La virtù dei strali d'Amore
Encyclopedia
La virtù dei strali d'Amore (The Power of Cupid
's Arrows) is an opera
in three acts by the Italian
composer Francesco Cavalli
to a libretto
by Giovanni Faustini
. It premiered at the Teatro San Cassiano
, Venice
in 1642 and was revived in Bologna
in 1648.
The opera was recently revived by Bowling Green State University
, in collaboration with the Eastman School of Music
, in the fall of 2007, and again at the Teatro Malibran
in Venice in September 2008.
.)
Prince Pallante of Thrace
and his servant Erino come upon Clarindo, Dalinda, and Alfisa, who tell him about Prince Darete, kidnapped by the sorceress Ericlea as revenge for spurning her advances. Pallante bemoans the fact that Clarindo and Dalinda can have each other, but he can never have his love, Princess Cleria of Cyprus
(Darete's sister), who spurns him although he rescued her. Pallante sees the servant Eumete, who tells him that she is waiting for his master Meonte to return. Cleria is pursued by Meonte, who has fallen in love with her, and cries for help; Pallante rushes to defend her and wounds Meonte. Eumete rushes to his side and, believing him dead, attempts to commit suicide, but is stopped by two sailors. Cleandra, a sorceress, appears and takes Meonte off in her ship to heal him.
Scene 2
Cleria recounts to her friends Clito and Leucippe the story of how Meonte tried to carry her off to his ship, but Pallante fought him off, and she, not wanting to be with either of them, ran away and wished them both dead. Her friends berate her for not being grateful to her rescuer, but Cleria blames the stars for her cruelty and swears that she will never love. Realizing that this is the wood where Ericlea is holding Darete captive, they flee. Pallante and Erino appear, quite confident that Meonte is dead. Erino advises Pallante to be more forceful and seize love; after Pallante exits, though, he says to himself that love is painful and he does not wish to subject himself to it. He falls asleep.
Scene 3
Ericlea and her evil spirits torture Darete.
A chorus of gods praises Venere
, the goddess of love; Venere and Amore
, her son and keeper of the arrows of love, praise each other’s powers of love. Marte
, god of war, asks Amore to take pity on Pallante and make Cleria love him. Amore insults Marte, who then threatens him, and Amore flees. Marte, Venere, and the chorus of gods warn that Amore and his arrows will be dangerous.
Scene 2
Erino tells Pallante about the evil spirits he saw the night before; they exit into the woods. Amore enters, vowing to punish Venere and Marte for mocking him, and to make sure that Pallante will never be happy. He falls asleep. Eumete enters, lamenting tormented love, and reveals to the audience that she is actually Erabena, as the daughter of the king of Athens
, and Meonte's spurned lover (Aria: “Weep, o rivers”). Seeing Amore asleep on the ground, she stabs him in anger with one of his own arrows; he wakes, suddenly desperately in love with her. She runs away and he pursues her.
Scene 3
Meonte thanks Cleandra for healing him and asks how he can repay her; she says that it is what she owes him for rescuing her from the magician Oronte. She prophesies that he will rejoice in love before the end of the day, and then will fight with a great lion. He wonders about the prophecies, then goes off to find Eumete.
Scene 4
Psiche
searches for her husband Amore, lamenting that this is her fate for having loved a youth. Fama
, goddess of rumor, tells her what happened with Amore and Erabena. Psiche appeals to Giove
, king of the gods, to help return Amore to her; Giove sends Saturno
and Mercurio
to earth to recover Amore.
Scene 5
Amore pursues Erabena, promising to make her a goddess if she returns his love. Erabena replies that love only brings suffering. She runs off, leaving Amore to lament his unrequited love. Mercurio and Saturno grab Amore and return him to the heavens, leaving his arrows scattered on the ground.
Pallante tells of his adoration of Cleria again; then, hearing her enter, he and Erino hide. Cleria begs her father, Evagora, to let her live as a follower of Diana
instead of getting married, but he advises her to love Pallante, as it is a fair reward for his having rescued her. Cleria says that she would rather marry Death. Evagora exits; Leucippe and Clito advise Cleria to love, but she says that she prefers her freedom. Seeing an arrow on the ground, she picks it up and accidentally pricks her finger. Pallante runs out to make sure she is all right, and she falls madly in love with him. They all marvel at how powerful Amore and his arrows are. Pallante tells Cleria that he must go rescue Darete, but he will soon return to her.
