Simon Boccanegra

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Work data
Title: Simon Boccanegra
Title page of the libretto, Milan 1881

Title page of the libretto, Milan 1881

Shape: Opera in a prologue and three acts
Original language: Italian
Music: Giuseppe Verdi
Libretto : Francesco Maria Piave (first version)

Arrigo Boito (second version)

Literary source: Simón Bocanegra by Antonio García Gutiérrez
Premiere: March 12, 1857 (first version)

March 24, 1881 (second version)

Place of premiere: Teatro La Fenice , Venice (first version)

Teatro alla Scala , Milan (second version)

Playing time: approx. 2 ½ hours
Place and time of the action: Genoa in the 14th century
people

Prolog:

  • Simon Boccanegra, Corsair in the service of the Republic of Genoa ( baritone )
  • Jacopo Fiesco, patrician from Genoa ( bass )
  • Paolo Albiani, goldworker from Genoa, later courtier of the Doge (bass)
  • Pietro, man of the people, later courtier of the Doge (baritone)

Drama:

  • Simon Boccanegra, Doge of Genoa (baritone)
  • Maria Boccanegra, his daughter, under the name Amelia Grimaldi ( soprano )
  • Jacopo Fiesco, under the name Andrea (bass)
  • Gabriele Adorno, Edelmann from Genoa ( Tenor )
  • Paolo Albiani, the Doge's favorite courtier (bass)
  • Pietro, courtier of the Doge (baritone)
  • Captain of the Crossbowmen (tenor)
  • Maid Amelias ( mezzo-soprano )
  • Warriors, sailors, people, senators, court of the Doge , servants of Fiesco ( choir )

Simon Boccanegra is an opera in a prologue and three acts by Giuseppe Verdi . The premiere of the first version took place on March 12, 1857 at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice. A revised version was first played on March 24, 1881 at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan.

action

prolog

A place in Genoa

Paolo and Pietro want the Corsair Simon Boccanegra to be elected Doge of Genoa . This corsair is popular with the people, also because he freed the city from pirates. Simon loves Maria, the daughter of the patrician Jacopo Fiesco, and has a child with her. However, Fiesco refuses the marriage of Mary to the plebeian Simon and locks her in his house, where she dies three months later. In front of the palace of Fiesco, the landlord offers Boccanegra reconciliation, but calls for his grandchild to do it and withholds the death of his daughter. However, the child of Mary and Simon has disappeared without a trace. Fiesco doesn't believe this and curses Boccanegra. Boccanegra then enters Fiesco's house and finds his dead lover. When he steps out of the house, shaken, the people cheer him as the new Doge.

first act

First image: Palace of the Grimaldi outside Genoa

( Second version: Gardens of the Grimaldi outside Genoa )

25 years later. Amelia Grimaldi is said to be married by the doge to his chancellor Paolo, but loves the patrician Gabriele Adorno . Fiesco, disguised as Father Andrea, promises to marry her off immediately. Boccanegra appears to advertise for Paolo to Amelia, but recognizes by an amulet that she is his daughter, and then refuses Paolo her hand. This furiously decides to kidnap Amelia.

Second picture: Large square in Genoa

( Second version: Council Chamber in the Abati Palace )

In the Genoese Senate , Boccanegra is pushing to avoid war with Venice in order to unite Italy. Excited people drag Adorno in front of the Senate. He had killed Lorenzo, Amelia's kidnapper, and learned that he had acted on behalf of someone higher. Adorno suspects the doge is behind it and wants to kill him, but Amelia holds him back. Boccanegra has suspicions and asks Paolo to curse the client. Paolo has to curse himself.

Second act

Ducal palace in Genoa, splendid drawing room

( Second version: Room of the Doge in the Ducal Palace in Genoa )

Paolo wants to kill the doge, pours poison into Boccanegra's jug and persuades Adorno to commit an assassination attempt by telling him that the doge is Amelia's lover. Fiesco, who is a priest in the palace, does not get involved in the intrigue. Amelia now confesses her love for Adorno to her father. When Boccanegra drinks from the jug and falls asleep, Adorno tries to stab him, but is again prevented by Amelia. The Doge wakes up and tells Adorno that Amelia is his daughter. Adorno repents and takes Boccanegra's side against an incipient uprising by the patricians.

