Elisabetta, regina d'Inghilterra
Encyclopedia
Elisabetta, regina d'Inghilterra, (Elizabeth, Queen of England) is a dramma per musica
or opera in two acts by Gioachino Rossini to a libretto by Giovanni Schmidt
, from the play The Page of Leicester by Carlo Federici. It was premiered at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples
on 4 October 1815 and was the first of nine operas which Rossini wrote for the San Carlo, and one of eighteen operas which he wrote during the time he spent in Naples.
Rossini took melodies from other operas to compose Elisabetta, including the overture
, first written for Aureliano in Palmira
, which is famous as the overture to The Barber of Seville
. As Holden notes, with the re-uses of earlier music, "it is as if Rossini wished to present himself to the Neapolitan public by offerng a selection of the best music from operas unlikely to have been revived in Naples."
Some of Elisabetta 's music was recycled in later operas and a part of Elisabetta's first aria was re-used by Rossini four months later in Rosina's aria "Una voce poco fa" in the opera The Barber of Seville.
in London.
It is rarely performed today, although recordings of live performances in Palermo
(1970), in Arles
(1975), at the Teatro Regio di Torino (1985, the only DVD), at the Teatro San Carlo, Naples (1991), in New York (1998, given by Opera Northwest), at the Teatro Margarita Xirgu, Buenos Aires (2004), and at the Rossini Festival in Pesaro
(2004) exist.
Dramma per musica
Dramma per musica is a term which was used by dramatists in Italy and elsewhere between the late-17th and mid-19th centuries...
or opera in two acts by Gioachino Rossini to a libretto by Giovanni Schmidt
Giovanni Schmidt
-Life:He moved to Naples whilst still young and stayed there his whole life. Between 1800 and 1840 he wrote libretti for 45 operas, especially for the Teatro San Carlo, for which he was official poet. He and Andrea Leone Tottola were the two librettists who dominated theatrical life in Naples in...
, from the play The Page of Leicester by Carlo Federici. It was premiered at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
on 4 October 1815 and was the first of nine operas which Rossini wrote for the San Carlo, and one of eighteen operas which he wrote during the time he spent in Naples.
Rossini took melodies from other operas to compose Elisabetta, including the overture
Overture
Overture in music is the term originally applied to the instrumental introduction to an opera...
, first written for Aureliano in Palmira
Aureliano in Palmira
Aureliano in Palmira is an operatic dramma serio in two acts written by Gioachino Rossini to an Italian libretto in which the librettist was credited only by the initials "G. F. R." The libretto has generally been attributed to Giuseppe Felice Romani, but sometimes to the otherwise...
, which is famous as the overture to The Barber of Seville
The Barber of Seville
The Barber of Seville, or The Futile Precaution is an opera buffa in two acts by Gioachino Rossini with a libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was based on Pierre Beaumarchais's comedy Le Barbier de Séville , which was originally an opéra comique, or a mixture of spoken play with music...
. As Holden notes, with the re-uses of earlier music, "it is as if Rossini wished to present himself to the Neapolitan public by offerng a selection of the best music from operas unlikely to have been revived in Naples."
Some of Elisabetta 's music was recycled in later operas and a part of Elisabetta's first aria was re-used by Rossini four months later in Rosina's aria "Una voce poco fa" in the opera The Barber of Seville.
Performance history
The opera was first given in the UK on 30 April 1818 at the King's TheatreHer Majesty's Theatre
Her Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre, in Haymarket, City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, who established the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art at the theatre...
in London.
It is rarely performed today, although recordings of live performances in Palermo
Palermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
(1970), in Arles
Arles
Arles is a city and commune in the south of France, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, of which it is a subprefecture, in the former province of Provence....
(1975), at the Teatro Regio di Torino (1985, the only DVD), at the Teatro San Carlo, Naples (1991), in New York (1998, given by Opera Northwest), at the Teatro Margarita Xirgu, Buenos Aires (2004), and at the Rossini Festival in Pesaro
Pesaro
Pesaro is a town and comune in the Italian region of the Marche, capital of the Pesaro e Urbino province, on the Adriatic. According to the 2007 census, its population was 92,206....