Scene 2
Meonte wanders in, searching for Eumete. He and Erabena find each other, and she recounts to him a dream in which Erabena accuses Meonte of unfaithfulness. Meonte admits that he has spurned her for Cleria, saying that it is not his fault, but Amore’s. When he says he would not return to Erabena, she challenges him to a duel as Erabena’s champion, using as her weapon one of Amore’s arrows. She stabs him, and he falls in love with her again. When she reveals himself, Meonte realizes what Cleandra’s prediction meant. Mercurio enters, telling Erabena that it is not permitted for a mortal to use Amore’s arrows, and takes the arrows away. Meonte and Eumete leave, and Mercurio invites all women to come with him and feel the power of Amore’s arrows (Aria: “Ladies, if you want to love”).
Scene 3
Pallante defeats Ericlea and her demons.
Scene 4
Darete appears, and Pallante explains to him what has happened. Meonte and Erabena appear; Meonte recognizes Pallante as the one who wounded him and challenges him to a fight. Erabena tries to stop them but cannot. Cleandra enters and stops the fight, revealing that Meonte and Pallante are long-lost brothers. Evagora is reunited with his son Darete, and promises Pallante Cleria’s hand in marriage. Erabena and Meonte rejoice at the change in destiny and love.
Scene 5
Amore, back in heaven, explains that time has cured his love for Erabena. Venere advises him to forget the fight with Marte, to which he agrees. Psiche demands to know why he left her; he says that it was the fault of his arrows. She replies that that is no excuse, and promises that she will have her vengeance in the form of many kisses.
Cupid
In Roman mythology, Cupid is the god of desire, affection and erotic love. He is the son of the goddess Venus and the god Mars. His Greek counterpart is Eros...
's Arrows) is an opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
in three acts by the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
composer Francesco Cavalli
Francesco Cavalli
Francesco Cavalli was an Italian composer of the early Baroque period. His real name was Pietro Francesco Caletti-Bruni, but he is better known by that of Cavalli, the name of his patron Federico Cavalli, a Venetian nobleman.-Life:Cavalli was born at Crema, Lombardy...
to 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 Giovanni Faustini
Giovanni Faustini
Giovanni Faustini was an Italian librettist and opera impresario of the 17th century. He is best remembered for his collaborations with the composer Francesco Cavalli.Faustini was born in Venice...
. It premiered at the Teatro San Cassiano
Teatro San Cassiano
The Teatro San Cassiano or Teatro di San Cassiano in Venice was the first public opera house when it opened in 1637. The theatre takes its name from the neighbourhood where it was located, the parish of San Cassiano near the Rialto. It was a stone building owned by the Venetian Tron family...
, 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...
in 1642 and was revived in Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
in 1648.
The opera was recently revived by Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University, often referred to as Bowling Green or BGSU, is a public, coeducational research university located in Bowling Green, Ohio, United States. The institution was granted a charter in 1910 by the State of Ohio as part of the Lowry Bill, which also established Kent State...
, in collaboration with the Eastman School of Music
Eastman School of Music
The Eastman School of Music is a music conservatory located in Rochester, New York. The Eastman School is a professional school within the University of Rochester...
, in the fall of 2007, and again at the Teatro Malibran
Teatro Malibran
The Teatro Malibran, formerly known as the Teatro San Giovanni Grisostomo, is an opera house in Venice known for its operatic importance in the 17th and 18th centuries...
in Venice in September 2008.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 1642 (Conductor: - ) |
|---|---|---|
| Erabena, princess of Athens Athens Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state... , disguised as the servant Eumete |
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... |
|
| Meonte, Erabena's wayward lover | 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... |
|
| Amore Cupid In Roman mythology, Cupid is the god of desire, affection and erotic love. He is the son of the goddess Venus and the god Mars. His Greek counterpart is Eros... , god of love |
soprano | |
| Pallante, prince of Thrace Thrace Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east... |
tenor | |
| Cleria, princess of Cyprus Cyprus Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the... |
soprano | |
| Erino, Pallante's servant | soprano | |
| Venere Aphrodite Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation.Her Roman equivalent is the goddess .Historically, her cult in Greece was imported from, or influenced by, the cult of Astarte in Phoenicia.... , goddess of love and mother of Amore |
soprano | |
| Marte Mars (mythology) Mars was the Roman god of war and also an agricultural guardian, a combination characteristic of early Rome. He was second in importance only to Jupiter, and he was the most prominent of the military gods worshipped by the Roman legions... , god of war and lover of Venere |
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... |
|
| Giove Jupiter (mythology) In ancient Roman religion and myth, Jupiter or Jove is the king of the gods, and the god of the sky and thunder. He is the equivalent of Zeus in the Greek pantheon.... , king of the gods |
