Néron (opera)
Encyclopedia
Néron is a grand opera
in four acts by Anton Rubinstein
to a libretto
by Jules Barbier
, loosely based on the story of the Roman Emperor
, Émile Perrin
, in the 1860s. However the opera was never to be performed there. Rubinstein only got around to composing the score in 1875/6. The opera's premiere, in a German
translation, was at the Theater am Dammtor in Hamburg
on 1 October 1879. Its premiere in Russia
, on at the Mariinsky Theatre
, was in Italian
. The first performance of the opera in its original French
libretto was at Rouen
on 14 February 1894.
of Augustus. Nero, in hiding, is haunted by the spectres of his victims. Realizing that Vindex has tracked him down, he commits suicide with the assistance of Saccus. A shining Cross
appears in the sky.
is reported as interested in playing the title tole (which was once sung by Enrico Caruso) in a possible revival.
Grand Opera
Grand opera is a genre of 19th-century opera generally in four or five acts, characterised by large-scale casts and orchestras, and lavish and spectacular design and stage effects, normally with plots based on or around dramatic historic events...
in four acts by Anton Rubinstein
Anton Rubinstein
Anton Grigorevich Rubinstein was a Russian-Jewish pianist, composer and conductor. As a pianist he was regarded as a rival of Franz Liszt, and he ranks amongst the great keyboard virtuosos...
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 Jules Barbier
Jules Barbier
Paul Jules Barbier was a French poet, writer and opera librettist who often wrote in collaboration with Michel Carré...
, loosely based on the story of the Roman Emperor
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
Background
Néron has a complex history. It was originally commissioned from the composer by the director of the Paris OpéraParis Opera
The Paris Opera is the primary opera company of Paris, France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the Académie d'Opéra and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and renamed the Académie Royale de Musique...
, Émile Perrin
Émile Perrin
Émile-César-Victor Perrin was a French painter, mainly known as a theatre director and impresario, born in Rouen on 9 January 1814, died 8 October 1885. His son-in-law was Camille du Locle....
, in the 1860s. However the opera was never to be performed there. Rubinstein only got around to composing the score in 1875/6. The opera's premiere, in a German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
translation, was at the Theater am Dammtor in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
on 1 October 1879. Its premiere in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, on at the Mariinsky Theatre
Mariinsky Theatre
The Mariinsky Theatre is a historic theatre of opera and ballet in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Opened in 1860, it became the preeminent music theatre of late 19th century Russia, where many of the stage masterpieces of Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky, and Rimsky-Korsakov received their premieres. The...
, was in 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...
. The first performance of the opera in its original French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
libretto was at Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
on 14 February 1894.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 1 October 1879 |
|---|---|---|
| The Emperor Nero | 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... |
|
| Julius Vindex Prince of Aquitaine Aquitaine Aquitaine , archaic Guyenne/Guienne , is one of the 27 regions of France, in the south-western part of metropolitan France, along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the border with Spain. It comprises the 5 departments of Dordogne, :Lot et Garonne, :Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes... |
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... |
|
| Babilus of Ephesus Ephesus Ephesus was an ancient Greek city, and later a major Roman city, on the west coast of Asia Minor, near present-day Selçuk, Izmir Province, Turkey. It was one of the twelve cities of the Ionian League during the Classical Greek era... , a seer Seer Seer or Seers or SEER may refer to:Predicting the future* A clairvoyant, prophet, oracle, or diviner* The Seer , a fictional character on the television series Charmed... . |
bass | |
| Poppea Sabina, Nero's mistress | soprano | |
| Agrippina, Nero's mother | contralto Contralto Contralto is the deepest female classical singing voice, with the lowest tessitura, falling between tenor and mezzo-soprano. It typically ranges between the F below middle C to the second G above middle C , although at the extremes some voices can reach the E below middle C or the second B above... |
|
| Epicharis, a courtesan | contralto | |
| Chrysa, her daughter | soprano | |
| Saccus, a poet | tenor | |
| Tigellinus, prefect of the Praetorian Guard Praetorian Guard The Praetorian Guard was a force of bodyguards used by Roman Emperors. The title was already used during the Roman Republic for the guards of Roman generals, at least since the rise to prominence of the Scipio family around 275 BC... |
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... |
|
| Chorus: citizens, dancers, Christians, priests, slaves etc. | ||
Act I
The house of the courtesan Epicharis, where a party is taking place. Enter Chrysa, who begs Vindex to give her protection from a pursuing band of low-life, who invade the premises. Their leader turns out to be Nero in disguise. Saccus suggests that, by way of entertainment, a mock-marriage be arranged between Nero and Chrysa - she is forced to consent, but Epicharis rescues her by giving her a drug which makes her appear dead.Act II
Poppea's rooms in the Imperial Palace. Poppea looks forward to ascending the throne as Nero's wife. In the meantime Agrippina has kidnapped Chrysa to win favour with her son by presenting her to him. Enter Epicharis to ask Nero's help in finding her daughter - only to discover that he had believed Chrysa dead. Whilst he is ecstatic with the news that she lives, the jealous Poppea hands Chrysa over to Vindex to keep her out of the way. Nero meanwhile declares himself to be a God.Act III
A cottage owned by Epicharis. Vindex, guarding Chrysa, makes her a marriage proposal. Nero has however tracked down their refuge and also offers to marry her - which Chrysa declines. Enter Poppea to tell Nero that Rome is burning - which he already knows, as he began the conflagration. He praises the flames and curses the Christians. Chrysa reveals that she is a Christian herself. The house collapses, burying Chrysa and Epicharis.Act IV
The MausoleumMausoleum
A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons. A monument without the interment is a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type of tomb or the tomb may be considered to be within the...
of Augustus. Nero, in hiding, is haunted by the spectres of his victims. Realizing that Vindex has tracked him down, he commits suicide with the assistance of Saccus. A shining Cross
Christian cross
The Christian cross, seen as a representation of the instrument of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, is the best-known religious symbol of Christianity...
appears in the sky.
Tchaikovsky's opinion
After playing through the score, Peter Tchaikovsky wrote in his diary:[...] It infuriates me [...] The reason I play this loathsome thing is the consciousness of my own superiority - and that keeps up my strength. You think you are writing abominably, but then you look at this drivel which people have performed in all seriousness, and your soul feels lighter.
Mooted revival
The contemporary tenor Roberto AlagnaRoberto Alagna
Roberto Alagna is a French-Italian tenor. He was born in Clichy-sous-Bois, Seine-Saint-Denis, France.-Early years:Alagna was born outside of the city of Paris in 1963 to a family of Sicilian immigrants . As a teenager, the young Alagna began busking and singing pop in Parisian cabarets for tips...
is reported as interested in playing the title tole (which was once sung by Enrico Caruso) in a possible revival.
Sources
- Richard Taruskin, Néron, Grove Music Online, accessed 19 April 2010
- Philip S. Taylor, Anton Rubinstein: A Life in Music, Indianapolis, 2007