation of Finale II: “Corinthe nous défie”). On the citadel in the background, Greek women and soldiers appear and call for battle and martyrdom . The Turks prepare for battle. Mahomet points out to Pamyra that the fate of the country is now in her hands. If she does not give in, all Greeks will perish by sword and fire. To the delight of Néoclès, Pamyra declares that she wants to die a martyr with her people. Disappointed and angry, Mahomet calls his people to arms. Pamyra and Néoclès are taken away.

Third act

The Corinthian tomb, lit by several fires

Grave vault, third act, scene 1, Paris 1826

Scene 1. Néoclès managed to escape. He has withdrawn into the catacombs (recitative: “Avançons”).

Scene 2. Cléomène's confidante Adraste greets the newcomer. Néoclès reports how he escaped with Pamyra. He asks Adraste to inform Cléomène about it and to fetch him because Pamyra wants to reconcile with him.

Scene 3. Néoclès hears the Greeks - including Pamyra - praying for rescue above the vault (Prière: “O toi que je révère”). He, too, directs his thoughts to God (aria: "Grand Dieu, faut-il qu'un peuple"). Although he no longer has any hope for his people, he assumes that the conquerors will soon meet their just punishment. Then he remembers Pamyras, who awaits death at her mother's grave.

Scene 4. Cléomène enters the vault. He is still angry with his daughter, whom he thinks is a traitor. Néoclès defends them (scene: “Cher Cléomène”).

Scene 5. Pamyra also descends into the catacombs. Her father again accuses her of treason. Pamyra declares that she is ready to die. Before that, however, she wanted to marry Néoclès at her mother's grave. That convinces Cléomène of her loyalty. He blesses the couple. Together they call on heavenly Providence to end the sufferings of the people (trio: “Céleste providence”). Cléomène and Néoclès say goodbye to Pamyra to return to their people. You will meet again one day in heaven.

The fire of Corinth, third act, final scene, Paris 1826

Scene 6. Hiéros stops Cléomène and Néoclès. He brings in Adraste, Ismène, women, girls and the last surviving Greek warriors, whom the Ottomans are already on their heels (recitative: “Je viens de parcourir”). Your only hope now is a glorious death. Cléomène urges Hiéros to bless the flags to prepare those present to be martyred. Hiéros first makes soldiers and women swear to fight for the fatherland to the death (scene: “Fermez-vous tous vos cœurs”). After his blessing, Hiéros has a vision: the country will regain its freedom after five centuries of slavery. It commemorates the battle of Marathon , the Spartan king Leonidas I and the battle of Thermopylae . Everyone joins in the perseverance slogans (chorus: “Répondons à ce cri de victoire”). The men depart for the very last stand.

Scene 7. Pamyra, Ismène, and the other Greek women are left in the vault. Pamyra gives a speech in which she prepares women for imminent death (recitative: “L'heure fatale approche”). All ask God for mercy and an end to their suffering (prière / prayer with chorus: “Juste ciel!”). From the noise of the battle, Pamyra realizes that the Turks have finally won (Finale III: “Mais quels accents se font entendre”). She awaits her arrival.

Scene 8. The victorious Muslims rush in to butcher the last of the survivors. The women face death.

Scene 9. Mahomet joins them. He regards Pamyra as his prey. However, she threatens to kill herself with her dagger. At that moment fire breaks out. The vault collapses. The burning Corinth can be seen in the background.

layout

Instrumentation

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

Music numbers

The opera contains the following musical numbers:

  • Overture

first act

  • No. 1. Introduction (Cléomène, Néoclès, Hiéros, Adraste, choir): "Ta noble voix seigneur" (scene 1)
    • Recitative: "Vaillants guerriers" (scene 1)
    • Recitative: "La Grèce est libre encore" (scene 2)
  • No. 2 scene: "Ta fille m'est promise" (scene 2–3)
    • Trio (Néoclès, Cléomène, Pamyra, choir): "Disgrâce horrible!" (Scene 3–4)
  • No. 3. March (scene 5)
    • Choir: "La flamme rapide" (scene 5)
  • No. 4. Recitative: "Qu'à ma voix" (scene 6)
    • Aria (Mahomet, choir): "Chef d'un peuple indomptable" (scene 6)
  • No. 5. Scene and Finale I: "Nous avons triomphé" (scenes 7–9)
    • (Continuation of Finale I :) “Ah! l'amant qui m'enchaîne "(scene 9)

