1.
I vespri siciliani
–
The story is loosely based on a historical event, the Sicilian Vespers of 1282, using material drawn from the medieval Sicilian tract Lu rebellamentu di Sichilia. After its June 1855 Paris premiere, an Italian libretto was prepared using a new title because Verdi realized that it would have been impossible to place the story in Sicily. Based on Scribes suggestions for changing the location, it became Portugal in 1640 while under Spanish control and this version was first performed at the Teatro Regio in Parma on 26 December 1855. As Les vêpres It was first performed at the Paris Opéra on 13 June 1855, however, after a few performances, the opera disappeared and was replaced by the French version of Il trovatore, Le trouvère. Except for this one revival in Paris in 1863, it vanished from the Parisian stage altogether An Italian libretto was prepared under Verdis supervision by the poet Ettore Caimi. The composer was aware that in Italy at that time, it was not possible to retain the Sicilian location, as he notes to his publisher Giulio Ricordi in April 1855, the subject so as to render it acceptable for Italian theatres. The title became Giovanna de Guzman, but for reasons it was known variously as Giovanna Braganza, Giovanna di Sicilia. Overall, Verdi was not happy with the translation, which Budden regards as one of the worst ever perpetrated, however, some improvements were made when the opera reverted to its translated Italian title after 1861. Finally, by July 1856, Verdi sanctioned the removal of the ballet, and, with rare exceptions. The UK premiere took place on 27 July 1859 at the Drury Lane Theatre in London while on 7 November of that year, from 1856 forward, it has been almost always performed in the Italian version. The UK premiere took place on 27 July 1859 at the Drury Lane Theatre in London while on 7 November of that year, the Metropolitan Opera in New York has staged this version 114 times since 1893, the most recent being 2004. Companies which plan to present or have presented all of Verdis works include the Sarasota Opera, ABAO in Bilbao Spain, today, the opera is given occasionally but is not regarded as a mainstay of the repertoire. Place, Palermo, Italy Time,1282 Palermos main square Tebaldo, Roberto, as they offer a toast to their homeland, they are observed by the local Sicilians, unhappy with the occupation. Elena enters dressed in mourning for her executed brother, somewhat drunk, Roberto demands that she sing and she calmly agrees. Her song, about the perils of seamen and Gods cry of let dangers be scorned, when the governor, Montforte, enters the crowd calms down. Then Arrigo announces that he has released from prison. Alone with Arrigo, Montforte offers him a position with the French as long as he stays away from Elena and he refuses, and immediately follows Elena into the palace. Beside the sea Procida lands on the shore from a fishing boat
I vespri siciliani
–
Scene from the opera (Lithograph by Roberto Focosi)
2.
Italy
–
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a unitary parliamentary republic in Europe. Located in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea, Italy shares open land borders with France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, San Marino, Italy covers an area of 301,338 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal and Mediterranean climate. Due to its shape, it is referred to in Italy as lo Stivale. With 61 million inhabitants, it is the fourth most populous EU member state, the Italic tribe known as the Latins formed the Roman Kingdom, which eventually became a republic that conquered and assimilated other nearby civilisations. The legacy of the Roman Empire is widespread and can be observed in the distribution of civilian law, republican governments, Christianity. The Renaissance began in Italy and spread to the rest of Europe, bringing a renewed interest in humanism, science, exploration, Italian culture flourished at this time, producing famous scholars, artists and polymaths such as Leonardo da Vinci, Galileo, Michelangelo and Machiavelli. The weakened sovereigns soon fell victim to conquest by European powers such as France, Spain and Austria. Despite being one of the victors in World War I, Italy entered a period of economic crisis and social turmoil. The subsequent participation in World War II on the Axis side ended in defeat, economic destruction. Today, Italy has the third largest economy in the Eurozone and it has a very high level of human development and is ranked sixth in the world for life expectancy. The country plays a prominent role in regional and global economic, military, cultural and diplomatic affairs, as a reflection of its cultural wealth, Italy is home to 51 World Heritage Sites, the most in the world, and is the fifth most visited country. The assumptions on the etymology of the name Italia are very numerous, according to one of the more common explanations, the term Italia, from Latin, Italia, was borrowed through Greek from the Oscan Víteliú, meaning land of young cattle. The bull was a symbol of the southern Italic tribes and was often depicted goring the Roman wolf as a defiant symbol of free Italy during the Social War. Greek historian Dionysius of Halicarnassus states this account together with the legend that Italy was named after Italus, mentioned also by Aristotle and Thucydides. The name Italia originally applied only to a part of what is now Southern Italy – according to Antiochus of Syracuse, but by his time Oenotria and Italy had become synonymous, and the name also applied to most of Lucania as well. The Greeks gradually came to apply the name Italia to a larger region, excavations throughout Italy revealed a Neanderthal presence dating back to the Palaeolithic period, some 200,000 years ago, modern Humans arrived about 40,000 years ago. Other ancient Italian peoples of undetermined language families but of possible origins include the Rhaetian people and Cammuni. Also the Phoenicians established colonies on the coasts of Sardinia and Sicily, the Roman legacy has deeply influenced the Western civilisation, shaping most of the modern world
Italy
–
The
Colosseum in Rome, built c. 70 – 80 AD, is considered one of the greatest works of
architecture and
engineering of ancient history.
Italy
–
Flag
Italy
–
The
Iron Crown of Lombardy, for centuries symbol of the
Kings of Italy.
Italy
–
Castel del Monte, built by German Emperor
Frederick II,
UNESCO World Heritage site
3.
Romanticism
–
Romanticism was characterized by its emphasis on emotion and individualism as well as glorification of all the past and nature, preferring the medieval rather than the classical. It was embodied most strongly in the arts, music, and literature, but had a major impact on historiography, education. It elevated folk art and ancient custom to something noble, Romanticism assigned a high value to the achievements of heroic individualists and artists, whose examples, it maintained, would raise the quality of society. It also promoted the individual imagination as a critical authority allowed of freedom from classical notions of form in art, there was a strong recourse to historical and natural inevitability, a Zeitgeist, in the representation of its ideas. In the second half of the 19th century, Realism was offered as a polar opposite to Romanticism, the decline of Romanticism during this time was associated with multiple processes, including social and political changes and the spread of nationalism. Defining the nature of Romanticism may be approached from the point of the primary importance of the free expression of the feelings of the artist. The importance the Romantics placed on emotion is summed up in the remark of the German painter Caspar David Friedrich that the feeling is his law. Samuel Taylor Coleridge and others believed there were laws that the imagination—at least of a good creative artist—would unconsciously follow through artistic inspiration if left alone. As well as rules, the influence of models from other works was considered to impede the creators own imagination, so that originality was essential. The concept of the genius, or artist who was able to produce his own work through this process of creation from nothingness, is key to Romanticism. This idea is called romantic originality. Not essential to Romanticism, but so widespread as to be normative, was a strong belief, however, this is particularly in the effect of nature upon the artist when he is surrounded by it, preferably alone. Romantic art addressed its audiences with what was intended to be felt as the voice of the artist. So, in literature, much of romantic poetry invited the reader to identify the protagonists with the poets themselves. In both French and German the closeness of the adjective to roman, meaning the new literary form of the novel, had some effect on the sense of the word in those languages. It is only from the 1820s that Romanticism certainly knew itself by its name, the period typically called Romantic varies greatly between different countries and different artistic media or areas of thought. Margaret Drabble described it in literature as taking place roughly between 1770 and 1848, and few dates much earlier than 1770 will be found. In English literature, M. H. Abrams placed it between 1789, or 1798, this latter a very typical view, and about 1830, however, in most fields the Romantic Period is said to be over by about 1850, or earlier
Romanticism
–
Caspar David Friedrich,
Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog, 1818
Romanticism
–
Eugène Delacroix,
Death of Sardanapalus, 1827, taking its
Orientalist subject from a play by
Lord Byron
Romanticism
–
Philipp Otto Runge, The Morning, 1808
Romanticism
–
William Blake,
The Little Girl Found, from
Songs of Innocence and Experience, 1794
4.
Composer
–
A composer is a person who creates or writes music, which can be vocal music, instrumental music or music which combines both instruments and voices. The core meaning of the term refers to individuals who have contributed to the tradition of Western classical music through creation of works expressed in written musical notation, many composers are also skilled performers, either as singers, instrumentalists, and/or conductors. Examples of composers who are well known for their ability as performers include J. S. Bach, Mozart. In many popular genres, such as rock and country. For a singer or instrumental performer, the process of deciding how to perform music that has previously composed and notated is termed interpretation. Different performers interpretations of the work of music can vary widely, in terms of the tempos that are chosen. Composers and songwriters who present their own music are interpreting, just as much as those who perform the music of others, although a musical composition often has a single author, this is not always the case. A piece of music can also be composed with words, images, or, in the 20th and 21st century, a culture eventually developed whereby faithfulness to the composers written intention came to be highly valued. This musical culture is almost certainly related to the esteem in which the leading classical composers are often held by performers. The movement might be considered a way of creating greater faithfulness to the original in works composed at a time that expected performers to improvise. In Classical music, the composer typically orchestrates her own compositions, in some cases, a pop songwriter may not use notation at all, and instead compose the song in her mind and then play or record it from memory. In jazz and popular music, notable recordings by influential performers are given the weight that written scores play in classical music. The level of distinction between composers and other musicians varies, which issues such as copyright and the deference given to individual interpretations of a particular piece of music. In the development of European classical music, the function of composing music initially did not have greater importance than that of performing it. The preservation of individual compositions did not receive attention and musicians generally had no qualms about modifying compositions for performance. In as much as the role of the composer in western art music has seen continued solidification, for instance, in certain contexts the line between composer and performer, sound designer, arranger, producer, and other roles, can be quite blurred. The term composer is often used to refer to composers of music, such as those found in classical, jazz or other forms of art. In popular and folk music, the composer is usually called a songwriter and this is distinct from a 19th-century conception of instrumental composition, where the work was represented solely by a musical score to be interpreted by performers
Composer
–
French composer
Louis-Nicolas Clérambault composing at the keyboard
5.
Giuseppe Verdi
–
Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was an Italian opera composer. Verdi was born near Busseto to a family of moderate means. Verdi came to dominate the Italian opera scene after the era of Bellini, Donizetti and Rossini, whose works influenced him. In his early operas Verdi demonstrated a sympathy with the Risorgimento movement which sought the unification of Italy and he also participated briefly as an elected politician. He surprised the world by returning, after his success with the opera Aida. The baptismal register, prepared on 11 October 1813, lists his parents Carlo, additionally, it lists Verdi as being born yesterday, but since days were often considered to begin at sunset, this could have meant either 9 or 10 October. Verdi himself, following his mother, always celebrated his birthday on 9 October, Verdi had a younger sister, Giuseppa, who died aged 17 in 1833. From the age of four, Verdi was given lessons in Latin and Italian by the village schoolmaster, Baistrocchi. After learning to play the organ, he showed so much interest in music that his parents provided him with a spinet. Verdis gift for music was apparent by 1820–21 when he began his association with the local church, serving in the choir, acting as an altar boy for a while. After Baistrocchis death, Verdi, at the age of eight, Carlo Verdi was energetic in furthering his sons education. something which Verdi tended to hide in later life. He picture emerges of youthful precocity eagerly nurtured by a father and of a sustained, sophisticated. Verdi returned to Busseto regularly to play the organ on Sundays, at age 11, Verdi received schooling in Italian, Latin, the humanities, and rhetoric. By the time he was 12, he began lessons with Ferdinando Provesi, maestro di cappella at San Bartolomeo, director of the music school. This information comes from the Autobiographical Sketch which Verdi dictated to the publisher Giulio Ricordi late in life, in 1879, written, understandably, with the benefit of hindsight, it is not always reliable when dealing with issues more contentious than those of his childhood. The other director of the Philharmonic Society was Antonio Barezzi, a grocer and distiller. The young Verdi did not immediately become involved with the Philharmonic, by June 1827, he had graduated with honours from the Ginnasio and was able to focus solely on music under Provesi. By 1829–30, Verdi had established himself as a leader of the Philharmonic, none of us could rival him reported the secretary of the organisation, Giuseppe Demaldè
Giuseppe Verdi
–
Giuseppe Verdi Portrait by
Giovanni Boldini, 1886
Giuseppe Verdi
–
Verdi's childhood home at Le Roncole.
Giuseppe Verdi
–
Antonio Barezzi, Verdi's patron and later father-in-law
Giuseppe Verdi
–
Margherita Barezzi, Verdi's first wife.
6.
French language
–
French is a Romance language of the Indo-European family. It descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire, as did all Romance languages, French has evolved from Gallo-Romance, the spoken Latin in Gaul, and more specifically in Northern Gaul. Its closest relatives are the other langues doïl—languages historically spoken in northern France and in southern Belgium, French was also influenced by native Celtic languages of Northern Roman Gaul like Gallia Belgica and by the Frankish language of the post-Roman Frankish invaders. Today, owing to Frances past overseas expansion, there are numerous French-based creole languages, a French-speaking person or nation may be referred to as Francophone in both English and French. French is a language in 29 countries, most of which are members of la francophonie. As of 2015, 40% of the population is in Europe, 35% in sub-Saharan Africa, 15% in North Africa and the Middle East, 8% in the Americas. French is the fourth-most widely spoken mother tongue in the European Union, 1/5 of Europeans who do not have French as a mother tongue speak French as a second language. As a result of French and Belgian colonialism from the 17th and 18th century onward, French was introduced to new territories in the Americas, Africa, most second-language speakers reside in Francophone Africa, in particular Gabon, Algeria, Mauritius, Senegal and Ivory Coast. In 2015, French was estimated to have 77 to 110 million native speakers, approximately 274 million people are able to speak the language. The Organisation internationale de la Francophonie estimates 700 million by 2050, in 2011, Bloomberg Businessweek ranked French the third most useful language for business, after English and Standard Mandarin Chinese. Under the Constitution of France, French has been the language of the Republic since 1992. France mandates the use of French in official government publications, public education except in specific cases, French is one of the four official languages of Switzerland and is spoken in the western part of Switzerland called Romandie, of which Geneva is the largest city. French is the language of about 23% of the Swiss population. French is also a language of Luxembourg, Monaco, and Aosta Valley, while French dialects remain spoken by minorities on the Channel Islands. A plurality of the worlds French-speaking population lives in Africa and this number does not include the people living in non-Francophone African countries who have learned French as a foreign language. Due to the rise of French in Africa, the total French-speaking population worldwide is expected to reach 700 million people in 2050, French is the fastest growing language on the continent. French is mostly a language in Africa, but it has become a first language in some urban areas, such as the region of Abidjan, Ivory Coast and in Libreville. There is not a single African French, but multiple forms that diverged through contact with various indigenous African languages, sub-Saharan Africa is the region where the French language is most likely to expand, because of the expansion of education and rapid population growth
French language
–
The
"arrêt" signs (French for "stop") are used in
Canada while the international stop, which is also a valid French word, is used in France as well as other French-speaking countries and regions.
