La rondine
Encyclopedia
La rondine is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini
to an Italian
libretto
by Giuseppe Adami
, based on a libretto by Alfred Maria Willner
and Heinz Reichert. It was first performed at the Grand Théâtre de Monte Carlo
(or the Théâtre du Casino) in Monte Carlo
on 27 March 1917.
's Carltheater
commissioned Puccini to compose a Viennese operetta. After confirming that it could take the form of a comic opera
with no spoken dialogue in the style of Rosenkavalier, "only more entertaining and more organic," he agreed. For two years the work proceeded, sometimes intensely, sometimes with great difficulty, and in spring 1916 the opera was finished. The originally intended Viennese première was impeded by the outbreak of the World War I
and the entrance of Italy in the Alliance against Austria-Hungary, hence the Opéra de Monte-Carlo
was chosen to present it, with Gilda Dalla Rizza
and Tito Schipa
in the leading roles.
In Italy, Puccini offered the work to his editor Tito Ricordi who declined to buy it, thus Ricordi's rival, Lorenzo Sonzogno, obtained the right to give the first performance outside Austria and moved the première to neutral Monégasque
territory. At the première in Monte-Carlo in 1917 the initial reception by the public and press was warm. However, despite the artistic value of the score La rondine has been one of Puccini's less successful works; "In box office terms, [it] was the poor cousin to the other great hits." There is no established final version of it, Puccini being dissatisfied, as often, with the result of his work; he revised it many times to the point of making three versions (1917, 1920, 1921), with two completely different endings, but died before clearly deciding on a final version. The second version was premiered at Teatro Massimo
, Palermo
in 1920, whereas the third was not heard until 1994 in Turin
. Moreover, a fire at Casa Sonzogno archives caused by Allied bombing during the war destroyed parts of the score which had to be restored based on the surviving vocal-piano arrangements. The orchestration of the third version was finally completed in authentic Puccinian style by Italian composer Lorenzo Ferrero
at the request of Teatro Regio di Torino and subsequently performed there on 22 March, 1994.
(1994), Leeds
Opera North
(1994, 2001), Oper Bonn and Ludwigshaven State Opera House (1995), Teatro del Giglio in Lucca (1998), Teatro Filarmonico di Verona (2002), Kansallisooppera, Helsinki
(2002, 2003, 2007), Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London
(2002, 2005), Théâtre du Châtelet
, Paris
(2005), Opéra de Monte-Carlo
(2007), and La Fenice
in Venice
where it was the opening title of the 2008 season. In the US, major productions were seen at the Washington National Opera
(1998), Los Angeles Opera
(2000, 2008), Atlanta Opera (2002), the Boston Lyric Opera
(2003), New York City Opera
(2005), Dallas Opera
(2007), San Francisco Opera
(2007), Sarasota Opera
(2008) and the New York Metropolitan Opera
(2008).
Following the premiere of a joint new production by director Nicolas Joël at the Royal Opera House in 2002 (starring soprano Angela Gheorghiu
as Magda) and at the Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse
, La rondine was seen at the Théâtre du Châtelet, revived at the Royal Opera House in 2005, and presented by the San Francisco Opera in 2007, all with Gheorghiu. On 31 December 2008, again with Gheorghiu as Magda, the Met in New York gave the company's first staging in 70 years. The matinée performance on 10 January 2009 was broadcast in HD
to movie theaters and schools throughout the world.
, Prunier declares that love is in the air. He begins to sing his latest song, which Magda completes (Aria: Chi il bel sogno di Doretta). She explains that as the kept woman of Rambaldo, she does not know true love; she recalls her youth, her aunt, and a young student she met and loved briefly (Aria: Ore dolci e divine). The young man, Ruggero, enters with an introduction to Rambaldo and asks where he may find the best place to spend an evening in Paris. All the guests agree that it is Bullier's and, after they leave, Prunier returns in secret to escort the maid Lisette to that cabaret. Later, on a whim, Magda disguises herself and also goes.
