Sigismondo

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Work data
Title: Sigismondo
Title page of the libretto, Venice 1815

Title page of the libretto, Venice 1815

Original language: Italian
Music: Gioachino Rossini
Libretto : Giuseppe Maria Foppa
Premiere: December 26, 1814
Place of premiere: Venice , Teatro La Fenice
Playing time: about 2 hours
Place and time of the action: Poland, 16th century
people
  • Sigismondo, King of Poland ( Alt trouser roll )
  • Aldimira, his wife and daughter Uldericos ( soprano )
  • Ladislao, Prime Minister Sigismondos ( tenor )
  • Anagilda, sister of Ladislaos ( mezzo-soprano )
  • Radoski, Sigismondo's confidante ( baritone )
  • Ulderico, King of Bohemia and Hungary ( bass )
  • Zenovito, Polish nobleman (bass)
  • Entourage of Ladislaos, Polish and Hungarian soldiers ( choir )

Sigismondo is an opera ("dramma") in two acts by Gioachino Rossini with a libretto by Giuseppe Maria Foppa . The premiere took place on December 26, 1814 at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice.

action

Sigismondo, king of a fictional Poland, sentenced his wife Aldimira to death many years ago for her infidelity, now he is almost insane with remorse and accusations of guilt. He doesn't even know that Aldimira's alleged unfaithfulness was an intrigue of his Prime Minister Ladislao, whom Aldimira had rejected and who was taking revenge on her in this way and who also wanted to marry off his own sister Anagilda to the king. Now Aldimira's father Ulderico also goes to war against Sigismondo in order to hold him accountable for the fate of his daughter. But Aldimira is not dead, but lives incognito in the care of the nobleman Zenovito in the forests of Poland. Sigismondo moves towards Ulderico and comes to the Zenovitos forest hut of all places. Although he believes that Aldimira is the daughter of Zenovitos, due to the great resemblance to his supposedly executed wife, he decides to present this Ulderico as a daughter in order to prevent him from war against Poland. Aldimira gets involved in the game of double deception. But in the meantime Ladislao has told Ulderico that he should be deceived by Sigismondo, whereupon Ulderico refuses to recognize his own daughter despite the great resemblance. When Ladislao approaches Aldimira again, he is pushed back by her - he falls, falls on his head and, under the shock, confesses his misdeeds. The war is canceled, Aldimira becomes queen again, Sigismondo is healed and even Ladislao and Anagilda are forgiven.

first act

Apartment in Sigismondos Palace with access to inner chambers

Scene 1. The courtiers lament the sad fate of their King Sigismondo, who fifteen years ago sentenced his wife Aldimira to death for her alleged unfaithfulness and is now driven insane by severe remorse (chorus: “O Prence misero”). Sigismondo's confidante Radoski, his minister Ladislao and his sister Anagilda join the complaints (scene and Cavatine Ladislao: “L'immago tiranna”). The courtiers withdraw.

Scene 2. Anagilda and Radoski figure out how to help the king. Ladislao distracts. He plans to pair his sister with the king.

Scene 3. Sigismondo appears. In his madness he imagines that he is plagued by the spirit of Aldimira (Cavatine Sigismondo: "Non seguirmi ... omai t'invola"). Anagilda, Ladislao and Radoski bring him back to reason. Ladislao assures Sigismondo of his loyalty and persuades him to confide in him. The other two move away.

Scene 4. Sigismondo tells Ladislao about his delusions. He also learned that his father-in-law Ulderico is secretly raising an army. He instructs Ladislao to watch him.

Wide field in front of a dense forest. On the side a hut and a rough bench under a row of trees

Scene 5. Aldimira enjoys the peace in the forest, but misses her husband, whom she still loves despite his unjust judgment (scene and Cavatine Aldimira: “Oggetto amabile”). Zenovito steps out of the hut. He knew the background to the judgment - an intrigue of her rejected admirer Ladislao - and had saved her then. Since then she has been living in seclusion as his daughter Egelinda. Aldimira hides when voices can be heard.

Scene 6. A hunting party appears (chorus of hunters: "Al bosco! Alla caccia!") And informs Zenovito of the imminent arrival of the king. The hunters disappear into the forest.

Scene 7. Aldimira has noticed that her husband is coming. She withdraws to the hut with Zenovito.

Scene 8. Sigismondo and Anagilda appear with their entourage. Sigismondo sits on the bench to wait for Ladislao, while Anagilda moves on with some of the entourage.