Second act

  • No. 6. Recitative: "Que vais-je devenir?" (Scene 1)
    • Aria (Pamyra, choir): "You séjour de la lumière" (scene 1)
  • No. 7th scene: "Rassure-toi" (scene 2)
    • Duet (Mahomet, Pamyra): "Que vois-je" (scene 2)
    • Choir: "La fête d'Hyménée" (scene 3)
    • Recitative (Mahomet): "Triomphe Pamyra" (scene 3)
  • No. 8. Ballade (Ismène, choir): "L'hymen lui donne une couronne" (scene 3)
  • 1st Air de danse
  • 2nd Air de danse
  • No. 9. Hymn (chorus): "Divin prophète" (scene 3)
    • Recitative: "Quel bruit se fait entendre?" (Scenes 3–4)
  • No. 10. Finale II: "Il est son frère" (scene 4)
    • (Continuation of Finale II :) "Corinthe nous défie" (scene 5)

Third act

  • No. 11. Recitative: "Avançons" (scenes 1–3)
    • Prière / prayer (choir): "O toi que je révère" (scene 3)
  • No. 12. Aria (Néoclès): "Grand Dieu, faut-il qu'un peuple" (scene 3)
  • No. 13th scene: "Cher Cléomène" (scenes 4–5)
    • Trio (Néoclès, Cléomène, Pamyra): "Céleste providence" (scene 5)
  • No. 14. Recitative: “Je viens de parcourir” (scene 6)
    • Scene: "Fermez-vous tous vos cœurs" (scene 6)
    • Choir: "Répondons à ce cri de victoire" (scene 6)
  • No. 15. Recitative (Pamyra): "L'heure fatale approche" (scene 7)
    • Prière / prayer (choir): "Juste ciel!" (Scene 7)
  • No. 16. Finale III: "Mais quels accents se font entendre" (scenes 7–9)

Work history

Filippo Galli as Mahomet, lithograph by Francesco Garzoli, Teatro Apollo, Rome 1830

Rossini's opera Maometto II was premiered on December 3, 1820 at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples . It wasn't a great success. Perhaps that is why Rossini decided to reuse large parts of the music for his new opera Le siège de Corinthe in Paris in 1826 . The libretto is also a revision of this work. It comes from Luigi Balocchi and Alexandre Soumet . While Soumet was responsible for the new parts of the work, Balocchi took over the translation of the existing Italian parts and the necessary adjustments to the music. Overall, the changes are so extensive that Le siège de Corinthe is viewed as a new opera.

The Greek independence movement was one of the most popular political issues of the 1820s. On April 3, 1826, Rossini had already conducted a charity concert for the benefit of the Greeks. Now, together with the two librettists, he adapted the historical background of the opera accordingly - in the original version the action was set in the Venetian colony of Negroponte. The opera now received three acts instead of two, and several of the leading roles were redesigned. At the same time, the plot was tightened and the dramatic pace increased. Choirs, ensembles and orchestras were given greater weight. The importance of the love tragedy was pushed back in favor of the historical plot that v. a. was represented in the choirs. The only major section that Rossini composed is the finale of the second act with the hymn "Divin prophète". The ending, which in Maometto was tailored to the role of Anna (here called Pamyra), is now tied into a larger context of patriotism and national war trauma. What is new is the blessing of the Greek flags by the old Hiéros.

In contrast to the first version of Maometto II , Le siège de Corinthe has an overture. It begins with a religious march (“marcia religiosa”) from the oratorio Atalia by Johann Simon Mayr, which Rossini knew from Naples, and contains further quotations from his own works such as the Messa di Gloria . The first 28 bars come from the Allegro vivace of the overture by Bianca e Falliero .

Le siège de Corinthe is Rossini's first French opera. He had already composed Il viaggio a Reims for Paris the previous year , but this was still in Italian. In 1827 he made another revision of an earlier Italian opera: Mosè in Egitto became Moïse et Pharaon . It was not until 1829 that Rossini created a completely new French grand opéra with Guillaume Tell .

At the premiere on October 9, 1826 in the Salle Le Peletier of the Académie Royale de Musique in Paris, Laure Cinti-Damoreau (Pamyra), Mlle.Fremont (Ismène), Louis Nourrit (Cléomène), Adolphe Nourrit (Néoclès), Henri- Etienne Dérivis (Mahomet II), Ferdinand Prévost (Omar), Alex Prévost (Hiéros) and M. Bonei / Bonnel (Adraste). The staging was elaborately designed with exotic and dramatic stage sets. In particular, the final scene with the burning Corinth should have shocked the audience. The performance was a great success. After each act there was a lot of applause. According to a report in La Quotidienne , Rossini was repeatedly called on stage for almost half an hour until the bellboys announced that he had left the theater. During the following night a great number of musicians played the finale of the second act under his windows. The enthusiasm for the opera continued for a long time. It remained on the schedule with interruptions until 1844. The hundredth performance was given on February 24, 1839. For the first time in his career, Rossini sold the opera to a publisher. He received 6,000 francs from Eugène Troupenas for this. He dedicated the printed score to his father.

