Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Catalogue raisonné of arias for singing lesson in "Barber of Seville"

Speranza

I read from wiki:

"For the singing lesson in Act II [of Rossini, "Barber of Seville"]
sopranos have often inserted a song of their own choice. Pauline
Viardot began the practice of inserting Alabiev's "Nightingale". Callas
sung a cut-down version of Rossini's own "Contro un cor.""

Can we have a catalogue raisonné of that? I would be interested to survey the choices, along the years, with info on lyricist, composer, et al. Thanks for input!


In the Lesson Scene Galli-Curci sang "Qui la voce" from BELLINI, "I Puritani" and "Home sweet home" from "Clari" (Bishop).

HOME SWEET HOME. "Galli-Curci's best singing was reserved for the lesson scene in the last act. Here she sang the "Qui la voce" aria from "Puritani" with immense popular success. Then, waving the pseudo music-master from his seat at the piano, she moved to the instrument, and, following her custom, gave "Home, Sweet Home," in English."
"Again and again she was called upon to bow, and in vain the actors attempted to proceed with the scene. A male voice paused in the midst of a scarcely audible recitative, and applause burst out in another storm. Finally Gennaro Papi solved the situation and saved the recently emphasized no-encore rule in the face of the audience by starting the orchestra, and the opera went on to its gay end."

 
In the Lesson Scene Galli-Curci sang "Je suis Titania" from Mignon and "Home sweet home" from Clari (Bishop).

There was a real outburst of enthusiasm after she sang the polonaise from "Mignon" in the lesson scene. It is interesting to note that in this scene Rosina always sings something that was composed long after "II Barbiere di Siviglia." It would be a novel experiment for some Rosina to unearth an aria from some forgotten seventeenth century opera, in the later years of the century, for instance, when operas were full of vocal fireworks.



Cheers.


 

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