La sonnambula
Encyclopedia
La sonnambula is an opera semiseria
in two acts, with music in the bel canto
tradition by Vincenzo Bellini
to an Italian libretto
by Felice Romani
, based on a scenario
for a ballet-pantomime by Eugène Scribe
and Jean-Pierre Aumer
called La somnambule, ou L'arrivée d'un nouveau seigneur.
The first performance took place at the Teatro Carcano, Milan
on March 6, 1831.
The role of Amina was originally written for the mezzo-soprano
Giuditta Pasta
, and during Bellini's lifetime, another mezzo-soprano, Maria Malibran
, was a notable exponent of the role. The majority of twentieth-century recordings have been made with a soprano cast as Amina, most with "added top-notes and [other] substantial changes". The first mezzo-soprano to record the role was Cecilia Bartoli
.
The phrase "Ah! non credea mirarti / Sì presto estinto, o fior" from the aria "Ah! non credea mirarti" of La sonnambula is inscribed on Bellini's tomb in the Cathedral of Catania
, Sicily
.
setting and story, La sonnambula was an immediate success and is still regularly performed. The title role of Amina (the titular sleepwalker) with its high tessitura
is renowned for its difficulty, requiring a complete command of trills
and florid technique.
The opera was first given in London on 28 July 1831 at the King's Theatre in London and in New York on 13 November 1835 at the Park Theatre. In the 20th century, the role of Amina was sung by Maria Callas
in the now-famous 1955 production by Luchino Visconti
at La Scala
.
Lisa, the proprietress of the inn, is consumed with jealousy as the betrothal procession of Amina and Elvino, who had once been betrothed to her, approaches. She spurns the lovelorn Alessio. Amina thanks her friends for their kind wishes and particularly her foster-mother Teresa, owner of the mill, who had adopted her as an orphan. She thanks Alessio, who had composed the wedding song and organised the celebrations, wishing him well in his courtship of Lisa, who continues to reject his advances. Elvino arrives, having stopped on his way at his mother's grave to ask her blessing on Amina. He gives Amina his mother's ring and they exchange vows.
A stranger arrives, asking the way to the castle. Lisa points out that it is getting late and he will not reach it before dark and offers him lodging at her inn. The newcomer, who surprises the villagers by his familiarity with the locality, asks about the celebrations and admires Amina, who reminds him of a girl he had loved long ago. He admits to having once stayed in the castle, whose lord has been dead for four years. When Teresa explains that his son had vanished some years previously, the stranger assures them that he is alive and will return.
As darkness approaches the villagers warn him that it is time to be indoors to avoid the village phantom, but he is not superstitious and assures them that they will soon be free of the apparition. Elvino is jealous of the stranger's admiration of Amina; he is jealous even of the breezes that caress her, but he promises her he will reform.
Scene 2: A room in the inn
Lisa tells the stranger that he has been recognised as Rodolfo, the long-lost son of the count, and warns him that the village is preparing a formal welcome. Meanwhile she will be the first to pay her respects. She is flattered when he begins a flirtation with her, but runs out, dropping a handkerchief, when a sound is heard outside.
It is Amina, who enters the room, walking in her sleep. Rodolfo, realising that her nocturnal wanderings have given rise to the story of the village phantom, is about to take advantage of her helpless state but is struck by her obvious innocence and refrains. She falls asleep on the sofa and he goes outside as the villagers are heard advancing on the inn to welcome their new lord. Lisa points to the sleeping Amina; and Elvino, believing her faithless, rejects her in fury. Only Teresa believes in her innocence.
On their way to ask the count to attest to Amina's innocence, the villagers meet Amina and Teresa, on a similar mission. Elvino continues to reject Amina, even when the count sends a message that she is innocent. Elvino is not convinced and takes back the ring, though he is unable to tear her image from his heart.
Scene 2: The village, as in Act I
Elvino has decided to marry Lisa. They are about to go to the church when Rodolfo tries to explain that Amina is innocent because she had not come to his room awake - she is a somnambulist, a sleepwalker, but Elvino refuses to believe him.
