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Wednesday, October 8, 2014

IL NARCISO: melodramma

Speranza

         







































"IL NARCISO" was the last original opera, specifically a dramma lirico, written by Christoph Willibald Gluck.

The libretto was written by Louis-Théodore de Tschudi.

"Il Narciso" was first performed on 24 September 1779.

 

It was a failure, discontinued after only 12 performances.

Gluck decided to go back to Vienna and never returned to Paris.

He revised the work for 8 August 1780, but this version only enjoyed nine performances.

A third version was presented to the public on 8 June 1781.

This was better received.

However, it was infrequently produced until René Jacobs revived it in 1987 at the Schwetzingen Festival.

Jacobs used the revised version as the original one has not survived, except for the libretto.

 

The cover page of a 1779 edition of the opera's score
RoleVoice typePremiere Cast, 24 September 1779
(Conductor: - )
Echo,
a nymph, ruler of the woods and waters
sopranoMlle Beaumesnil (born Henriette Adélaïde de Villars)
Aglaé,
a nymph, friend of Echo
sopranoAdelaïde Gavaudan 'cadette'
Eglé,
a nymph, friend of Echo
sopranoAnne-Marie-Jeanne Gavaudan, 'L'aînée'
Amore (Cupid)sopranoGertrude Girardin
Narciso, a hunter, son of CefisotenoreÉtienne Lainez
Cynire, friend of Narcissehaute-contreJoseph Legros
Sylphie, a nymphsoprano
Thanais, a nymphsoprano
Sylphs, Zephyrs and attendants and followers of Amour, Echo and Narcisse.
Ballet[1] - ballerinas: Marie-Madeleine Guimard, Anne Heinel, Marie Allard, Peslin; male dancers: Gaetano Vestris, Auguste Vestris, Maximilien Gardel, Jean D'Auberval

 

The nymph Echo is loved by Narciso, but also desired by Apollo.

Apollo puts a spell on Narciso so he falls in love with his own reflection.

But Cupid is eventually successful in securing a happy ending by re-uniting Echo and Narciso.

References[edit]

Notes
  1. Jump up ^ Lajarte, 1878, p. 312
Sources

External links[edit]

         

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