baritone | |
| Mercurio Mercury (mythology) Mercury was a messenger who wore winged sandals, and a god of trade, the son of Maia Maiestas and Jupiter in Roman mythology. His name is related to the Latin word merx , mercari , and merces... , messenger of Giove |
tenor | |
| Saturno Saturn (mythology) In ancient Roman religion and myth, Saturn was a major god presiding over agriculture and the harvest time. His reign was depicted as a Golden Age of abundance and peace by many Roman authors. In medieval times he was known as the Roman god of agriculture, justice and strength. He held a sickle in... , god of the harvest |
baritone | |
| Aurora Aurora (mythology) Aurora is the Latin word for dawn, the goddess of dawn in Roman mythology and Latin poetry.Like Greek Eos and Rigvedic Ushas , Aurora continues the name of an earlier Indo-European dawn goddess, *Hausos.... , goddess of dawn |
soprano | |
| Fama Pheme In Greek mythology, Pheme was the personification of fame and renown, her favour being notability, her wrath being scandalous rumors. She was a daughter either of Gaia or of Hope, was described as "she who initiates and furthers communication" and had an altar at Athens... , goddess of rumor |
soprano | |
| Clito and Leucippe, Cleria's friends | soprani | |
| Cleandra, a good sorceress | soprano | |
| Darete, prince of Cyprus | baritone | |
| Ericlea, an evil sorceress | soprano | |
| Evagora, king of Cyprus | baritone | |
| Clarindo, a peasant | soprano | |
| Dalinda, his lover | soprano | |
| Alfisa, Dalinda’s sister | soprano | |
| Two sailors | tenor and baritone | |
Synopsis
(The order of scenes is taken from the 2007 production at BGSUBowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University, often referred to as Bowling Green or BGSU, is a public, coeducational research university located in Bowling Green, Ohio, United States. The institution was granted a charter in 1910 by the State of Ohio as part of the Lowry Bill, which also established Kent State...
.)
Act 1
Scene 1Prince Pallante of Thrace
Thrace
Thrace is a historical and geographic area in southeast Europe. As a geographical concept, Thrace designates a region bounded by the Balkan Mountains on the north, Rhodope Mountains and the Aegean Sea on the south, and by the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara on the east...
and his servant Erino come upon Clarindo, Dalinda, and Alfisa, who tell him about Prince Darete, kidnapped by the sorceress Ericlea as revenge for spurning her advances. Pallante bemoans the fact that Clarindo and Dalinda can have each other, but he can never have his love, Princess Cleria of Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
(Darete's sister), who spurns him although he rescued her. Pallante sees the servant Eumete, who tells him that she is waiting for his master Meonte to return. Cleria is pursued by Meonte, who has fallen in love with her, and cries for help; Pallante rushes to defend her and wounds Meonte. Eumete rushes to his side and, believing him dead, attempts to commit suicide, but is stopped by two sailors. Cleandra, a sorceress, appears and takes Meonte off in her ship to heal him.
Scene 2
Cleria recounts to her friends Clito and Leucippe the story of how Meonte tried to carry her off to his ship, but Pallante fought him off, and she, not wanting to be with either of them, ran away and wished them both dead. Her friends berate her for not being grateful to her rescuer, but Cleria blames the stars for her cruelty and swears that she will never love. Realizing that this is the wood where Ericlea is holding Darete captive, they flee. Pallante and Erino appear, quite confident that Meonte is dead. Erino advises Pallante to be more forceful and seize love; after Pallante exits, though, he says to himself that love is painful and he does not wish to subject himself to it. He falls asleep.
Scene 3
Ericlea and her evil spirits torture Darete.
Act 2
Scene 1A chorus of gods praises Venere
Aphrodite
Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation.Her Roman equivalent is the goddess .Historically, her cult in Greece was imported from, or influenced by, the cult of Astarte in Phoenicia....
, the goddess of love; Venere and Amore
Cupid
In Roman mythology, Cupid is the god of desire, affection and erotic love. He is the son of the goddess Venus and the god Mars. His Greek counterpart is Eros...
, her son and keeper of the arrows of love, praise each other’s powers of love. Marte
Mars (mythology)
Mars was the Roman god of war and also an agricultural guardian, a combination characteristic of early Rome. He was second in importance only to Jupiter, and he was the most prominent of the military gods worshipped by the Roman legions...
, god of war, asks Amore to take pity on Pallante and make Cleria love him. Amore insults Marte, who then threatens him, and Amore flees. Marte, Venere, and the chorus of gods warn that Amore and his arrows will be dangerous.
Scene 2
Erino tells Pallante about the evil spirits he saw the night before; they exit into the woods. Amore enters, vowing to punish Venere and Marte for mocking him, and to make sure that Pallante will never be happy. He falls asleep. Eumete enters, lamenting tormented love, and reveals to the audience that she is actually Erabena, as the daughter of the king of Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, and Meonte's spurned lover (Aria: “Weep, o rivers”). Seeing Amore asleep on the ground, she stabs him in anger with one of his own arrows; he wakes, suddenly desperately in love with her. She runs away and he pursues her.
