La vera costanza
Encyclopedia
La vera costanza Hob.
28/8, is an opera
tic dramma giocoso
by Joseph Haydn
. The Italian
libretto
was a shortened version of the one by Francesco Puttini set by Pasquale Anfossi
for the opera of the same name
given in Rome in 1776. The story explores the troubles of a sentimental heroine abandoned by a mad lover.
, Budapest
, Vienna
and Brno
between 1786 and 1792 under the title Der flatterhafte Liebhaber. In Paris
in 1791, it was performed as Laurette.
The opera was recorded in May 1976 by Philips
in association with the Radio Suisse Romande
and European Broadcasting Union
. Since 1980 the opera has revived on stage in Lyons (1980), Assisi (1982) and Vienna (1982). Bampton Classical Opera
gave performances in 2004, in English.
A village by the sea
A small boat has been driven ashore in a storm, and inhabitants of the fishing village help the four passengers to safety.
The Baroness Irene, the local landowner, her maid Lisetta, Marquis Ernesto (who is hoping to marry the Baroness), and a wealthy fop, Villotto are offered shelter in the cottage of Masino, head fisherman, and his sister Rosina.
The Baroness has heard rumours of an unsuitable entanglement between Rosina and her headstrong nephew Errico. To prevent this alliance she has decided that Rosina must be married off immediately to the foolish Villotto. She explains to Rosina the advantages of such a rich marriage. Rosina’s embarrassment and reluctance are taken by the Baroness to be just modesty, but Rosina is actually already secretly married to the Count who abandoned her, and by whom she has a young son.
Villotto is delighted by the idea of marrying Rosina but her brother Masino tries to convince him that he has no chance of winning her.
Count Errico arrives and threatens to shoot Villotto unless he abandons Rosina. Masino is then threatened by Ernesto; the Baroness has said that she will not marry him until her nephew is married, so it is in his interest for Rosina to accept Villotto immediately.
Villotto, after Errico’s threats, becomes more reluctant, much to the Baroness’s disgust. Lisetta adds to Masino’s confusion by declaring her love for him, and Errico decides to test Rosina’s constancy.
He speaks to her scornfully and offers her to Villotto, who has decided to escape from his predicament by seeking fortune in war. The Count advises him that love and war require similar boldness.
Rosina tells Lisetta of her misfortune, that five years ago, she met and married the Count. Villotto, inspired by the Count’s warlike talk resumes his attentions toward Rosina. Rosina appeals to the Baroness for death rather than a forced marriage with Villotto, Masino adds his voice, but the Baroness silences them both. A quarrel between Villotto and Masino is averted by Lisetta, who warns them that the Count and Ernesto are on their way. When Rosina begs for death, the Count embraces her; surprised by the Baroness the Count is shown a portrait of the woman she wishes him to marry. When he admires it Rosina fears that she has lost his love.
Act 2
Scene 1 The Baroness’s castle
Masino and Villotto are both bewildered by the circumstances. Ernesto pleads with Rosina to accept Villotto, explaining that he will then be able to marry the Baroness. This is overheard and misunderstood by the Baroness and the Count, who turn on Rosina. Villotto and Lisetta also reject her, and Rosina declares that death would be welcome for her were it not for her son, and she decides to flee.
The Count infuriated by her apparent infidelity commands Villotto to pursue and kill her and her brother.
Lisetta understands everyone’s mistake over what Ernesto said to Rosina, and comes to the Count saying that Rosina is in faithful to him and loves him. The Count, delirious and horrified at the thought of the murderous orders he has given Villotto, imagines himself to be Orpheus in search of his wife, rushes off to find her.
Scene 2 Rosina’s cottage and a partly ruined tower.
In despair, Rosina hides in the tower with her young son. Masino, exhausted from searching for her falls asleep.
Villotto finds him, draws his sword but is stopped from killing him by Lisetta, who then meets the Baroness and Ernesto. She tries to explain Rosina’s innocence but they fail to understand and go in search of Rosina. The Count enters, sees a crying child (his own son) and the boy leads him to Rosina. The Count repents and as the couple embrace they are found by all the other characters, and defy the rage of the Baroness and Ernesto.