Alternative Ending
As staged by companies such as the Washington National Opera
and the Los Angeles Opera
(following research by and under the direction of stage director Marta Domingo), Ruggero receives a letter from his mother revealing the true name of "Paulette" (the name Magda has used during her time with the young man) and that she is the mistress of Rambaldo. He is angered and asks who she is and why she lied to him. She says that she thought he could save her from the life she was leading. He leaves her, and distraught she looks towards the sea saying she will fly there like a swallow. She walks into the sea to drown herself as the opera ends.
Giacomo Puccini
Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini was an Italian composer whose operas, including La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot, are among the most frequently performed in the standard repertoire...
to an 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...
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...
by Giuseppe Adami
Giuseppe Adami
Giuseppe Adami was an Italian librettist, known for his collaboration with Puccini on La rondine , Il tabarro and Turandot ....
, based on a libretto by Alfred Maria Willner
A. M. Willner
Alfred Maria Willner was an Austrian writer, philosopher, musicologist, composer and librettist. He began composing mostly music for the piano before making a career writing librettos for ballets, operas and operettas...
and Heinz Reichert. It was first performed at the Grand Théâtre de Monte Carlo
Opéra de Monte-Carlo
The Opéra de Monte-Carlo is an opera house located in the principality of Monaco.With the lack of cultural diversions available in Monaco in the 1870s, Prince Charles III, along with the Société des Bains de Mer, decided on the construction of an opera house. Initially, it was Charles III's...
(or the Théâtre du Casino) in Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo is an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco....
on 27 March 1917.
Overview
In autumn 1913, the directors of ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
's Carltheater
Carltheater
The Carltheater was a theatre in Vienna. It was in the suburbs in Leopoldstadt at Praterstraße 31 .It was the successor to the Leopoldstädter Theater. After a series of financial difficulties, that theater had been sold in 1838 to the director, Carl Carl, who continued to run it in parallel to his...
commissioned Puccini to compose a Viennese operetta. After confirming that it could take the form of a comic opera
Comic opera
Comic opera denotes a sung dramatic work of a light or comic nature, usually with a happy ending.Forms of comic opera first developed in late 17th-century Italy. By the 1730s, a new operatic genre, opera buffa, emerged as an alternative to opera seria...
with no spoken dialogue in the style of Rosenkavalier, "only more entertaining and more organic," he agreed. For two years the work proceeded, sometimes intensely, sometimes with great difficulty, and in spring 1916 the opera was finished. The originally intended Viennese première was impeded by the outbreak of the World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and the entrance of Italy in the Alliance against Austria-Hungary, hence the Opéra de Monte-Carlo
Opéra de Monte-Carlo
The Opéra de Monte-Carlo is an opera house located in the principality of Monaco.With the lack of cultural diversions available in Monaco in the 1870s, Prince Charles III, along with the Société des Bains de Mer, decided on the construction of an opera house. Initially, it was Charles III's...
was chosen to present it, with Gilda Dalla Rizza
Gilda dalla Rizza
Gilda Dalla Rizza was an important Italian soprano. Born in Verona, she made her operatic debut in Bologna in 1912, as Charlotte in Werther. Especially acclaimed in the verismo repertory, she was regarded as being Giacomo Puccini's favorite soprano, creating Magda in his La rondine...
and Tito Schipa
Tito Schipa
Tito Schipa was an Italian tenor. He is considered one of the finest tenori di grazia in operatic history...
in the leading roles.
In Italy, Puccini offered the work to his editor Tito Ricordi who declined to buy it, thus Ricordi's rival, Lorenzo Sonzogno, obtained the right to give the first performance outside Austria and moved the première to neutral Monégasque
Monaco
Monaco , officially the Principality of Monaco , is a sovereign city state on the French Riviera. It is bordered on three sides by its neighbour, France, and its centre is about from Italy. Its area is with a population of 35,986 as of 2011 and is the most densely populated country in the...
territory. At the première in Monte-Carlo in 1917 the initial reception by the public and press was warm. However, despite the artistic value of the score La rondine has been one of Puccini's less successful works; "In box office terms, [it] was the poor cousin to the other great hits." There is no established final version of it, Puccini being dissatisfied, as often, with the result of his work; he revised it many times to the point of making three versions (1917, 1920, 1921), with two completely different endings, but died before clearly deciding on a final version. The second version was premiered at 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...
