Flavio
Encyclopedia
Flavio, re de' Longobardi (Flavio, King of the Lombards, HWV
16) is an opera
in three acts by George Frideric Handel
. The Italian
-language libretto
was by Nicola Francesco Haym
, after Matteo Noris's Il Flavio Cuniberto. It was Handel's fourth full-length opera for the Royal Academy of Music
. Handel had originally entitled the opera after the character of Emilia in the opera.
Handel completed the score only seven days before the premiere, at the King's Theatre
in the Haymarket on 14 May 1723. There were eight performances in the premiere run. The work was revived on 18 April 1732, under the direction of the composer, for four performances.
on 2 July 1967. The first UK performance since Handel's time was on 26 August 1969 at the Unicorn Theatre, Abingdon, England.
Lotario invites the King to the wedding feast. Flavio then receives a letter from the elderly Governor of England, Narsete, who requests to be relieved of his post. Flavio's first reaction is to appoint Lotario as the replacement. Lotario begins to savour the prospect of the post, but Flavio changes his mind in favour of Ugone, because he wants Ugone out of the way so that he can pursue Teodata without interference. Lotario feels slighted and leaves, angry. Flavio apostrophises to Vitige on Teodata's beauty, unaware that Vitige is already beloved of Teodata. Vitige tries to conceal his feelings by saying that he does not find the lady particularly pleasing of eye.
In the castle courtyard, Ugone meets his son Guido with the news that Lotario has slapped him. Ugone must now defend his honour, but is too old to wield a sword. He asks his son to fight the duel in his place, which puts Guido in a conflict between his duty to his father and his love for Emilia, to whom he has just become betrothed. He then proudly proclaims his decision to defend his family honour. Emilia then arrives, not understanding why Guido tried to fly from her, and vows eternal constancy to him. She notices that he seems different in mood.
At Lotario's house, Lotario tells Emilia that he does not wish to lose his daughter to the son of his hated rival and tells her that her marriage is null and void. Guido, in search of Lotario, requests Emilia to leave him alone for a while.
At the castle, Flavio orders his adjutant to bring Teodata to him. Vitige tells of his unhappy mission to Teodata, and Teodata tells Vitige that her father has found out about her secret betrothal. To try to hold the King off for a while, they devise a plan where Vitige should pretend to solicit her love for him, and Teodata will feign willingness.
At the courtyard of Lotario's house, Guido challenges Lotario to a duel. Lotario scoffs at the young man's challenge, but accepts. In the combat, Lotario falls. When Emilia arrives, Lotario names Guido as his murderer and dies. In despair, she swears vengeance, but is torn because this means vengenance on her beloved, Guido.
Emilia is in mourning, for her father and for her fugitive Guido, but then she once again vows implacable vengeance. Guido appears and hands his sword to her that she might kill him. Emilia takes it, but lets it fall and leaves. Guido begs the god of love for help.
Vitige and Teodata quarrel, accusing one another of having gone too far in the hoodwinking of the King and having allowed the game to become serious. They discover that Flavio has entered and overheard everything. They admit to being lovers, which crushes Flavio.
Guido enters and begs the King to have him put to death if Emilia still hates him for his deed. Ugone then confesses that he incited his son to commit it in his place. Flavio, freshly aware of his responsibilities as king, sends for Emilia. He tells Guido to conceal himself and listen to the proceedings. Flavio tells Emilia that Guido has been executed as she had requested, and that she may see his head as proof. She refuses and begs to be killed, too, since without Guido her life is meaningless. Guido emerges from his hiding-place and she almost faints for joy. Guido begs for forgiveness, and she asks for a period of mourning.
Flavio then decrees that Vitige must marry the lady whom he did not find pleasing to behold (i.e. Teodata), and that Ugone will be banished from the realm, but to England to become Governor. Ugone must also acknowledge his son-in-law, Guido. All thank the King, and the opera ends with a chorus of reconciliation.
, Leipzig 1875)
Händel-Werke-Verzeichnis
The Händel-Werke-Verzeichnis is the Catalogue of Handel's Works. It was published in three volumes by Bernd Baselt between 1978 and 1986, and lists every piece of music known to have been written by George Frideric Handel...
16) is an opera
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 three acts by George Frideric Handel
George Frideric Handel
George Frideric Handel was a German-British Baroque composer, famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. Handel was born in 1685, in a family indifferent to music...