Teresa begs the villagers to be quiet, because Amina has at last fallen into an exhausted sleep. Learning of the impending marriage, she confronts Lisa, who says that she has never been found alone in a man's room. Teresa produces the handkerchief Lisa had dropped. The Count refuses to comment, but continues to assert Amina's virtue. Elvino demands proof, which is dramatically produced when Amina is seen walking in her sleep across the high, dangerously unstable mill bridge. Rodolfo warns that to wake her would be fatal, so all watch as she relives her betrothal and her grief at Elvino's rejection. When she reaches the other side safely, Elvino calls to her and she wakes to find herself in his arms, to the rejoicing of all.
Opera semiseria
Opera semiseria is an Italian genre of opera, popular in the early and middle 19th century.Related to the opera buffa, opera semiseria contains elements of comedy but also of pathos, sometimes with a pastoral setting. It can usually be distinguished from tragic operas or melodramas by the presence...
in two acts, with music in the bel canto
Bel canto
Bel canto , along with a number of similar constructions , is an Italian opera term...
tradition by Vincenzo Bellini
Vincenzo Bellini
Vincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini was an Italian opera composer. His greatest works are I Capuleti ed i Montecchi , La sonnambula , Norma , Beatrice di Tenda , and I puritani...
to an Italian 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 Felice Romani
Felice Romani
Felice Romani was an Italian poet and scholar of literature and mythology who wrote many librettos for the opera composers Donizetti and Bellini. Romani was considered the finest Italian librettist between Metastasio and Boito.-Biography:Born Giuseppe Felice Romani to a bourgeois family in Genoa,...
, based on a scenario
Scenario
A scenario is a synoptical collage of an event or series of actions and events. In the Commedia dell'arte it was an outline of entrances, exits, and action describing the plot of a play that was literally pinned to the back of the scenery...
for a ballet-pantomime by Eugène Scribe
Eugène Scribe
Augustin Eugène Scribe , was a French dramatist and librettist. He is best known for the perfection of the so-called "well-made play" . This dramatic formula was a mainstay of popular theater for over 100 years.-Biography:...
and Jean-Pierre Aumer
Jean-Pierre Aumer
Jean-Louis Aumer was a French danseur and choreographer, who was born in Strasbourg on 21 April 1774, and who died in Saint-Martin-de-Boscherville in July 1833. Educated at the school of the Paris Opera Ballet, he joined the company in 1801 after an initial engagement with Jean Dauberval in Bordeaux...
called La somnambule, ou L'arrivée d'un nouveau seigneur.
The first performance took place at the Teatro Carcano, Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
on March 6, 1831.
The role of Amina was originally written for the 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...
Giuditta Pasta
Giuditta Pasta
Giuditta Angiola Maria Costanza Pasta , born in Saronno, Italy, was a soprano considered among the greatest of opera singers, to whom the 20th-century soprano Maria Callas was compared.-Studies and career:...
, and during Bellini's lifetime, another mezzo-soprano, Maria Malibran
Maria Malibran
The mezzo-soprano Maria Malibran , was one of the most famous opera singers of the 19th century. Malibran was known for her stormy personality and dramatic intensity, becoming a legendary figure after her death at age 28...
, was a notable exponent of the role. The majority of twentieth-century recordings have been made with a soprano cast as Amina, most with "added top-notes and [other] substantial changes". The first mezzo-soprano to record the role was Cecilia Bartoli
Cecilia Bartoli
Cecilia Bartoli is an Italian coloratura mezzo-soprano opera singer and recitalist. She is best-known for her interpretation of the music of Mozart and Rossini, as well as for her performances of lesser-known Baroque and classical music...
.
The phrase "Ah! non credea mirarti / Sì presto estinto, o fior" from the aria "Ah! non credea mirarti" of La sonnambula is inscribed on Bellini's tomb in the Cathedral of Catania
Catania
Catania is an Italian city on the east coast of Sicily facing the Ionian Sea, between Messina and Syracuse. It is the capital of the homonymous province, and with 298,957 inhabitants it is the second-largest city in Sicily and the tenth in Italy.Catania is known to have a seismic history and...
, Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
.
