Torvaldo e Dorliska

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Opera dates
Original title: Torvaldo e Dorliska
Title page of the libretto, Rome 1816

Title page of the libretto, Rome 1816

Shape: Opera semiseria in two acts
Original language: Italian
Music: Gioachino Rossini
Libretto : Cesare Sterbini
Literary source: Jean-Baptiste de Coudray : Vie et amours du chevalier de Faublas
Premiere: December 26, 1815
Place of premiere: Rome, Teatro Valle
Playing time: approx. 2 ½ hours
Place and time of the action: Castle of the Duke Ordow in Northern Europe
people
  • Il duca d'Ordow, the Duke of Ordow ( bass )
  • Dorliska, Torvaldo's wife ( soprano )
  • Torvaldo ( tenor )
  • Giorgio, castle administrator Ordows (bass)
  • Carlotta, sister of Giorgio ( mezzo-soprano )
  • Ormondo, captain of the duke (bass)

Torvaldo e Dorliska is an opera semiseria (original name: "Dramma semiserio") in two acts by Gioachino Rossini based on a libretto by Cesare Sterbini . The first performance took place on December 26, 1815 in the Teatro Valle in Rome.

action

The tyrannical Duke of Ordow had attacked Dorliska and her newlywed Torvaldo before the opera began on their wedding day with the aim of winning Dorliska for himself. Torvaldo had been left in the forest fighting for dead, while Dorliska had escaped. At the beginning of the opera, the Duke angrily orders that the search for the girl be continued. The next day Dorliska, without knowing it, sought refuge in the Duke's castle and was warmly welcomed by the castle caretaker Giorgio and his sister Carlotta. Torvaldo manages to get into the castle disguised as a woodcutter with a letter supposedly from the late Torvaldo; but, although he succeeds in entering Dorliska with this ruse, she betrays her surprise to see him again alive.

In the second act, Torvaldo and Dorliska are held captive in the castle. Giorgio and Carlotta plan the liberation of the two and successfully carry it out with the help of Ormondo, the duke's treacherous henchman, and the villagers. In the end, the duke is captured and taken away by soldiers of the governor. Dorliska and Torvaldo, together with Giorgio and Carlotta, are happy about the happy ending.

first act

Edge of the forest with the castle of Ordow. On one side the castle wall with a gate

Scene 1. The castle administrator Giorgio walks back and forth as if on a watch. Occasionally he looks in the direction of the forest. In his performance aria he complains about the moods of his tyrannical master (introduction: “È un bel dir che tutto al mondo”). Some of the castle servants appear. They didn't notice anything unusual either. The reason for the search is still unclear to all of them. The Duke and his captain Ormondo had gone into the forest before dawn and ordered them to keep watch. Then there had been gunfire and noise in the woods like a hunt.

Scene 2. After a short orchestral interlude, the Duke appears with a contorted face and a messy suit. He passes by with hasty steps and a visible shock. A little later Giorgo and then Ormondo come with the gunmen. The Duke celebrates his unhappy love for Dorliska, who has just married Torvaldo. To kidnap them, he attempted an attack on the two of them and - he believes - killed Torvaldo in the process. Yet he finds no rest (Cavatine: "Dunque invano i prigli e la morte"). Giorgio greets his master, but is only snapped at by him. Ormondo and the warriors report that their search was unsuccessful. The Duke sends her off again to comb the forest for the escaped Dorliska. He threatens Giorgio with death if he should utter a word of what he had heard. Ordow leaves and Giorgio enters the castle.

Scene 3. Desperate Dorliska appears under the castle gate, looking for help. She doesn't know where she is and knocks on the door several times in vain. While she waits, she laments her fate and the loss of Torvaldo (Cavatine: “Ah, Dorliska sfortunata!”). Finally, Giorgio's sister Carlotta opens the gate. Dorliska explains her situation to her and asks for support. Carlotta lets them in.

Room in the castle

Scene 4. Giorgio ponders what he has heard. He doesn't want anything to do with the Duke's misdeeds. Carlotta leads Dorliska to him, who now tells her story: She comes from Poland and only yesterday married her lover, a young knight. After the wedding supper they had started their return trip to the city and had been attacked in the middle of the forest by his rival, who had previously asked for their hand several times in vain. She doesn't even know if her husband is still alive. Everything becomes clear to Giorgio: The rival must be the Duke of Ordov, in whose castle they are. Dorliska is horrified. The siblings try to calm them down.