. The Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
-language libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
was by Nicola Francesco Haym
Nicola Francesco Haym
Nicola Francesco Haym was an Italian opera librettist, composer, theatre manager and performer, and numismatist. He is best remembered for adapting texts into libretti for the London operas of George Frideric Handel and Giovanni Bononcini...
, after Matteo Noris's Il Flavio Cuniberto. It was Handel's fourth full-length opera for the Royal Academy of Music
Royal Academy of Music
The Royal Academy of Music in London, England, is a conservatoire, Britain's oldest degree-granting music school and a constituent college of the University of London since 1999. The Academy was founded by Lord Burghersh in 1822 with the help and ideas of the French harpist and composer Nicolas...
. Handel had originally entitled the opera after the character of Emilia in the opera.
Handel completed the score only seven days before the premiere, at the King's Theatre
Her 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 the Haymarket on 14 May 1723. There were eight performances in the premiere run. The work was revived on 18 April 1732, under the direction of the composer, for four performances.
Performance history
There were no further revivals until it was rediscovered and performed in GöttingenGöttingen
Göttingen is a university town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Göttingen. The Leine river runs through the town. In 2006 the population was 129,686.-General information:...
on 2 July 1967. The first UK performance since Handel's time was on 26 August 1969 at the Unicorn Theatre, Abingdon, England.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 14 May 1723 (Conductor: - ) |
|---|---|---|
| Flavio | alto Alto Alto is a musical term, derived from the Latin word altus, meaning "high" in Italian, that has several possible interpretations.When designating instruments, "alto" frequently refers to a member of an instrumental family that has the second highest range, below that of the treble or soprano. Hence,... castrato Castrato A castrato is a man with a singing voice equivalent to that of a soprano, mezzo-soprano, or contralto voice produced either by castration of the singer before puberty or one who, because of an endocrinological condition, never reaches sexual maturity.Castration before puberty prevents a boy's... |
Gaetano Berenstadt Gaetano Berenstadt Gaetano Berenstadt was an Italian alto castrato who is best remembered for his association with the composer George Frideric Handel. Berenstadt created roles in three of Handel's operas. Berenstadt's parents were German and his father was timpanist to the Grand Duke of Tuscany... |
| Guido | alto castrato | Senesino Senesino Senesino was a celebrated Italian contralto castrato, particularly remembered today for his long collaboration with the composer George Frideric Handel.-Early life and career:... |
| Emilia | 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... |
Francesca Cuzzoni Francesca Cuzzoni Francesca Cuzzoni was an Italian operatic soprano of the Baroque era.-Early career:Cuzzoni was born in Parma. Her father, Angelo, was a professional violinist, and her singing teacher was Francesco Lanzi. She made her debut in her home city in 1714, singing in La virtù coronata, o Il Fernando by... |
| Vitige | soprano | Margherita Durastanti Margherita Durastanti Margherita Durastanti was an Italian singer of the 18th century. Vocally, she is best described as a soprano, though later in her career her tessitura descended to that of a mezzo-soprano. First heard of professionally in Mantua in 1700-01, she later appeared in Bologna and Reggio Emilia , Milan... |
| Teodata | mezzo-soprano Mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above... |
Anastasia Robinson Anastasia Robinson Anastasia Robinson was an English soprano, later contralto, of the Baroque era. She is best remembered for her association with the composer George Frideric Handel, in whose operas she sang.-Early life and initial career:... |
| Lotario | bass | Giuseppe Maria Boschi Giuseppe Maria Boschi Giuseppe Maria Boschi was an Italian bass singer - though in modern terms a baritone - of the 18th century. He is best remembered for his association with the composer George Frideric Handel, whom he worked for in both Italy and London.During the first decade of the century he is known to have... |
| Ugone | 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... |
Alexander Gordon |
Prologue
The setting is Lombardy. King Flavio rules both Lombardy and England. His two counselors are Ugone and Lotario. Ugone's son, Guido, is set to marry Lothario's daughter, Emilia, this day. Ugone also has a daughter, Teodata. He desires her to seek a position as a lady-in-waiting at the court in order "to avoid the bitter solitude of her maiden years". He does not know that she already has a secret lover, Vitige, the King's adjutant.Act 1
In front of the aged Ugone's house, before dawn, Vitige is leaving Teodata's chamber; the two sing a duet ("Ricordati, mio ben". Next, at the hall in Lotario's house, Guido's marriage to Emilia takes place in the house of the bride's father attended only by close relatives. The bride and bridegroom sing of their bliss, then separate until the wedding celebration in the evening. Following, at the King's castle, Ugone presents Teodata to the King and says that she wishes to enter his service as a lady-in-waiting. Enraptured by Teodato's beauty, Flavio assents and assigns her to his wife, Ernelinda.Lotario invites the King to the wedding feast. Flavio then receives a letter from the elderly Governor of England, Narsete, who requests to be relieved of his post. Flavio's first reaction is to appoint Lotario as the replacement. Lotario begins to savour the prospect of the post, but Flavio changes his mind in favour of Ugone, because he wants Ugone out of the way so that he can pursue Teodata without interference. Lotario feels slighted and leaves, angry. Flavio apostrophises to Vitige on Teodata's beauty, unaware that Vitige is already beloved of Teodata. Vitige tries to conceal his feelings by saying that he does not find the lady particularly pleasing of eye.
