Orazi e Curiazi
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Title: | Horatians and Curiatians |
Original title: | Orazi e Curiazi |
Title page of the libretto, Naples 1846 |
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Shape: | Tragedia lirica in three acts |
Original language: | Italian |
Music: | Saverio Mercadante |
Libretto : | Salvadore Cammarano |
Literary source: | Pierre Corneille : Horace |
Premiere: | November 10, 1846 |
Place of premiere: | Teatro San Carlo in Naples |
Playing time: | approx. 2 ¾ hours |
Place and time of the action: | in and around Rome, around 450 BC Chr. |
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Orazi e Curiazi (German: Horatier and Curiatier ) is an opera (original name: "tragedia lirica") in three acts by Saverio Mercadante . The libretto was written by Salvadore Cammarano based on the tragedy Horace by Pierre Corneille . The first performance took place on November 10, 1846 in the Teatro San Carlo in Naples.
action
First act: “Alba e Roma” - Alba and Rome
Camilla and Sabina cannot join the women's prayers for the victory of the Romans over the Albaer , because Sabina is Albaerin and married a Roman to Camilla's brother Orazio, while Camilla is engaged to Sabina's brother Curiazio. Finally, the news arrives that the fight has been canceled. Instead, three selected Romans should compete against three selected Albaers. At first nothing seems to stand in the way of the happiness of Camilla and Curiazio. However, the wedding is canceled when the three Camillas brothers are selected to fight for Rome while Curiazio and his two brothers are set to fight for Alba. Camilla tries in vain to stop Curiazio from fighting.
Second act: "L'oracolo" - The Oracle
When Orazio and his brothers want to set off to fight, Orazio is held back by Curiazio, who wants to bring about a reconciliation. But he does not succeed in dissuading Orazio from the fight. Shortly before the fight begins, the high priest explains that a fight between relatives could displease the gods. He therefore consults the oracle. Camilla prays for the fight to be canceled. But the oracle announces that the fight should take place.
Third act: “La pugna” - The fight
Curiazio realizes that no matter what the outcome of the fight, his luck is ruined. Camilla asks Curiazio in vain to kill her. Old Orazio is waiting for news of the outcome of the fight. First he learns that two of his sons have died, the third, Orazio, is on the run. It turns out, however, that this escape was merely a ruse and that Orazio ultimately killed all three Curiazi. The people of Rome cheer Orazio as the victor. The jubilation is disturbed by Camilla, who curses Rome and begs the gods to destroy the city. Furious, Orazio stabs his sister to death.
Instrumentation
The orchestral line-up for the opera includes the following instruments:
- Woodwinds : piccolo , two flutes , two oboes , English horn , two clarinets , two bassoons
- Brass : four horns , two trumpets , three trombones , ophikleide
- Timpani , drums : bass drum , tam-tam
- harp
- Strings
- Incidental music: four horns, six trumpets, three trombones, ophikleide, timpani, banda (not specified)
Work history
Marco Arati (Alter Orazio), Pietro Balzar (Orazio), Erminia Frezzolini (Camilla), Anna Salvetti (Sabina), Gaetano Fraschini (Curiazio) and Teofilo Rossi (High Priest) sang at the premiere on November 10, 1846 in the Teatro San Carlo in Naples ). Antonio Farelli was the musical director. The stage came from Angelo Belloni, Leopoldo Galluzzi and Giuseppe Castagna.
After the successful premiere, the opera was performed on numerous Italian stages as well as in Hungary, Spain, Portugal, Russia, Malta and Brazil until 1859. The opera was last performed in Naples in the 19th century in 1882. Then the work fell into oblivion until the concert performances of the Opera Rara Society in 1975 in Bristol, Exeter and London. In 1993 Opera Rara released the first studio recording of the opera.
Recordings
- April 27, 1975 (live, in concert at Camden Festival London): Kenneth Montgomery (conductor), Bournemouth Sinfonietta and choir. Malcolm King (Alter Orazio), Christian du Plessis (Orazio), Janet Price (Camilla), Lynn Channing (Sabina), Richard Greager (Curiazio), Bonaventura Bottone (High Priest). MRF LP: MRF-120 S (3 LP) UORC 250 (3 LP), Open Reel tape - mr. tape 2710.
- 1993 (studio recording; complete, post-composed aria by Camilla in the appendix): David Parry (conductor), Philharmonia Orchestra London, Geoffrey Mitchell Choir. Alastair Miles (Alter Orazio), Anthony Michaels-Moore (Orazio), Nelly Miricioiu (Camilla), Jennifer Rhys-Davies (Sabina), Marcus Jerome (Curiazio), Paul Nilon ( High Priest). Opera Rara CD: ORC 12.
Web links
- Orazi e Curiazi : Sheet Music and Audio Files in the International Music Score Library Project
- Libretto (Italian), Naples 1846. Digitized in the Internet Archive
- Orazi e Curiazi (Saverio Mercadante) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna
- Work data for Orazi e Curiazi based on the MGG with discography at Operone
- Discography on Orazi e Curiazi at Operadis
- Work information and libretto (Italian) as full text on librettidopera.it
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c Norbert Miller: Orazi e Curiazi. In: Piper's Encyclopedia of Musical Theater . Volume 4: Works. Massine - Piccinni. Piper, Munich / Zurich 1991, ISBN 3-492-02414-9 , pp. 87-90.
- ↑ a b Booklet of the complete recording of the Opera Rara from 1993
- ↑ November 10, 1846: “Orazi e Curiazi”. In: L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia ..
- ↑ a b Saverio Mercadante. In: Andreas Ommer: Directory of all opera complete recordings. Zeno.org , volume 20.