Act 3
To separate Rosina and the Count, the Baroness has sent each a forged letter (supposedly written by the other) breaking off the relationship. Although at first angry each soon sees through the deception and swear love to each other. The Count acknowledges his wife and son to the Baroness and Ernesto and Rosina asks for forgiveness from the Baroness, who accepts defeat and promises to marry Ernesto. All sing praise to constancy and virtue.
Hoboken-Verzeichnis
The Hoboken-Verzeichnis is the catalogue of over 750 works by Joseph Haydn as compiled by Anthony van Hoboken.Unlike Ludwig von Köchel's catalogue of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's works, or Otto Erich Deutsch's catalogue of Franz Schubert's works, which are both arranged chronologically by date of...
28/8, is an opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
tic dramma giocoso
Dramma giocoso
Dramma giocoso is the name of a genre of opera common in the mid-18th century. The term is a contraction of "dramma giocoso per musica" and is essentially a description of the text rather than the opera as a whole...
by Joseph Haydn
Joseph Haydn
Franz Joseph Haydn , known as Joseph Haydn , was an Austrian composer, one of the most prolific and prominent composers of the Classical period. He is often called the "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet" because of his important contributions to these forms...
. The Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
was a shortened version of the one by Francesco Puttini set by Pasquale Anfossi
Pasquale Anfossi
Bonifacio Domenico Pasquale Anfossi was an Italian opera composer. Born in Taggia, Liguria, he studied with Niccolò Piccinni and Antonio Sacchini, and worked mainly in London, Venice and Rome....
for the opera of the same name
La vera costanza (Anfossi)
La vera costanza , is an operatic dramma giocoso in three acts by Pasquale Anfossi. The comédie larmoyante-influenced Italian libretto was by Francesco Puttini. The opera preceded Joseph Haydn's better known setting of the same libretto by three years.-Performance history:The work was first...
given in Rome in 1776. The story explores the troubles of a sentimental heroine abandoned by a mad lover.
Performance history
The work was written for the Eszterházy court and first performed on 25 April 1779. It was revived there in April 1785 when Haydn apparently had to re-create much of the opera from memory, the original having been largely lost. It was given in BratislavaBratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
, Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Vienna
Vienna
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...
and Brno
Brno
Brno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
between 1786 and 1792 under the title Der flatterhafte Liebhaber. In 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...
in 1791, it was performed as Laurette.
The opera was recorded in May 1976 by Philips
Philips Classics Records
Philips Classics Records was started in the 1980s as the new classics record label for Philips Records. It was successful with artists including Alfred Brendel, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Sir Neville Marriner and the Academy of St...
in association with the Radio Suisse Romande
Radio Suisse Romande
Radio suisse romande is an enterprise unit within public-broadcasting corporation SRG SSR. It is responsible for the production and transmission of French-language radio programmes in Switzerland...
and European Broadcasting Union
European Broadcasting Union
The European Broadcasting Union is a confederation of 74 broadcasting organisations from 56 countries, and 49 associate broadcasters from a further 25...
. Since 1980 the opera has revived on stage in Lyons (1980), Assisi (1982) and Vienna (1982). Bampton Classical Opera
Bampton Classical Opera
Bampton Classical Opera is an opera company based in Bampton, Oxfordshire specialising in the production of lesser known opera from the Classical period...
gave performances in 2004, in English.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 25 April 1779 (Conductor: – ) |
|---|---|---|
| Count Errico, secret husband of Rosina | tenor Tenor The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2... |
Andrea Totti |
| Rosina, a fisherwoman | 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... |
Barbara Ripamonti |
| Baroness Irene, Count Errico's aunt | soprano | Catharina Poschva |
| Lisetta, the baroness's maid | soprano | Marianna (Anna) Zannini |
| Marquis Ernesto, friend of Errico | tenor | Vito Ungricht |
| Masino, fisherman, Rosina's brother | tenor | Leopold Dichtler |
| Villotto, a wealthy but doltish gentleman | 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... |
Benedetto Bianchi |
Instrumentation
The opera is scored for one (or two) flutes, two oboes, two bassoons, two horns, timpani, strings, continuo.Synopsis
Act OneA village by the sea
A small boat has been driven ashore in a storm, and inhabitants of the fishing village help the four passengers to safety.
The Baroness Irene, the local landowner, her maid Lisetta, Marquis Ernesto (who is hoping to marry the Baroness), and a wealthy fop, Villotto are offered shelter in the cottage of Masino, head fisherman, and his sister Rosina.