French language
–
Regions where French is the main language
French language
–
Town sign in
Standard Arabic and French at the entrance of
Rechmaya in
Lebanon.
French language
–
An obsolete 100
Lebanese pound note with the French language inscriptions "Banque du Liban" and "Cent livres".
7.
Libretto
–
A libretto is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or musical. The term libretto is also used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as the Mass, requiem and sacred cantata. Libretto, from Italian, is the diminutive of the word libro, sometimes other language equivalents are used for libretti in that language, livret for French works and Textbuch for German. A libretto is distinct from a synopsis or scenario of the plot, in that the libretto contains all the words and stage directions, while a synopsis summarizes the plot. The relationship of the librettist to the composer in the creation of a work has varied over the centuries, as have the sources. In the context of a modern English language musical theatre piece, Libretti for operas, oratorios and cantatas in the 17th and 18th centuries generally were written by someone other than the composer, often a well-known poet. Metastasio was one of the most highly regarded librettists in Europe and his libretti were set many times by many different composers. Another noted 18th-century librettist was Lorenzo Da Ponte, who wrote the libretti for three of Mozarts greatest operas, as well as for other composers. Eugène Scribe was one of the most prolific librettists of the 19th century, providing the words for works by Meyerbeer, Auber, Bellini, Donizetti, Rossini and Verdi. The French writers duo Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy wrote a number of opera and operetta libretti for the likes of Jacques Offenbach, Jules Massenet. Arrigo Boito, who wrote libretti for, among others, Giuseppe Verdi and Amilcare Ponchielli, the libretto is not always written before the music. Some composers wrote their own libretti, Richard Wagner is perhaps most famous in this regard, with his transformations of Germanic legends and events into epic subjects for his operas and music dramas. Hector Berlioz, too, wrote the libretti for two of his works, La Damnation de Faust and Les Troyens. Alban Berg adapted Georg Büchners play Woyzeck for the libretto of Wozzeck, sometimes the libretto is written in close collaboration with the composer, this can involve adaptation, as was the case with Rimsky-Korsakov and his librettist Belsky, or an entirely original work. In the case of musicals, the music, the lyrics, thus, a musical such as Fiddler on the Roof has a composer, a lyricist and the writer of the book. In rare cases, the composer writes everything except the dance arrangements - music, lyrics and libretto, Other matters in the process of developing a libretto parallel those of spoken dramas for stage or screen. A famous case of the latter is Wagners 1861 revision of the original 1845 Dresden version of his opera Tannhäuser for Paris, since the late 19th century some opera composers have written music to prose or free verse libretti. The libretto of a musical, on the hand, is almost always written in prose
Libretto
–
Cover of a 1921 libretto for Giordano's
Andrea Chénier
Libretto
–
The composer of
Cavalleria rusticana,
Pietro Mascagni, flanked by his librettists,
Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and
Guido Menasci.
Libretto
–
Pages from an 1859 libretto for
Ernani, with the original Italian lyrics, English translation and musical notation for one of the arias.
Libretto
–
Henry Purcell (1659–1695) whose operas were written to English libretti.
8.
Rigoletto
–
Rigoletto is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the play Le roi samuse by Victor Hugo. Despite serious initial problems with the Austrian censors who had control over northern Italian theatres at the time and it is considered by many to be the first of the operatic masterpieces of Verdis middle-to-late career. Its tragic story revolves around the licentious Duke of Mantua, his court jester Rigoletto. The operas original title, La maledizione, refers to the placed on both the Duke and Rigoletto by a courtier whose daughter had been seduced by the Duke with Rigolettos encouragement. The curse comes to fruition when Gilda likewise falls in love with the Duke, Verdi was commissioned to write a new opera by the La Fenice opera house in Venice in 1850. By this time he was already a composer and had a degree of freedom in choosing the works he would prefer to set to music. He then asked Francesco Maria Piave to examine the play Kean by Alexandre Dumas, père, Verdi soon stumbled upon Victor Hugos five-act play Le roi samuse. He later explained that The subject is grand, immense, and there is a character that is one of the greatest creations that the theatre can boast of, in any country and in all history. It was a controversial subject, and Hugo himself had already had trouble with censorship in France. As Austria at that time controlled much of Northern Italy. Hugos play depicted a king as an immoral and cynical womanizer, from the beginning, Verdi was aware of the risks, as was Piave. In a letter which Verdi wrote to Piave, Use four legs, run through the town, correspondence between a prudent Piave and an already committed Verdi followed, but the two underestimated the power and the intentions of Austrians and remained at risk. Even the friendly Guglielmo Brenna, secretary of La Fenice, who had promised them that they would not have problems with the censors, was wrong, at the beginning of the summer of 1850, rumours started to spread that Austrian censorship was going to forbid the production. The censors considered the Hugo work to verge on lèse majesté, in August, Verdi and Piave prudently retired to Busseto, Verdis hometown, to continue the composition and prepare a defensive scheme. They wrote to the theatre, assuring them that the doubts about the morality of the work were not justified but since very little time was left. Verdi was completely against this solution and preferred instead to have direct negotiations with censors, arguing over each. At this point, Brenna, La Fenices secretary, showed the Austrians some letters and articles depicting the bad character but the value of the artist
Rigoletto
–
Set design by Philippe Chaperon.
Rigoletto
–
Francesco Maria Piave, the librettist of Rigoletto
Rigoletto
–
La Fenice 's poster for the world premiere of Rigoletto
Rigoletto
–
Felice Varesi, the first Rigoletto
9.
Il trovatore
–
Il trovatore is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto largely written by Salvadore Cammarano, based on the play El trovador by Antonio García Gutiérrez. The premiere took place at the Teatro Apollo in Rome on 19 January 1853, where it began a victorious march throughout the operatic world and it began with his January 1850 approach to Cammarano with the idea of Il trovatore. These revisions are seen largely in the expansion of the role of Leonora, Then, in May 1851, an additional commission was offered by the Venice company after Rigolettos success there. Then another came from Paris while he was visiting that city from late 1851, today, in its Italian version, Trovatore is given very frequently and is a staple of the standard operatic repertoire. When considering setting Gutiérrezs play, Verdi turned to work with Cammarano and their correspondence began as early as January 1850, well before Verdi had done anything to develop a libretto with Piave for what later became Rigoletto in Venice. At this time, it was also the first since Oberto that the composer was beginning to prepare an opera with a librettist, in his first letter to Cammarano, Verdi proposed El Trovador as the subject with two feminine roles. The first, the gypsy, a woman of character after whom I want to name the opera. Relationship with Cammarano Verdis time and energy were spent mostly on finishing Rigoletto, within a matter of weeks, Verdi was expressing his frustration to a mutual friend, de Sanctis, at having no communication from Cammarano. These included Leonora taking the veil and also the importance of the Azucena/Manrico relationship and he continued by asking whether the librettist liked the drama and emphasized that the more unusual and bizarre the better. Verdi also plainly states that if there were no standard forms – cavatinas, duets, trios, choruses, finales, etc. and if you could avoid beginning with an opening chorus. Correspondence continued between the two men for the two months or so, including another letter from the composer of 9 April which included three pages of suggestions. But he also made concessions and expresses his happiness in what he is receiving in the way of verse, during the period to follow, in spite of his preoccupations but especially after he had begun to overcome them, Verdi had kept in touch with the librettist. In a letter around the time of his departure for France, he wrote encouragingly to Cammarano. Preoccupations and delays in 1851–1852 There then arose the question of where the opera would eventually be presented, Verdi had turned down an offer from Naples, but became concerned about the availability of his preferred Azucena, Rita Gabussi-De Bassini. She turned out not to be on the Naples roster, including work on Trovatore, other projects consumed him, but a significant event occurred in February, when the couple attended a performance of Alexander Dumas filss The Lady of the Camellias. The couple returned to SantAgata by mid-March 1852 and Verdi immediately began work on Trovatore after a years delay. Death of Cammarano and work with Bardare Then, in July 1852, by way of an announcement in a theatrical journal and this was both a professional and a personal blow. The composer learned that Cammarano had completed Manricos third-act aria, Di quella pira just eight days before his death, leone Emanuele Bardare was a young poet from Naples who was beginning his career, eventually he wrote more than 15 librettos before 1880
Il trovatore
–
Anna Netrebko (detail) as Leonora at the
Salzburg Festival 2014
Il trovatore
–
Librettist Salvadore Cammarano
Il trovatore
–
tenor Carlo Baucardé, sang Manrico
Il trovatore
–
Mezzo Emilia Goggi, sang Azucena
10.
La traviata
–
La traviata is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on La Dame aux Camélias, an adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas. The opera was originally titled Violetta, after the main character and it was first performed on 6 March 1853 at the La Fenice opera house in Venice. Piave and Verdi wanted to follow Dumas in giving the opera a contemporary setting and it was not until the 1880s that the composer and librettists original wishes were carried out and realistic productions were staged. For Verdi, the years 1851 to 1853 were filled with operatic activity, in addition, personal affairs in his home town limited his activities that spring, but after Rigolettos success in Venice, an additional commission was offered by Brenna, the secretary of La Fenice. After Verdis return from Paris a contract was signed in May 1852, with performances scheduled for March 1853, Verdi sees The Lady of the Camellias play Verdi and Giuseppina Strepponi had visited Paris from late 1851 and into March 1852. In February the couple attended a performance of Alexander Dumas filss The Lady of the Camellias, as a result of this, Verdi biographer Mary Jane Phillips-Matz reports, the composer immediately began to compose music for what would later become La traviata. Writing to Piave, he added that I dont want any of those subjects that one can find by the hundreds. But at the time, the composer expressed concern about censorship in Venice. As the months dragged on into October, it was agreed that Piave would come to SantAgata, one subject was chosen, Piave set to work, and then Verdi threw in another idea, which may have been La traviata. However, within a time, a synopsis was dispatched to Venice under the title of Amore e morte. However, as Budden reveals, Verdi writes to his friend De Sanctis telling him that for Venice Im doing La Dame aux camélias which will probably be called La traviata, a subject for our own age. Although still bogged down at SantAgata, Piave was sanguine, Everything will turn out fine, Verdi was filled with premonitions of disaster upon his arrival in Venice on 21 February for rehearsals and he made his unhappiness clear to the singers. 19th century The audience jeered at times during the premiere, directing some of their scorn at the casting of soprano Fanny Salvini-Donatelli in the role of Violetta. Though she was a singer, they considered her to be too old. The next day, Verdi wrote to his friend Emanuele Muzio in what has now become perhaps his most famous letter, was the fault mine or the singers. Coincidentally, as Philips-Matz points out, an Italian translation of the play La Dame aux camélias was being presented just a short distance from La Fenice. As Budden notes, it came to be Venice that made an honest woman of Violetta when Verdi allowed a performance at the Teatro San Benedetto, then it was a fiasco, now it has created a furore
La traviata
–
Maria Callas in the role of Violetta
La traviata
–
Poster for the world premiere of La traviata
La traviata
–
Felice Varesi, the first Germont pere (Litho: Josef Kriehuber)
La traviata
–
Lodovico Graziani c. 1845, the first Alfredo
11.
Sicilian Vespers
–
Within six weeks, three thousand French men and women were slain by the rebels, and the government of King Charles lost control of the island. It was the beginning of the War of the Sicilian Vespers and these lay between Hohenstaufen lands in northern Italy and the Hohenstaufen Kingdom of Sicily in the south, the Hohenstaufen also at the time ruled Germany. In 1245 Pope Innocent IV excommunicated Frederick II and declared him deposed, when Frederick died in 1250, his dominion was inherited by his son, Conrad IV of Germany. A period of turmoil followed Conrads death in 1254, and the Kingdom of Sicily was seized by Manfred, King of Sicily, Fredericks illegitimate son, Manfred had no involvement in German politics, where the interregnum lasted longer and there was no emperor until 1274. He first styled himself as vicar of his nephew Conradin, Conrads son, however, following a false rumour that Conradin was dead, Manfred later had himself crowned as king. He wished for a reconciliation with the papacy, which may have explained his support for the landless Baldwin II, Latin Emperor. However, Pope Urban IV and later Pope Clement IV were not prepared to recognize Manfred as lawful ruler of Sicily and first excommunicated then sought to depose him by force of arms. After abortive attempts to enlist England as the champion of the Papacy against Manfred, Charles invaded Italy and defeated and killed Manfred in 1266 at the Battle of Benevento, becoming King of Sicily. In 1268 Conradin, who had come of age, invaded Italy to press his claim to the throne. Charles was now undisputed master of the Kingdom of Sicily, beginning on that night, thousands of Sicilys French inhabitants were massacred within six weeks. The events that started the uprising are not known for certain, the only town in Sicily not to join the rebellion was a small village called Sperlinga, which protected French soldiers in a castle excavated in sandstone. According to Steven Runciman, the Sicilians at the church were engaged in holiday festivities, a sergeant named Drouet dragged a young married woman from the crowd, pestering her with his advances. Her husband then attacked Drouet with a knife, killing him, when the other Frenchmen tried to avenge their comrade, the Sicilian crowd fell upon them, killing them all. At that moment all the bells in Palermo began to ring for Vespers. The French were attacked, first with rocks, then weapons, the news spread to other cities leading to revolt throughout Sicily. By the time the furious anger at their insolence had drunk its fill of blood, there is also a third version of the events that is quite close to Runcimans, varying only in the minor details. This story is part of the tradition on the island up to the present time. This oral tradition cannot be verified, but is of interest to sociologists, according to the legend, John of Procida was the mastermind behind the conspiracy
Sicilian Vespers
–
Sicilian Vespers (1846), by
Francesco Hayez
Sicilian Vespers
–
The church of the Holy Spirit in Palermo.
