Saturday, January 26, 2013

VERDIANA: "ALZIRA; ossia Gli Americani" -- tenor role: Ovando, a Spanish Duke -- role created by Ceci

Speranza


Giuseppe Verdi




























































"Alzira, ossia gli americani" is an opera in a prologue and two acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Salvadore Cammarano, based on the play by Voltaire.

The first performance was at the Teatro San Carlo, Naples, on 12 August 1845.

The contemporary reviews were mixed, and the first run of the opera received only 4 further performances.

 

In modern times, the opera is rarely performed. It was not until January 1968 that it was first given in the US and only in a concert version.

 

Its UK premiere took place on 10 February 1970 at the Collegiate Theatre in London.


A performance was given at the Royal Opera House in London in July 1996 and it was included in 2000 in the Sarasota Opera's "Verdi Cycle" of all of the composer's operas to be performed by 2013.


From January 2010, it was presented by the Theater St Gallen in Switzerland[3]

Roles

RoleVoice typePremiere Cast, 12 August 1845[4]
(Conductor: - )
Alvaro, father of Gusmano, initially Governor of PerubassMarco Arati
Gusmano, Governor of PerubaritoneFilippo Coletti
Ovando, a Spanish DuketenorCeci
Zamoro, leader of a Peruvian tribetenorGaetano Fraschini
Ataliba, leader of a Peruvian tribebassMichele Benedetti
Alzira, Ataliba's daughtersopranoEugenia Tadolini
Zuma, her maidmezzo-sopranoMaria Salvetti
Otumbo, an American warriortenorFrancesco Rossi
Spanish officers and soldiers, Americans of both sexes

Synopsis

Place: Peru
Time: 16th century

Prologue: The Prisoner

Peruvian Indians drag the Spanish governor, Alvaro, into the square and are about to execute him. Suddenly Zamoro, an Inca, appears and asks them to release the man; they do so.
Zamoro tells the Indians that he had been captured and tortured by Gusmano, the leader of the Spaniards (Un Inca, eccesso orribile / "An Inca..dreadful outrage!") to the point where everyone believed him to be dead. Otumbo tells Zamoro that Alzira, his beloved, along with her father Ataliba, are being held captive by the Spaniards, and he urges the Indian tribes to revolt: Risorto fra le tenebre / "I emerged into the darkness...").

Act 1: A Life for a Life

Scene 1: The main square of Lima
Alvaro announces that, due to his age and infirmity, he is relinquishing the governorship and handing it over to his son, Gusmano who states that his first act will be to secure peace with the Incas. Ataliba gives him his support, but advises him that his daughter Alzira is not yet ready to marry Gusmano. He, while understanding (Eterna la memoria / "The eternal memory of a desperate love is weighing her down..."), urges the older man to try to persuade her (Quanto un mortal può chiedere / "Whatever a mortal man can ask for..")
Scene 2: Ataliba's apartments in the governor's palace
As her father enters, Alzira wakes but is still half dreaming of Zamoro. She recounts a more disturbing dream she has had of Gusmano (Da Gusman sul fragil barca / "I was fleeing from Gusman in a frail boat") but, although he is dead, she still believes that Zamoro loves her: Nell'astro che più fulgido / "On the star that gleams most brightly...there lives Zamoro". Ataliba continues to try to persuade Alzira to marry Gusmano, without success, until suddenly Zamoro enters. Believing that it is his ghost, Alzira is skeptical, but realizes that he is still alive. They pledge their love together: Risorge ne'tuoi lumi l'astro de'giorni miei! / "The star of my existence has risen again in your eyes!".
Gusmano enters, sees the couple together, and orders that Zamoro be arrested and immediately executed. As the Inca invasion of Lima is announced, Alvaro confirms that Zamoro has saved him from certain death; Gusmano orders him to be freed to go out to fight with the invading Incas: "I shall meet you in battle, hated rival".