Scene 5. Suddenly the Duke appears in the door with a scowl. He looks at Dorliska in astonishment, then with an expression of joy, and signals Giorgio and Carlotta to leave the room. Dorliska remains alone with him, trembling (duet: “Dorliska voi tremate”). The Duke tries to calm her down. Dorliska doesn't trust him and tries to escape - but the duke has locked the door. He tells her that her husband is dead. If she continues to spurn him, she will die too. Dorliska explains her deepest contempt to him. Even death is less terrible than looking at it. She leaves through the middle door. The duke follows her.

Scene 6. The Duke returns, closes the central door and calls for Giorgio and Carlotta. But first comes Ormondo. Ordow orders him to remove all traces of the attack in the forest and to bury the dead. Ormondo leaves, clearly uncomfortable. When the Duke calls again, Giorgio appears. Ordow orders him the strictest silence, informs him that he loves the strange lady and instructs him to look after her together with Carlotta and to calm her down. Giorgio promises him everything - but has already secretly prepared a letter to the governor in which he reports on the atrocity.

Exterior view of the castle with a large gate on one side

Scene 7. Torvaldo survived the attack and thinks about the fate of his wife, who is now being held captive in his enemy's castle. He is determined to save her (Cavatine: “Fra un istante a te vicino”). He has sent a messenger to get him new clothes so that he can break into the castle undetected. After a farmer has brought this, he changes clothes.

Scene 8. After Giorgio has sent his letter to the governor, he meets Torvaldo. He pretends to be a wood chopper who is supposed to deliver a letter to a certain noble lady who arrived here last night. Giorgio tells him that there are no women in the castle except his sister. Torvaldo sees his hope waning. As he paced up and down, he complains to his unhappy wife Dorliska. Giorgio recognizes who he is dealing with. He explains the situation to Torvaldo and promises him his help. Torvaldo reports that he passed out in battle and was then taken to his hut by a shepherd, to whom he also owes his clothes. He has prepared a letter with which he wants to gain entry into the castle. The two are interrupted by the arrival of the Duke. The disguised Torvaldo says that an unknown knight, seriously injured, knocked on his hut and, with the last of his strength, wrote a letter to his wife. Then he died. The Duke asks to see the letter and reads it. In it, Torvaldo asks Dorliska to forgive his murderer and to endure her fate with determination. The bearer will verbally tell her his last wishes. In the following trio everyone expresses their newly strengthened hope to achieve their respective goal (trio: "Ah qual raggio di speranza"). The Duke asks Torvaldo to deliver the letter to Dorliska immediately. Everyone goes to the castle.

Scene 9. Ormondo, charged with removing the traces, returns exhausted and hungry after finding no trace of the dead man. To describe his condition, he quotes various proverbs (aria: "Sopra quell'albero").

Room in the castle

Scene 10. Carlotta tries in vain to comfort Dorliska (Finale I - Duettino: “Oh via, signora mia”). Dorliska throws herself desperately on an armchair. She just wants to die.

Scene 11. The Duke, Torvaldo and Giorgio enter and look at the suffering Dorliska (Terzettino: “Immota e stupida”). After a while the Duke approaches her to appease her. Torvaldo can hardly control his feelings. The Duke waves him and Giorgio over. Giorgio tries to wake Dorliska out of her melancholy and gives her her husband's letter (quartet: “Mia signora… a me badate”). She looks at Giorgio without paying attention to the others, reads the letter and, after screaming, falls unconscious. Giorgio whispers to Torvaldo not to give himself away. He asks Dorliska to calm down. Soon her grief will end (continuation and stretta of Finale I: "Su, Dorliska ... fate cuore"). At the sound of his voice, Dorliska wakes up and happily calls his name. Torvaldo's cover is blown. The duke takes the sword. Ormondo and the guards appear. Torvaldo also draws his sword, which is hidden under his robe. Giorgio pretends to be on the Duke's side, but secretly tries to calm Torvaldo down with signs. In her fear, Dorliska steps between the fighters. Torvaldo and the Duke are not so easily stopped, however. Giorgio realizes that Torvaldo has no chance against the opponents. He disarms him to prevent worse. Dorliska asks the Duke to turn the sword against herself and spare Torvaldo. Carlotta is frightened. Ormondo and the guards call to Torvaldo to surrender to their superiority.