12.
Lu rebellamentu di Sichilia
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Lu rebellamentu di Sichilia, fully Cronica di lu rebellamentu di Sichilia contra re Carlu, is a Sicilian historical chronicle of the War of the Vespers written around 1290. The anonymous Rebellamentu, probably written at Messina, was ascribed to Atanasiu di Iaci by Pasquale Castorina in 1883, though the Rebellamentu sometimes adds valuable details to the history of the Vespers, it is frequently untrustworthy. Its monastic provenance is evident in its moralising tone, the antiquity of its language has placed its authenticity beyond doubt, despite its lack of an early manuscript tradition. The Rebellamentu covers the years 1279–82 and treats John of Procida as a hero and it is also the earliest chronicle to record that violence broke out after a Sicilian woman was raped by a French soldier, a story also recorded by Atanasiu di Iaci elsewhere. This probably indicates that the legend that William I issued leather money, the Rebellamentu also makes the Orsini Pope Nicholas III party to a conspiracy to dethrone Charles of Anjou. The Florentine chronicler Giovanni Villani, who was biased against the Orsini because of the legation of Napoleone Orsini to Florence in 1306, conversely, all three may derive from an earlier, now lost source. All three agree on the centrality of John of Procida in the Vespers, the opera Les vêpres siciliennes, with music by Giuseppe Verdi and a libretto by Eugène Scribe, drew upon the Rebellamentu for elements of its story, notably the rape. Codice della Biblioteca regionale di Palermo, cronaca siciliana anonima intitolata Lu rebellamentu di Sichilia, codice esistente nell Archivio municipale di Catania. Edited and translated by Louis Mendola based on the Spinelli Codex ISBN9781943639038
Lu rebellamentu di Sichilia
–
The Rebellamentu in a
codex that was kept in the Biblioteca Nazionale di Palermo until it was bought by the prince of San Giorgio Spinelli di Napoli in 1870. The left page contains the excerpt that is transcribed below.
13.
I Lombardi
–
Its first performance was given at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan on 11 February 1843. Verdi dedicated the score to Maria Luigia, the Habsburg Duchess of Parma, in 1847, the opera was significantly revised to become Verdis first grand opera for performances in French at the Salle Le Peletier of the Paris Opera under the title of Jérusalem. Julian Buddens analysis of the operas origins notes, In 1843 any subject where Italians were shown united against an enemy was dangerous. However, given Verdis refusal to any changes to the music. 19th century While the premiere performance was a success, critical reactions were less enthusiastic. However, one noted, If created this young mans reputation. Even in the late 1880s, well after Jérusalem had been given and this was the first of Verdis operas to be heard in the United States, at Palmos Opera House, on 3 March 1847 in New York. 20th century and beyond I Lombardi was presented in 1930 at La Scala in Milan as the opening production. The cast included Matteo Manuguerra, Cristina Deutekom, Juan Pons, carlo Bergonzi and Paul Plishka, along with Cristina Deutekom appeared in the San Diego Operas short-lived summer Verdi Festival in June 1979 and it is claimed that this was a West Coast premiere. Over the years, New York audiences have seen the opera presented first by New York City Opera in 1982, I Lombardi was presented at the Teatro Donizetti in Bergamo in late 2001 with Dimitra Theodossiou in the cast. The Teatro Regio di Parma produced it in January 2009, also as part of a complete Verdi cycle, the Parma performance is preserved on a DVD. Sarasota Operas Verdi Cycle featured the opera during its 2011 season, in March 2013 the UCOpera company gave four performances of I Lombardi in the Bloomsbury Theatre in London. And on 7 April a concert performance was given by the Opera Orchestra of New York with Angela Meade, hamburg State Opera presented a production by David Alden as part of a mini-festival of three Verdi operas in October/November 2013. Pagano, who threatened the life of his brother, has returned from exile. A throng gathers in front of the church of SantAmbrogio to celebrate, Viclinda, now Arvinos wife, and their daughter Giselda are on hand to witness the reconciliation. A crusade to the Holy Land is announced and Arvino is to lead it, Pagano secretly vents his enduring frustration to Pirro, Arvinos squire, he still desires Viclinda. As nuns sing in the background, Pirro and a gang of cut-throats agree to help Pagano take Viclinda for himself, scene 2, The Folco palace Viclinda and Giselda are concerned about Pagano and his supposed reformation. Arvino asks them to watch his father, Lord Folco
I Lombardi
–
"The departure of the Lombards for the Crusade"
I Lombardi
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Title page of an 1843 libretto of I Lombardi
I Lombardi
–
Carlo Guasco, the original Oronte
I Lombardi
–
Erminia Frezzolini, the original Giselda
14.
Donizetti
–
Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti was an Italian composer. Along with Gioachino Rossini and Vincenzo Bellini, Donizetti was a composer of the bel canto opera style during the first half of the nineteenth century. Donizettis close association with the bel canto style was undoubtedly an influence on composers such as Giuseppe Verdi. Donizetti was born in Bergamo in Lombardy, there he received detailed training in the arts of fugue and counterpoint. Over the course of his career, Donizetti wrote almost 70 operas, in all, Naples presented 51 of Donizettis operas. Before 1830, success came primarily with his operas, the serious ones failing to attract significant audiences. However, his first notable success came with an opera seria, Zoraida di Granata, significant historical dramas did appear and became successful, they included Lucia di Lammermoor given in Naples in 1835, and one of the most successful Neapolitan operas, Roberto Devereux in 1837. Up to that point, all of his operas had been set to Italian libretti, Donizetti found himself increasingly chafing against the censorial limitations which existed in Italy. From about 1836, he interested in working in Paris. The first opera was a French version of the then-unperformed Poliuto which, two new operas were also given in Paris at that time. As the 1840s progressed, Donizetti moved regularly between Naples, Rome, Paris, and Vienna continuing to compose and stage his own operas as well as those of other composers, but from around 1843, severe illness began to take hold and to limit his activities. Eventually, by early 1846 he was obliged to be confined to an institution for the ill and, by late 1847, friends had him moved back to Bergamo. The youngest of three sons, Donizetti was born in 1797 in Bergamos Borgo Canale quarter located just outside the city walls and his family was very poor and had no tradition of music, his father Andrea being the caretaker of the town pawnshop. Simone Mayr, a German composer of internationally successful operas, had become maestro di cappella at Bergamos principal church in 1802, in 1807, Andrea Donizetti attempted to enroll both his sons, but the elder, Giuseppe, was considered too old. He remained there for nine years, until 1815, however, as Donizetti scholar William Ashbrook notes, in 1809 he was threatened with having to leave because his voice was changing. In 1810 he applied for and was accepted by the art school, the Academia Carrara. Then, in 1811, Mayr once again intervened, as Ashbrook states, this was nothing less than Mayrs argument that Donizetti be allowed to continue his musical studies. The piece was performed on 13 September 1811 and included the character stating the following, Ah, by Bacchus
Donizetti
–
Gaetano Donizetti (Portrait by Giuseppe Rillosi)
Donizetti
–
Donizetti as a schoolboy in Bergamo
Donizetti
–
Johann Simone Mayr, circa 1810
Donizetti
–
Donizetti as a schoolboy
15.
Meyerbeer
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Giacomo Meyerbeer was a German opera composer of Jewish birth who has been described as perhaps the most successful stage composer of the nineteenth century. With his 1831 opera Robert le diable and its successors, he gave the genre of grand opera decisive character, Meyerbeers grand opera style was achieved by his merging of German orchestra style with Italian vocal tradition. These were employed in the context of sensational and melodramatic libretti created by Eugène Scribe and were enhanced by the up-to-date theatre technology of the Paris Opéra and they set a standard which helped to maintain Paris as the opera capital of the nineteenth century. Born to a very wealthy Berlin family, Meyerbeer began his career as a pianist but soon decided to devote himself to opera. His 1824 opera Il crociato in Egitto was the first to bring him Europe-wide reputation and he was at his peak with his operas Les Huguenots and Le prophète, his last opera was performed posthumously. His operas made him the most frequently performed composer at the leading opera houses in the nineteenth century. He was a supporter of Richard Wagner, enabling the first production of the latters opera. He was commissioned to write the patriotic opera Ein Feldlager in Schlesien to celebrate the reopening of the Berlin Royal Opera House in 1844, apart from around 50 songs, Meyerbeer wrote little except for the stage. Meyerbeers works are infrequently performed today. Meyerbeers birthname was Jacob Liebmann Beer, he was born in Tasdorf, near Berlin, then the capital of Prussia, to a Jewish family. His father was the wealthy financier Judah Herz Beer and his mother, Amalia Wulff, to whom he was particularly devoted. Their other children included the astronomer Wilhelm Beer and the poet Michael Beer and he was to adopt the surname Meyerbeer on the death of his grandfather Liebmann Meyer Wulff and the first name Giacomo during his period of study in Italy, around 1817. Judah Beer was a leader of the Berlin Jewish community and maintained a synagogue in his house which leaned towards reformist views. Jacob Beer wrote a cantata for performance at this synagogue. The brothers Alexander von Humboldt, the renowned naturalist, geographer and explorer, beers first keyboard instructor was Franz Lauska, a pupil of Johann Georg Albrechtsberger and a favoured teacher at the Berlin court. Beer also became one of Muzio Clementis pupils while Clementi was in Berlin, the boy made his public debut in 1801 playing Mozarts D minor Piano Concerto in Berlin. Beer, as he named himself, studied with Antonio Salieri. Louis Spohr organised a concert for Beer at Berlin in 1804 and continued his acquaintance with the lad later in Vienna, beers first stage work, the ballet Der Fischer und das Milchmädchen was produced in March 1810 at the Court Opera in Berlin
Meyerbeer
–
Giacomo Meyerbeer, engraving from a photograph by
Pierre Petit
Meyerbeer
–
The young Jacob Beer, portrait by
Friedrich Georg Weitsch (1803)
Meyerbeer
–
Amalia Beer (de), Meyerbeer's mother, painting by Carl Kretschmar (de), c. 1803
Meyerbeer
–
Gioachino Rossini in 1820
16.
Les Huguenots
–
Les Huguenots is a French opera by Giacomo Meyerbeer, one of the most popular and spectacular examples of the style of grand opera. In five acts, to a libretto by Eugène Scribe and Émile Deschamps, Les Huguenots was some five years in creation. Coming from a family, Meyerbeer could afford to take his time, dictate his own terms. The very detailed contract which Meyerbeer arranged with Louis-Désiré Véron, director of the Opéra, while Meyerbeer was writing the opera, another opera with a similar setting and theme was also produced in Paris. Like Meyerbeers, Hérolds work was popular in its time. Les Huguenots was premiered by the Paris Opera at the Salle Le Peletier on 29 February 1836, both Adolphe Nourrit and Cornélie Falcon were particularly praised by the critics for their singing and performances. It was indeed Falcons last important creation before her voice so tragically failed in April of the following year, hector Berlioz called the score a musical encyclopaedia. Les Huguenots was the first opera to be performed at the Opéra more than 1,000 times and continued to be produced regularly up to 1936, more than a century after its premiere. Its many performances in all other of the major opera houses give it a claim to being the most successful opera of the 19th century. Other first performances included London,20 June 1842, and New Orleans on 29 April 1839, Les Huguenots was chosen to open the present building of the Covent Garden Theatre in 1858. In the Soviet Union, the opera was given a new libretto as Dekabristi, like others of Meyerbeers operas, Les Huguenots lost favor in the early part of the twentieth century and it no longer forms part of the standard operatic repertoire. One reason for the lack of revivals is cost, another is the extraordinary difficulty in casting the work. Les Huguenots has seven leading roles—two sopranos, one mezzo-soprano, two baritones, a tenor, and a bass, moreover, the tenor part, Raoul, is one of the most taxing in all of opera. He is on stage for large sections of all five acts, dame Joan Sutherland and Richard Bonynge were the major force in the operas revival during the second half of the 20th century. Sutherland chose the opera for her performance at the Sydney Opera House on 2 October 1990. In 1975, the New Orleans Opera Association staged the epic, with Marisa Galvany, Rita Shane, Susanne Marsee, Enrico Di Giuseppe, Dominic Cossa, and Paul Plishka heading the cast. The cast included Alexandra Deshorties, Michael Spyres, Erin Morley, Andrew Schroeder, Peter Volpe, Marie Lenormand, a new production opened at the Staatstheater Nürnberg in 2014, conducted by Guido Johannes Rumstadt with stage direction by Tobias Kratzer, a co-production with Opéra de Nice. Deutsche Oper Berlin presented a new staging of the opera as part of its Meyerbeer cycle, in a production by David Alden with Juan Diego Flórez as Raoul and these performances were a success with both audiences and critics
Les Huguenots
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Giacomo Meyerbeer
Les Huguenots
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Pol Plançon as the Comte de St. Bris in the 1894 Metropolitan Opera house premiere
Les Huguenots
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Prosper Dérivis as Nevers
Les Huguenots
–
Valentine (Cornélie Falcon)
17.
