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I masnadieri is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Andrea Maffei, based on Die Räuber by Friedrich von Schiller.
The first performance was given at Her Majesty's Theatre at the Haymarket, in London on 22 July 1847 with Verdi conducting.
In 1842 Benjamin Lumley took over the management of Her Majesty's Theatre, the traditional home of Italian opera in London.
Three years later Verdi's Ernani received its first British production at his theatre to great public acclaim which convinced Lumley that he should commission an opera from Verdi, who was by then emerging as Italy's leading composer, for a world premiere in London.
Verdi accepted Benjamin Lumley's proposal.
The production was scheduled for the summer of 1846.
Unfortunately, however, Verdi's health deteriorated and the premiere of the new work had to be postponed until 1847.
During his period of recovery, one of Verdi's close friends, Andrea Maffei, a distinguished poet who had translated both Shakespeare and Schiller into Italian, suggested that Macbeth and Schiller's Die Rãuber might provide suitable operatic subjects.
Maffei himself worked on the libretto for the Schiller opera, which in Italian became "I masnadieri", while one of Verdi's regular librettists Francesco Piave was engaged to provide a suitable text from Macbeth.
Verdi originally intended I masnadieri to be produced during the 1847 carnival season in Firenze with the premiere of Macbeth being in London later in the year.
Unfortunately, however, no suitable tenor was available in Firenze for the taxing role of Carlo.
So, Verdi decided to complete Macbeth first for performance in Firenze, and then produce I masnadieri in London.
Verdi left Italy at the end of May 1847 with his work for London completed, except for the orchestration, which he left until the opera was in rehearsal.
The cast assembled for the premiere on 22 July 1847 was of the highest international standard.
In particular, as the highlight of her first season in England, the great Swedish coloratura soprano Jenny Lind was engaged to create the role of Amalia, the opera's heroine.
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert attended the first performance, together with the Duke of Wellington and every member of the British aristocracy and fashionable society that was able to gain admission.
After considerable persuasion Verdi agreed to conduct the premiere, which was a triumphant success, and the press was for the most part generous in its praise.
Unfortunately this initial success was not to be repeated elsewhere.
Perhaps (at least in part) for the inconsistencies and excesses of its libretto.
The opera has been rarely performed in the twentieth century and beyond.
However, a concert performance was given by the Opera Orchestra of New York in February 1975.
In the US, the San Diego Opera presented it during their "Verdi Festival" in summer 1984 with Joan Sutherland in the role of Amalia.
However, it is claimed that Vincent La Selva (now of the New York Grand Opera) attempted to give the first US presentation in 127 years in 1998, but it did appear in 1996 as part of the NYGO's "Viva Verdi" series of all of the composer's operas presented in chronological order.
Russian baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky sang the role of Francesco in a performance with the orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden under Edward Downes on 8 June 1998 at the Festspielhaus in Baden-Baden.
He repeated the role the following year with a March concert performance given by OONY in New York.
There was a staging in Palermo in 2001 with Dimitra Theodossiou, Roberto Servile, and Carlo Ventre, which has been recorded.
The Sarasota Opera, a company which plans to present all of Verdi's operas before 2016, staged I masnadieri in 2006 and, more recently, it was presented by the Zurich Opera in December 2010 (with Fabio Sartori, Thomas Hampson, and Isabel Rey, in the leading roles), by the Frankfurt Opera in November 2008, and again in June 2011.
It was given at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples in March 2012.
The work abounds with glorious melodies and musically shows significant technical advances over the composer's earlier operas.
It remained a particular favourite of playwright and music critic George Bernard Shaw throughout his life.
However, even in Italy it has never found a regular place in the repertoire, possibly because it requires a soprano and tenor of the highest calibre which makes it a too demanding work for routine repertory production, or it may be that the libretto is regarded as too outrageous for modern audiences.
I masnadieri is exactly the type of opera that W. S. Gilbert had in mind when he wrote The Pirates of Penzance in 1879, his glorious parody of the absurdities of mid-19th century Italian Grand Opera.
Nevertheless, overall it remains one of Verdi's most unjustly neglected works, with at best much to be admired, and at worst never a dull moment.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 22 July 1847 (Conductor: Giuseppe Verdi) |
|---|---|---|
| Massimiliano, Count Moor | bass | Luigi Lablache |
| Carlo, elder son of Massimiliano | tenor | Italo Gardoni |
| Francesco, younger son of Massimiliano | baritone | Filippo Coletti |
| Amalia, orphaned niece of Massimiliano | soprano | Jenny Lind |
| Arminio, servant to the Count | tenor | Leone Corelli |
| Rolla, senior member of the band of robbers | baritone | |
| Moser, a priest | bass | Lucien Bouché |
| chorus of robbers | ||
Synopsis
- Place: Germany
- Time: between 1755 and 1757.