Scene 3
Meonte thanks Cleandra for healing him and asks how he can repay her; she says that it is what she owes him for rescuing her from the magician Oronte. She prophesies that he will rejoice in love before the end of the day, and then will fight with a great lion. He wonders about the prophecies, then goes off to find Eumete.
Scene 4
Psiche
Cupid and Psyche
Cupid and Psyche , is a legend that first appeared as a digressionary story told by an old woman in Lucius Apuleius' novel, The Golden Ass, written in the 2nd century CE. Apuleius likely used an earlier tale as the basis for his story, modifying it to suit the thematic needs of his novel.It has...
searches for her husband Amore, lamenting that this is her fate for having loved a youth. Fama
Pheme
In Greek mythology, Pheme was the personification of fame and renown, her favour being notability, her wrath being scandalous rumors. She was a daughter either of Gaia or of Hope, was described as "she who initiates and furthers communication" and had an altar at Athens...
, goddess of rumor, tells her what happened with Amore and Erabena. Psiche appeals to Giove
Jupiter (mythology)
In ancient Roman religion and myth, Jupiter or Jove is the king of the gods, and the god of the sky and thunder. He is the equivalent of Zeus in the Greek pantheon....
, king of the gods, to help return Amore to her; Giove sends Saturno
Saturn (mythology)
In ancient Roman religion and myth, Saturn was a major god presiding over agriculture and the harvest time. His reign was depicted as a Golden Age of abundance and peace by many Roman authors. In medieval times he was known as the Roman god of agriculture, justice and strength. He held a sickle in...
and Mercurio
Mercury (mythology)
Mercury was a messenger who wore winged sandals, and a god of trade, the son of Maia Maiestas and Jupiter in Roman mythology. His name is related to the Latin word merx , mercari , and merces...
to earth to recover Amore.
Scene 5
Amore pursues Erabena, promising to make her a goddess if she returns his love. Erabena replies that love only brings suffering. She runs off, leaving Amore to lament his unrequited love. Mercurio and Saturno grab Amore and return him to the heavens, leaving his arrows scattered on the ground.
Act 3
Scene 1Pallante tells of his adoration of Cleria again; then, hearing her enter, he and Erino hide. Cleria begs her father, Evagora, to let her live as a follower of Diana
Diana (mythology)
In Roman mythology, Diana was the goddess of the hunt and moon and birthing, being associated with wild animals and woodland, and having the power to talk to and control animals. She was equated with the Greek goddess Artemis, though she had an independent origin in Italy...
instead of getting married, but he advises her to love Pallante, as it is a fair reward for his having rescued her. Cleria says that she would rather marry Death. Evagora exits; Leucippe and Clito advise Cleria to love, but she says that she prefers her freedom. Seeing an arrow on the ground, she picks it up and accidentally pricks her finger. Pallante runs out to make sure she is all right, and she falls madly in love with him. They all marvel at how powerful Amore and his arrows are. Pallante tells Cleria that he must go rescue Darete, but he will soon return to her.
Scene 2
Meonte wanders in, searching for Eumete. He and Erabena find each other, and she recounts to him a dream in which Erabena accuses Meonte of unfaithfulness. Meonte admits that he has spurned her for Cleria, saying that it is not his fault, but Amore’s. When he says he would not return to Erabena, she challenges him to a duel as Erabena’s champion, using as her weapon one of Amore’s arrows. She stabs him, and he falls in love with her again. When she reveals himself, Meonte realizes what Cleandra’s prediction meant. Mercurio enters, telling Erabena that it is not permitted for a mortal to use Amore’s arrows, and takes the arrows away. Meonte and Eumete leave, and Mercurio invites all women to come with him and feel the power of Amore’s arrows (Aria: “Ladies, if you want to love”).
Scene 3
Pallante defeats Ericlea and her demons.
Scene 4
Darete appears, and Pallante explains to him what has happened. Meonte and Erabena appear; Meonte recognizes Pallante as the one who wounded him and challenges him to a fight. Erabena tries to stop them but cannot. Cleandra enters and stops the fight, revealing that Meonte and Pallante are long-lost brothers. Evagora is reunited with his son Darete, and promises Pallante Cleria’s hand in marriage. Erabena and Meonte rejoice at the change in destiny and love.
Scene 5
Amore, back in heaven, explains that time has cured his love for Erabena. Venere advises him to forget the fight with Marte, to which he agrees. Psiche demands to know why he left her; he says that it was the fault of his arrows. She replies that that is no excuse, and promises that she will have her vengeance in the form of many kisses.