in 1920, whereas the third was not heard until 1994 in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
. Moreover, a fire at Casa Sonzogno archives caused by Allied bombing during the war destroyed parts of the score which had to be restored based on the surviving vocal-piano arrangements. The orchestration of the third version was finally completed in authentic Puccinian style by Italian composer Lorenzo Ferrero
Lorenzo Ferrero
Lorenzo Ferrero is a contemporary Italian composer with a predilection for opera, a librettist, author, and book editor. He started composing at an early age and wrote over a hundred compositions thus far, including twelve operas, three ballets, and numerous orchestral, chamber music, solo...
at the request of Teatro Regio di Torino and subsequently performed there on 22 March, 1994.
Modern performance history
The modern performance history of La rondine in Europe includes the première of the third version at Teatro Regio di Torino (1994), as well as performances at La ScalaLa Scala
La Scala , is a world renowned opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the New Royal-Ducal Theatre at La Scala...
(1994), Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
Opera North
Opera North
Opera North is an English opera company based in Leeds. The company's home theatre is the Leeds Grand Theatre, but it also presents regular seasons in several other cities, at the Theatre Royal, Nottingham, the Lowry Centre, Salford Quays and the Theatre Royal, Newcastle...
(1994, 2001), Oper Bonn and Ludwigshaven State Opera House (1995), Teatro del Giglio in Lucca (1998), Teatro Filarmonico di Verona (2002), Kansallisooppera, Helsinki
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
(2002, 2003, 2007), Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
(2002, 2005), Théâtre du Châtelet
Théâtre du Châtelet
The Théâtre du Châtelet is a theatre and opera house, located in the place du Châtelet in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, France.One of two theatres built on the site of a châtelet, a small castle or fortress, it was designed by Gabriel Davioud at the request of Baron Haussmann between 1860 and...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
(2005), Opéra de Monte-Carlo
Opéra de Monte-Carlo
The Opéra de Monte-Carlo is an opera house located in the principality of Monaco.With the lack of cultural diversions available in Monaco in the 1870s, Prince Charles III, along with the Société des Bains de Mer, decided on the construction of an opera house. Initially, it was Charles III's...
(2007), and La Fenice
La Fenice
Teatro La Fenice is an opera house in Venice, Italy. It is one of the most famous theatres in Europe, the site of many famous operatic premieres. Its name reflects its role in permitting an opera company to "rise from the ashes" despite losing the use of two theatres...
in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
where it was the opening title of the 2008 season. In the US, major productions were seen at the Washington National Opera
Washington National Opera
The Washington National Opera is an opera company in Washington, D.C., USA. Formerly the Opera Society of Washington and the Washington Opera, the company received Congressional designation as the National Opera Company in 2000. Performances are now given in the Opera House of the John F...
(1998), Los Angeles Opera
Los Angeles Opera
The Los Angeles Opera is an opera company in Los Angeles, California. It is the fourth largest opera company in the United States. The company's home base is the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, part of the Los Angeles Music Center.-Current leadership:...
(2000, 2008), Atlanta Opera (2002), the Boston Lyric Opera
Boston Lyric Opera
Boston Lyric Opera is an American opera company based in Boston, Massachusetts, founded in 1976.Each season, BLO produces three mainstage productions at the Citi Performing Arts Center Shubert Theatre in Boston and a fully staged, one-hour English language version of a popular opera for school...
(2003), New York City Opera
New York City Opera
The New York City Opera is an American opera company located in New York City.The company, called "the people's opera" by New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, was founded in 1943 with the aim of making opera financially accessible to a wide audience, producing an innovative choice of repertory, and...
(2005), Dallas Opera
Dallas Opera
The Dallas Opera is an opera company located in Dallas, Texas . The company was founded in 1957 as the Dallas Civic Opera by Laurence Kelly and Nicolà Rescigno, both of whom had been active with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the first as administrator, the second as artistic director.-The company's...