Performance history
With its pastoralPastoral
The adjective pastoral refers to the lifestyle of pastoralists, such as shepherds herding livestock around open areas of land according to seasons and the changing availability of water and pasturage. It also refers to a genre in literature, art or music that depicts such shepherd life in an...
setting and story, La sonnambula was an immediate success and is still regularly performed. The title role of Amina (the titular sleepwalker) with its high tessitura
Tessitura
In music, the term tessitura generally describes the most musically acceptable and comfortable range for a given singer or, less frequently, musical instrument; the range in which a given type of voice presents its best-sounding texture or timbre...
is renowned for its difficulty, requiring a complete command of trills
Trill (music)
The trill is a musical ornament consisting of a rapid alternation between two adjacent notes, usually a semitone or tone apart, which can be identified with the context of the trill....
and florid technique.
The opera was first given in London on 28 July 1831 at the King's Theatre in London and in New York on 13 November 1835 at the Park Theatre. In the 20th century, the role of Amina was sung by Maria Callas
Maria Callas
Maria Callas was an American-born Greek soprano and one of the most renowned opera singers of the 20th century. She combined an impressive bel canto technique, a wide-ranging voice and great dramatic gifts...
in the now-famous 1955 production by Luchino Visconti
Luchino Visconti
Luchino Visconti di Modrone, Count of Lonate Pozzolo was an Italian theatre, opera and cinema director, as well as a screenwriter. He is best known for his films The Leopard and Death in Venice .-Life:...
at La Scala
La 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...
.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 6 March 1831 (Conductor: - ) |
|---|---|---|
| Count Rodolfo | bass | Luciano Mariani Luciano Mariani Luciano Mariani was an Italian operatic bass. Amongst the several roles he created were Rodolfo in Bellini's La sonnambula, Alfonso d'Este in Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia and Oroe in Rossini's Semiramide. His elder sister, Rosa Mariani, was also an opera singer and sang Arsace in the premiere of... |
| Amina | 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... |
Giuditta Pasta Giuditta Pasta Giuditta Angiola Maria Costanza Pasta , born in Saronno, Italy, was a soprano considered among the greatest of opera singers, to whom the 20th-century soprano Maria Callas was compared.-Studies and career:... |
| Elvino | 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... |
Giovanni Battista Rubini Giovanni Battista Rubini Giovanni Battista Rubini was an Italian tenor, as famous in his time as Enrico Caruso in a later day. His ringing and expressive coloratura dexterity in the highest register of his voice, the tenorino, inspired the writing of operatic roles which today are almost impossible to cast... |
| Lisa | soprano | Elisa Taccani |
| Teresa | 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... |
Felicita Baillou-Hilaret |
| Alessio | bass | Lorenzo Biondi |
| Notary | tenor | Antonio Crippa |
| Villagers - Chorus | ||
Act 1
Scene 1: A village, a mill in the backgroundLisa, the proprietress of the inn, is consumed with jealousy as the betrothal procession of Amina and Elvino, who had once been betrothed to her, approaches. She spurns the lovelorn Alessio. Amina thanks her friends for their kind wishes and particularly her foster-mother Teresa, owner of the mill, who had adopted her as an orphan. She thanks Alessio, who had composed the wedding song and organised the celebrations, wishing him well in his courtship of Lisa, who continues to reject his advances. Elvino arrives, having stopped on his way at his mother's grave to ask her blessing on Amina. He gives Amina his mother's ring and they exchange vows.
A stranger arrives, asking the way to the castle. Lisa points out that it is getting late and he will not reach it before dark and offers him lodging at her inn. The newcomer, who surprises the villagers by his familiarity with the locality, asks about the celebrations and admires Amina, who reminds him of a girl he had loved long ago. He admits to having once stayed in the castle, whose lord has been dead for four years. When Teresa explains that his son had vanished some years previously, the stranger assures them that he is alive and will return.
As darkness approaches the villagers warn him that it is time to be indoors to avoid the village phantom, but he is not superstitious and assures them that they will soon be free of the apparition. Elvino is jealous of the stranger's admiration of Amina; he is jealous even of the breezes that caress her, but he promises her he will reform.