Sophie Cruvelli
–
Sophie Johanne Charlotte Crüwell, vicountess Vigier, stage name Sophie Cruvelli was a German opera singer. She was a soprano who had a brief but stellar public career especially in London. She was admired for her powers and as a tragédienne. Both Verdi and Meyerbeer created operatic roles with the intention that she should first perform them, Sophie Crüwell was the daughter of a Protestant Bielefeld family of comfortable means. She showed a disposition towards music, and she and her sister Marie. Sophie and Marie commenced their studies with Louis Spohr in Kassel. In 1844 their mother took the girls to Paris to continue their studies, first with Francesco Piermarini, Bordogni thought highly of Sophie, it is said that he allowed her to sing only scales and solfeggi which he composed for her, for two whole years. After that time mother Crüwell wanted to remove her, saying that she had learnt scales enough, Bordogni persuaded mother that she would have a wonderful career, and that she should go on to complete her studies in Milan. After this she resolved to return to Bielefeld, but the teacher Francesco Lamperti took the situation in hand, some sources attribute her debut to Venice at La Fenice, as Odabella in Verdis Attila. She appeared in role at Udine on 24 July 1847. A most beautiful voice – give her good models and a good maestro, Sophie herself was delighted with the proposals. In the winter of 1847 she made appearances at La Fenice. Cruvelli, who was becoming a distinctly striking and beautiful woman and it was related that she was one of those young women who followed Franz Liszt from city to city, attending his concerts in a front row seat, much to his annoyance. Her prima donna rivals had nicknamed her Mme, hinterlist – meaning both after Liszt and perfidious. If the depth of her friendship with Liszt was unproven, her relations with the married singer Agardi Metrovich are more directly in evidence, Cruvelli at first experienced sudden and awful nervousness before the thronged audience, but soon settled and was a decided success. Next she appeared as Rosina in Il barbiere di Siviglia with Gardoni, Belletti, there followed the British premiere of Attila, with Belletti, Gardoni and Cuzzani. If Italy thought the work Verdis masterpiece, London didnt like it, H. F. Chorley wrote, So instead, I due Foscari was revived for Cruvellis appearance with Filippo Coletti. A brief illness delayed her performance of Lucrezia Borgia, but the cast of Gardoni, Luigi Lablache, all this occurred before Easter 1848
Sophie Cruvelli
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Soprano Sophie Cruvelli, 1854 (Litho by Charles Vogt)
Sophie Cruvelli
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Sophie Cruvelli in 1875. (Collections of Fratelli Alinari Museum & Palazzoli, Florence)
18.
Hector Berlioz
–
Hector Berlioz was a French Romantic composer, best known for his compositions Symphonie fantastique and Grande messe des morts. Berlioz made significant contributions to the orchestra with his Treatise on Instrumentation. He specified huge orchestral forces for some of his works, and he also composed around 50 songs. His influence was critical for the development of Romanticism, especially in composers like Richard Wagner, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Franz Liszt, Richard Strauss. Hector Berlioz was born in France at La Côte-Saint-André in the département of Isère, Louis was an agnostic, with a liberal outlook, his mother, Marie-Antoinette, was a devout Roman Catholic. He had five siblings in all, three of whom did not survive to adulthood, the other two, Nanci and Adèle, remained close to Berlioz throughout his life. Berlioz was not a prodigy, unlike some other famous composers of the time, he began studying music at age 12, writing small compositions. As a result of his fathers discouragement, he never learned to play the piano and he became proficient at guitar, flageolet and flute. He learned harmony from textbooks alone—he was not formally trained, the majority of his early compositions were romances and chamber pieces. While yet at age twelve, as recalled in his Mémoires, he experienced his first passion for a woman and he also began to visit the Paris Conservatoire library, seeking out scores of Glucks operas and making personal copies of parts of them. He recalled in his Mémoires his first encounter with Luigi Cherubini, Cherubini attempted to throw the impetuous Berlioz out of the library since he was not a formal music student at that time. Berlioz also heard two operas by Gaspare Spontini, a composer who influenced him through their friendship, and whom he later championed when working as a critic, from then on, he devoted himself to composition. He was encouraged in his endeavors by Jean-François Le Sueur, director of the Royal Chapel, in 1823, he wrote his first article—a letter to the journal Le corsaire defending Spontinis La vestale. Despite his parents disapproval, in 1824 he formally abandoned his studies to pursue a career in music. This work was rehearsed and revised after the rehearsal but not performed until the following year, Berlioz later claimed to have burnt the score, but it was re-discovered in 1991. Later that year or in 1825, he began to compose the opera Les francs-juges, the work survives only in fragments, the overture has been much recorded and is sometimes played in concert. In 1826 he began attending the Conservatoire to study composition under Jean-François Le Sueur and he also submitted a fugue to the Prix de Rome, but was eliminated in the primary round. Winning the prize would become an obsession until he won it in 1830
Hector Berlioz
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Crop of a
carte de visite photo of Hector Berlioz by Franck, Paris, c. 1855
Hector Berlioz
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Drawing of
Harriet Smithson as
Ophelia in Shakespeare's
Hamlet
Hector Berlioz
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Lithograph of Berlioz by
August Prinzhofer, Vienna, 1845. Berlioz considered this to be a good likeness.
Hector Berlioz
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Painting of a young Berlioz by
Émile Signol, 1832.
19.
Sarasota Opera
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Sarasota Opera is a professional opera company in Sarasota, Florida, USA, which was founded as the Asolo Opera Guild and, until 1974, presented a visiting companys productions. Between 1974 and 1979, it set about mounting its own productions in the venue until, in 1979, it acquired the Edwards Theatre. The house underwent a renovation in 2008, creating a 1. The repertoire includes standard works as well as lesser known operas, for the most part, the Fall operas have been popular favourites, but in 2012, it presented Daron Hagens world premiere opera, Little Nemo in Slumberland. In recent years, the Verdi Cycle operas have included I due Foscari, Giovanna dArco, I Lombardi, in 2009, the company staged performances of the composers Don Carlo in the four-act version of 1884 in French. At the time, this was the largest opera ever presented by the company, the first grand opera which Verdi wrote for Paris, Jérusalem, was given in French in 2014, while his first comedy, Un giorno di regno, appeared in 2013. Don Carlos, in the original, 5-act, Paris version in French was performed in 2015, the season will also include Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini and Lamore dei tre re by Italo Montemezzi. The Masterworks Revival Series, The series includes presentations of neglected works of artistic merit, operas presented in this series have included Alfredo Catalanis La Wally, Carl Nielsens Maskarade, Engelbert Humperdincks Königskinder, Stanisław Moniuszkos Halka, and Mascagnis Lamico Fritz. The company also runs an Apprentice Program and a Studio Artists Program, both programs provide young singers with additional training and performance opportunities in the chorus or other small roles in the companys productions. Robert Wards opera, The Crucible based on the play by Arthur Miller, served as the production of this new series. The 2012 Festival Season featured Samuel Barbers Vanessa and, in 2013, Youth Opera The SarasotaYouth Opera program, begun in 1984, is the most comprehensive training program designed for young people ages 8 to 18 currently in the United States. The program admits all who apply, regardless of skill level, in 2010, the Sarasota Youth Opera presented the opera The Black Spider by Judith Weir. Sarasota Opera presented the premiere of Little Nemo in Slumberland. On November 12,2016, the Sarasota Youth Opera will perform The Secret World of Og also by the Canadian composer Dean Burry based on the childrens novel by Pierre Berton. The theater had been built in 1926 by an important early resident of Sarasota, Arthur Britton Edwards, the guild members renovated the building beginning in 1982. The next year the A. B. Edwards Theatre was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the name was changed to the Sarasota Opera House a few years later. From 2007 until the opening of the new season on 1 March 2008, seating has been expanded to 1,119. Notes Sarasota Opera Home Page Verdi Cycle Website
Sarasota Opera
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Sarasota Opera House, late March 2008, after complete interior and exterior renovation
Sarasota Opera
–
Sarasota Opera House, late March 2008.
20.
Teatro San Carlo
–
The Real Teatro di San Carlo, its original name under the Bourbon monarchy but known today as simply the Teatro di San Carlo, is an opera house in Naples, Italy. It is located adjacent to the central Piazza del Plebiscito, and it is the oldest continuously active venue for public opera in the world, opening in 1737, decades before both the Milans La Scala and Venices La Fenice theatres. The opera season runs from late January to May, with the season taking place from April to early June. The house once had a capacity of 3,285. Given its size, structure and antiquity was the model for the theatres in Europe. As was customary, the role of Achilles was played by a woman, Vittoria Tesi, called Moretta, sarro also conducted the orchestra in two ballets as intermezzi, created by Gaetano Grossatesta, with scenes designed by Pietro Righini. The first seasons highlighted the royal preference for numbers. The new opera house was designed by Giovanni Antonio Medrano, an architect, and Angelo Carasale. The horseshoe-shaped auditorium is the oldest in the world and it was built at a cost of 75,000 ducats. Including standing room, the theatre could hold over 3,000 people, military movements of infantry and cavalry, battles, and storms at sea can be represented here without falling into the ludicrous. But for opera, itself, the house is too large, although the singers, Signora Isabella Colbran, and the Signori Nozzari, Benedetti, etc. have very strong voices, only their highest and most stentorian tones could be heard. Any kind of tender utterance was lost, much admired for its architecture, its gold decorations, and the sumptuous blue upholstery, the San Carlo was now the biggest opera house in the world. In 1809 Domenico Barbaia was appointed manager of the opera houses in Naples. He soon established a reputation for innovative and dazzling productions, which attracted both the public and leading singers to the opera house, on 13 February 1816 a fire broke out during a dress-rehearsal for a ballet performance and quickly spread to destroy a part of building. On the orders of King Ferdinand IV, another Bourbon monarch and son of Charles III and it was rebuilt as a traditional horseshoe-shaped auditorium with 1,444 seats, and a proscenium,33. 5m wide and 30m high. Niccolini embellished in the inner of the bas-relief depicting Time and the Hour, the central frescoed ceiling painting of Apollo presenting to Minerva the greatest poets of the world was painted by Antonio, Giuseppe e Giovanni Cammarano. On 12 January 1817, the theatre was inaugurated with Johann Simon Mayrs Il sogno di Partenope. Stendhal attended the night of the inauguration and wrote, There is nothing in all Europe, I won’t say comparable to this theatre
Teatro San Carlo
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Exterior of San Carlo Opera House
Teatro San Carlo
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Real Teatro di San Carlo
Teatro San Carlo
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Interior view on to the royal box
Teatro San Carlo
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View from the royal box
21.
Frankfurt Opera
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Opern- und Schauspielhaus Frankfurt is the official name of the opera and drama theatres in Frankfurt am Main. The Oper Frankfurt is one of the opera houses in Europe. The more famous historical building of the Alte Oper serves as a concert hall today, frankfurts first opera was Johann Theiles Adam und Eva, performed in 1698 by Johann Veltens touring company. The young Goethes first operas in his town of Frankfurt were productions by Theobold Marchands company. These singers were forced to leave the opera in June 1933, though the operas director Hans Meissner was able to persuade the mayor to speak up for Schramm, who had a non-Jewish wife. Other Jewish members of the company among those rounded up at 9 November 1938 at the Festhalle Frankfurt. Members of Frankfurt Opera were sent to Auschwitz and other camps where they perished, Schramm survived, living to testify against the Frankfurt Gestapo officer Heinrich Baab in 1951. The Alte Oper was damaged in an air raid in January 1944, after the war money was tight. From 1978 to 1988 Frankfurt Opera was led by Michael Gielen, operas which received their world premieres at the house were also performed again, including Franz Schrekers Die Gezeichneten. Music Director, since 2008, is Sebastian Weigle, General Manager, since 2002, weigles new productions there have included Strauss Frau ohne Schatten, Daphne and Arabella, Korngolds Die tote Stadt, Reimanns Lear and Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauß. He has also conducted performances of Mozarts Die Zauberflöte, Beethovens Fidelio, Wagners Tristan und Isolde and he performed the four parts of Wagners Der Ring des Nibelungen, staged by Vera Nemirova, finishing with Götterdämmerung in 2012. The complete cycle was performed twice in 2012, the first conductors had the title Kapellmeister. From 1924 it was Generalmusikdirektor, who also held the administrative leadership Intendant
Frankfurt Opera
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Theatre and Opera house (2014)
Frankfurt Opera
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Building at night (2006)
Frankfurt Opera
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From above
Frankfurt Opera
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interior
22.
Royal Opera House
–
The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is referred to as simply Covent Garden. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The Royal Ballet, originally called the Theatre Royal, it served primarily as a playhouse for the first hundred years of its history. In 1734, the first ballet was presented, a year later, Handels first season of operas began. Many of his operas and oratorios were written for Covent Garden and had their premieres there. The current building is the theatre on the site following disastrous fires in 1808 and 1856. The façade, foyer, and auditorium date from 1858, the main auditorium seats 2,256 people, making it the third largest in London, and consists of four tiers of boxes and balconies and the amphitheatre gallery. The proscenium is 12.20 m wide and 14.80 m high, the main auditorium is a Grade I listed building. The letters patent remained in the possession of the patentees heirs until the 19th century, in 1728, John Rich, actor-manager of the Dukes Company at Lincolns Inn Fields Theatre, commissioned The Beggars Opera from John Gay. In addition, a Royal Charter had created a fruit and vegetable market in the area, at its opening on 7 December 1732, Rich was carried by his actors in processional triumph into the theatre for its opening production of William Congreves The Way of the World. Despite the frequent interchangeability between the Covent Garden and Drury Lane companies, competition was intense, often presenting the plays at the same time. Rich introduced pantomime to the repertoire, himself performing and a tradition of seasonal pantomime continued at the modern theatre, in 1734, Covent Garden presented its first ballet, Pygmalion. Marie Sallé discarded tradition and her corset and danced in diaphanous robes, george Frideric Handel was named musical director of the company, at Lincolns Inn Fields, in 1719, but his first season of opera, at Covent Garden, was not presented until 1734. His first opera was Il pastor fido followed by Ariodante, the première of Alcina, there was a royal performance of Messiah in 1743, which was a success and began a tradition of Lenten oratorio performances. From 1735 until his death in 1759 he gave regular seasons there and he bequeathed his organ to John Rich, and it was placed in a prominent position on the stage, but was among many valuable items lost in a fire that destroyed the theatre on 20 September 1808. In 1792 the architect Henry Holland rebuilt the auditorium, within the shell of the building but deeper and wider than the old auditorium. Rebuilding began in December 1808, and the second Theatre Royal, the Old Price Riots lasted over two months, and the management was finally forced to accede to the audiences demands. During this time, entertainments were varied, opera and ballet were presented, kemble engaged a variety of acts, including the child performer Master Betty, the great clown Joseph Grimaldi made his name at Covent Garden
Royal Opera House
–
The Royal Opera House, Bow Street frontage with
Plazzotta 's statue, Young Dancer, in the foreground
Royal Opera House
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"Rich's Glory": John Rich takes over (seemingly invades) his new Covent Garden Theatre. (A caricature by
William Hogarth)
Royal Opera House
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A satirical drawing from 1811 of the "Pigeon Holes" that flanked the upper gallery at Covent Garden
Royal Opera House
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A picture of the first theatre drawn shortly before it burned down in 1808
23.