(2007), San Francisco Opera
San Francisco Opera
San Francisco Opera is an American opera company, based in San Francisco, California.It was founded in 1923 by Gaetano Merola and is the second largest opera company in North America...
(2007), Sarasota Opera
Sarasota Opera
Sarasota Opera is a professional opera company in Sarasota, Florida, USA, which owns and performs in the now-renovated 1,119-seat Sarasota Opera House. The 2011-2012 season is currently featuring Puccini’s Madama Butterfly in the fall...
(2008) and the New York Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
(2008).
Following the premiere of a joint new production by director Nicolas Joël at the Royal Opera House in 2002 (starring soprano Angela Gheorghiu
Angela Gheorghiu
Angela Gheorghiu is a Romanian soprano opera singer. Since her professional debut in 1990, she has sung as soprano leading roles at New York's Metropolitan Opera, Covent Garden's Royal Opera House, the Vienna State Opera, Milan's La Scala, and many other opera houses in Europe and the United States...
as Magda) and at the Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse
Théâtre du Capitole
The Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse is an opera house and ballet company located within the main administration buildings, the Capitole, of the city of Toulouse in south-west France....
, La rondine was seen at the Théâtre du Châtelet, revived at the Royal Opera House in 2005, and presented by the San Francisco Opera in 2007, all with Gheorghiu. On 31 December 2008, again with Gheorghiu as Magda, the Met in New York gave the company's first staging in 70 years. The matinée performance on 10 January 2009 was broadcast in HD
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
to movie theaters and schools throughout the world.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 27 March 1917 (Conductor: Gino Marinuzzi) |
|---|---|---|
| Magda de Civry | 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... |
Gilda dalla Rizza Gilda dalla Rizza Gilda Dalla Rizza was an important Italian soprano. Born in Verona, she made her operatic debut in Bologna in 1912, as Charlotte in Werther. Especially acclaimed in the verismo repertory, she was regarded as being Giacomo Puccini's favorite soprano, creating Magda in his La rondine... |
| Lisette, her maid | soprano | Ines Maria Ferraris Ines Maria Ferraris Ines Maria Ferraris was an Italian operatic soprano and pianist who sang for more than two decades at La Scala in addition to appearances on the international stage. Although popular in Italy, she had a particularly devoted fanbase throughout South America... |
| Ruggero Lastouc | 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... |
Tito Schipa Tito Schipa Tito Schipa was an Italian tenor. He is considered one of the finest tenori di grazia in operatic history... |
| Prunier, a poet | tenor | Francesco Dominici Francesco Dominici Francesco Dominici was an Italian operatic tenor particularly admired for his acting in comedic roles. He made his professional opera debut as Fernando in Donizetti's La favorite at the Teatro Donizetti in Bergamo in 1914... |
| Rambaldo Fernandez, Magda's protector | baritone Baritone Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or... |
Gustave Huberdeau Gustave Huberdeau Gustave Huberdeau was a French operatic bass-baritone who had a prolific career in Europe and the United States during the first quarter of the twentieth century... |
| Périchaud | baritone / bass | Libert |
| Gobin | tenor | Charles Delmas |
| Crébillon | bass/baritone | Stéphane |
| Rabonnier | baritone | |
| Yvette | soprano | Suzy Laugée |
| Bianca | soprano | Andrée Moreau |
| Suzy | 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... |
Charlotte Mattei |
| A butler | bass | Delestan |
| A voice | soprano | |
| Members of the bourgeoisie, students, painters, elegantly dressed ladies and gentlemen, grisettes Grisette (French) The word grisette has referred to a French working-class woman from the late 17th century and remained in common use through the Belle Époque era, albeit with some modifications to its meaning. It derives from gris, , and refers to the cheap grey fabric of the dresses these women originally wore... , flower girls and dancing girls, waiters. |
||
Act 1
At a cocktail party in Magda's salonSalon (gathering)
A salon is a gathering of people under the roof of an inspiring host, held partly to amuse one another and partly to refine taste and increase their knowledge of the participants through conversation. These gatherings often consciously followed Horace's definition of the aims of poetry, "either to...