Scene 9. Observed by Aldimira and Zenovito, Sigismondo gives in to his delusions again.

Scene 10. Ladislao shows up with news of Ulderico. His army had already occupied a lot of land and the capture of Sigismondo's palace was imminent. So he wanted to take revenge for the death of his daughter. Zenovito and Aldimira are shocked when Sigismondo announces that they are going to enter the hut. Ladislao goes in to check on the residents.

Scene 11. Ladislao comes out of the hut, confused. He believes that he has seen the spirit of Aldimira there and asks Sigismondo to convince himself of this (recitative and aria Ladislao: "Vidi ... ah no ch'io m'ingannai!"). He leaves to assemble the defense army.

Scene 12. Sigismondo meets Aldimira. She pretends to be "Egelinda", the daughter of Zenovitos. Their resemblance to his wife, who was believed dead, causes Sigismondo great agony. When Aldimira asks him the reason for his sadness, he replies that it is a secret that he cannot share with anyone - but even Aldimira cannot show him her feelings (Duettino Sigismondo, Aldimira: “Un segreto è il mio tormento”) . Aldimira returns to the hut while Sigismondo goes into the forest.

Scene 13. Ladislao returns and confronts Zenovito about his daughter. Zenovito suggests exploiting her resemblance to Aldimira and introducing her to Ulderico as his daughter, dressed royally, in order to move him to peace. Ladislao goes to the king to talk to him about it - he secretly wants to sabotage the plan. Zenovito hopes that Aldimira will be able to live happily and safely again in the future (Aria Zenovito: “Tu l'opra tua seconda”). He returns to the apartment.

Scene 14. After Sigismondo has agreed to the plan, Ladislao comes back and informs Zenovito that he will make the necessary preparations at court. Zenovito and Egelinda are supposed to follow when it gets dark. Zenovito asks Ladislao to speak to her because she is afraid she doesn't want to come.

Scene 15. Aldimira tells Ladislao that she does not feel safe at court because the queen fell victim to an intrigue there. When Ladislao asks her how she knew that, she replies that he should ask this question himself (duet Ladislao, Aldimira: “Perché obbedir disdegni”). Aldimira returns to the hut.

Scene 16. Anagilda and Radoski come with their entourage from another part of the forest. Ladislao tries to inform them of the plan, but is interrupted by the arrival of Sigismondo and his entourage. Since Ladislao has not yet been able to get Aldimira to agree, Sigismondo goes into the hut himself to talk to her. The others follow him.

In Zenovito's apartment, with access to the rooms on one side

Scene 17. Sigismondo, overwhelmed by feelings, is led into the apartment by Zenovito. Zenovito retires to Aldimira in the next room to watch him. Ladislao, for his part, observes Aldimira’s reactions from the door. He is not yet sure of her identity. Sigismondo has again delusions, which Aldimira intensified with clever heckling (“Traitor” and “Aldimira”) (Finale I: “Quale, o ciel, d'idee funeste”). After a while, Aldimira and Zenovito emerge. Aldimira agrees to follow him to the courtyard if her safety is guaranteed. At this moment gun calls can be heard from outside. The enemy army penetrates into the forest, and Sigismondo and the soldiers prepare to fight.

Second act

Inner courtyard of the Royal Palace. On one side there is a raised access to the interior

Scene 1. The courtiers await clarification about a secret of the king (chorus: “In segreto a che ci chiama?”).

Scene 2. Ulderico has taken the forest and is now threatening the city. Sigismondo, Ladislao and Anagilda now want to implement the plan and present him with Aldimira as their daughter. However, Sigismondo would like to know the opinion of the people beforehand.

Scene 3. Aldimira appears in regal clothing. The choir breaks out in admiration calls (chorus: "Viva Aldimira"). Sigismondo explains to the people that he wants to give him back his queen. Radoski stares at Aldimira particularly conspicuously, as his conscience troubles him. Anagilda, in turn, believes she has to give up her hopes of marrying the king. Everyone goes.

Scene 4. Sigismondo asks "Egelinda" if she is married. She replies that a cruel fate stole her husband. Sigismondo declares that he has loved her for fifteen years since his late wife is resurrected in her, and asks her if she would marry him. Aldimira evades. She can hardly control her emotions, but does not want to reveal herself yet (duet Aldimira, Sigismondo: “Tomba di morte e orrore”). Both go in different directions.