Second act

Underground vault in the castle. A staircase in the background

Scene 1. With a lantern in hand, Giorgio leads some of the duke's guards into the dungeon to discuss the plan of liberation for Torvaldo and Dorliska unobserved (introduction: “Bravi, bravi: qua venite”). The prisoner Torvaldo arrives. At first he was frightened when he saw the Duke's people, but Giorgio was able to reassure him that they were all on his side. Dorliska has already been informed, and sixty grenadiers will soon be present to reinforce them. There was also no danger from the duke himself, since only he himself, Giorgio, had the key to the dungeon and would always be with him. Giorgio now wants to return to Dorliska to help her. Torvaldo lets her know that he always has her picture in mind (aria: “Dille che solo a lei”). He asks for a sword because he wants to take part in the fight.

Room in the castle

Scene 2. The Duke comes in through the middle door and sits down. He is convinced that Dorliska will no longer oppose him. Since he knows no scruples, he believes that he can achieve all of his wishes. He orders Giorgio to get Dorliska and make sure the dungeon door is locked. Then he accuses him of not having recognized Torvaldo in time. Giorgio apologizes for never having seen him before. He takes Dorliska out of her room. Carlotta accompanies them. The Duke waves the two servants out and turns to Dorliska. He would easily find a reason to dissolve their marriage. If she accepts his love, he will give Torvaldo freedom. Otherwise, death is certain for him. Dorliska furiously insults him as the cause of all her misfortune. He should just finish his work quickly. She would hate him forever and would rather die than break her loyalty to Torvaldo (aria: “Ferma, costante, immobile”). She goes.

Scene 3. The Duke is still sure that Dorliska's resistance is pointless. He orders Giorgio to order Ormondo to his room as soon as he is back. He also admonishes him never to let go of the prison keys. Giorgio shows it to him on his belt. After a warning that any disobedience will cost him his head, the duke leaves.

Scene 4. Carlotta asks her brother to allow Dorliska a moment with Torvaldo. Giorgio gives her the keys and admonishes her to be careful. Carlotta gives Dorliska hope and assures Giorgio that she will return soon (aria: “Una voce lusinghiera”).

Scene 5. Giorgio already regrets his carelessness. But now there is nothing that can be done about it, and the plan is soon to be initiated. The Duke enters and sits down, lost in thought. Suddenly he opens up and asks Giorgio for the keys to the dungeon (duet: "Ah non posso! Invan lo spero!"). Giorgio excuses himself: The keys are in the closet in his room. He tries to escape through the middle door - but the Duke notices that his chamber is in the other direction. He threatens Giorgio with death, whereupon the latter finally admits that he has given the key to his sister. The Duke becomes angry and forcibly pulls Giorgio away under threats to investigate the matter.

Dungeon

Scene 6. With Carlotta's help, Dorliska was able to visit Torvaldo in the dungeon. They say goodbye to each other worried (Duettino: "Quest'ultimo addio"). To reassure Dorliska, Torvaldo tells her about Giorgio's plan of liberation. Meanwhile, Carlotta is urging himself to hurry, since the Duke could come at any moment. Your concern turns out to be well founded.

Scene 7. The Duke storms in, forcibly pulling Giorgio behind him (sextet: “Alme ree!… Tremate!… Invano”). He rages and threatens everyone with death. Dorliska and Torvaldo try in vain to take the blame on themselves, while Carlotta and Giorgio beg for mercy. Suddenly the storm bell rings outside. When Giorgio rejoices at this signal, the Duke attacks him with his sword. Ormondo rushes in with the guards and reports that the villagers have risen and that a hundred soldiers have entered the castle and attacked them. Your people couldn't hold out any longer. The Duke snatches the keys from Carlotta and hands them to Ormondo, who is supposed to guard the gate with his life. Then he hurries off with him and the guards. The others draw hope again.

Scene 8. Dorliska worries about the future, but Torvaldo and Giorgio are confident that their cause will win. Ormondo returns, throws himself on his knees in front of Torvaldo and hands him the keys and his saber. Torvaldo asks Giorgio to take care of Dorliska and hurries away. The calls of the rebels can be heard from the castle.

Scene 9. The duke rushes in, defending himself against Torvaldo and a large number of peasants and soldiers. Torvaldo succeeds in disarming him. The crowd demands the death of the cruel tyrant. The duke surrenders to his fate. His greatest pain is that he can no longer destroy his opponents (aria: "Ah qual voce"). The soldiers lead him away. Torvaldo and Dorliska celebrate their rediscovered togetherness, and Giorgio and Carlotta are also looking forward to the future again (Finale II: “Grazie al destin pietoso”).

layout

Although Torvaldo e Dorliska is referred to as an opera semiseria , it is actually an opera seria in which only one character, the castle manager Giorgio, has comical moments.