Italian language
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By most measures, Italian, together with Sardinian, is the closest to Latin of the Romance languages. Italian is a language in Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City. Italian is spoken by minorities in places such as France, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Crimea and Tunisia and by large expatriate communities in the Americas. Many speakers are native bilinguals of both standardized Italian and other regional languages, Italian is the fourth most studied language in the world. Italian is a major European language, being one of the languages of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe. It is the third most widely spoken first language in the European Union with 65 million native speakers, including Italian speakers in non-EU European countries and on other continents, the total number of speakers is around 85 million. Italian is the working language of the Holy See, serving as the lingua franca in the Roman Catholic hierarchy as well as the official language of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. Italian is known as the language of music because of its use in musical terminology and its influence is also widespread in the arts and in the luxury goods market. Italian has been reported as the fourth or fifth most frequently taught foreign language in the world, Italian was adopted by the state after the Unification of Italy, having previously been a literary language based on Tuscan as spoken mostly by the upper class of Florentine society. Its development was influenced by other Italian languages and to some minor extent. Its vowels are the second-closest to Latin after Sardinian, unlike most other Romance languages, Italian retains Latins contrast between short and long consonants. As in most Romance languages, stress is distinctive, however, Italian as a language used in Italy and some surrounding regions has a longer history. What would come to be thought of as Italian was first formalized in the early 14th century through the works of Tuscan writer Dante Alighieri, written in his native Florentine. Dante is still credited with standardizing the Italian language, and thus the dialect of Florence became the basis for what would become the language of Italy. Italian was also one of the recognised languages in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Italy has always had a dialect for each city, because the cities. Those dialects now have considerable variety, as Tuscan-derived Italian came to be used throughout Italy, features of local speech were naturally adopted, producing various versions of Regional Italian. Even in the case of Northern Italian languages, however, scholars are not to overstate the effects of outsiders on the natural indigenous developments of the languages
Italian language
–
Dante Alighieri (above) and
Petrarch (below) were influential in establishing their
Tuscan dialect as the most prominent literary language in all of
Italy in the
Late Middle Ages
Italian language
–
The geographic distribution of the Italian language in the world: large Italian-speaking communities are shown in green; light blue indicates areas where the Italian language was used officially during the Italian colonial period.
Italian language
Italian language
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Pietro Bembo was an influential figure in the development of the Italian language from the Tuscan dialect, as a literary medium, codifying the language for standard modern usage
24.
Giulio Ricordi
–
Upon his fathers death in 1888, Giulio became the head of the company until his death. With the nickname Jules Burgmein, Ricordi contributed a great deal to the prestige of the Casa Ricordi as it also produced several magazines. Ricordi was also publisher of the operas by Giuseppe Verdi. In 1853, Ricordi built a mansion, Villa Margherita Ricordi, but he also had the good sense to promote younger composers of merit. These included Amilcare Ponchielli, Alfredo Catalani, Carlos Gomes, Umberto Giordano, to Puccini in particular, he became something of a father-figure, feared but deeply trusted. Works by or about Giulio Ricordi at Internet Archive Free scores by Giulio Ricordi at the International Music Score Library Project
Giulio Ricordi
–
Giulio Ricordi
25.
Narcisse Girard
–
Narcisse Girard was a French violinist, conductor and composer. A pupil of Pierre Baillot, and Anton Reicha at the Conservatoire, after conducting orchestras at the Hotel de Ville, Girard became the conductor of the Opéra Italien from 1830-32. He was chief conductor at the Opéra Comique from 1837–46, then moving to the Paris Opéra, on 30 October 1849 Girard conducted Mozarts Requiem as part of the funeral service for Frédéric Chopin. From 18 October 1848 to 17 January 1860 Girard was the conductor of the Société des Concerts du Conservatoire, Girard conducted the first performance of Harold en Italie by Hector Berlioz at the Salle du Conservatoire on 23 November 1834, with Chrétien Urhan. Girard was a professor of violin at the Paris Conservatoire where his pupils included Jules Danbé, Charles Lamoureux, see, List of music students by teacher, G to J#Narcisse Girard. His compositions included an overture Antigone, and short stage works Les deux voleurs, having already been taken ill during a Conservatoire concert, Girard collapsed while conducting, towards the end of the third act of Les Huguenots at the Opéra. He is buried in Père Lachaise Cemetery
Narcisse Girard
–
References [edit]
26.
Baritone
–
A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice types. It is the most common male voice, the baritone voice type is generally divided into the baryton-Martin baritone, lyric baritone, Kavalierbariton, Verdi baritone, dramatic baritone, baryton-noble baritone, and the bass-baritone. The first use of the term baritone emerged as baritonans, late in the 15th century, at this early stage it was frequently used as the lowest of the voices, but in 17th-century Italy the term was all-encompassing and used to describe the average male choral voice. Baritones took roughly the range as it is today at the beginning of the 18th century. Indeed, many works of the 18th century have roles marked as bass that in reality are low baritone roles. Examples of this are to be found, for instance, in the operas, the greatest and most enduring parts for baritones in 18th-century operatic music were composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. They include Count Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro, Guglielmo in Così fan tutte, Papageno in The Magic Flute and these included the likes of Filippo Galli, Giovanni Inchindi, and Henri-Bernard Dabadie. The basse-taille and the bass were commonly confused because their roles were sometimes sung by singers of either actual voice part. The bel canto style of vocalism which arose in Italy in the early 19th century supplanted the castrato-dominated opera seria of the previous century and it led to the baritone being viewed as a separate voice category from the bass. More often than not, however, baritones found themselves portraying villains, the principal composers of bel canto opera are considered to be, Gioachino Rossini, Gaetano Donizetti, Vincenzo Bellini, Giacomo Meyerbeer, and the young Giuseppe Verdi. Figaro in Il barbiere is often called the first true baritone role, however, Donizetti and Verdi in their vocal writing went on to emphasize the top fifth of the baritone voice, rather than its lower notes—thus generating a more brilliant sound. The major international baritone of the first half of the 19th century was the Italian Antonio Tamburini and he was a famous Don Giovanni in Mozarts eponymous opera as well as being a Bellini and Donizetti specialist. Commentators praised his voice for its beauty, flexibility and smooth tonal emission, Tamburinis range, however, was probably closer to that of a bass-baritone than to that of a modern Verdi baritone. His French equivalent was Henri-Bernard Dabadie, who was a mainstay of the Paris Opera between 1819 and 1836 and the creator of several major Rossinian baritone roles, including Guillaume Tell. Dabadie sang in Italy, too, where he originated the role of Belcore in Lelisir damore in 1832, the most important of Tamburinis Italianate successors were all Verdians. In France, Paul Barroilhet succeeded Dabadie as the Paris operas best known baritone, like Dabadie, he also sang in Italy and created an important Donizetti role, in his case, Alphonse in La favorite. Antonio Pini-Corsi was the standout Italian buffo baritone in the period between about 1880 and World War I, reveling in comic roles by Rossini, Donizetti and Paer. In 1893, he created the part of Ford in Verdis last opera, notable among their contemporaries were the cultured and technically adroit French baritones Jean Lassalle, Victor Maurel, Paul Lhérie, and Maurice Renaud
Baritone
–
Baritone voice range (A2–A4) indicated in sheet music (left) and on piano keyboard in green with dot marking middle C (C4).
27.
Bass (vocal range)
–
A bass is a type of classical male singing voice and has 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. Its tessitura, or comfortable range, is defined by the outermost lines of the bass clef. Categories of bass voices vary according to style and classification system. Italians favour subdividing basses into the basso cantante, basso buffo, the American system identifies the bass-baritone, comic bass, lyric bass, and dramatic bass. The German fach system offers further distinctions, Spielbaß, Schwerer Spielbaß, Charakterbaß, rare is the performer who embodies a single fach without also touching repertoire from another category. Cultural influence and individual variation create a variation in range. Many British composers such as Benjamin Britten have written parts for bass that center far higher than the bass tessitura as implied by the clef, the Harvard Dictionary of Music defines the range as being from the E below low C to middle C. The bass has the lowest vocal range of all voice types, the low extreme for basses is generally C2. However, several extreme bass singers, referred to as basso profondos, within opera, the lowest note in the standard bass repertoire is D2, sung by the character Osmin in Mozarts Die Entführung aus dem Serail, but few roles fall below F2. The high extreme, a few roles in the standard repertoire call for a high F♯ or G. In the operatic repertoire, the highest notes are a G♯4 and, in the aria Fra lombre e glorrori in Handels serenata Aci. Basso cantante is a higher, more lyrical voice and it is produced using a more Italianate vocal production, and possesses a faster vibrato, than its closest Germanic/Anglo-Saxon equivalent, the bass-baritone. Hoher Bass or high bass or often a dramatic bass-baritone, jugendlicher Bass denotes the role of a young man sung by a bass, regardless of the age of the singer. They are usually the blustering antagonist of the hero/heroine or the fool in bel canto operas. English equivalent, dramatic bass Basso profondo is the lowest bass voice type, steane in Voices, Singers & Critics, the basso profondo voice derives from a method of tone-production that eliminates the more Italian quick vibrato. In its place is a kind of tonal solidity, a front, which may nevertheless prove susceptible to the other kind of vibrato. Dramatic basso profondo is a basso profondo voice
Bass (vocal range)
–
Bass voice range (E2–E4) indicated in sheet music (left) and on piano keyboard in green with dot marking middle C (C4).
28.
Tenor
–
Tenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range is one of the highest of the male voice types. The tenors vocal range lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, and A4, the A above middle C, in solo work, this range extends up to C5, or tenor high C. The low extreme for tenors is roughly A♭2, at the highest extreme, some tenors can sing up to two Fs above middle C. The tenor voice type is divided into the leggero tenor, lyric tenor, spinto tenor, dramatic tenor, heldentenor. The name tenor derives from the Latin word tenere, which means to hold, in medieval and Renaissance polyphony between about 1250 and 1500, the tenor was the structurally fundamental voice, vocal or instrumental. All other voices were normally calculated in relation to the tenor, until the late 16th century introduction of the contratenor singers, the tenor was usually the highest voice, assuming the role of providing a foundation. It was also in the 18th century that tenor came to signify the male voice that sang such parts, thus, for earlier repertoire, a line marked tenor indicated the parts role, and not the required voice type. Indeed, even as late as the century, partbooks labelled tenor might contain parts for a range of voice types. The vocal range of the tenor is one of the highest of the voice types. Within opera, the lowest note in the tenor repertoire is probably A♭2 in Rossinis rarely performed La donna del lago in the role of Rodrigo di Dhu. Within more frequently performed repertoire, Mime and Herod both call for an A2, a few tenor roles in the standard repertoire call for a tenor C. Some of the few top Cs in the operatic repertoire are either optional or interpolated by tradition. However, the highest demanded note in the standard operatic repertoire is D5. Some operatic roles for tenors require a darker timbre and fewer high notes, in the leggero repertoire, the highest note is F5, therefore, very few tenors can, given the raising of concert pitch since its composition, have this role in their repertoire without transposition. Within the tenor voice type category are seven generally recognized subcategories, leggero tenor, lyric tenor, spinto tenor, dramatic tenor, heldentenor, Mozart tenor, Also known as the tenore di grazia, the leggero tenor is essentially the male equivalent of a lyric coloratura. This voice is light, agile, and capable of executing difficult passages of fioritura, the typical leggero tenor possesses a range spanning from approximately C3 to E♭5, with a few being able to sing up to F5 or higher in full voice. In some cases, the chest register of the leggero tenor may extend below C3, voices of this type are utilized frequently in the operas of Rossini, Donizetti, Bellini and in music dating from the Baroque period. Leggero tenor roles in operas, The lyric tenor is a warm voice with a bright, full timbre that is strong but not heavy
Tenor
–
Tenor voice range (C3–C5) indicated in sheet music (left) and on piano keyboard in green with dot marking middle C (C4).
29.
Soprano
–
A soprano is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The sopranos vocal range is from approximately middle C =261 Hz to high A =880 Hz in choral music, in four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody. The soprano voice type is divided into the coloratura, soubrette, lyric, spinto. The lyric soprano is the most common female singing voice, the word soprano comes from the Italian word sopra, as the soprano is the highest pitch human voice, often given to the leading female roles in operas. The term soprano is also based on the Latin word superius which, like soprano, the word superius was especially used in choral and other multi-part vocal music between the 13th and 16th centuries. The soprano has the highest vocal range of all voice types, a soprano and a mezzo-soprano have a similar range, but their tessituras will lie in different parts of that range. The low extreme for sopranos is roughly A3 or B♭3, within opera, the lowest demanded note for sopranos is F3. Often low notes in higher voices will project less, lack timbre, however, rarely is a soprano simply unable to sing a low note in a song within a soprano role. The high extreme, at a minimum, for non-coloratura sopranos is soprano C, a couple of roles have optional E♭6s, as well. In the coloratura repertoire several roles call for E♭6 on up to F6, in rare cases, some coloratura roles go as high as G6 or G♯6, such as Mozarts concert aria Popoli di Tessaglia. Or the title role of Jules Massenets opera Esclarmonde, while not necessarily within the tessitura, a good soprano will be able to sing her top notes full-throated, with timbre and dynamic control. In opera, the tessitura, vocal weight, and timbre of voices, a singers tessitura is where the voice has the best timbre, easy volume, and most comfort. Within the soprano voice type category are five generally recognized subcategories, coloratura soprano, soubrette, lyric soprano, spinto soprano, the coloratura soprano may be a lyric coloratura or a dramatic coloratura. The lyric coloratura soprano is a very agile light voice with a high upper extension capable of fast vocal coloratura, Light coloraturas have a range of approximately middle C to high F with some coloratura sopranos being able to sing somewhat higher or lower. Dramatic coloraturas have a range of approximately low B to high F with some coloratura sopranos being able to sing higher or lower. In classical music and opera, a soubrette soprano refers to both a type and a particular type of opera role. A soubrette voice is light with a bright, sweet timbre, a tessitura in the mid-range, the soubrette voice is not a weak voice, for it must carry over an orchestra without a microphone like all voices in opera. The voice, however, has a lighter weight than other soprano voices with a brighter timbre
Soprano
–
Soprano voice range (C4–C6) indicated in sheet music (left) and on piano keyboard in green with dot marking middle C.