Scene 2: A room in the inn
It is Amina, who enters the room, walking in her sleep. Rodolfo, realising that her nocturnal wanderings have given rise to the story of the village phantom, is about to take advantage of her helpless state but is struck by her obvious innocence and refrains. She falls asleep on the sofa and he goes outside as the villagers are heard advancing on the inn to welcome their new lord. Lisa points to the sleeping Amina; and Elvino, believing her faithless, rejects her in fury. Only Teresa believes in her innocence.
Act 2
Scene 1: A woodOn their way to ask the count to attest to Amina's innocence, the villagers meet Amina and Teresa, on a similar mission. Elvino continues to reject Amina, even when the count sends a message that she is innocent. Elvino is not convinced and takes back the ring, though he is unable to tear her image from his heart.
Scene 2: The village, as in Act I
Elvino has decided to marry Lisa. They are about to go to the church when Rodolfo tries to explain that Amina is innocent because she had not come to his room awake - she is a somnambulist, a sleepwalker, but Elvino refuses to believe him.
Teresa begs the villagers to be quiet, because Amina has at last fallen into an exhausted sleep. Learning of the impending marriage, she confronts Lisa, who says that she has never been found alone in a man's room. Teresa produces the handkerchief Lisa had dropped. The Count refuses to comment, but continues to assert Amina's virtue. Elvino demands proof, which is dramatically produced when Amina is seen walking in her sleep across the high, dangerously unstable mill bridge. Rodolfo warns that to wake her would be fatal, so all watch as she relives her betrothal and her grief at Elvino's rejection. When she reaches the other side safely, Elvino calls to her and she wakes to find herself in his arms, to the rejoicing of all.
Noted arias
- "Come per me sereno" (Amina)
- "Prendi, l'anel ti dono" (Elvino)
- "Vi ravviso, o luoghi ameni" (Rodolfo)
- "Tutto è sciolto" (Elvino)
- "Ah! non credea mirarti" (Amina)
Audio
| Year | Cast (Amina, Elvino, Rodolfo, Lisa, Teresa) |
Conductor, Opera House and Orchestra |
Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Lina Pagliughi Lina Pagliughi Lina Pagliughi was an Italian-American opera singer. Based in Italy for the majority of her career, she made a number of recordings and established herself as one of the world's finest lyric coloratura sopranos of the 1930s and '40s.-Career:Pagliughi was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Italian... , Ferruccio Tagliavini Ferruccio Tagliavini Ferruccio Tagliavini was an Italian operatic tenor mainly active in the 1940s and 1950s... , Cesare Siepi Cesare Siepi Cesare Siepi was an Italian opera singer, generally considered to have been one of the finest basses of the post-war period. His voice was characterised by a deep, warm timbre, and a ringing, vibrant upper register. On stage, his tall, striking presence and elegance of phrasing made him a natural... , Wanda Ruggeri, Anna Maria Anelli |
Franco Capuana Franco Capuana Franco Capuana was an Italian conductor.Born in Fano in the Province of Pesaro and Urbino, he was the younger brother of mezzo-soprano Maria Capuana. He became associated with the Teatro di San Carlo in 1930 and La Scala in 1937. In 1940 he conducted the premiere of Ghedini's opera La pulce d'oro... , RAI Torino Orchestra and Chorus |
Audio CD: Preiser Records Cat: 20038 |
| 1955 | Maria Callas Maria Callas Maria Callas was an American-born Greek soprano and one of the most renowned opera singers of the 20th century. She combined an impressive bel canto technique, a wide-ranging voice and great dramatic gifts... , Cesare Valletti, Giuseppe Modesti, Eugenia Ratti, Gabriella Carturan |
Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, author, music lecturer and pianist. He was among the first conductors born and educated in the United States of America to receive worldwide acclaim... , La Scala La 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... Orchestra and Chorus (Recording of a performance at La Scala, 5 March 1955) |
DVD: EMI Cat: CMS 5 67906-2 |
