La straniera
Encyclopedia
La straniera is an opera
in two acts by Vincenzo Bellini
, from a libretto
by Felice Romani
, based on L'étrangère (1825) by Charles-Victor Prévot, vicomte d'Arlincourt
. It was composed in the autumn of 1828 and premiered in February 1829 in Milan
.
) married the Danish princess Ingeborg
in 1193. For unknown reasons, he separated from her the day after the wedding and sought an annulment from Pope Celestine III
. Ingeborg, however, insisted that the marriage had been consummated, and that she was his wife and the rightful Queen of France. Philip ultimately obtained an annulment through an assembly of French bishops. He then sought to marry Marguerite, daughter of William I, Count of Geneva, but she was kidnapped on the way to Paris by Thomas I of Savoy
, who married her instead. Ultimately, in 1196 Philip married Agnes of Merania
("la straniera"), the daughter of a nobleman, Bertold IV of Dalmatia
. Denmark continued to complain about Philip's treatment of Ingeborg and in 1200 Pope Innocent III
required Philip to take her back, rendering him essentially a bigamist and subject to excommunication. Agnes died in 1201, however, ending the threat of excommunication.
Bellini and librettist Romani took tremendous liberties with this already unusual story and devised a plot where the King, in order to resolve the problem of his double marriage, sends Agnes to live at a cottage on Lake Montolino. Philip then sends her brother to watch over her secretly, masquerading under the name Valdeburgo. Agnes has assumed the name of Alaide and hides under a veil. Count Arturo has fallen in love with her, in spite of his engagement to Isoletta, daughter of the Duke of Montolino. At this point the opera begins.
and Domenico Reina
in the leading roles. Alessandro Sanquirico designed the stage sets, and it was presented on a triple bill, along with the ballets Boundelmonte and L'avviso ai maritati. It was first presented in Vienna (1831), Paris, (1832), London (June 23, 1832), New York (November 10, 1834), and Lisbon (1835).
Few performances occurred after its presentation in Palermo
in 1840. The opera was revived in 1954 in Bellini's hometown of Catania
. It was revived again in 1968 at the Teatro Massimo
in Palermo, with Renata Scotto
in the title role. Scotto performed it again in Venice in 1970 with conductor Ettore Gracis, while in 1969 a concert performance at Carnegie Hall
featured Montserrat Caballé
under the baton of Anton Guadagno
. Recordings exist of all three of these presentations. The opera was performed again in concert in 1993, again at Carnegie Hall, with Renée Fleming
. A complete concert performance was given in November 2007 in London, with Patrizia Ciofi
(as Alaide), Dario Schmunck (Arturo), and Mark Stone (Valdeburgo) in the principal roles, conducted by David Parry
with the London Philharmonic Orchestra; a complete studio recording was made with these forces the same week
A wedding chorus proclaims the upcoming wedding of Isoletta, daughter of Montolino, to Count Arturo of Ravenstal. Isoletta fears her Arturo's changed attitude toward her. She tells Baron Valdeburgo that she believes Arturo has fallen in love with a mysterious woman living as a hermit in a hut by the lake. In the distance a crowd is heard following "la straniera" on the lake shore, cursing her as a witch. Count Montolino shares his daughter Isoletta's concerns, but is reassured by his friend Osburgo who promises to bring Arturo to his senses.
Scene 2
Arturo is at the hut of "la straniera" Alaide. He desires to know the identity of this mysterious woman. Inside the hut he sees a portrait of her dressed in royal robes, wearing jewels. Alaide enters and chastises Arturo for entering her hut. She tells him she will reveal nothing about her past and begs him never to return. She does, however, admit to an attraction to Arturo. She sends him away, warning that his persistence will be their ruin.