, Prunier declares that love is in the air. He begins to sing his latest song, which Magda completes (Aria: Chi il bel sogno di Doretta). She explains that as the kept woman of Rambaldo, she does not know true love; she recalls her youth, her aunt, and a young student she met and loved briefly (Aria: Ore dolci e divine). The young man, Ruggero, enters with an introduction to Rambaldo and asks where he may find the best place to spend an evening in Paris. All the guests agree that it is Bullier's and, after they leave, Prunier returns in secret to escort the maid Lisette to that cabaret. Later, on a whim, Magda disguises herself and also goes.
Act 2
At Bullier's, everyone is singing and dancing. Magda meets Ruggero, and they dance and fall in love. Lisette recognizes Magda, but Prunier tells her she is mistaken. At the table, Lisette confesses to borrowing Magda's clothing and jewelry. Rambaldo enters, and Magda quietly has Prunier hide Ruggero. Rambaldo demands an explanation; she explains that she has found true love and wants to leave him for Ruggero. After Rambaldo leaves, Ruggero returns, and the couple confess their love.Act 3
Magda and Ruggero are living in a cottage by the sea. He has no idea how they will pay their mounting bills and he tells her that he has written to his parents for permission to marry her (Aria: Dimmi che vuoi seguirmi). Magda is deeply touched, but knows that she can never marry him because of her past. Prunier and Lisette arrive. She has had a disastrous and brief career as an actress, constantly criticised by Prunier; she begs for her job back, and Magda consents. Prunier delivers the message that Rambaldo wants her back, and tells her that she cannot maintain a life in the cottage. Ruggero returns with the letter permitting the marriage, but Magda finally tells him everything. Like a swallow, she flies back to Rambaldo, leaving Ruggero heart-broken.Alternative Ending
As staged by companies such as the Washington National Opera
Washington National Opera
The Washington National Opera is an opera company in Washington, D.C., USA. Formerly the Opera Society of Washington and the Washington Opera, the company received Congressional designation as the National Opera Company in 2000. Performances are now given in the Opera House of the John F...
and the Los Angeles Opera
Los Angeles Opera
The Los Angeles Opera is an opera company in Los Angeles, California. It is the fourth largest opera company in the United States. The company's home base is the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, part of the Los Angeles Music Center.-Current leadership:...
(following research by and under the direction of stage director Marta Domingo), Ruggero receives a letter from his mother revealing the true name of "Paulette" (the name Magda has used during her time with the young man) and that she is the mistress of Rambaldo. He is angered and asks who she is and why she lied to him. She says that she thought he could save her from the life she was leading. He leaves her, and distraught she looks towards the sea saying she will fly there like a swallow. She walks into the sea to drown herself as the opera ends.
Recordings
| Year | Cast (Ruggero, Magda, Rambaldo, Lisette, Prunier) |
Conductor, Opera House and Orchestra |
Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Daniele Barioni Daniele Barioni Daniele Barioni is an Italian opera singer who had a prolific career during the 1950s through the 1970s. Early on in his career he rose to fame as a leading tenor at the Metropolitan Opera between 1956 and 1962... , Anna Moffo Anna Moffo Anna Moffo was an Italian-American opera singer and one of the leading lyric-coloratura sopranos of her generation... , Mario Sereni Mario Sereni Mario Sereni is an Italian baritone, who sang leading roles at the New York Metropolitan Opera for many years.Sereni was born in Perugia, Italy. He attended the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome and the Accademia Chigiana in Siena where he was a pupil of Mario Basiola... , Graziella Sciutti Graziella Sciutti Graziella Sciutti was an Italian soprano opera singer and later vocal teacher and opera producer.-Career:Sciutti was born in Turin, Italy. Her parents were musical, her father being an organist; her mother was French... , Piero de Palma Piero de Palma Piero de Palma is an Italian operatic tenor, particularly associated with comprimario roles.After choral and concert work he began his operatic repertoire career relatively late in life in 1948 by singing on Italian radio and made his stage debut in 1952 at the San Carlo in Naples, where he was... |