Scene 5. Radoski is sure that Egelinda is the real Aldimira, whom he betrayed on behalf of Ladislao. He wants to make amends for what he did. Anagilda appears, concerned about her proposed marriage to the king. Radoski decides to deceive her and explains that Egelinda will return to her father shortly. Anagilda is not so easy to calm down (Rondo Anagilda: "Sognava contenti"). She goes.

Scene 6. Radoski remembers an incriminating letter from Ladislao that he still has. Ladislao sends him to Sigismondo.

Scene 7. Ladislao is tormented by his conscience (Aria Ladislao: "Giusto ciel che i mali miei").

Scene 8. Radoski comes to Sigismondo.

Scene 9. Aldimira appears too. Radoski gives her the letter Ladislao wrote fifteen years ago. Sigismondo sends him away.

Scene 10. Aldimira talks to Sigismondo about her concerns about going to Ulderico. Sigismondo does not understand the meaning of her words.

Scene 11. Radoski reports that the soldiers are ready to leave. Aldimira assures Sigismondo of her loyalty (scene and aria Aldimira: "Ah signor, nell'alma mia"). In the background, the soldiers march across the stage to the sounds of a military march.

Gorge divided by mountains through which different paths lead. Uldericos 'camp on one side, Sigismondos' camp on the other

Scene 12. Ulderico approaches with his entourage. He is ready to forgive Sigismondo if his daughter is really still alive. Ladislao approaches him and reveals Sigismondo's plan to him. Aldimira was actually executed fifteen years ago, and now they want to impute Egelinda as his daughter.

Scene 13. Sigismondo leads Aldimira to Ulderico (quartet Aldimira, Sigismondo, Ladislao, Ulderico: “Genitor… deh vien!”). Despite all of her assurances, Ulderico doesn't believe that she really is his daughter. He asks as proof that she should show him where her heart and blood lead her. Aldimira points to Sigismondo, her husband. Ulderico calls for a fight. Sigismondo and Ladislao also take up arms. There is a battle.

Scene 14. Horrified by this development, Radoski puts down his sword and puts himself in Ulderico's hands.

Scene 15. Ladislao arrives and explains that Radoski is one of his loyal followers. Ulderico leaves with Radoski. Ladislao is delighted with his impending power.

Scene 16. After Sigismondo's army has been defeated, the soldiers call to flee. Sigismondo, on the other hand, wants to die gloriously in battle. However, he is arrested by Ulderico. Ladislao tries to grab Aldimira, but stumbles and falls down a slope. Half stunned, he admits his actions. Sigismondo is horrified and tormented by remorse (large scene and aria Sigismondo: "Alma rea!"). He is reconciled with Aldimira again.

Scene 17. To prove to Ulderico that she really is his daughter, Aldimira shows him Ladislao's letter from Radoski. Ladislao removes the last doubts by confirming that he has written it. Ulderico and Aldimira embrace, and finally Sigismondo also gives life to the repentant Ladislao (finale: “Qual felice amico giorno”).

layout

libretto

The main reason for the permanent failure of the opera is the libretto by Giuseppe Maria Foppa, which is miserable in the judgment of both contemporary and contemporary critics: "The criticism of Foppa was devastating in the carnival season of 1815." Foppa, with whom Rossini already in the operas L 'inganno felice , La scala di seta and Il signor Bruschino wrote a text on the basis of two earlier librettos that is not only extremely confused and implausible, but is also inadequately realized, as it has “many irregular, choppy meters” . One innovation is the “type of the hero plagued by feelings of guilt, almost falling into madness”. Rossini did not seem to be satisfied with his opera himself, because one of the numerous opera anecdotes reported that when the audience at the premiere could not decide between applause and rejection, he whispered to the people sitting next to him: “So whistle at last! "

Instrumentation

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

Music numbers

The following list is based on the critical edition published by Paolo Pinamonti. The scene numbers come from the libretto.