30.
Contralto
–
A contralto is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range is the lowest female voice type. The contralto voice type is divided into the coloratura, lyric. Contralto is primarily meaningful only in reference to classical and operatic singing, the term contralto is only applied to female singers, men singing in a similar range are called countertenors. A true contralto is often regarded as the rarest of the female voices, some vocal theorists have found that the vocal folds are thicker than those present in other female voices. Studies have used cameras to photograph visible differences which are found in countertenors. The contralto has the lowest vocal range of the voice types. The contralto voice range is between tenor and mezzo-soprano, although tenors and baritones are usually male singers, some women can sing as low and are called female tenors or female baritones. With the exception of very rare female singers, such terms are usually informal, more formal terminology would be contralto profundo and contralto basso or oktavistka but these are not traditionally named among the fach system. Some of the rare contraltos that can sing the female equivalent of tenor and baritone include Zarah Leander, Ruby Helder, within the contralto voice type category are three generally recognized subcategories, coloratura contralto, lyric contralto, and dramatic contralto. Given its deviations from the norms, this voice type is quite rare. The lyric contralto voice is lighter than a dramatic contralto but not capable of the ornamentation and this class of contralto, lighter in timbre than the others, is the most common today and usually ranges from the E below middle C to the second G above middle C. The dramatic contralto is the deepest, darkest, and heaviest contralto voice, usually having a heavier tone, singers in this class are rare. True operatic contraltos are rare, and the operatic literature contains few roles written specifically for them, a common saying among contraltos is that they may play only witches, bitches, or britches. Examples of contralto roles in the operatic repertoire include the following. * indicates a role that may also be sung by a mezzo-soprano, category of contraltos List of operatic contraltos Fach, the German system for classifying voices Voice classification in non-classical music List of contraltos in non-classical music Coffin, Berton. Coloratura, Lyric and Dramatic Soprano, Vol.1, vocal Workouts for the Contemporary Singer. Media related to Contralto vocalists at Wikimedia Commons The dictionary definition of Contralto at Wiktionary
Contralto
–
Contralto voice range (F3–F5) indicated in sheet music (left) and on piano keyboard in green with dot marking middle C (C4).
31.
Palermo
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Palermo is a city of Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence, Palermo is located in the northwest of the island of Sicily, right by the Gulf of Palermo in the Tyrrhenian Sea. The city was founded in 734 BC by the Phoenicians as Ziz, Palermo then became a possession of Carthage, before becoming part of the Roman Republic, the Roman Empire and eventually part of the Byzantine Empire, for over a thousand years. The Greeks named the city Panormus meaning complete port, from 831 to 1072 the city was under Arab rule during the Emirate of Sicily when the city first became a capital. The Arabs shifted the Greek name into Balarme, the root for Palermos present-day name, eventually Sicily would be united with the Kingdom of Naples to form the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies until the Italian unification of 1860. The population of Palermo urban area is estimated by Eurostat to be 855,285, in the central area, the city has a population of around 676,000 people. The inhabitants are known as Palermitani or, poetically, panormiti, the languages spoken by its inhabitants are the Italian language, Sicilian language and the Palermitano dialect. Palermo is Sicilys cultural, economic and touristic capital and it is a city rich in history, culture, art, music and food. Palermo is the main Sicilian industrial and commercial center, the industrial sectors include tourism, services, commerce. Palermo currently has an airport, and a significant underground economy. In fact, for cultural, artistic and economic reasons, Palermo was one of the largest cities in the Mediterranean and is now among the top tourist destinations in both Italy and Europe. It is the seat of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Arab-Norman Palermo. The city is going through careful redevelopment, preparing to become one of the major cities of the Euro-Mediterranean area. Roman Catholicism is highly important in Palermitano culture, the Patron Saint of Palermo is Santa Rosalia whose Feast Day is celebrated on 15 July. The area attracts significant numbers of each year and is widely known for its colourful fruit, vegetable and fish markets at the heart of Palermo, known as Vucciria, Ballarò. Palermo lies in a basin, formed by the Papireto, Kemonia, the basin was named the Conca dOro by the Arabs in the 9th century. The city is surrounded by a range which is named after the city itself. These mountains face the Tyrrhenian Sea, Palermo is home to a natural port and offers excellent views to the sea, especially from Monte Pellegrino
Palermo
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Clockwise from top: Quattro Canti in Maqueda Street, San Domenico Church, Pretoria Square and Santa Caterina Church, and view of downtown Palermo from Mount Pellegrino
Palermo
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View of Palermo from Monte Pellegrino.
Palermo
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Monte Pellegrino pictured at the end of the 19th century; the mountain is visible from everywhere in the city
Palermo
–
Mesolithic cave art at
Addaura
32.
La battaglia di Legnano
–
La battaglia di Legnano is an opera in four acts, with music by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian-language libretto by Salvadore Cammarano. It was based on the play La Bataille de Toulouse by Joseph Méry, musicologist Roger Parker describes the première as a clamorous success, with the entire final act encored and the audience wild with enthusiasm. He goes to add that act 4 was encored at every performance of the run, however, we learn elsewhere that the opera failed in its 1850 production in Genoa. In later years Battaglia was given under different settings and different titles until Italian unification allowed for the opera to be presented as originally written and we know that Verdi considered revising it in the 1850s, but never did. While it has not been performed with any frequency, the succession of performances given after its 1959 revival have kept Battaglia in the eye to this day. Verdis 14th opera was written while Verdi was living in Paris in 1848, Osborne continues, while parts of Verdis earlier operas had frequently been taken up by the fighters of the Risorgimento this time the composer had given the movement its own opera. A story like that should stir every man with an Italian soul in his breast was how the librettist described it. Conceived in the springtime of Italian hopes, by the time Cammarano produced a final libretto it was early 1849, the premiere was set for late January 1849, some last-minute adjustments were made, and Verdi traveled to Rome before the end of 1848. At this point in the rise of Italian nationalism, Rome under Pope Pius IX was in turmoil and the Pope was held prisoner, unconquered and a queen she shall be as once she was. 19th century Initial reactions at the premiere were ecstatic by all accounts, and Viva Italia coming from the audience when the words of the opening chorus – Viva Italia. Sacro un patto / Tutti stringe I figli suoi / Long live Italy, a sacred pact binds all her sons) – were heard. to be replaced by the Duke of Alba, etc. In Parma, after the Italian victories of 1859, it was re-titled La disfatta degli Austriaci and it was presented in Genoa, Corfu, Turin, and Piacenza between 1850 and 1859 and revived in Milan and Naples in 1861. In the 1880s it was re-styled in French as Pour la Patrie for a production at the Théâtre Château-dEau in Paris which did not happen. However, as Emanuele Muzio reports by letter to Verdi, this adaptation was later performed in the French provinces. 20th century and beyond The opera is not frequently performed in modern times, in Italy, it was seen in 1959 in Florence and Venice to commemorate the centenary of the Second Italian War of Independence, and in Trieste in 1963. La Scala has mounted the opera only twice in the last century, once in 1916, the 1961 cast was recorded and includes performances by Franco Corelli, Antonietta Stella, and Ettore Bastianini. The Rome Opera presented Battaglia in December 1983, a performance of which was recorded, in the 1990s, it was staged in Piacenza in January 1999 with Lida sung by Fiorenza Cedolins. Additionally, it was presented in the Teatro Massimo Bellini in Catania in December 2001 under Nello Santi, a video recording was made of the production
La battaglia di Legnano
–
Amos Cassioli, "La Battaglia di Legnano" (detail),
Palazzo Pitti, Florence
La battaglia di Legnano
–
Verdi around 1850
La battaglia di Legnano
–
Poet Giuseppe Giusti, (detail) by Ferdinando Rondoni
La battaglia di Legnano
–
Librettist Salvadore Cammarano
33.
Giuseppina Strepponi
–
Clelia Maria Josepha Strepponi was a nineteenth-century Italian operatic soprano of great renown and the second wife of composer Giuseppe Verdi. She is often credited with having contributed to Verdis first successes, starring in a number of his early operas, donizetti wrote the title role of his opera Adelia specifically for Strepponi. Strepponi was born in the city of Lodi in the Lombard region of Italy. Her first lessons in music were with her father who focused mainly on teaching her to play the piano, Strepponi made her professional opera début in December 1834 as Adria in Luigi Riccis Chiara di Rosembergh at the Teatro Orfeo. She had her first major success during the spring at the Theatro Grande in Trieste singing the title role in Rossinis Matilde di Shabran. This success quickly led to engagements at major opera houses throughout Italy. Although she was talented, she never sang outside Italy after 1835. Strepponi became a celebrity among opera singers during the late 1830s, in 1836 she sang the roles of Ninetta in Rossinis La gazza ladra, Elvira in Bellinis I puritani, and the title role in Rossinis La Cenerentola at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice. In Spring 1837, she went under contract with Alessandro Lanari of Florence, then known as the king of impresarios, however, within a very short time, she found herself pregnant and had to sing through three pregnancies during the time with Lanari. That same year she reprised the role of Elvira and portrayed the roles of Elena in Donizettis Marino Faliero and the title role in Donizettis Lucia di Lammermoor at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna. In 1838 she sang the roles in Donizettis Maria di Rudenz, Bellinis Beatrice di Tenda. Strepponis performance was considered one of the strongest aspects of this production, however, the record of constant performances over several years has invited speculation about what that might have done to the quality of her voice in later years. Returning to Milan for rehearsals of Nabucco, she claimed that illness would prevent future performances in Vienna, the doctors conclusions would allow her to do that, but it took her more than a year to recover. Strepponi continued to remain a popular singer during the early 1840s. She notably sang the role in Donizettis Adelia in 1841 at the Teatro Apollo in Rome. This was followed by an acclaimed portrayal as Abigaille in the world premiere of Verdis Nabucco at La Scala in 1842. Also in 1843, she sang the roles of Elisabetta in Donizettis Roberto Devereux, other notable roles for Strepponi during the early 1840s included the title role in Bellinis Norma, the Marchesa del Poggio in Verdis Un giorno di regno, and the title role in Giovanni Pacinis Saffo. Her voice never recovered and she appeared only sporadically in operas until her retirement in February 1846
Giuseppina Strepponi
–
Painting by Karoly Gyurkovich, c. 1860s.
Giuseppina Strepponi
–
Giuseppina Strepponi (c. 1845) (
Museo Teatrale alla Scala)
Giuseppina Strepponi
–
Baritone Giorgio Ronconi
Giuseppina Strepponi
–
Tenor Napoleone Moriani
34.
Otto von Rohr
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The Bishopric of Havelberg was a Roman Catholic diocese founded by King Otto I of Germany in 946, from 968 a suffragan to the Archbishops of Magedeburg. A Prince-bishopric from 1151, Havelberg as a result of the Protestant Reformation was secularised, the episcopal seat was in Havelberg near the confluence of the Elbe and Havel rivers. The bishopric roughly covered the western Prignitz region, between the Altmark in the west and the Brandenburgian core territory in the east, occupying the eastern riverbank, Henry had a fortification built on a hill above the Havel tributary, near its mouth into the Elbe. His son Otto I continued the expeditions and in 936/37 established the Saxon Eastern March on the conquered territories, in 948 he founded the dioceses of Havelberg and Brandenburg, initially suffragans to the Archbishops of Mainz, from 968 to the newly established Archdiocese of Magdeburg. Part of the Northern March from 968, Havelberg diocese was occupied by revolting Lutici tribes in the Great Slav Rising of 983 and merely remained a titular see. Not until 150 years later, King Lothair III of Germany re-occupied Havelberg in 1130 and its first and most famous Prince-Bishop was the Premonstratensian canon Anselm of Havelberg, who had been anointed already in 1129 by the Magedeburg archbishop Norbert of Xanten. Anselm first took his seat at Jerichow in 1144, upon the Wendish Crusade in 1147, he was able to found a cathedral chapter at Havelberg and to begin the building of Havelberg Cathedral, which was consecrated in 1170. The diocesan and secular territory were already separated in 1151, however, the bishops held no secular rights in the town of Havelberg itself, which was enfeoffed to the Brandenburg margraves. In 1383 the Holy Blood of Wilsnack became a pilgrimage site. From the 14th century onwards, the Havelberg bishops also used Plattenburg Castle as a summer residence, after long-lasting quarrels with the mighty Brandenburg prince-electors, the Premonstratensian chapter finally gave in to transform Havelberg into a collegiate church. From 1514 onwards the deans of the cathedral were appointed by the Margraves of Brandenburg, the Bishopric was finally secularised and incorporated into Brandenburg in 1571. Its annexation was complete, when Joachim Frederick succeeded his father as Brandenburg elector in 1598
Otto von Rohr
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Westwork of Havelberg Cathedral
Otto von Rohr
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Coat of arms
35.