The opera contains only a comparatively few secco recitatives - a technique that he had completely dispensed with shortly before in Elisabetta regina d'Inghilterra . The successful pieces in the first act include the performance scene by the manager Giorgio, especially the arias of the Duke and Dorliska. Richard Osborne also names Torvaldo's Cavatine “Fra un istante a te vicino” (first act, scene 7) and the aria “Ah qual voce” (second act, scene 9), which Rossini reused a little later in Otello .

Music numbers

The opera contains the following musical numbers. The numbering of the piano edition by Leidesdorf is indicated in italics in brackets:

  • No. 1. Sinfonia

first act

  • No. 2 (No. 1). Introduction (Giorgio, choir of the servants): "È un bel dir che tutto al mondo" (scene 1)
  • No. 3. Cavatine (Duke): "Dunque invano i prigli e la morte" (scene 2)
  • No. 4. Recitative: "Ormondo ... La mia gente" (scene 2)
  • No. 5 (No. 2). Scene (Dorlisca): “Dove son? chi m'aita?… Tutto è vano "(scene 3)
    • Cavatine (Dorliska): "Ah, Dorliska sfortunata!" (Scene 3)
  • No. 6. Recitative: "Ah son pure infelice!" (Scene 3)
  • No. 7 (No. 3). Scene (Herzog, Dorliska): “Olà! Ella ... oh ciel! "(Scene 5)
    • Duet (Duca, Dorliska): "Dorliska voi tremate" (scene 5)
  • No. 8. Recitative: "Ella più non mi fugge" (scene 6)
  • No. 9th scene (Torvaldo): "Tutto è silenzio" (scene 7)
    • (No. 4). Cavatine (Torvaldo): "Fra un istante a te vicino" (scene 7)
  • No. 10 & 11: Recitative: "Ah ch'io non reggo ai moti" (scenes 7–8)
  • No. 11 (No. 5). Trio (Herzog, Torvaldo, Giorgio): "Ah qual raggio di speranza" (scene 8)
  • No. 12. Recitative: "Io non ne posso più" (scene 9)
    • (No. 6). Aria (Ormondo): "Sopra quell'albero" (scene 9)
  • No. 13 (No. 7). Finale I: Duettino (Carlotta, Dorliska): "Oh via, signora mia" (scene 10)
  • No. 14. Terzettino (Torvaldo, Giorgio, Herzog): "Immota e stupida" (scene 11)
  • No. 15. Quartet (Torvaldo, Giorgio, Herzog, Dorliska): “Mia signora… a me badate” (scene 11)
  • No. 16. Continuation and Stretta of Finale I: "Su, Dorliska ... fate cuore" (scene 11)

Second act

  • No. 17 (No. 8). Introduction (Giorgio, choir of the servants): "Bravi, bravi: qua venite" (scene 1)
  • No. 18. Recitative: "Or ben: già qualche cosa" (scene 1)
  • No. 19. Recitative: "Odimi: ah tu di me, mio ​​buon amico" (scene 1)
    • (No. 9). Aria (Torvaldo): "Dille che solo a lei" (scene 1)
  • No. 20 & 21. Recitative: "No, pentirsi non giova" (scene 2)
  • No. 21 (No. 10). Aria (Dorliska): "Ferma, costante, immobile" (scene 2)
  • No. 22 & 23: Recitative: "Insensata! ... e non vede" (scene 3)
  • No. 23 (No. 11). Aria (Carlotta): "Una voce lusinghiera" (scene 4)
  • No. 24. Recitative: “Non so se ho fatto bene” (scene 5)
    • (No. 12). Duet (Giorgo, Herzog): “Ah non posso! invan lo spero! "(Scene 5)
  • No. 25. Recitative "Dunque tu vuoi ch'io parta?" (Scene 6)
    • (No. 13). Duettino (Dorliska, Torvaldo): "Quest'ultimo addio" (scene 6)
  • No. 26. Recitative: "Ma via, signori miei" (scene 6)
    • (No. 14). Sextet: "Alme ree! ... tremate! ... invano" (scene 7)
  • No. 27. Recitative: "Ah di noi che sarà?" (Scene 8)
  • No. 28 scene: “Cedi, cedi! Dagli… Indietro… T'arrendi "(scene 9)
    • (No. 15). Aria (Herzog): "Ah qual voce" (scene 9)
  • No. 29. Recitative: "Per bacco, seguitatelo, tenetelo" (scene 9)
    • Finale II: "Grazie al destin pietoso" (scene 9)