Scene 3
During a hunting expedition, Osburgo and Valdeburgo encounter Arturo. Osburgo begs him to return for his wedding to Isoletta. Arturo refuses, asking Valdeburgo to meet his true love. Arturo promises he will never see her again if Valdeburgo judges her unworthy. Valdeburgo, upon seeing Alaide, hails her and almost calls out her real name, but Alaide stops him. Valdeburgo tells Arturo that—for reasons he cannot reveal—Arturo must renounce any intentions toward Alaide. She cannot ever marry Arturo. Thinking Valdeburgo is his rival for Alaide's affections, Arturo attacks him with his sword. Alaide intervenes and begs Arturo to leave. She agrees to see him again—if for the last time.
Scene 4
Arturo, still mistakenly crazy with jealousy directed at Valdeburgo, is further infuriated when Osburgo tells him that he has overheard Valdeburgo and Alaide planning to flee together. Arturo duels with Valdeburgo who is wounded by Arturo's sword and falls in the lake. Alaide then appears and Arturo curses her. Alaide reveals that Valdeburgo is actually her brother. Arturo jumps in the lake in an effort to save Valdeburgo. A crowd attracted by the shouting finds Alaide standing with Arturo's bloody sword. They accuse her of murdering Valdeburgo and drag her off as a prisoner.
Alaide is brought to trial. Osburgo testifies against her. The presiding Priore (Prior) asks her name, and she responds only "la straniera." The Prior feels that he has heard her voice before. Arturo rushes in and proclaims her innocence and confesses his own guilt. However, Valdeburgo suddenly appears as well to announce that Arturo is innocent. The Prior again demands Alaide's name, which she refuses to reveal. But she does agree to lift her veil for the Prior. He gasps upon seeing her face and sends her off with Valdeburgo. Arturo is left alone, while the Prior chastises Osburgo for his false testimony against Alaide.
Scene 2
Arturo comes to beg Alaide's forgiveness and confess his love. But he encounters Valdeburgo outside her hut. Valdeburgo again pleads with Arturo to desist in his attentions toward Alaide. Arturo reluctantly agrees to return to marry Isoletta, but asks that Alaide attend his wedding so he can see her one last time. Valdeburgo agrees.
Scene 3
Isoletta, truly unhappy and understandably feeling ignored and unloved, prepares for her wedding. The wedding party appears. Valdeburgo tells Arturo that Alaide is present, but hidden. Arturo behaves badly toward Isoletta who threatens to stop the wedding. Alaide, Valdeburgo, Arturo and Isoletta all weep over their respective torments. Isoletta finally renounces Arturo. Alaide suddenly reveals herself and begs Isoletta to continue with the wedding, and starts to rush out of the church. Arturo abandons Isoletta at the altar and begs Alaide to run off with him. The Prior then announces to all that Alaide is in fact Queen Agnes. What's more, the Prior has just learned that the Queen's rival for the throne has died and she must now return to Paris. Arturo, rendered mad by this news, throws himself on his sword. Isoletta falls on his dead body. La Straniera/Alaide/Agnes must now return to fulfill her duty as Queen, abandoning all hope of personal happiness.
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 two acts 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...
, from a 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 L'étrangère (1825) by Charles-Victor Prévot, vicomte d'Arlincourt
Charles-Victor Prévot, vicomte d'Arlincourt
Charles-Victor Prévot, vicomte d'Arlincourt was a French novelist, born at the Château de Mérantais, Magny-les-Hameaux, Yvelines....
. It was composed in the autumn of 1828 and premiered in February 1829 in 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 ,...
.
Historical background
At the heart of the plot of this opera is a complicated series of historical events beginning at the end of the twelfth century. King Philip Augustus of France (Philip II of FrancePhilip II of France
Philip II Augustus was the King of France from 1180 until his death. A member of the House of Capet, Philip Augustus was born at Gonesse in the Val-d'Oise, the son of Louis VII and his third wife, Adela of Champagne...