The Baroness has heard rumours of an unsuitable entanglement between Rosina and her headstrong nephew Errico. To prevent this alliance she has decided that Rosina must be married off immediately to the foolish Villotto. She explains to Rosina the advantages of such a rich marriage. Rosina’s embarrassment and reluctance are taken by the Baroness to be just modesty, but Rosina is actually already secretly married to the Count who abandoned her, and by whom she has a young son.
Villotto is delighted by the idea of marrying Rosina but her brother Masino tries to convince him that he has no chance of winning her.
Count Errico arrives and threatens to shoot Villotto unless he abandons Rosina. Masino is then threatened by Ernesto; the Baroness has said that she will not marry him until her nephew is married, so it is in his interest for Rosina to accept Villotto immediately.
Villotto, after Errico’s threats, becomes more reluctant, much to the Baroness’s disgust. Lisetta adds to Masino’s confusion by declaring her love for him, and Errico decides to test Rosina’s constancy.
He speaks to her scornfully and offers her to Villotto, who has decided to escape from his predicament by seeking fortune in war. The Count advises him that love and war require similar boldness.
Rosina tells Lisetta of her misfortune, that five years ago, she met and married the Count. Villotto, inspired by the Count’s warlike talk resumes his attentions toward Rosina. Rosina appeals to the Baroness for death rather than a forced marriage with Villotto, Masino adds his voice, but the Baroness silences them both. A quarrel between Villotto and Masino is averted by Lisetta, who warns them that the Count and Ernesto are on their way. When Rosina begs for death, the Count embraces her; surprised by the Baroness the Count is shown a portrait of the woman she wishes him to marry. When he admires it Rosina fears that she has lost his love.
Act 2
Scene 1 The Baroness’s castle
Masino and Villotto are both bewildered by the circumstances. Ernesto pleads with Rosina to accept Villotto, explaining that he will then be able to marry the Baroness. This is overheard and misunderstood by the Baroness and the Count, who turn on Rosina. Villotto and Lisetta also reject her, and Rosina declares that death would be welcome for her were it not for her son, and she decides to flee.
The Count infuriated by her apparent infidelity commands Villotto to pursue and kill her and her brother.
Lisetta understands everyone’s mistake over what Ernesto said to Rosina, and comes to the Count saying that Rosina is in faithful to him and loves him. The Count, delirious and horrified at the thought of the murderous orders he has given Villotto, imagines himself to be Orpheus in search of his wife, rushes off to find her.
Scene 2 Rosina’s cottage and a partly ruined tower.
In despair, Rosina hides in the tower with her young son. Masino, exhausted from searching for her falls asleep.
Villotto finds him, draws his sword but is stopped from killing him by Lisetta, who then meets the Baroness and Ernesto. She tries to explain Rosina’s innocence but they fail to understand and go in search of Rosina. The Count enters, sees a crying child (his own son) and the boy leads him to Rosina. The Count repents and as the couple embrace they are found by all the other characters, and defy the rage of the Baroness and Ernesto.
Act 3
To separate Rosina and the Count, the Baroness has sent each a forged letter (supposedly written by the other) breaking off the relationship. Although at first angry each soon sees through the deception and swear love to each other. The Count acknowledges his wife and son to the Baroness and Ernesto and Rosina asks for forgiveness from the Baroness, who accepts defeat and promises to marry Ernesto. All sing praise to constancy and virtue.
Music
The overture leads directly to the opening ‘shipwreck’ sextet. Haydn’s finales for Acts 1 and 2 aspire to the Mozartian ideal in their attention to details of textual structure, characterization, location and stage events, pointing to Haydn’s capable dramatic technique. Other highlights are the four-part aria with horns and timpani for the Count “A trionfar t’invita”, Rosina’s laments “Dove fuggo” and “Care spiagge”.Sources
- Clark, Caryl (1992), 'Vera costanza, La' in The New Grove Dictionary of OperaNew Grove Dictionary of OperaThe New Grove Dictionary of Opera is an encyclopedia of opera, considered to be one of the best general reference sources on the subject. It is the largest work on opera in English, and in its printed form, amounts to 5,448 pages in four volumes....
, ed. Stanley Sadie (London) ISBN 0-333-73432-7