Act 1
Scene 1: A tavern on the borders of Saxony.During a break from his studies at Dresden University, Carlo, the elder and favourite son of Count Massimiliano Moor has fallen amongst thieves, literally.
Carlo Moor has become a member of a notorious gang of highwaymen and cut-throats who terrorise the local community by robbery, extortion and rowdy singing at all hours of the day and night.
But already Carlo Moor has tired of living a life of depravity and longs to return home to be with Amalia, his gentle cousin and lifelong sweetheart (O mio castel paterno / "O castle of my fathers").
Carlo Moor is awaiting the reply to a letter he has sent to his father begging for forgiveness for his recent misdemeanours.
Rolla and the other robbers arrive with the longed-for reply from Count Massimiliano Moor
Carlo’s joy soon turns to sorrow, and then anger (Nell'argilla maledetta / "Let my wrath plunge these swords into the accursed clay"), as he finds that the letter is not from his father but from his younger brother Francesco, who warns him not to return home because, far from having forgiven Carlo, the old Count is intent on punishing him and locking him away.
Carlo renounces his former life and swears an oath to remain with his new comrades for the rest of his days.
The robbers unanimously elect him as their new leader.
*********************************************
Scene 2: A room in Count Moor’s castle in Franconia.
Francesco is congratulating himself on having intercepted the letter from his brother to their father, knowing that Massimiliano would certainly have forgiven Carlo if he had received it.
Now only the elderly, infirm Count Massimiliano tands between Francesco and the family title and estates, and he has devised a plan to hasten his father’s death (La sua lampada vitale / "The lamp of his life burns low").
He forces Arminio, one of the castle servants, to disguise himself as a soldier recently arrived with tragic 'news' of Carlo's death, and sings his cabaletta, Tremate, o miseri / "Tremble, you wretches, you shall see me in my true terrible aspect".
Scene 3: Count Moor’s bedroom in the castle.
Amalia is watching over the ailing Count Massimiliano.
Each of them is thinking affectionately of the missing Carlo (Lo sguardo avea degli angeli / "His face had the smile of the angels").
Francesco Moor ushers the disguised Arminio into the room.
Arminio describes how he fought alongside Carlo for King Frederick in a battle for the city of Prague, and how he saw him mortally wounded.
Carlo’s final act in this world was to inscribe a message, using his own blood, on the blade of his sword, that Amalia and Francesco should marry.
Amalia and Count Massimiliano are completely taken in.
Massimiliano falls into a dead faint and Amalia, in a frenzy of hysteria, rushes offstage leaving a jubilant Francesco.
Act 2
Scene 1: A graveyard near the castle.***************************
Several months have passed since the previous scene and Amalia enters to pray at Count Massimiliano’s tomb (Tu del mio Carlo al seno / "Blessed spirit, you have flown to the bosom of my Carlo").
In the distance can be heard the sounds of a festive banquet hosted by Francesco, the new Count.
Arminio has followed Amalia from the castle because Arminio is overcome by guilt at his part in Francesco’s wicked scheming.
Arminio just has time to reveal that both Carlo and Count Massimiliano are still alive (provoking Amalia's cabaletta Carlo vive? O caro accento / "Carlo lives?....O sweet words") before he is disturbed by the arrival of Francesco and forced to flee the scene.
Francesco has also been searching for Amalia with the intention of asking her to marry him.
Her scornful refusal provokes him into a rage and he becomes violent.
Amalia pretends a change of heart and embraces him so that she can seize his dagger and fend him off before making her escape into the nearby forest.
Scene 2: A clearing in a Bohemian forest.
Rolla has been captured in Prague and the brigands are awaiting the return of their leader, Carlo, who has gone to rescue him.
The rescue is achieved, but at the same time Carlo has managed to set fire to much of the city, resulting in armed citizens pursuing him.
The scene ends with Carlo exhorting his gallant band to fight like wolves to save themselves.
Act 3
Scene 1: A clearing in a Franconian forest.The robbers sing of the pleasures of their criminal activities.
They are now in the same forest as the distraught Amalia.
Amalia fails to recognise her betrothed Carlo Moor when he approaches her.
Carlo reveals his identity, without mentioning his comrades, and there is a joyous reconciliation.
Carlo is horrified when he learns of his brother’s unsuccessful attack on her virtue.
Scene 2: Another clearing in the Franconian forest.
Carlo Moor is alone and contemplates his dismal future (Di ladroni attorniato / "Surrounded by robbers, fettered to crime").