Hessischer Rundfunk
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Hessischer Rundfunk is the public broadcaster for the German state of Hesse. The main offices of hr are in Frankfurt am Main, hr is a member of the ARD. The main radio and television studios for hr are located at Bertramstraße 8, there are additional radio and television studios in Kassel and Wiesbaden, and additional radio studios in Darmstadt, Fulda and Gießen. Hr also has offices in Berlin, Eltville, Erbach, Limburg an der Lahn, in 2000, hr opened studios on the 53rd floor of the Main Tower in the city centre of Frankfurt. Hr is also responsible for the ARD Studios in Madrid and Prague, licensing fees are currently €17.50 per month. Since 2013, this amount has to be paid by every household and these fees are not collected directly by the hr but by the Beitragsservice that is a common organisation of ARD, its members, ZDF and Deutschlandradio. Like other regional public broadcasting networks in Germany, hr has its own Channel Three programming, from 1964 until 1983 it was called Hessisches Fernsehprogramm and from 1983 until 1997 it was called Hessen Drei. In 1997 it was renamed to hessen fernsehen, and most recently, since December 2013 the channel is also available in HDTV. Until 2004 hr1 had been hrs main information channel, hr2-kultur is hrs cultural and classical-music radio channel. Hr3 is a popular music programme. Relaunched in the early 80s as a service targeted principally at young people, hr4 is aimed at an older listenership. It broadcasts regional news and German popular music and evergreens, as well as music, folk. At weekends, it broadcasts special in-depth-reports on a range of topics, YOU FM is hrs music programme for young people. It has also become famous outside of Hessen and Germany for its Saturday night techno music transmissions and its 112 musicians perform the whole spectrum of symphonic music from the Baroque era to the present day, initiating various new forms of presentation as well as undertaking experimental projects. Although the orchestra is based in Frankfurt, working principally in the German State of Hesse, it is a frequent guest at important international festivals, since the season 2014/2015 Andrés Orozco-Estrada is the orchestras music director. Previous important music directors include Dean Dixon, Eliahu Inbal, Dimitri Kitayenko, Hugh Wolff, hr-Bigband – The Frankfurt Radio Big Band started life 1946 as the dance orchestra of Radio Frankfurt. Since the 1970s it has become a big band with the focus on concerts. The Frankfurt Radio Big Band plays approximately 50 concerts every year, performing in every possible jazz-style as well as crossing over into classic, pop, after three years as the bands artist in residence, Jim McNeely assumed the position of music director in 2011
Hessischer Rundfunk
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Headquarters in Frankfurt
Hessischer Rundfunk
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Hessischer Rundfunk
Hessischer Rundfunk
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Hessischer Rundfunk with ARD-Sternpunkt in Frankfurt
36.
Deutsche Grammophon
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Deutsche Grammophon is a German classical record label that was the foundation of the future corporation to be known as PolyGram. It is now part of Universal Music Group since its merger with the MCA family of labels in 1999 and it is the oldest surviving established record company. Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft was founded in 1898 by German-born United States citizen Emile Berliner as the German branch of his Berliner Gramophone Company, Berliner sent his nephew Joseph Sanders from America to set up operations. Based in the city of Hanover, the company had links with the U. S, victor Talking Machine Company and the British Gramophone Company, but those links were severed at the onset of World War I. Early labels bore the legend Grammophon and the painting His Masters Voice featuring the dog Nipper, in 1941, Deutsche Grammophon was purchased by the Siemens & Halske electronics company. In 1949, Deutsche Grammophon sold the German rights of the His Masters Voice trademark to the Electrola unit of EMI, the dog and gramophone were replaced by the crown of tulips, designed by Siemens advertising consultant Hans Domizlaff. In 1962 Siemens formed a joint venture with Netherlands-based Philips to create the DGG/PPI Record Group, by this time, DGG had built a solid reputation for high-quality recording in the classical field as well as a very notable roster of contracted singers, musicians, and conductors. The fine quality both of recording and of pressings helped DGG especially succeed and attract Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops Orchestra to DGG/Polydor, in 1987 Siemens sold off its interest in PolyGram, and Philips became the majority shareholder. In 1998, the Seagram Company Ltd. of Canada purchased Deutsche Grammophon, since then, Deutsche Grammophon was merged into Universal Music Group, a division of Vivendi. Deutsche Grammophon has a back catalogue of notable recordings. The company is reissuing a portion of it in its Originals series and it also released the majority of the compositions of Karlheinz Stockhausen until the composer bought the rights to the recordings and re-released them on his own label. Other German composers associated with the label included Paul Hindemith and Hans Werner Henze, in 2011, Tori Amos signed to the label. The conductor most associated with the label is Herbert von Karajan, other conductors under contract included Ferenc Fricsay, Carlos Kleiber, Karl Böhm, Eugen Jochum, Rafael Kubelik, Leonard Bernstein, Pierre Boulez, Claudio Abbado, and Christian Thielemann. Recent signings include Gustavo Dudamel and Myung-whun Chung
Deutsche Grammophon
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Record of Emile Berliner's Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft.
Deutsche Grammophon
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Deutsche Grammophon Records
37.
Mario Rossi
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He studied composition in Rome with Respighi and conducting with Giacomo Setaccioli, graduating in 1925, and soon after graduation he took up the post of assistant conductor to Bernardino Molinari. Appointed resident conductor of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in Florence, he made his debut on the podium there in 1937 with Mascagnis Iris, the following year he led the premiere of Gian Francesco Malipieros opera Antonio e Cleopatra. He conducted in all the opera houses of Italy. From 1946 till 1969 he served as conductor of the orchestra of the RAI in Turin. He elevated this group to a level, making guest appearances in Brussels, Vienna. Amongst his best performances on record were Il matrimonio segreto, Il barbiere di Siviglia, Don Pasquale, Un ballo in maschera, Otello, in other words, the range of Rossis musical sympathies was extraordinary. Achieving excellence across such a disparate repertory is rare even for great conductors, most of whom are stylistically authentic only in the music of a few periods, for sheer universality, Rossi had few if any equals. Le guide de lopéra, Roland Mancini & Jean-Jacques Rouveroux, ISBN 2-213-01563-5
Mario Rossi
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Mario Rossi
38.
Marcello Giordani
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Marcello Giordani is an Italian operatic tenor who has sung leading roles in opera houses throughout Europe and the United States. He has had an association with the New York Metropolitan Opera. Marcello Giordani was born in 1963 in the small Sicilian town of Augusta and his father, a former prison guard, was the owner of a major gasoline station in the town, and his mother was a housewife. He showed a talent for singing at an age and took private lessons in Augusta as well as singing in his church choir. When he was nineteen, he quit his job in a bank, Giordani made his professional operatic debut in 1986 as the Duke in Rigoletto at the Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto. His debut at La Scala came two years later when he sang Rodolfo in La bohème, engagements with several other American opera companies followed, including San Francisco Opera, Seattle Opera, Los Angeles Opera and the Opera Company of Philadelphia. Giordani made his Metropolitan Opera debut in 1993 as Nemorino in a Parks performance of Lelisir damore opposite Maria Spacagna as Adina and his first performance on the actual stage at the Metropolitan Opera House was on December 11,1995 as Rodolfo to Hei-Kyung Hongs Mimì with Carlo Rizzi conducting. In 1994, vocal problems which had begun to surface in the years became more acute. He began to retrain his voice with Bill Schuman in New York, in 1995 he sang Alfredo in La traviata at Covent Garden under Sir Georg Solti, whose guidance he credits as a great help in the rebuilding of his career. In 1997, Giordani again sang at Covent Garden under Solti and his career at the Met, which had initially been sporadic, began to flourish. By the end of 2008 he had sung over 170 performances with the company, including the tenor roles in the Metropolitan Opera premieres of Benvenuto Cellini. In August 2008, Giordani appeared in concert with Salvatore Licitra,2008 also saw his appointment as Artistic Director for Musical Events at Città della Notte, a new arts center near Augusta. In December 2008 he will gave his first master classes there, in 2010, Giordani created the Marcello Giordani Foundation to help young opera singers at the beginning of their career. The first annual Marcello Giordani Vocal Competition was held in Sicily in 2011, Giordani met his wife, Wilma, when he was singing in Lucerne in 1988. The couple and their two live in New York and Sicily. I was born in Augusta, a city that I deeply love, im proud to be a Sicilian and to be an Augustan. Gifted with remarkable skill, stage presence, and unlimited humanity. An artist who brings the warmth of Sicily, his land, to the theatres of the world through his powerful voice
Marcello Giordani
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Marcello Giordani in
The Girl of the Golden West
39.
James Conlon
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James Conlon is an American conductor of opera, and symphonic and choral works. He is Music Director of Los Angeles Opera and Principal Conductor of the Italian RAI National Symphony Orchestra and he was the long serving director of the two week Cincinnati May Festival from 1979 through 2016. From 2005 to 2015, he was director at the Ravinia Festival. He is known for his efforts in reviving music by composers suppressed during the Nazi regime, Conlon grew up in a family of five children on Cherry Street in Douglaston, Queens, New York City. His mother, Angeline L. Conlon, was a freelance writer and his father was an assistant to the New York City Commissioner of Labor in the Robert F. Wagner administration. His siblings were not musically inclined, nor were his parents, when he was eleven, he went to a production of La traviata by an amateur company founded by the mother of a friend. He asked for lessons and became a treble in a childrens chorus in an opera company in Queens. He dreamed about being a tenor, then a baritone, finally it dawned on him that the only way to do everything in opera was to become an operatic conductor. In 1970, the Juilliard Orchestra took a tour to Europe and he was invited to Spoleto the next year as an assistant doing work as a répétiteur, coach. During that time, he conducted one performance of Boris Godunov and he recalled that he had fallen in love with this opera at a young age, and had dreamed that it would be the first opera he would conduct. In 1972, at a scheduled Juilliard production of La bohème directed by Michael Cacoyannis, at the time, Maria Callas was doing a series of master classes at Juilliard and heard Conlon in rehearsal. She suggested to Juilliards president, Peter Mennin, that Conlon should step in to conduct, Conlon received the conducting award of the American National Orchestral Association and in 1974 became the youngest conductor engaged for the New York Philharmonic Orchestras subscription series. In 1976 he made his Metropolitan Opera debut and his British debut with the Scottish Opera and he was named director of the Cincinnati May Festivalin 1979, which he has acted as every year since. After engagements with the Paris Opéra, Maggio Musicale in Florence, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, in 1996 he was appointed music director of the Opéra National de Paris while serving concurrently as Music Director of the city of Cologne, Germany. Since his New York Philharmonic debut in 1974 at the invitation of Pierre Boulez and he has also appeared with many of the worlds major opera companies, including Teatro alla Scala, the Royal Opera at Covent Garden, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, and the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. His leadership is associated with an increase in standards, overall productivity and attendance. In 2015, he was named Principal Conductor of the Italian RAI National Symphony Orchestra, since the 2006/07 season, Conlon is the Music Director of Los Angeles Opera. His work at LA Opera has included a series called Recovered Voices, the series included a double-bill of Alexander von Zemlinskys Der Zwerg and Viktor Ullmanns Der zerbrochene Krug, and operas by composers such as Schreker and Braunfels
James Conlon
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James Conlon
40.
Bryan Hymel
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Bryan Hymel is an American operatic tenor who was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana and was a graduate of Jesuit High School. Bryan Hymel came to the attention of opera houses at the age of 19, after graduating from Loyola University New Orleans with a Bachelors degree in Vocal Performance, he participated in the Merola Opera Program at the San Francisco Opera. Following his time there he attended the prestigious Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia, after his hometown debut, Hymel sang Tamino in Die Zauberflöte and the Duke in Rigoletto with Opera Grand Rapids. He made his European debut in 2007 at the Wexford Festival Opera, later that year he made his New York recital debut with Michelle DeYoung under the sponsorship of the George London Foundation. In the summer of 2011, Hymel sang the role in Faust at The Santa Fe Opera. In July 2012, Hymel performed the role of Énée in the Covent Garden Troyens and it was given by the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment at Londons Royal Festival Hall. In 2002 Hymel was one of the winners of the Opera Lirica d’Orvieto Aria Competition in Perugia and he was the winner of the George London Award in 2007. In 2012 he won the Beverly Sills Award, official website The George London Foundation Feature in Opera News Feature in Opera Lively
Bryan Hymel
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Bryan Hymel
41.
Erwin Schrott
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Erwin Schrott is an operatic bass-baritone, particularly known for his interpretation of the title role in Mozarts Don Giovanni. Schrott studied singing with Franca Mattiucci and he made his professional debut in Montevideo at the age of 22, singing Roucher in Andrea Chénier. After winning first prize and the Audience Prize in the 1998 Operalia competition founded by Plácido Domingo, he went on to leading roles in major opera houses in both Europe and the United States. He made his debut at the Vienna State Opera as Banquo in Verdis Macbeth on 28 March 1999 and returned there to sing Leporello in Don Giovanni, at La Scala, he has sung the title role in Don Giovanni and Pharaon in Moïse et Pharaon. His debut at the New York Metropolitan Opera came on 30 November 2000 when he sang Colline in La bohème. Since his debut at the Royal Opera House in September 2003 as Leporello in Don Giovanni, Schrott has sung Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro, Erwin Schrott was the partner of the Russian soprano Anna Netrebko. They never married, and in November 2013, Netrebko announced that she and their son, Tiago Aruã, was born on 5 September 2008 in Vienna. The dispute was settled out of court in August 2008 when Schrott agreed to make a donation to charity, warner Music Group, DVD & Blu-ray Don Giovanni Festspielhaus Baden-Baden,2013, Thomas Hengelbrock conducting. Sony Classical, DVD & Blu-ray Rojotango - Live in Berlin,2013, Sony Classical, DVD arias - Erwin Schrott,2012, Sony Classical, CD Rojotango - Erwin Schrott, Tango CD,2011, with Pablo Ziegler. Sony Classical, CD Don Giovanni Salzburg Festival recorded in 2008,2010, naxos Germany, DVD Le nozze di Figaro Opernhaus Zürich,2009, Franz Welser-Möst conducting. EMI Music, DVD Arias by Mozart, Verdi, Berlioz, Gounod & Meyerbeer,2008, Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana, decca CD Le nozze di Figaro Royal Opera House,2008, Antonio Pappano conducting. Opus Arte, DVD & Blu-ray Moïse et Pharaon, Teatro alla Scala,2003, TDK DVD Lelisir damore, Macerata Opera Festival,2002, Niels Muus conducting. Rai Trade DVD and CD Al-Arab, Opera Gala in Abu Dhabi, ashley, Tim, Review, Don Giovanni Royal Opera House, London, The Guardian, June 15,2007. Battle, Laura, Interview, Erwin Schrott Music OMH, June 2007, brotons Ibáñez, R. Erwin Schrott, «Accidentes como este pasan en todos los teatros» Levante,12 December 2006. Christiansen, Rupert, The charmer and the psychopath Daily Telegraph, el Universal, Debuta Plácido Domingo como director de la Sinfónica de Puerto Rico,10 October 2007. Kayser, Beate, Erwin Schrott im Herkulessaal, Mann ohne Führerschein, TZ, mangan, Timothy, Sure Fire Opera News, December 2005. Accessed via subscription 15 June 2007 Metropolitan Opera Database, Page, Tim, Washingtons Don Giovanni, Hitting Many of the High Notes The Washington Post,31 March 2003, Page C01. The New York Times, June 18,2007, official web site erwinschrott. wordpress. com Erwin Schrott biography on Opera Art Artists Management
Erwin Schrott
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Erwin Schrott, 2012
42.