) married the Danish princess Ingeborg
Ingeborg of Denmark, Queen of France
Ingeborg was a Danish-born queen consort of France.She was a daughter of Valdemar I of Denmark and Sofia of Minsk. Her maternal grandparents were Volodar of Minsk and Richeza of Poland...
in 1193. For unknown reasons, he separated from her the day after the wedding and sought an annulment from Pope Celestine III
Pope Celestine III
Pope Celestine III , born Giacinto Bobone, was elected Pope on March 21, 1191, and reigned until his death. He was born into the noble Orsini family in Rome, though he was only a cardinal deacon before becoming Pope...
. Ingeborg, however, insisted that the marriage had been consummated, and that she was his wife and the rightful Queen of France. Philip ultimately obtained an annulment through an assembly of French bishops. He then sought to marry Marguerite, daughter of William I, Count of Geneva, but she was kidnapped on the way to Paris by Thomas I of Savoy
Thomas I of Savoy
Thomas I or Tommaso I was Count of Savoy from 1189-1233. He was the son of Humbert III of Savoy and Beatrice of Viennois. His birth was seen as miraculous; his monkish father had despaired of having a male heir after three wives. Count Humbert sought counsel from St...
, who married her instead. Ultimately, in 1196 Philip married Agnes of Merania
Agnes of Merania
Agnes Maria of Andechs-Merania , queen of France, was the daughter of Bertold IV , who was Count of Andechs, a castle and territory near Ammersee, Bavaria and from 1183 duke of Merania . Her mother was Agnes of Rochlitz...
("la straniera"), the daughter of a nobleman, Bertold IV of Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
. Denmark continued to complain about Philip's treatment of Ingeborg and in 1200 Pope Innocent III
Pope Innocent III
Pope Innocent III was Pope from 8 January 1198 until his death. His birth name was Lotario dei Conti di Segni, sometimes anglicised to Lothar of Segni....
required Philip to take her back, rendering him essentially a bigamist and subject to excommunication. Agnes died in 1201, however, ending the threat of excommunication.
Bellini and librettist Romani took tremendous liberties with this already unusual story and devised a plot where the King, in order to resolve the problem of his double marriage, sends Agnes to live at a cottage on Lake Montolino. Philip then sends her brother to watch over her secretly, masquerading under the name Valdeburgo. Agnes has assumed the name of Alaide and hides under a veil. Count Arturo has fallen in love with her, in spite of his engagement to Isoletta, daughter of the Duke of Montolino. At this point the opera begins.
Performance history
The opera was first performed at the Teatro alla Scala, Milan on 14 February 1829, with Henriette Méric-LalandeHenriette Méric-Lalande
Henriette Méric-Lalande , was a French operatic soprano, one of the leading sopranos of the early 19th century.She was born at Dunkerque, the daughter and pupil of the conductor Jean-Baptiste Lalande. She made her stage debut in Nantes in 1814. In Paris, Castil-Blaze was impressed by her, and ...
and Domenico Reina
Domenico Reina
Domenico Reina was a Swiss bel canto tenor, notable for creating roles in the operas of Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti, Saverio Mercadante and other Italian composers....
in the leading roles. Alessandro Sanquirico designed the stage sets, and it was presented on a triple bill, along with the ballets Boundelmonte and L'avviso ai maritati. It was first presented in Vienna (1831), Paris, (1832), London (June 23, 1832), New York (November 10, 1834), and Lisbon (1835).
Few performances occurred after its presentation 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...
in 1840. The opera was revived in 1954 in Bellini's hometown 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...