| 1957 | Maria Callas Maria Callas Maria Callas was an American-born Greek soprano and one of the most renowned opera singers of the 20th century. She combined an impressive bel canto technique, a wide-ranging voice and great dramatic gifts... , Nicola Monti Nicola Monti Nicola Monti is an Italian opera singer, one of the leading tenori di grazia of the 1950s.Born in Milan, Italy, Monti studied voice from an early age, and made his debut in concert in Florence in 1941, and that same year sang his first major role, the Duke of Mantua, in Cagliari... , Nicola Zaccaria Nicola Zaccaria Nicola Zaccaria , born Nicholas Angelos Zachariou was a Greek bass.-Career:Born in Piraeus, Zaccaria studied at the Athens Conservatory where he enjoyed his debut in 1949, aged 26. He sang at La Scala in 1953 and his position as a mainstay of the bass operatic repertoire was assured thereafter. He... , Eugenia Ratti Eugenia Ratti Eugenia Ratti is an Italian soprano, particularly associated with the Italian repertory.She was born in Genoa, Italy, and studied with her mother, and later took private lessons with Tito Schipa, and made her stage debut at Sestri Levante in 1954.In January 1955, she first appeared at the Teatro... , Fiorenza Cossotto Fiorenza Cossotto Fiorenza Cossotto is an Italian mezzo soprano. She is considered by many to be one of the great mezzo-sopranos of the 20th century.-Life and career:... |
Antonino Votto Antonino Votto Antonino Votto was an Italian operatic conductor. Votto developed an extensive discography with the Teatro alla Scala in Milan during the 1950s, when EMI produced the bulk of its studio recordings featuring Maria Callas... , La Scala La 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... orchestra and chorus |
Audio CD: EMI Classics Cat: B000002RXR |
| 1962 | Joan Sutherland Joan Sutherland Dame Joan Alston Sutherland, OM, AC, DBE was an Australian dramatic coloratura soprano noted for her contribution to the renaissance of the bel canto repertoire from the late 1950s through to the 1980s.... , Nicola Monti Nicola Monti Nicola Monti is an Italian opera singer, one of the leading tenori di grazia of the 1950s.Born in Milan, Italy, Monti studied voice from an early age, and made his debut in concert in Florence in 1941, and that same year sang his first major role, the Duke of Mantua, in Cagliari... , Fernando Corena Fernando Corena Fernando Corena was a Turkish Swiss bass who had a major international opera career from the late 1940s through the early 1980s. He enjoyed a long and successful career at the Metropolitan Opera between 1954 and 1978, and was a regular presence at the Vienna State Opera between 1963 and 1981... , Sylvia Stahlman Sylvia Stahlman Sylvia Stahlman was an American soprano, particularly associated with light, coloratura roles.-Career:Stahlman was born in Nashville, Tennessee, and studied at The Juilliard School in New York City... , Margreta Elkins Margreta Elkins Margreta Elkins AM was an Australian mezzo-soprano of great renown. She sang at Covent Garden and with Opera Australia and other companies, but turned down offers to sing at the Metropolitan Opera, Bayreuth and Glyndebourne... |
Richard Bonynge Richard Bonynge Richard Alan Bonynge, AO, CBE is an Australian conductor and pianist.Bonynge was born in Sydney and educated at Sydney Boys High School before studying piano at the Royal College of Music in London. He gave up his music scholarship, continuing his private piano studies, and became a coach for... , Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Maggio Musicale Fiorentino is an annual opera festival which was founded in April 1933 by conductor Vittorio Gui with the aim of presenting contemporary and forgotten operas in visually dramatic productions. It was the first music festival in Italy. The first opera presented was Verdi's early... Orchestra and Chorus |
Audio CD: Decca Decca Records Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades.... Cat: 448 966-2; 455 823-2 (France) |