Third act

[Ducal palace in Genoa, splendid drawing room]

( Second version: the interior of the ducal palace )

The uprising has been put down, and Paolo has been sentenced to death as its leader. Boccanegra is weakened by the poison and meets the priest, in whom he now recognizes Fiesco. He tells him Amelia is his granddaughter. Dying he blesses Amelia and Adorno and appoints them to be his successor.

layout

Instrumentation

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

Music numbers (version from 1881)

prolog

  • No. 1. Preludio, introduction and aria by Fiesco
    • Scene: Che dicesti?… All'onor di primo abate (Paolo, Pietro, Simone)
    • Choir and scene di Paolo: All 'alba tutti qui verrete? (Pietro, Paolo, choir)
    • Recitative: A te l'estremo addio, palagio altero (Fiesco)
    • Fiesco's aria: Il lacerato spirito (Fiesco, voices inside the palace)
  • No. 2. Scene and duet Simone and Fiesco
    • Scene: Suona ogni labbro il mio nome (Simone)
    • Duet: Simon? - Do! (Simone, Fiesco)
  • No. 3. Scene and choir
    • Scene: Oh, de 'Fieschi implacata, orrida razza! (Simone, Fiesco, Voci)
    • Choir: Doge il popol t'acclama! (Paolo, Pietro, Simone, Fiesco, choir)

first act

  • No. 4. Preludio and Scene - Amelia
    • Aria: Come in quest'ora bruna (Amelia)
  • No. 5. Scene and duet - Amelia and Gabriele
    • Scene: Cielo di stelle orbato (Gabriele, Amelia)
    • Duet: Vieni a mirar la cerula (Amelia, Gabriele)
    • Tempo di mezzo: Ah! - Che fia? - Vedi quell'uom? (Amelia, Gabriele, Ancella, Pietro)
    • Cabaletta: Sì, sì dell'ara il giubilo (Amalia, Gabriele)
  • No. 6. Scene and duet - Gabriele and Fiesco
    • Scene: Propizio ei giunge! (Gabriele, Fiesco)
    • Duet: Vieni a me, ti benedico (Fiesco, Gabriele)
  • No. 7. Scene and duet - Amelia and Simone
    • Scene: Paolo. - Signor. (Simone, Paolo, Amelia)
    • Duet: Dinne, perché in quest'eremo (Simone, Amelia)
    • Tempo di mezzo: Dinne… alcun là non vedesti? (Simone, Amelia)
    • Cabaletta: Figlia!… A tal nome io palpito (Simone, Amelia)
  • No. 8. Scene and Duettino - Paolo and Pietro
    • Scene: Che rispose? - Rinuncia a ogni speranza (Paolo, Simone)
    • Duettino: Che disse? - A me negolla (Pietro, Paolo)
  • No. 9. Finale I.
    • Scene: Messeri, il re di TartArie vi porge (Simone, Paolo, choir)
    • Scene: Torment clamor! (Pietro, Paolo, Simone, Gabriele, Amelia, choir)
    • Racconto: Nell'ora soave che all'estasi invita ( Amelia, choir)
    • Scene: Plebe! Patrizi! Popolo (Simone, Amelia, Pietro, Paolo, Gabriele, Fiesco, choir)
    • Recitative: Ecco la spada (Gabriele, Simone, Paolo)
    • Scene: V'è in queste mura un vil che m'ode (Simone, Paolo, Amelia, Fiesco, Gabriele, Pietro, choir)

Second act

  • No. 10. Scene and duet - Paolo and Fiesco
    • Scene: Quei due vedesti? (Paolo, Pietro)
    • Recitative: Me stesso ho maledetto! (Paolo)
    • Duet: Prigioniero in qual loco m'adduci? (Fiesco, Paolo)
  • No. 11. Scene and aria - Gabriele
    • Scene: Udisti? - Vil disegno! (Paolo, Gabriele)
    • Aria: Sento avvampar nell'anima (Gabriele)
    • Tempo di mezzo: Che parlo!… Ohimè!… Deliro (Gabriele)
    • Cabaletta: Pietoso cielo, rendila (Gabriele)
  • No. 12. Scene and duet - Amelia and Gabriele
    • Scene: Tu qui?… - Amelia! (Amelia, Gabriele)
    • Duet: Parla, in tuo cor virgineo (Gabriele, Amelia)
    • Tempo di mezzo: Il Doge vien. Scampo non hai (Amelia, Gabriele)
    • Cabaletta: All'ora stessa teco avrò morte ... (Amelia, Gabriele)
  • No. 13th scene and trio
    • Scene: Figlia!… - Sì afflitto, o padre mio? (Simone, Amelia, Gabriele)
    • Terzetto: Perdon, perdono, Amelia (Gabriele, Amelia, Simone)
    • Choir: All'armi, all'armi, o Liguri (Choir, Amelia, Gabriele, Simone)