  • Costumes of the 1826 performance

  • Mahomet II (M. Derivis)

  • Cléomène (M. Nourrit)

  • Pamyra (Mlle Cinti)

  • Néoclès (M. Adolphe Nourrit)

  • Hiéros (M. Prévost)

  • Corinthians

  • Greek soldier

  • Noble Turk

  • Negress (Mme Launer)

  • Harem Lady (Mlle Hullin)

The opera spread quickly. In the following year, 1827, it was played in a German translation by Joseph Kupelwieser in Frankfurt am Main. This year there were other performances in Brussels, Mainz and Rome (concert performances).

Title page of the libretto, Cremona 1835

Also in 1827, Calisto Bassi translated the libretto back into Italian. The opera was first performed in this version in Barcelona in 1827. Its first scenic performance in Italy took place on January 26, 1828 in Parma. On February 4, 1829 it was played in Paris at the Théâtre-Italien , in Vienna in 1831, in New York in 1833 and on June 5, 1834 at Her Majesty's Theater in London.

In 1828 L'assedio di Corinto was played in another Italian reverse translation at the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa. Gaetano Donizetti wrote a cabaletta for this version , which was inserted into the Pamira / Maometto duet of the second act and then became an integral part of the opera.

The opera stayed on the repertoire until around 1870, but became more and more distorted over time.

In the 20th century there was a performance again at the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino with Renata Tebaldi in the role of Pamira in 1949 . In 1969 a mixed version of Maometto II and L'assedio di Corinto was played at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan under the direction of Thomas Schippers with Beverly Sills as Pamira and Marilyn Horne as Neocle (in a trouser role). The French version was played in Marseille in 1981, but still with a mezzo-soprano in the role of Néoclès. It was not until 1992 that the original version was performed again at the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa with Maurizio Comencini as Néoclès and Luciana Serra as Pamyra.

The role names of the different versions can be assigned as follows:

Maometto II
Italian
Naples 1820 		Le siège de Corinthe
French
Paris 1826 		L'assedio di Corinto
Italian
1827
Maometto II Mahomet II Maometto II
Paolo Erisso Cléomène Cleomene
Anna Pamyra Pamira
Calbo (alto) Néoclès (tenor) Neocle
Condulmiero - -
Selimo Omar Omar
- Hiéros Iero
- Address Address
- Ismène Ismene

Recordings

Web links

Commons : Le siège de Corinthe  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Le siège de Corinthe / L'assedio di Corinto (Gioachino Rossini) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna
  2. ↑ a b c d Le Siège de Corinthe. In: Harenberg opera guide. 4th edition. Meyers Lexikonverlag, 2003, ISBN 3-411-76107-5 , p. 788 f.
  3. ↑ Le siège de Corinthe. In: Piper's Encyclopedia of Musical Theater. Vol. 5. Works. Piccinni - Spontini. Piper, Munich and Zurich 1994, ISBN 3-492-02415-7 , p. 438
  4. ↑ Supplement to CD Naxos 8.660329-30.
  5. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l Herbert Weinstock : Rossini - A biography. Translated by Kurt Michaelis. Kunzelmann, Adliswil 1981 (1968), ISBN 3-85662-009-0 .
  6. ↑ a b Matthias Brzoska : Work information on CD Naxos 8.660329-30 , accessed on April 2, 2016.
  7. ↑ a b c d e f g Richard Osborne: Rossini - life and work. Translated from the English by Grete Wehmeyer. List Verlag, Munich 1988, ISBN 3-471-78305-9 .
  8. ^ A b c d Charles Osborne : The Bel Canto Operas of Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini. Amadeus Press, Portland, Oregon, 1994, ISBN 978-0-931340-71-0 .
  9. ↑ Le siège de Corinthe. In: Reclam's Opernlexikon. Philipp Reclam jun., 2001. Digital Library, Volume 52, p. 2387.
  10. ↑ a b c d e f g h i Gioacchino Rossini. In: Andreas Ommer: Directory of all opera complete recordings. Zeno.org , volume 20.
  11. ^ Admission by Marcel Couraud (1968) in the discography of Le siège de Corinthe at Operadis.
  12. ^ Admission by Maurizio Benini (2001) in the discography of Le siège de Corinthe at Operadis.