| 1980 | Joan Sutherland Joan Sutherland Dame Joan Alston Sutherland, OM, AC, DBE was an Australian dramatic coloratura soprano noted for her contribution to the renaissance of the bel canto repertoire from the late 1950s through to the 1980s.... , Luciano Pavarotti Luciano Pavarotti right|thumb|Luciano Pavarotti performing at the opening of the Constantine Palace in [[Strelna]], 31 May 2003. The concert was part of the celebrations for the 300th anniversary of [[St... , Nicolai Ghiaurov Nicolai Ghiaurov Nicolai Ghiaurov was a Bulgarian opera singer and one of the most famous bass singers of the postwar period. He was admired for his powerful, sumptuous voice, and was particularly associated with roles of Verdi.Ghiaurov married the Italian soprano Mirella Freni in 1978... , Isobel Buchanan Isobel Buchanan Isobel Buchanan is a Scottish operatic soprano.-Early life and career:Isobel Buchanan was born in Glasgow, Scotland. In 1971, she received a scholarship to the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, where in 1974, she was awarded with Student of the Year prize... , Della Jones Della Jones Della Jones , is a Welsh mezzo-soprano, particularly well-known for her interpretations of works by Handel, Mozart, Rossini, Donizetti, and Britten.-Life and career:Della Jones was born in Tonna, near Neath, Wales... |
Richard Bonynge Richard Bonynge Richard Alan Bonynge, AO, CBE is an Australian conductor and pianist.Bonynge was born in Sydney and educated at Sydney Boys High School before studying piano at the Royal College of Music in London. He gave up his music scholarship, continuing his private piano studies, and became a coach for... , National Philharmonic Orchestra National Philharmonic Orchestra The National Philharmonic Orchestra was a British orchestra created exclusively for recording purposes. It was founded by RCA producer Charles Gerhardt and orchestra leader / contractor Sidney Sax due in part to the requirements of the Reader's Digest-History:... London Opera Chorus |
Audio CD: Decca Decca Records Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades.... Cat: 417 424-2 |
| 1986 | Jana Valášková, Josef Kundlák, Peter Mikuláš, Eva Antolicová, Ján Gallo |
Ondrej Lenárd Ondrej Lenárd Ondrej Lenárd is a Slovakian conductor. He was principal conductor of the Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra from 1977 to 1990 and of the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra from 1991 to 2001, where his concert work included performances of Ján Bella's Wieland der Schmied. His recordings include a... , Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra The Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based in Bratislava, Slovakia.... Slovak Philharmonic Chorus |
Audio CD: Opus Opus (record label) OPUS is a former Czechoslovakia major state-owned record label and music publishing house based in Bratislava, now a label, Opus a.s., of Slovakia.... Cat: 9356 1928/29 |
| 1992 | Luba Orgonasova, Raúl Giménez, Francesco Ellero d'Artegna, Dilbèr, Alexandra Papadjiakou |
Alberto Zedda Alberto Zedda Alberto Zedda is an Italian conductor and musicologist, a specialist of the 19th century Italian repertoire.Zedda studied in his native Milan with Antonino Votto and Carlo Maria Giulini, and made his debut there as conductor in 1956, with Il barbiere di Siviglia... , Netherlands Radio Chamber Orchestra (Recording of a concert performance in the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam) |
Audio CD: Naxos Naxos Records Naxos Records is a record label specializing in classical music. Through a number of imprints, Naxos also releases genres including Chinese music, jazz, world music, and early rock & roll. The company was founded in 1987 by Klaus Heymann, a German-born resident of Hong Kong.Naxos is the largest... Cat: 8.660042/43 |
| 2006 | Natalie Dessay Natalie Dessay Natalie Dessay is a French coloratura soprano. She dropped the silent "h" in her first name in honor of Natalie Wood when she was in grade school and subsequently simplified the spelling of her surname outside France... , Francesco Meli Francesco Meli Francesco Meli is an Italian operatic tenor particularly associated with the bel canto reportoire. He began his vocal studies at age 17 with Norma Palacios at the Conservatorio di Musica "Niccolò Paganini" in Genoa. He later became a pupil of mezzo-soprano Franca Mattiucci... , Carlo Colombara Carlo Colombara Carlo Colombara is an Italian operatic bass. He has sung leading roles in many major opera houses including Teatro alla Scala ; the Vienna State Opera ; the Real Teatro di San Carlo ; the Arena di Verona ; the Royal Opera House , and The Metropolitan Opera Carlo Colombara (born in Bologna, Italy)... , Sara Mingardo Sara Mingardo Sara Mingardo is an Italian classical contralto who has had an active international career in concerts and operas since the 1980s. Her complete recording of Anna in Hector Berlioz's Les Troyens won a Gramophone Award and both the Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording and the Grammy Award for Best... , Jael Azzaretti |