Work history

Rossini wrote Torvaldo e Dorliska on behalf of the Teatro Valle in Rome. First he asked Angelo Anelli for a libretto for a comic opera. Since the latter only offered him an old text that was of no interest to him and there was also no financial agreement, Rossini turned to Cesare Sterbini instead. It became the first opera text by this young Roman civil servant, who was to write the libretto for Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia shortly afterwards . The story, which belongs to the type of rescue opera from France (like Beethoven's Fidelio or Rossini's La gazza ladra ), is based on the novel Vie et amours du chevalier de Faublas by Jean-Baptiste de Coudray (1790). This material had previously been used in several other operas, such as the Lodoiska operas by Luigi Cherubini (1791) and Johann Simon Mayr (1796). Richard Osborne describes Sterbini's text as a “rather blurry little piece” that does not contain any real dramatic moment before the second act.

For the duet "Quest'ultimo addio" (second act, scene 6) Rossini used the music of his chamber duet Amore mi assisti, written around 1814/15 .

Torvaldo e Dorliska was premiered on December 26, 1815 as the opening premiere of the carnival season in Rome in the small Teatro Valle with an excellent cast. Among others, the two basses Filippo Galli (Ordow) and Ranieri Remorini (Giorgio), as well as the tenor Domenico Donzelli (Torvaldo) and the soprano Adelaida Sala (Dorliska) participated. Agnese Loyselet sang Carlotta and Cristofo Bastianelli sang Ormondo. The premiere was not a great success. In particular, the lack of humor was criticized. The opera was soon shortened to a single act and combined with L'inganno felice .

In the following year Rossini took over parts of the opera in his Otello . The main melody of the duet Otello / Rodrigo (“L'ira d'avverso fato”) is based on the agitato of the aria “Ah qual voce” (second act, scene 9), and in the final scene he used the last bars of the introduction to the cavatine “Fra un istante a te vicino” (first act, scene 7).

Torvaldo e Dorliska was often rated negatively in the older literature. But even Stendhal , who called it a “fairly mediocre opera semiseria”, also highlights the positive aspects, such as the effective pieces by the two basses or the soulful scenes by the lovers. That the opera was not a real failure can also be seen from the fact that many other performances followed in Italian cities up to 1838. It was also given in Barcelona in 1818, in Munich in 1820 and in Madrid in 1828.

More recently, the work was only brought back to the stage in 1987 by the Vienna Chamber Opera . A performance in Savona followed in 1989.

Recordings

Web links

Commons : Torvaldo e Dorliska  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Herbert Weinstock : Rossini - A biography. Translated by Kurt Michaelis. Kunzelmann, Adliswil 1981 (1968), ISBN 3-85662-009-0
  2. ↑ a b c d Richard Osborne: Rossini - life and work. Translated from the English by Grete Wehmeyer. List Verlag, Munich 1988, ISBN 3-471-78305-9 .
  3. ^ A b c Charles Osborne : The Bel Canto Operas of Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini. Amadeus Press, Portland, Oregon, 1994, ISBN 978-0-931340-71-0 .
  4. ^ A b Richard Osborne:  Torvaldo e Dorliska. In: Grove Music Online (English; subscription required).
  5. ↑ CD Naxos 8.660189-90 , accessed June 13, 2016.
  6. ↑ Piano edition by Maximilian Josef Leidesdorf. Digitized in the International Music Score Library Project .
  7. ↑ a b c d Martina Grempler: Information on CD Naxos 8.660189-90 , accessed on June 13, 2016.
  8. ↑ a b Torvaldo e Dorliska (Gioachino Rossini) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna . Retrieved October 25, 2015.
  9. ↑ a b c d Gioacchino Rossini. In: Andreas Ommer: Directory of all opera complete recordings. Zeno.org , volume 20.
  10. ↑ Giancarlo Andretta (1995) was included in the discography on Torvaldo e Dorliska at Operadis.
  11. ↑ Inclusion by Giuliano Carella (1995) in the discography of Torvaldo e Dorliska at Operadis.