. It was revived again in 1968 at the 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....
in Palermo, with Renata Scotto
Renata Scotto
Renata Scotto is an Italian soprano and opera director.Recognized for her sense of style, musicality and as a remarkable singer-actress, Scotto is considered one of the preeminent singers of her generation, specializing in the bel canto repertoire with excursions into the verismo and Verdi...
in the title role. Scotto performed it again in Venice in 1970 with conductor Ettore Gracis, while in 1969 a concert performance at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
featured Montserrat Caballé
Montserrat Caballé
Montserrat Caballé is a Spanish operatic soprano. Although she sang a wide variety of roles, she is best known as an exponent of the bel canto repertoire, notably the works of Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti and Verdi....
under the baton of Anton Guadagno
Anton Guadagno
Anton Guadagno was an Italian operatic conductor.Born in Castellammare del Golfo, Italy, Anton Guadagno studied at the Vincenzo Bellini Conservatory in Palermo and the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome. He worked with Herbert von Karajan while studying at the Salzburg Mozarteum, and won first...
. Recordings exist of all three of these presentations. The opera was performed again in concert in 1993, again at Carnegie Hall, with Renée Fleming
Renée Fleming
Renée Fleming is an American soprano specializing in opera and lieder. Fleming has a full lyric soprano voice.Fleming has performed coloratura, lyric, and lighter spinto soprano repertoires. She has sung roles in Italian, German, French, Czech, and Russian, aside from her native English. She also...
. A complete concert performance was given in November 2007 in London, with Patrizia Ciofi
Patrizia Ciofi
Patrizia Ciofi, born in Casole d'Elsa, Siena, on June 7, 1967, is an Italian operatic soprano. She is married to the conductor Luciano Acocella....
(as Alaide), Dario Schmunck (Arturo), and Mark Stone (Valdeburgo) in the principal roles, conducted by David Parry
David Parry (conductor)
David Parry is an English conductor who is particularly known for his work within the field of opera. Described as "a man of the theatre with whom directors love to work; he is good with singers; he knows the British opera world like the back of his hand...
with the London Philharmonic Orchestra; a complete studio recording was made with these forces the same week
Roles and original cast
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, February 14, 1829 (Conductor: - ) |
|---|---|---|
| Alaide, the stranger | 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... |
Henriette Méric-Lalande Henriette Méric-Lalande Henriette Méric-Lalande , was a French operatic soprano, one of the leading sopranos of the early 19th century.She was born at Dunkerque, the daughter and pupil of the conductor Jean-Baptiste Lalande. She made her stage debut in Nantes in 1814. In Paris, Castil-Blaze was impressed by her, and ... |
| Arturo, Count of Ravenstel | 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... |
Domenico Reina Domenico Reina Domenico Reina was a Swiss bel canto tenor, notable for creating roles in the operas of Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti, Saverio Mercadante and other Italian composers.... |
| Valdeburgo, Baron, secret brother of Alaide | 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... |
Antonio Tamburini Antonio Tamburini Antonio Tamburini was an Italian operatic baritone.Born in Faenza, then part of the Papal States, Tamburini studied the orchestral horn with his father and voice with Aldobrando Rossi, before making his debut as a singer, aged 18, in La contessa di colle erbose . He went on to become one of the... |
| Isoletta, fiancée of Arturo | 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... |
Caroline Unger Caroline Unger Caroline Unger was an Austro-Hungarian contralto.Born in Vienna, she studied in Italy; among her teachers were Aloysia Weber Lange and Domenico Ronconi. Her stage debut, in her native city, came in 1821, when she performed in Mozart's Così fan tutte, a performance for which Franz Schubert had... |
| Osburgo, confidant of Arturo | tenor | Luigi Asti |
| Il signore di Montolino, father of Isoletta | bass Bass (voice type) A bass is a type of male singing voice and possesses the lowest vocal range of all voice types. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, a bass is typically classified as having a range extending from around the second E below middle C to the E above middle C... |
Domenico Spiaggi |
| Il Priore degli Spedalieri | bass | Stanislao Marcionni |
Act 1
Scene 1A wedding chorus proclaims the upcoming wedding of Isoletta, daughter of Montolino, to Count Arturo of Ravenstal. Isoletta fears her Arturo's changed attitude toward her. She tells Baron Valdeburgo that she believes Arturo has fallen in love with a mysterious woman living as a hermit in a hut by the lake. In the distance a crowd is heard following "la straniera" on the lake shore, cursing her as a witch. Count Montolino shares his daughter Isoletta's concerns, but is reassured by his friend Osburgo who promises to bring Arturo to his senses.