Evelino Pido, Orchestra and Chorus of the Opéra de Lyon |
Audio CD: Virgin Classics Cat: 3 95138 2 |
| 2008 | Cecilia Bartoli Cecilia Bartoli Cecilia Bartoli is an Italian coloratura mezzo-soprano opera singer and recitalist. She is best-known for her interpretation of the music of Mozart and Rossini, as well as for her performances of lesser-known Baroque and classical music... , Juan Diego Flórez Juan Diego Flórez Juan Diego Flórez is a Peruvian operatic tenor, particularly known for his roles in bel canto operas. On June 4, 2007, he received his country's highest decoration, the Gran Cruz de la Orden del Sol del Perú.... , Ildebrando D'Arcangelo Ildebrando D'Arcangelo Ildebrando D'Arcangelo is an Italian bass-baritone opera singer.-Biography:A Native of Pescara, Abruzzo, D'Arcangelo began his studies in 1985 at the conservatory of Luisa D'Annunzio in Pescara, under Maria Vittoria Romano, honing his skills under Paride Venturi in Bologna.From 1989 to 1991 he... , Gemma Bertagnolli, Liliana Nikiteanu |
Alessandro De Marchi, Orchestra La Scintilla |
Audio CD: Decca Decca Records Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades.... Cat: 478 1084 |
Video
| Year | Cast (Amina, Elvino, Rodolfo, Lisa, Teresa) |
Conductor, Opera House and Orchestra |
Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Anna Moffo Anna Moffo Anna Moffo was an Italian-American opera singer and one of the leading lyric-coloratura sopranos of her generation... , Danilo Vega, Plinio Clabassi, Gianna Galli Gianna Galli Gianna Galli was an Italian operatic soprano who had an active international career from the 1950s through the 1970s. She specialized in the lyric soprano repertoire and was particularly known for her portrayals of Puccini heroines.-Singing career:Born in Modena, Galli began studying singing in... , Anna Maria Anelli |
Bruno Bartoletti Bruno Bartoletti Bruno Bartoletti is an Italian operatic conductor, particularly associated with the Italian repertory and contemporary works.... , RAI Milano Orchestra and Chorus (Video recording of a black and white television film) |
DVD: Video Artists International Cat: 4239 |
| 2004 | Eva Mei, José Bros, Giacomo Prestia, Gemma Bertagnolli, Nicoletta Curiel |
Daniel Oren Daniel Oren -Biography:Daniel Oren was born in Israel. When he was 13 years old, Oren was chosen by Leonard Bernstein to perform the boy solo part in Chichester Psalms. In 1975 he won first prize in the first Herbert von Karajan Conducting Competition.-Music career:... , RAI Maggio Musicale Fiorentino (Video recording made at performances in January 2004) |
DVD: TDK DVWW Cat: 4239 |
External links
- Francis Shelton, "Bellini: La sonnambula" (review of Cecilia Bartoli's performance in the title role, Festspielhaus, Baden-BadenBaden-BadenBaden-Baden is a spa town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on the western foothills of the Black Forest, on the banks of the Oos River, in the region of Karlsruhe...
, 10 April 2008), Musical Criticism. - Synopsis of La Sonnambula (The Metropolitan Opera)
- Video: "Prendi, l'anel ti dono" sung by Toti dal MonteToti Dal MonteAntonietta Meneghel , better known by her stage name Toti Dal Monte, was a celebrated Italian operatic soprano with a sweet and limpid lyric voice. She was a favourite artist of the celebrated conductor Arturo Toscanini...
and Tito SchipaTito SchipaTito Schipa was an Italian tenor. He is considered one of the finest tenori di grazia in operatic history... - Video: "Vi ravviso, o luoghi ameni" sung by Tancredi PaseroTancredi PaseroTancredi Pasero was an Italian bass who enjoyed a long and distinguished singing career in his native country and abroad.-Career & recordings:...
- Video: Ah! non credea mirarti" sung by Mariella DeviaMariella DeviaMariella Devia is an Italian soprano, well known for performing many roles in the bel canto repertoire.Born in Chiusavecchia, Devia trained at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome with Iolanda Magnoni...