(2004) exist.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, October 4, 1815 (Conductor: Nicola Festa) |
|---|---|---|
| Elisabetta (Elizabeth I of England Elizabeth I of England Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty... ) |
soprano Soprano A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody... |
Isabella Colbran Isabella Colbran Isabella Colbran was a Spanish opera singer, who was known in her native country as Isabel Colbrandt. Many sources note her as a dramatic coloratura soprano but, some believe that she was a mezzo-soprano with a high extension, a soprano sfogato... |
| The Earl of Leicester, Commander of the army | tenor Tenor The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2... |
Andrea Nozzari Andrea Nozzari Andrea Nozzari was an Italian tenor.Nozzari was born in Vertova and studied in Bergamo and Rome. He is notable for the principal roles written for him by Gioachino Rossini and mostly premiered in Domenico Barbaia's theatres in Naples... |
| Matilda, secretly married to Leicester | soprano | Girolama Dardanelli |
| Enrico, Matilda's brother | contralto Contralto Contralto is the deepest female classical singing voice, with the lowest tessitura, falling between tenor and mezzo-soprano. It typically ranges between the F below middle C to the second G above middle C , although at the extremes some voices can reach the E below middle C or the second B above... |
Maria Manzi |
| The Duke of Norfolk | tenor | Manuel Garcia Manuel García (tenor) Manuel del Pópulo Vicente Rodriguez García was a Spanish opera singer, composer, impresario, and singing teacher.-Biography:... |
| Guglielmo, Captain of the Royal Guard | tenor | Gaetano Chizzola |
| Knights, ladies, noble Scotsmen hostages to Elisabetta, official followers of Leicester, pages, royal guards, soldiers, people (chorus) |
||
Recordings
| Year | Cast (Elisabetta, Leicester, Matilde, Enrico, Norfolk) |
Conductor, Opera House and Orchestra |
Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Leyla Gencer Leyla Gencer Leyla Gencer, or Ayşe Leyla Çeyrekgil was a world-renowned Turkish operatic soprano.Known as "La Diva Turca" and "La Regina" in the opera world, Gencer was a notable bel canto soprano who spent most of her career in Italy, from the early 1950s through the mid-1980s, and had a repertoire... , Umberto Grilli, Margherita Guglielmi, Giovanna Vighi, Pietro Bottazzo |
Gianandrea Gavazzeni Gianandrea Gavazzeni Gianandrea Gavazzeni was an Italian pianist, conductor , composer and musicologist.Gavazzeni was born in Bergamo. For almost 50 years, starting from 1948, he was principal conductor at La Scala, Milan, in 1966-68 being its music and artistic director.He had his Metropolitan Opera debut on 11... , Orchestra and Chorus of Teatro Massimo Teatro Massimo The Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele is an opera house and opera company located on the Piazza Verdi in Palermo, Sicily. It was dedicated to King Victor Emanuel II.... , Palermo Palermo Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old... (Recording of a performance in Palermo) |
Audio CD: Celestial Audio Cat: CA 235 |
| 1985 | Lella Cuberi, Antonio Savastano, Daniela Dessi Daniela Dessì Daniela Dessì Born May 14, 1957, in Genoa, Italy is an Italian lirico-spinto soprano.Daniela Dessì completed her singing studies at the Conservatory of Parma and the Accademia Chigiana of Siena. After having won the first prize at the International Competition organized by RAI TV in 1980, she had... , Adriana Cicogna, Rockwell Blake Rockwell Blake Rockwell Blake is an American operatic tenor, particularly known for his roles in Rossini operas. He was the first winner of the Richard Tucker Award.-Biography:... |
Gabriele Ferro, Orchestra and Chorus of Teatro Regio di Torino (Recording of a performance in Turin) |
DVD: Hardy Classic Video Cat: 4007 |
| 2002 | Jennifer Larmore Jennifer Larmore Jennifer Larmore is an American mezzo-soprano opera singer, noted for coloratura and bel canto.- Career :Jennifer Larmore is an American mezzo-soprano, well known for her versatility, natural beauty and stage craft... , Bruce Ford, Marjella Cullagh, Manuela Custer, Antonino Siragusa |
Giuliano Carella, London Philharmonic Orchestra London Philharmonic Orchestra The London Philharmonic Orchestra , based in London, is one of the major orchestras of the United Kingdom, and is based in the Royal Festival Hall. In addition, the LPO is the main resident orchestra of the Glyndebourne Festival Opera... and the Geoffrey Mitchell Choir (Recorded in St. Clement's Islington, London, March) |
Audio CD: Opera Rara Cat: ORC 22 |