Scene 2
Arturo is at the hut of "la straniera" Alaide. He desires to know the identity of this mysterious woman. Inside the hut he sees a portrait of her dressed in royal robes, wearing jewels. Alaide enters and chastises Arturo for entering her hut. She tells him she will reveal nothing about her past and begs him never to return. She does, however, admit to an attraction to Arturo. She sends him away, warning that his persistence will be their ruin.
Scene 3
During a hunting expedition, Osburgo and Valdeburgo encounter Arturo. Osburgo begs him to return for his wedding to Isoletta. Arturo refuses, asking Valdeburgo to meet his true love. Arturo promises he will never see her again if Valdeburgo judges her unworthy. Valdeburgo, upon seeing Alaide, hails her and almost calls out her real name, but Alaide stops him. Valdeburgo tells Arturo that—for reasons he cannot reveal—Arturo must renounce any intentions toward Alaide. She cannot ever marry Arturo. Thinking Valdeburgo is his rival for Alaide's affections, Arturo attacks him with his sword. Alaide intervenes and begs Arturo to leave. She agrees to see him again—if for the last time.
Scene 4
Arturo, still mistakenly crazy with jealousy directed at Valdeburgo, is further infuriated when Osburgo tells him that he has overheard Valdeburgo and Alaide planning to flee together. Arturo duels with Valdeburgo who is wounded by Arturo's sword and falls in the lake. Alaide then appears and Arturo curses her. Alaide reveals that Valdeburgo is actually her brother. Arturo jumps in the lake in an effort to save Valdeburgo. A crowd attracted by the shouting finds Alaide standing with Arturo's bloody sword. They accuse her of murdering Valdeburgo and drag her off as a prisoner.
Act 2
Scene 1Alaide is brought to trial. Osburgo testifies against her. The presiding Priore (Prior) asks her name, and she responds only "la straniera." The Prior feels that he has heard her voice before. Arturo rushes in and proclaims her innocence and confesses his own guilt. However, Valdeburgo suddenly appears as well to announce that Arturo is innocent. The Prior again demands Alaide's name, which she refuses to reveal. But she does agree to lift her veil for the Prior. He gasps upon seeing her face and sends her off with Valdeburgo. Arturo is left alone, while the Prior chastises Osburgo for his false testimony against Alaide.
Scene 2
Arturo comes to beg Alaide's forgiveness and confess his love. But he encounters Valdeburgo outside her hut. Valdeburgo again pleads with Arturo to desist in his attentions toward Alaide. Arturo reluctantly agrees to return to marry Isoletta, but asks that Alaide attend his wedding so he can see her one last time. Valdeburgo agrees.
Scene 3
Isoletta, truly unhappy and understandably feeling ignored and unloved, prepares for her wedding. The wedding party appears. Valdeburgo tells Arturo that Alaide is present, but hidden. Arturo behaves badly toward Isoletta who threatens to stop the wedding. Alaide, Valdeburgo, Arturo and Isoletta all weep over their respective torments. Isoletta finally renounces Arturo. Alaide suddenly reveals herself and begs Isoletta to continue with the wedding, and starts to rush out of the church. Arturo abandons Isoletta at the altar and begs Alaide to run off with him. The Prior then announces to all that Alaide is in fact Queen Agnes. What's more, the Prior has just learned that the Queen's rival for the throne has died and she must now return to Paris. Arturo, rendered mad by this news, throws himself on his sword. Isoletta falls on his dead body. La Straniera/Alaide/Agnes must now return to fulfill her duty as Queen, abandoning all hope of personal happiness.