Azora, the Daughter of Montezuma
Encyclopedia
Azora, The Daughter of Montezuma is an opera
in 3 acts by American composer Henry Kimball Hadley
to a libretto in English by author David Stevens.
Prince Xalca and Ramatzin, General of Montezuma's Army, vie for the hand of Montezuma's daughter Azora; the former having prevailed, Montezuma condemns the lovers to death. In a scene set at dawn in a cavern, all gather by the sacrificial stone, but before the execution can proceed Cortez and his priests appear, and the lovers are set free.
gave the work its world premiere in Chicago, Illinois on December 26, 1917 and performed it once more in Chicago shortly thereafter.
As a single performance during an out-of-town residency perhaps more notable for having opened with the New York
premiere of Mascagni's Isabeau
, the Chicago company then gave Azora its New York premiere on January 26, 1918 at the Lexington Opera House. The composer conducted, and the cast included Anna Fitziu
as Azora, Forrest Lamont as Xalca, Cyrena van Gordon
as Papantzin, Arthur Middleton as Ramatzin, Frank Preisch as Canek, and James Goddard
as Montezuma. Although all members of the cast were promoted as young American singers, Lamont, who admittedly first trained and would make most of his career in the United States, was actually of Canadian birth. There were further performances given the same season in Boston
and St. Louis
.
The New York Times offered mostly praise for the "fresh, young, powerful voices" of the cast; only Goddard was "out of voice," and even he received high marks for his dramatic presentation. The paper's assessment of the work itself, however, although on balance favorable, was not unmixed: "...[W]hile [the] opera lacks somewhat the routine of the theater, and still more the dramatic note, it nevertheless escapes being either mere scholar's music or unsingable." The Times singled out for praise "a fine barbaric dance in the first act," the heroine's aria "Now Fades the Opal Sky" in Act 2, and some ensembles but suggested that more than one segment of the score somewhat outstayed its welcome. The paper also faulted the work for setting the execution in a cave: "The opera should have ended in the open, for the Aztecs worshipped on plateaus, on the pyramid of Cholula, for example, and not in caves." Nonetheless, it deemed the setting appropriately atmospheric for the drama's purposes.
After the performance, both Hadley and Stevens appeared for curtain calls. Fitziu presented Hadley with a large silk American flag, and the "representative audience of New York musicians and society folk" joined in singing as the orchestra played The Star Spangled Banner.
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
in 3 acts by American composer Henry Kimball Hadley
Henry Kimball Hadley
Henry Kimball Hadley was an American composer and conductor.-Life:Hadley was born into a musical family in Somerville, Massachusetts...
to a libretto in English by author David Stevens.
Synopsis
The story takes place at the time of the conquest of the Aztecs by Cortez. The TlascalanTlaxcaltec
The Tlaxcalteca were an indigenous group of Nahua ethnicity that inhabited the Kingdom of Tlaxcala located in what is now the Mexican state of Tlaxcala.-Pre-hispanic history:...
Prince Xalca and Ramatzin, General of Montezuma's Army, vie for the hand of Montezuma's daughter Azora; the former having prevailed, Montezuma condemns the lovers to death. In a scene set at dawn in a cavern, all gather by the sacrificial stone, but before the execution can proceed Cortez and his priests appear, and the lovers are set free.
Roles
- A Spanish Priest
- Azora, the Daughter of Montezuma (soprano)
- CanekCanekCanek is the name of two different historical rulers of the Itza Maya of Petén, Guatemala. The first Canek met Hernán Cortés, who passed by the Itza capital Tayasal on his journey to Honduras in 1524...
, High Priest of the Sun (bass) - Hernando Cortez, Conqueror of Mexico
- Montezuma II, Emperor of MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
(bass) - Ramatzin, General of Montezuma's Army (baritone)
- PapantzinPapantzinPapantzin was a Texcocoan princess, the grand-daughter of Nezahualpulli, and the sister-in-law of Moctezuma II, whose policy was to marry his brothers and male relatives to the daughters of rival kings, and thus secure his realm. In 1509, Papantzin fell seriously ill and became comatose...
, Sister of Montezuma (contralto) - Piqui-Chaqui (Flea-footed), A Runner
- Xalca, A Tlascalan Prince (tenor)
Performance history
The Chicago Opera AssociationChicago Opera Association
The Chicago Opera Association was a company that produced seven seasons of grand opera in Chicago’s Auditorium Theater from 1915 to 1921. The founding artistic director and principal conductor was Cleofonte Campanini, while the general manager and chief underwriter was Harold F. McCormick...
gave the work its world premiere in Chicago, Illinois on December 26, 1917 and performed it once more in Chicago shortly thereafter.
As a single performance during an out-of-town residency perhaps more notable for having opened with the New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
premiere of Mascagni's Isabeau
Isabeau
Isabeau is a leggenda drammatica or opera in three parts by Pietro Mascagni, 1911, from an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica. Mascagni conducted its first performance on June 2, 1911 at the Teatro Coliseo, Buenos Aires....
, the Chicago company then gave Azora its New York premiere on January 26, 1918 at the Lexington Opera House. The composer conducted, and the cast included Anna Fitziu
Anna Fitziu
Anna Fitziu was an American soprano who had a prolific international opera career during the early part of the 20th century. Her signature roles included Fiora in L'amore dei tre re, Mimi in La Boheme, Nedda in Pagliacci, and the title roles in Isabeau, Madama Butterfly, and Tosca...
as Azora, Forrest Lamont as Xalca, Cyrena van Gordon
Cyrena van Gordon
Cyrena van Gordon was the stage name of an American operatic contralto born Cyrena Sue Pocock. Sources variously list her birth date as September 4, 1893, 1896, or 1897 in Camden, Ohio; she died on April 4, 1964 in New York City. In approximately 1918 she married Dr...
as Papantzin, Arthur Middleton as Ramatzin, Frank Preisch as Canek, and James Goddard
James Goddard
James Francis Goddard is a British backstroke swimmer.Goddard represented Great Britain at the 2008 Summer Olympics in the 200 m backstroke and 200 m individual medley swimming events...
as Montezuma. Although all members of the cast were promoted as young American singers, Lamont, who admittedly first trained and would make most of his career in the United States, was actually of Canadian birth. There were further performances given the same season in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
and St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
.
The New York Times offered mostly praise for the "fresh, young, powerful voices" of the cast; only Goddard was "out of voice," and even he received high marks for his dramatic presentation. The paper's assessment of the work itself, however, although on balance favorable, was not unmixed: "...[W]hile [the] opera lacks somewhat the routine of the theater, and still more the dramatic note, it nevertheless escapes being either mere scholar's music or unsingable." The Times singled out for praise "a fine barbaric dance in the first act," the heroine's aria "Now Fades the Opal Sky" in Act 2, and some ensembles but suggested that more than one segment of the score somewhat outstayed its welcome. The paper also faulted the work for setting the execution in a cave: "The opera should have ended in the open, for the Aztecs worshipped on plateaus, on the pyramid of Cholula, for example, and not in caves." Nonetheless, it deemed the setting appropriately atmospheric for the drama's purposes.
After the performance, both Hadley and Stevens appeared for curtain calls. Fitziu presented Hadley with a large silk American flag, and the "representative audience of New York musicians and society folk" joined in singing as the orchestra played The Star Spangled Banner.