Francesco Molinari-Pradelli Francesco Molinari-Pradelli Francesco Molinari-Pradelli was a prominent Italian opera conductor. He studied piano and composition at Bologna, and graduated from the Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Rome in 1938. He made his debut at La Scala in 1946 and his Covent Garden debut in 1956... , RCA Italiana Opera orchestra and chorus |
Audio CD:RCA Victor Cat: GD60459(2) |
| 1981 | Plácido Domingo Plácido Domingo Plácido Domingo KBE , born José Plácido Domingo Embil, is a Spanish tenor and conductor known for his versatile and strong voice, possessing a ringing and dramatic tone throughout its range... , Kiri Te Kanawa Kiri Te Kanawa Dame Kiri Jeanette Te Kanawa, ONZ, DBE, AC is a New Zealand / Māori soprano who has had a highly successful international opera career since 1968. Acclaimed as one of the most beloved sopranos in both the United States and Britain she possesses a warm full lyric soprano voice, singing a wide array... , Leo Nucci Leo Nucci Leo Nucci is an Italian operatic baritone, particularly suited to Verdi roles.Born at Castiglione dei Pepoli, near Bologna, he studied with Giuseppe Marchese and made his stage debut in Spoleto, as Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia, in 1967, he then joined the chorus of La Scala in Milan, and... , Mariana Nicolesco Mariana Nicolesco Mariana Nicolesco is a Romanian operatic soprano, particularly associated with Mozart, Verdi and the Belcanto repertory.-Career:Mariana Nicolesco studied violin at the Brasov School of Music getting her diploma with the Bruch Concerto, and voice, for a short period, at the Cluj-Napoca Academy of... David Rendall David Rendall (opera singer) David Rendall is an English operatic tenor active from the 1970s to the present.-Personal life and education:Although he sang in a skiffle group while in secondary school, Rendall originally had no intention to sing opera professionally. He was "discovered" while working at the BBC, sorting... |
Lorin Maazel Lorin Maazel Lorin Varencove Maazel is an American conductor, violinist and composer.- Early life :Maazel was born to Jewish-American parents in Neuilly-sur-Seine in France and brought up in the United States, primarily at his parents' home in Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood. His father, Lincoln Maazel , was... , London Symphony Orchestra London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:... Ambrosian Chorus Ambrosian Singers The Ambrosian Singers are one of the best-known London choral groups, particularly appreciated for its great variety of recorded repertory.They were founded after World War II in England... |
Audio CD:CBS CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of... Cat: M2K-37852 |
| 1997 | Roberto Alagna Roberto Alagna Roberto Alagna is a French-Italian tenor. He was born in Clichy-sous-Bois, Seine-Saint-Denis, France.-Early years:Alagna was born outside of the city of Paris in 1963 to a family of Sicilian immigrants . As a teenager, the young Alagna began busking and singing pop in Parisian cabarets for tips... , Angela Gheorghiu Angela Gheorghiu Angela Gheorghiu is a Romanian soprano opera singer. Since her professional debut in 1990, she has sung as soprano leading roles at New York's Metropolitan Opera, Covent Garden's Royal Opera House, the Vienna State Opera, Milan's La Scala, and many other opera houses in Europe and the United States... , Alberto Rinaldi, Inva Mula-Tchako, William Matteuzzi William Matteuzzi William Matteuzzi is an Italian operatic tenor renowned for his impressive vocal range and prominent upper register, reaching a high F in full voice., which enabled him to participate in the recent revival of the tenore contraltino repertoire... |
Antonio Pappano Antonio Pappano Antonio Pappano is a British conductor and pianist of Italian parentage.Pappano's family relocated to England from Castelfranco in Miscano near Benevento, Italy in 1958 and at the time of his birth his parents worked in the restaurant business, but Pasquale Pappano, his father, was by vocation a... , London Symphony Orchestra London Voices |