  • Sinfonia

first act

  • No. 1. Introduction (choir, Anagilda, Radoski, Ladislao): "O Prence misero" (scene 1)
    • Recitative (Anagilda, Ladislao, Radoski): "Né fia, german, che rieda" (scene 2)
  • No. 2. Cavatine "Sigismondo con interruzioni" (Sigismondo, Anagilda, Ladislao, Radoski): "Non seguirmi… omai t'invola" (scene 3)
    • Recitative (Ladislao, Sigismondo): "Signor, mentre t'adora" (scene 3–4)
  • No. 3rd scene (Aldimira): "O tranquillo soggiorno!" (Scene 5)
    • Cavatine (Aldimira): "Oggetto amabile" (scene 5)
    • Recitative (Zenovito, Aldimira): "Signora ... Ah taci" (scene 5)
  • No. 4. Choir of the hunters (Zenovito, Aldimira, choir): “Di caccia il suono” - “Al bosco! alla caccia! "(scenes 5–6)
    • Recitative (Aldimira, Zenovito, Sigismondo, Anagilda, Ladislao): "Lo sposo! ... Il re! ..." (scenes 7-11)
  • No. 5. Recitative (Sigismondo, Ladislao): "Che avvenne?" (Scene 11)
    • Aria (Ladislao): "Vidi ... ah no che allor sognai!" (Scene 11)
    • Recitative (Aldimira, Sigismondo): "Giusto cielo m'aita!" (Scene 12)
  • No. 6. Recitative (Sigismondo, Aldimira): "Se un tradimento reo ..." (scene 12)
    • Duettino (Sigismondo, Aldimira): "Un segreto è il mio tormento" (scene 12)
    • Recitative (Ladislao, Zenovito): "Il re dov'è?" (Scene 13)
  • No. 7. Aria (Zenovito): "Tu l'opra tua seconda" (scene 13)
    • Recitative (Ladislao, Zenovito): "Io dispor che costei" (scene 14)
  • No. 8. Recitative (Ladislao): "Ella ricusa?" (Scene 15)
    • Duet (Ladislao, Aldimira): "Perché obbedir disdegni?" (Scene 15)
    • Recitative (Anagilda, Radoski, Ladislao, Sigismondo): "Che creder degg'io mai!" (Scene 16)
  • No. 9 Finale I (Aldimira, Anagilda, Sigismondo, Ladislao, Radoski, Zenovito, choir): "Quale, o ciel, d'idee funeste" (scene 17)

Second act

  • No. 10 Introduction (chorus): "In segreto a che ci chiama?" (Scene 1)
    • Recitative (Sigismondo, Ladislao, Anagilda, Radoski, choir): “Ah! superato il bosco, o sorte avversa! "(scene 2)
  • No. 11. Choir (Choir, Anagilda, Radoski): "Viva Aldimira" (scene 3)
    • Recitative (Ladislao, Aldimira, Sigismondo, Radoski, Anagilda): "O vista che m'agghiaccia!" (Scene 3–4)
  • No. 12th scene (Aldimira, Sigismondo): "Come!" (Scene 4)
    • Duet (Aldimira, Sigismondo): "Tomba di morte e orrore" (scene 4)
    • Recitative (Radoski, Anagilda): "M'ingannaste, occhi miei?" (Scene 5)
  • No. 13. Rondo (Anagilda): "Sognava contenti" (scene 5)
    • Recitative (Radoski, Ladislao): “O ciel! tu riserbasti "(scene 6)
  • No. 14th scene (Ladislao): "Misero me!" (Scene 7)
    • Aria (Ladislao): "Giusto ciel che i mali miei" (scene 7)
    • Recitative (Sigismondo, Radoski, Aldimira): "Venga Egelinda" (scenes 8-10)
  • No. 15. Scene (Radoskdi, Sigismondo, Aldimira, choir): "Alla partenza" (scene 11)
    • Aria (Aldimira): "Ah signor, nell'alma mia" (scene 11)
    • Recitative (Ulderico, Ladislao): "Venga pur Ladislao" (scene 12)
  • No. 16. Quartet (Aldimira, Sigismondo, Ladislao, Ulderico): "Genitor ... deh vien!" (Scene 13)
    • Recitative (Radoski, Ulderico, Ladislao): “Giusto ciel! qual mia sorte! "(scenes 14–15)
  • No. 17. Big scene (Sigismondo, Ulderico, Ladislao, Aldimira, choir): "O sorte barbara! ..." - "Vincesti, iniqua sorte!" (Scene 16)
    • Aria within the big scene (Sigismondo): "Alma rea" (scene 16)
    • Recitative (Ulderico, Aldimira, Ladislao, Sigismondo): "E tu che per salvarlo" (scene 17)
  • No. 18. Finaletto II (Aldimira, Sigismondo, Ladislao, Ulderico, choir): "Qual felice amico giorno" (scene 17)

music

The sinfonia is in two parts. Rossini took the first part (Adagio) from the Sinfonia of Il turco in Italia . There are only a few differences in the instrumentation and in some melodic details. The second part (Allegro) is a new composition, the second theme of which coincides with the Allegro of Quartet No. 16. Two years later, Rossini used the entire overture for his Otello .