Act 2: The Vengeance of a Savage

Scene 1: The fortifications of Lima
Zamoro has led a fresh attack against the conquistadores and has been captured. Gusmano condemns him to death, but, over Alzira's protests, forces her to agree to marry Gusmano promising that he will spare Zamoro. Reluctantly, she agrees (Gusmano: Colma di gioia ho l'anima! / "My heart is bursting with joy").
Scene 2: A cave, some distance from Lima
The defeated Incas are downcast, but they hear that Zamoro has escaped, dressed as a Spanish soldier. He soon enters but is in despair: Irne lungi ancor dovrei / " Must I drag out my days as a fugitive, bowed down with shame?". When he hears from his followers that Alzira has agreed to marry Gusmano and that preparations are being made, vows to fight: Non di codarde lagrime / "This is not the time for cowardly tears, but for blood!". He rushes out to the palace
Scene 3: Large hall in the governor's palace
As the wedding of Alzira and Gusmano is about to begin, a Spanish soldier leaps forward and fatally stabs Gusmano. To Alzira's surprise it is Zamoro. Before he dies, Gusmano tells him that Alzira only agreed to the marriage in order to secure his release. He forgives Zamoro, blesses his union with Alzira, and receives a final blessing from his father as he dies.

Orchestration

Alzira is scored for piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, one cimbasso, timpani, bass drum and cymbals, snare drum, triangle, offstage band, offstage bass drum, harp and strings.

Recordings

YearCast
(Alzira, Zamoro, Gusmano, Alvaro)		Conductor,
Opera House and Orchestra		Label[5]
1989Ileana Cotrubas,
Francisco Araiza,
Renato Bruson,
Jan-Hendrik Rootering		Lamberto Gardelli,
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra and Bavarian Radio Chorus		Audio CD: Orpheus
Cat: C 05 7832
1999Marina Mescheriakova,
Ramón Vargas,
Paolo Gavanelli,
Slobodan Stankovic		Fabio Luisi,
L'Orchestre de la Suisse Romande and the chorus of the Grand Théatre de Genève		Audio CD: Philips
Cat: 464-628-2[6]

References

 
  1. ^ Schlitzer, Franco, "Verdi's Alzira at Naples" (April 1954). Music & Letters, 35 (2): pp. 125-27.
  2. ^ Holden, Amanda (ed.), The New Penguin Opera Guide, New York: Penguin Putnam, 2001, page 983. ISBN 0-14-029312-4
  3. ^ Theater St Gallen production on art-tv.ch, with excerpts from the production (in German)
  4. ^ List of singers taken from Budden, Julian: The Operas of Verdi (Cassell), vol 1, p. 226.
  5. ^ Recordings on operadis-opera-discography.org.uk
  6. ^ Graeme, Roland (2002). "Alzira. Giuseppe Verdi". The Opera Quarterly 18 (2): 280–283. doi:10.1093/oq/18.2.280. http://oq.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/18/2/280. Retrieved 2007-11-04.
 
  • Budden, Julian, The Operas of Verdi, Volume 1: From ' Oberto to Rigoletto. London: Cassell, 1984. ISBN 0-304-31058-1.
  • Holden, Amanda (Ed.), The New Penguin Opera Guide, New York: Penguin Putnam, 2001. ISBN 0-14-029312-4
  • Phillips-Matz, Mary Jane, ‘’Verdi: A Biography’’, London & New York: Oxford University Press, 1993 ISBN 0-19-313204-4
  • Verdi, Giuseppe, Alzira, full score critical edition, ed. Jonathan Cheskin, Chicago & Milan: University of Chicago Press * G. Ricordi, 1994. ISBN 0-226-85314-4 (University of Chicago Press), ISBN 88-7592-116-4 (G. Ricordi).
  • Warrack, John and West, Ewan, The Oxford Dictionary of Opera New York: OUP: 1992 ISBN 0-19-869164-5

External links


 

 
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