Audio CD:EMI Classics EMI Classics EMI Classics is a record label of EMI, formed in 1990 in order to reduce the need to create country-specific packaging and catalogs for internationally distributed classical music releases.... Cat: 56338 |
| 1998 | Marcus Haddock, Ainhoa Arteta Ainhoa Arteta Ainhoa Arteta Ibarrolaburu, born 24 September 1964 in Tolosa , Spain, is a Spanish soprano.- Biography :After studying in Tolosa and Italy, she later studied under Ruth Falcon.... , William Parcher, Inva Mula-Tchako, Richard Troxell Richard Troxell Richard Troxell is a United States operatic tenor who hails from Thurmont, Maryland. As a Academy of Vocal Arts graduate, he made his soloist début in 2003, performing Bach's Magnificat in Carnegie Hall... |
Emmanuel Villaume Emmanuel Villaume Emmanuel Villaume is an internationally recognized orchestra conductor. He is Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra and Chief Conductor of the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra in Bratislava.... , Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra and Washington Opera Chorus (Recording of a performance in the Kennedy Center, Washington. February/March) |
DVD: Decca Cat: 074 3335 |
| 2008 | Fernando Portari, Fiorenza Cedolins Fiorenza Cedolins Fiorenza Cedolins, born in Anduins di Vito d'Asio, a village in Friuli, near Pordenone, is an Italian soprano.Cedolins made her operatic debut in 1992 at the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa in Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana... , Stefano Antonucci, Sandra Pastrana, Emanuele Giannino |
Carlo Rizzi Carlo Rizzi (conductor) Carlo Rizzi is an Italian conductor.Rizzi studied music at the Milan Conservatory. He later was a conducting student of Vladimir Delman, in Bologna, and with Franco Ferrara in Siena. His opera conducting debut was in 1982, with Donizetti's L'ajo nell'imbarazzo... , La Fenice La Fenice Teatro La Fenice is an opera house in Venice, Italy. It is one of the most famous theatres in Europe, the site of many famous operatic premieres. Its name reflects its role in permitting an opera company to "rise from the ashes" despite losing the use of two theatres... Opera House Orchestra and Chorus (Recording of performances at La Fenice, January) |
DVD: ArtHaus Musik Cat: 101 329 |
| 2009 | Roberto Alagna Roberto Alagna Roberto Alagna is a French-Italian tenor. He was born in Clichy-sous-Bois, Seine-Saint-Denis, France.-Early years:Alagna was born outside of the city of Paris in 1963 to a family of Sicilian immigrants . As a teenager, the young Alagna began busking and singing pop in Parisian cabarets for tips... , Angela Gheorghiu Angela Gheorghiu Angela Gheorghiu is a Romanian soprano opera singer. Since her professional debut in 1990, she has sung as soprano leading roles at New York's Metropolitan Opera, Covent Garden's Royal Opera House, the Vienna State Opera, Milan's La Scala, and many other opera houses in Europe and the United States... , Samuel Ramey Samuel Ramey Samuel Edward Ramey is an American operatic bass with a long, distinguished career.During his best years, he was greatly admired for his range and versatility, having possessed a sufficiently accomplished bel canto technique to enable him to sing the music of Handel, Mozart, Rossini, yet power... , Lisette Oropesa Lisette Oropesa Lisette Oropesa is an American soprano, who was raised in Baton Rouge, where she studied at Louisiana State University... , Marius Brenciu |
Marco Armiliato, Chorus and Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager... , New York (Recording of a performance at the Metropolitan Opera on 10 January 2009) |
DVD:EMI Classics EMI Classics EMI Classics is a record label of EMI, formed in 1990 in order to reduce the need to create country-specific packaging and catalogs for internationally distributed classical music releases.... Cat: 50999 631618-9 2 |
External links
- Ainhoa Arteta performing "Chi il bel sogno di Doretta" from the Washington National OperaWashington National OperaThe Washington National Opera is an opera company in Washington, D.C., USA. Formerly the Opera Society of Washington and the Washington Opera, the company received Congressional designation as the National Opera Company in 2000. Performances are now given in the Opera House of the John F...
production, Feb/March 1998 at YouTube - Libretto (Italian and Spanish)
- Reviews and photos of first performance at the Metropolitan Opera in 1928 at Metropolitan Opera Archives
- Free Score at IMSLP