In Sigismondo, Rossini used parts from earlier operas and later also reused larger parts from them, for example in his operas Elisabetta regina d'Inghilterra , Torvaldo e Dorliska , Il barbiere di Siviglia , La Cenerentola and Adina . For example, the beginning of the first act of Il barbiere di Siviglia is a reworking of the beginning of the second act by Sigismondo . The Rossini biographer Richard Osborne therefore comes to the conclusion that the music of Sigismondo could not be so bad after all: “ Sigismondo is a heavy and difficult piece, but one should be careful not to reject it strictly, because the following successful operas contain it a large part of the newly processed Sigismondo . "

Work history

Sigismondo is the second opera seria Rossini wrote for the Teatro la Fenice, and it is his least noticed in this genre. The work, which is largely unknown to this day, is missing from the usual opera guides and is not even dealt with in the standard work Piper's Encyclopedia of Music Theater . The opera was written just before Rossini moved to Naples and is therefore no longer an early work; he composed it after his great successes at Tancredi and L'italiana in Algeri and immediately after his opera Il turco in Italia , which premiered in Milan - there were only a little more than four months between the two world premieres.

Sigismondo was already a failure at the first performance and never made it into the repertoire later. In 1819 the opera was performed in Padua, Cremona and Reggio Emilia, in Florence in 1820 and again in Bologna in 1827. It was not until 1992 that the work was unearthed for a performance in Rovigo, and another followed in Bad Wildbad in 1995 . A controversial production at the Rossini Opera Festival Pesaro under the conductor Michele Mariotti with Daniela Barcellona , Andrea Concetto, Olga Peretyatko and Antonio Sirgausa attracted some attention . Director Damiano Michieletto had moved the entire first act of Sigismondo to an insane asylum around 1900, a concept that could take up Sigismondo's state of mind, but not always the plot conclusively. The mostly negative reviews also showed the potential of the opera, so the singers mostly received very good reviews. This production is available on DVD.

Recordings

literature

  • Marcus Chr. Lippe: Rossini's opera series. For the musical-dramatic conception. Franz Steiner Verlag, Stuttgart 2005, ISBN 978-3-515-08586-1
  • Reto Müller (Ed.): Gioachino Rossini: Sigismondo. Text by Giuseppe Foppa. Libretto Italian / German (= opera texts of the German Rossini Society e. V. 14). Leipziger Universitätsverlag, Leipzig 2016, ISBN 978-3-96023-012-0 .
  • Richard Osborne: Rossini. Life and work . Droemer Knaur, Munich 1988, ISBN 3-426-02421-7 .
  • Richard Osborne: Sigismondo. In The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. Stanley Sadie (Ed.), MacMillan, London 1992, ISBN 0-333-73432-7

Web links

Commons : Sigismondo  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Marcus Chr. Lippe: Rossini's opera series, on the musical-dramatic conception. Franz Steiner Verlag, Stuttgart 2005, ISBN 978-3-515-08586-1 , p. 186 ff.
  2. ^ Gioacchino Rossini: Sigismondo, program preview ORF Ö1 , accessed on October 27, 2013.
  3. ^ A b c Richard Osborne: Rossini. Life and work. Munich 1988, p. 32.
  4. ↑ a b c Paolo Pinamonti: Sigismondi (= Edizione critica delle opere di Gioachino Rossini. Sezione prima - opera teatrali. Volume 14 ). Fondazione Rossini, Pesaro 2010.
  5. ^ Thomas Molke: The world as a madhouse , in OMM, August 15, 2010 accessed on October 27, 2013; Frieder Reininghaus was different on the occasion of a Falstaff review on Deutschlandfunk : "This straightening coup did justice to the turbulent plot in a miraculous way." Notepad from July 31, 2013, accessed on May 14, 2019
  6. ↑ a b c Gioacchino Rossini. In: Andreas Ommer: Directory of all opera complete recordings. Zeno.org , volume 20.
  7. ↑ Details on the 2010 recording on naxos.com
  8. ↑ Details on the 2016 recording on naxos.com