In the castle courtyard, Ugone meets his son Guido with the news that Lotario has slapped him. Ugone must now defend his honour, but is too old to wield a sword. He asks his son to fight the duel in his place, which puts Guido in a conflict between his duty to his father and his love for Emilia, to whom he has just become betrothed. He then proudly proclaims his decision to defend his family honour. Emilia then arrives, not understanding why Guido tried to fly from her, and vows eternal constancy to him. She notices that he seems different in mood.
Act 2
In a hall in the castle, Flavio is courting Teodata. Ugone rushes in, too distressed to speak coherently. Flavio leaves the room. Ugone is raving about the loss of the family honour. Teodata thinks that her liaison with Vitige has been discovered and tearfully confesses. Ugone's distress increases upon learning this new situation of his daughter.At Lotario's house, Lotario tells Emilia that he does not wish to lose his daughter to the son of his hated rival and tells her that her marriage is null and void. Guido, in search of Lotario, requests Emilia to leave him alone for a while.
At the castle, Flavio orders his adjutant to bring Teodata to him. Vitige tells of his unhappy mission to Teodata, and Teodata tells Vitige that her father has found out about her secret betrothal. To try to hold the King off for a while, they devise a plan where Vitige should pretend to solicit her love for him, and Teodata will feign willingness.
At the courtyard of Lotario's house, Guido challenges Lotario to a duel. Lotario scoffs at the young man's challenge, but accepts. In the combat, Lotario falls. When Emilia arrives, Lotario names Guido as his murderer and dies. In despair, she swears vengeance, but is torn because this means vengenance on her beloved, Guido.
Act 3
At the castle, Emilia and Ugone beg the King for justice. She demands the death penalty for her father's murderer, while he pleads for his son's life. Overwhelmed by the events, Flavio asks for time to reflect and sends them away. Vitige then enters with Teodata, whose presence renders Flavio speechless. He tries to have Vitige woo her on his behalf. Finally, Flavio undertakes it himself, calling Teodata "my queen" and trying to conduct her into his bedchamber. Vitige's heart becomes "a raging sea" of jealousy.Emilia is in mourning, for her father and for her fugitive Guido, but then she once again vows implacable vengeance. Guido appears and hands his sword to her that she might kill him. Emilia takes it, but lets it fall and leaves. Guido begs the god of love for help.
Vitige and Teodata quarrel, accusing one another of having gone too far in the hoodwinking of the King and having allowed the game to become serious. They discover that Flavio has entered and overheard everything. They admit to being lovers, which crushes Flavio.
Guido enters and begs the King to have him put to death if Emilia still hates him for his deed. Ugone then confesses that he incited his son to commit it in his place. Flavio, freshly aware of his responsibilities as king, sends for Emilia. He tells Guido to conceal himself and listen to the proceedings. Flavio tells Emilia that Guido has been executed as she had requested, and that she may see his head as proof. She refuses and begs to be killed, too, since without Guido her life is meaningless. Guido emerges from his hiding-place and she almost faints for joy. Guido begs for forgiveness, and she asks for a period of mourning.
Flavio then decrees that Vitige must marry the lady whom he did not find pleasing to behold (i.e. Teodata), and that Ugone will be banished from the realm, but to England to become Governor. Ugone must also acknowledge his son-in-law, Guido. All thank the King, and the opera ends with a chorus of reconciliation.
E-book
Score of Flavio (ed. Friedrich ChrysanderFriedrich Chrysander
Karl Franz Friedrich Chrysander was a German music historian and critic, whose edition of the works of George Frideric Handel and authoritative writings on many other composers established him as a pioneer of 19th-century musicology.Born at Lübtheen, in Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Chrysander was the son...
, Leipzig 1875)