Third act

  • No. 14. Preludio
    • Preludio and choir: Evviva il Doge! (Choir)
    • Recitative: Libero sei: ecco la spada (Capitano, Fiesco, Paolo, choir)
    • Recitative: Cittadini! per ordine del Doge (Capitano)
  • No. 15. Scene and duet by Simone and Fiesco
    • Scene: M'ardon le tempia ... (Simone, Fiesco)
    • Duet: Delle faci festanti al barlume (Fiesco, Simone)
  • No. 16. Scene and Quartet - Finale II
    • Scene: Chi veggo!… - Vien… (Amelia, Simone, Gabriele, Fiesco)
    • Quartet: Gran Dio, li benedici (Simone, Amelia, Gabriele, Fiesco, choir)

Work history

Emergence

Boito and Verdi at the time of work on the second version of Simon Boccanegra

In 1856 Verdi was commissioned to compose a new opera for the Teatro La Fenice in Venice. His choice fell on the play Simón Bocanegra by Antonio García Gutiérrez (1812-1884) from 1843. Verdi initially drafted a prose scenario on the basis of which Francesco Maria Piave wrote the libretto. The composition was completed by the end of 1856. When it was first performed on March 12, 1857, the work was rejected. In Reggio, where the work was first played, the opera was received more friendly, while the performance in Milan in 1859 was again a failure. The opera then disappeared from the repertoire for several years. After an extensive revision of the work in collaboration with Arrigo Boito , who created a revised text, it was performed again on March 24, 1881 at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, which was met with great acclaim. Today the opera is mostly performed in this revised second version.

Roles and occupations of the world premieres

role Voice compartment Cast for the premiere
version 1
March 12, 1857 		Cast for the premiere
2nd version
March 24, 1881
Simon Boccanegra baritone Leone Giraldoni

Victor Maurel

Maria Boccanegra, Amelia Grimaldi soprano Luigia Bendazzi Anna d'Angeri
Jacopo Fiesco bass Giuseppe Echeverria Edouard de Reszke
Gabriele Adorno tenor Carlo Negrini Francesco Tamagno
Paolo Albiani baritone Giacomo Vercellini Federico Salvati
Pietro bass Andrea Bellini Giovanni Bianco
Captain tenor Angelo Fiorentini
Amelia's maid Mezzo-soprano Fernanda Capelli
Choir: warriors, sailors, people, senators, court of the Doge, servants of Fiesco
Stage design

Giuseppe Bertoja

Girolamo Magnani
Costumes Davide Ascoli Alfredo Edel
Choir direction Luigi Carcano Giuseppe Cairati
musical direction Carlo Ercole Bosoni Franco Faccio

Discography (selection)

literature

  • Christian Springer: Giuseppe Verdi: "Simon Boccanegra": documents - materials - texts on the creation and reception of the two versions . Praesens-Verlag, Vienna 2008, ISBN 978-3-7069-0432-2 .
  • Heinz Wagner: The great manual of the opera . 2nd Edition. Florian Noetzel, Wilhelmshaven 1991, ISBN 3-930656-14-0 (licensed edition 1995).
  • Wilhelm Zentner, Hans Swarowsky : Giuseppe Verdi, Simone Boccanegra, opera . Reclam, Stuttgart 1963 (German translation of the libretto).

Web links

Commons : Simone Boccanegra  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Wolfgang Osthoff : Simon Boccanegra. In: Piper's Encyclopedia of Musical Theater. Volume 6: Works. Spontini - Zumsteeg. Piper, Munich / Zurich 1997, ISBN 3-492-02421-1 , p. 454.
  2. ^ Rolf Fath: Reclam's small Verdi opera guide , Philipp Reclam jun., Stuttgart 2000, ISBN 3-15-018077-5 , p. 116.