Carlo Moor considers suicide, but decides that he must accept his dreadful fate and live on in loneliness and misery, reviled by all decent people.
Arminio enters stealthily and approaches some nearby ruins.
Hearing a voice within the ruins, Carlo Moor investigates and discovers the emaciated figure of his father.
Massimiliano fails to recognise his son, but nevertheless describes to him how Francesco attempted to bury him alive after his collapse on hearing of Carlo’s death (Un ignoto tre lune or saranno / "An unknown - it will be three moons ago now - told me that my Carlo had been killed").
Fortunately Arminio saved him and has kept him hidden in the ruins where Carlo has found him.
Leaving the Count, Carlo calls on his band to storm the castle and capture his evil brother.
Act 4
Scene 1: Another room in Count Moor’s castle.Francesco wakes after terrifying, guilt ridden nightmares (Pareami che sorto da lanto convito / "I fancied that, having risen from a sumptuous banquet, I was sleeping...").
He summons the local priest who refuses him absolution for his heinous crimes.
At this point the brigands are heard storming the castle and Francesco rushes out, swearing that he will defy the very fires of Hell.
Scene 2: The second clearing in the Franconian forest.
Massimiliano bewails Carlo's death, although he still does not recognise that the man standing in front of him is his favourite son.
Count Massimiliano blesses the "unknown stranger" for saving his life.
The robbers reappear and report that they did not manage to capture Francesco.
This pleases Carlo who intends to change his ways.
At this moment Amalia is dragged in by the brigands.
Carlo is forced to admit to her, and to his father, his role as leader of the robbers.
Massimiliano expresses his horror and despair, but Amalia declares that despite everything she still loves Carlo and wants to stay with him.
Although Carlo has sworn to change his ways, he has also given his oath of lifelong allegiance to his band of robbers.
He cannot allow the woman he loves to be dragged down into his world of degradation and disgrace and he cannot escape his own evil fate.
Carlo resolves this paradox by stabbing Amalia to death.
Carlo rushes offstage claiming he is going in search of his own death.
Orchestration
I masnadieri is scored for piccolo, flute, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, cimbasso, timpani, bass drum and cymbals, harp, strings.Recordings
| Year | Cast (Massimiliano, Carlo, Francesco, Amalia) | Conductor, Opera House and Orchestra | Label[10] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Boris Christoff Gianni Raimondi Renato Bruson Ilva Ligabue | Gianandrea Gavazzeni, Rome Opera Orchestra and Chorus (Live recording of 29 Nov. performance) | Audio CD: Opera D'Oro Cat: OPD 1346 |
| 1975 | Ruggero Raimondi Carlo Bergonzi Piero Cappuccilli Montserrat Caballe | Lamberto Gardelli, New Philharmonia Orchestra and the Ambrosian Singers | Audio CD: Philips Cat: 475-8703 |
| 1982 | Samuel Ramey Franco Bonisolli Matteo Manuguerra Joan Sutherland | Richard Bonynge, Welsh National Opera Orchestra and Chorus | Audio CD: Decca Cat: 433 854-2 |
References
- Notes
- ^ OONY performance history
- ^ San Diego Opera's performance history
- ^ Allan Kozin, "Reviews/Music; (Almost All of) Verdi's Masnadieri", New York Times, 17 July 1988. Retrieved 12 February 2012
- ^ NYGO's web site list of performances given
- ^ Role details on operatoday.com Retrieved 12 February 2012
- ^ 2001 Performance details Retrieved 12 February 2012
- ^ Zurich Opera performances, 2010/11 season
- ^ I Masnadieri in Frankfurt Opera
- ^ List of singers taken from Budden, p. 314.
- ^ Recordings on operadis-opera-discography.org.uk
- Cited sources
- Budden, Julian, The Operas of Verdi, Volume 1: From ' Oberto to Rigoletto. London: Cassell, 1984. ISBN 0-304-31058-1.
- Other sources
- Osborne, Charles (1969). The Complete Operas of Verdi. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- The Earl of Harewood & Peattie, Antony (1997). The New Kobbe's Opera Book. London: Ebury Press.
- Sadie, Stanley (1996). The New Grove Book of Operas. London: Macmillan Press Ltd.
- Verdi, Giuseppe, I masnadieri, full score critical edition, ed. Roberta Montemorra Marvin. Chicago & Milan: University of Chicago Press & Casa Ricordi, 2000. ISBN 0-226-85318-7 (University of Chicago Press), ISBN 88-7592-671-9 (Casa Ricordi).
- Warrack, John and West, Ewan, The Oxford Dictionary of Opera New York: OUP: 1992 ISBN 0-19-869164-5
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