Francis Toye
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John Francis Toye was an English music critic, teacher, writer and educational administrator. In 1939 Toye was appointed director of the British Institute of Florence, during the war, he served as director of the Sociedade Brasileira de Cultura Inglesa, Rio de Janeiro. Toye returned to the institute in Florence in 1946 and he retired in 1958 but continued to live in Florence for the rest of his life. Toye was born in Winchester, Hampshire, the eldest son of Arlingham James Toye and his father was a schoolmaster at Winchester College who had a strong interest in music. Toye was educated at Winchester and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied languages and he was intended for a career in the diplomatic service, and passed the Foreign Office examination for student interpretership in the Levant in 1904. He resigned from the service in 1906 and studied singing and composition with teachers including E. J. Dent, Toye began as a music critic in 1908 on the weekly magazine Vanity Fair. In the years leading up to World War I, he produced a variety of works, including a short play, The Extra Shilling, incidental music for The Well in the Wood. In 1914 Toye married the American author Ann Huston Miller, known as Nina, there were no children of the marriage, which lasted until Toyes death fifty years later. In World War I, he served in various capacities in the War Office from 1914 to 1917, then transferred to the department of the Admiralty. He went into commerce in 1920 and spent two years as manager of the department of the Mond Nickel Company. He then worked for The Daily Express, first as a leader-writer, in 1925 he was appointed music critic of The Morning Post and was active in London journalism until The Morning Post was absorbed into The Daily Telegraph in 1937. After that, he wrote a column, The Charm of Music. He formulated his creed in a book, The Well-Tempered Musician, sir Keith Falkner, Director of the Royal College of Music in London, praised Toye as a teacher of singing, He was a teacher with a fine ear and down-to-earth knowledge. He followed it with a lighter treatment of Rossini in Rossini. In addition to his writing, Toye was a frequent broadcaster, in 1939 Toye was appointed director of the British Institute of Florence, an institution dedicated to teaching English language and literature to Italians. Shortly after Toyes appointment, the Institute announced the establishment of a new branch in Naples, with further branches to follow in Genoa, Turin. But his work was cut short when Italy entered World War II in May 1940 and he was forced to flee from Italy, and for some time he and his wife were reported missing, but they returned safely to England. After the end of the war, the Toyes returned to Florence, in 1946 he resumed the directorship of the British Institute, whose premises and magnificent library had survived the war intact
Francis Toye
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Memorial plaque for Toye in
Portofino, Italy
43.
Franz Werfel
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Franz Viktor Werfel was an Austrian-Bohemian novelist, playwright, and poet whose career spanned World War I, the Interwar period, and World War II. Born in Prague, Werfel was the first of three children of a manufacturer of gloves and leather goods, Rudolf Werfel. His mother, Albine Kussi, was the daughter of a mill owner and his two sisters were Hanna and Marianne Amalie. As a child, Werfel was raised by his Czech Catholic governess, Barbara Šimůnková, in 1912, Werfel moved to Leipzig, where he became an editor for Kurt Wolff’s new publishing firm, where Werfel championed and edited Georg Trakl’s first book of poetry. With the outbreak of World War I, Werfel served in the Austro-Hungarian Army on the Russian front as a telephone operator. His duties both exposed him to the vicissitudes of war as well as provided him with enough of a haven to continue writing Expressionist poems, ambitious plays. His strange mix of humanism, confessionalism, autobiography, as well as mythology and religiosity developed further during this time. His poems and plays ranged from scenes of ancient Egypt to occult allusions and incorporate a parable from the Baháí Faith in the poem “Jesus and the Carrion Path. ”His bias for Christian subjects, as well as his antipathy for Zionism, eventually alienated many of his Jewish friends and readers, including early champions such as Karl Kraus. Others, however, stood by him, including, Martin Buber and their love affair culminated in the premature birth of a son, Martin, in August 1918. Martin, who was given the surname of Gropius, died in May of the following year, despite attempts to save his marriage to Alma, with whom he had a young daughter, Manon, Gropius reluctantly agreed to a divorce in 1920. Ironically, Alma refused to marry Werfel for the nine years. They married on 6 July 1929, in April 1924, Verdi - Roman der Oper was published by Zsolnay Verlag, establishing Werfels reputation as a novelist. In 1926, Werfel was awarded the Grillparzer Prize by the Austrian Academy of Sciences, by the end of the decade, Werfel had become one of the most important and established writers in German and Austrian literature and had already merited one full-length critical biography. Werfel lectured on this subject across Germany, the Nazi newspaper Das Schwarze Corps denounced him as a propagandist of alleged Turkish horrors perpetrated against the Armenians. The same newspaper, suggesting a link between the Armenian and the later Jewish genocide, condemned Americas Armenian Jews for promoting in the U. S. A. the sale of Werfels book, Werfel was forced to leave the Prussian Academy of Arts in 1933. His books were burned by the Nazis, Werfel left Austria after the Anschluss in 1938 and went to France, where they lived in a fishing village near Marseille. Visitors to their home at this time included Bertolt Brecht and Thomas Mann, after the German invasion and occupation of France during World War II, and the deportation of French Jews to the Nazi concentration camps, Werfel had to flee again. With the assistance of Varian Fry and the Emergency Rescue Committee in Marseille, he and his wife escaped the Nazi regime
Franz Werfel
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Werfel photographed by
Van Vechten, 1940
Franz Werfel
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Memorial to Franz Werfel by Ohan Petrosian in Schiller Park in Vienna. The granite pillar carries the inscription: "In Dankbarkeit und Hochachtung das Armenische Volk" ("In gratitude and respect, the Armenian people")
Franz Werfel
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Werfel's grave in the
Zentralfriedhof, Vienna
Franz Werfel
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Armenian Stamp (1995): Franz Werfel and a Hero of Musa Dagh
44.
International Music Score Library Project
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Since its launch on February 16,2006, over 370,000 scores and 42,000 recordings for over 110,000 works by over 14,000 composers have been uploaded. The project uses MediaWiki software to provide contributors with a familiar interface, since June 6,2010, IMSLP has also included public domain and licensed recordings in its scope, to allow for study by ear. The site was launched on February 16,2006, the library consists mainly of scans of old musical editions out of copyright. In addition, it admits scores by composers who wish to share their music with the world by releasing it under a Creative Commons license. One of the projects of IMSLP was the sorting and uploading of the complete works of Johann Sebastian Bach in the Bach-Gesellschaft Ausgabe. Besides providing a repository, IMSLP offers possibilities as a musicological encyclopaedia, since multiple. Also, pages on publishers provide valuable information, and the pages themselves often contain a large quantity of information. IMSLP is recommended as a tool by MIT, which also uses it extensively for providing scores for its OpenCourseWare courses. In 2007–2015, IMSLP / Petrucci Music Library used logo based on a score, the score image in the background was taken from the beginning of the very first printed book of music, the Harmonice Musices Odhecaton. It was published in Venice, Italy in 1501 by Ottaviano Petrucci, in 2016, IMSLP changed its logo to a clean wordmark, featuring its two project names – IMSLP and Petrucci Music Library. In 2009, IMSLP won the MERLOT Classics award for Music and it was named one of the Top 100 Web Sites of 2009 by PC Magazine. On October 19,2007, the IMSLP closed following legal demands from Universal Edition of Vienna, at first I thought this letter would be similar in content to the first Cease and Desist letter I received in August. I cannot apologize enough to all IMSLP contributors, who have done so much for IMSLP in the last two years, in response, director Michael S. Hart of Project Gutenberg offered support to keep the project online. This offer was declined by Feldmahler, who voiced concern about having the project hosted in the United States, on November 2,2007, Michael Geist, a prominent Canadian copyright academic, wrote an article for the BBC discussing the specifics and the wider implications of this case. IMSLP went back online on June 30,2008, although the server is located in Canada, files which are not public domain in the US were until July 2010 flagged, for Technical Block or Temporary Block, and could not be viewed. The FAQ posted in their forum stated, Unfortunately, these temporary blocks will be until further notice – possibly all the way until the expiration of term in the USA. After an initial phase, flagged items have disappeared thanks to the introduction of regional servers operated by unaffiliated organizations. On 21 April 2011, the Music Publishers Association issued a DMCA takedown notice against the IMSLP, Go Daddy, the domain name registrar for the IMSLP, removed the domain name imslp. org, leaving it inaccessible
International Music Score Library Project
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IMSLP Petrucci Music Library
45.
Naxos Records
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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, the company was founded in 1987 by Klaus Heymann, a German-born resident of Hong Kong. Naxos is the largest independent classical label in the world and one of the two largest-selling classical labels and it is also one of the largest distributors of independent classical record labels in the world. Since 2009 the company has distributed blu-ray discs, streaming web radio, the company originally was known for its budget pricing of discs, with simpler artwork and design than most other labels. In the 1980s, Naxos primarily recorded central and eastern European symphony orchestras, often with lesser-known conductors to minimize recording costs, in more recent years, Naxos has taken advantage of the expiring copyrights of other companies studio recordings by selling disks remastered from gramophone records. Legal restrictions prevented some of these recordings being sold in the United States, Naxos has also recorded the music of contemporary composers, including Leonardo Balada, Bechara El-Khoury, Laurent Petitgirard and Alla Pavlova. The label has also branched out into jazz, world music, Naxos Spoken Word Library contains non-music products, such as audiobooks and radio dramas. The company produces Super Audio CDs, DVD-Audio and Blu-ray discs, in 2003 it began a paid subscription service for listening on the Internet that offers its complete catalogue and the Naxos Music Library. In 2015 it launched a download and streaming service, ClassicsOnline HD•LL. Like many independent labels, Naxos Records created its own network as an alternative to pre-existing networks. Naxos was so successful that other independent labels began to seek distribution through its network as well, Naxos Global Logistics, based in Poing, near Munich, was founded in 2008 to expand the services offered to its distributed labels, including manufacturing, marketing, and licensing. In 2005 Naxos won the “Label of the Year Award” at Classic FM/Gramophone awards
Naxos Records
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Naxos Records
46.
Oberto (opera)
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Oberto, Conte di San Bonifacio is an opera in two acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Temistocle Solera, based on an existing libretto by Antonio Piazza probably called Rocester. It was Verdis first opera, written over a period of four years, the La Scala production enjoyed a fair success and the theatres impresario, Bartolomeo Merelli, commissioned two further operas from the young composer. During his student days in Milan, Verdi began the process of making connections to the world of music in city which were to stand him in good stead. 1836 saw his involvement in an April concert celebrating Emperor Ferdinands birthday, by then it had been given the title of Rocester and the young composer expressed hopes of a production in Parma. However, Parma was not interested in new works and so approaches were made to Milan. How much of Rocester remained visible in Oberto is discussed by Roger Parker, who does suggest that in this shape-shifting tendency, Merelli then offered to put on Oberto during the 1839 season and, after its premiere, Oberto was given a respectable 13 additional performances. It appeared in Turin and Milan in 1840, the latter in the autumn after the failure of Verdis second opera, Un giorno di regno, again, it was seen in Naples and Genoa, and in Barcelona in 1842. The opera was staged in Parma on 6 September 1913, the British premiere did not take place until 8 April 1965, and then only in a concert version at St Pancras Town Hall. It was not given a staged production until 17 February 1982 at the Bloomsbury Theatre in London, Opera North presented the opera during their 1994–5 season with John Tomlinson both directing and performing the title-role. The Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, gave a performance in June 1997 with Denyce Graves as Cuniza. Three opera companies, which plan to present all of Verdis operas, have given this opera recently, companies which intend to present all of the composers works have included Oberto in their schedules in recent years. In 2010 the Berliner Operngruppe under Felix Krieger presented the work in a performance in Berlin. In its celebration of the Verdi bicentennial, it was staged by La Scala in April/May 2013, Oberto has lost and has retreated to Mantua. Meanwhile, his daughter Leonora has been seduced and abandoned by Riccardo, Count of Salinguerra, Leonora makes her way to Bassano on Riccardos wedding day, intent on confronting him. Scene 1, The countryside near Bassano Riccardo is welcomed by a chorus as he is about to enter Ezzelinos palace and he sings of his joy at being close to Cuniza. Leonora arrives swearing to avenge Riccardos desertion and she sings of the love which she had and she leaves to go towards the village. Her father, Oberto, arrives, pleased to be back in his home country, when Leonora returns, each is aware of the others presence and father and daughter are reunited. They express amazement at having found each other again, but, Obertos initial anger at Leonoras actions quickly turns to fatherly affection as the pair makes plans to disrupt the wedding
Oberto (opera)
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The town and citadel of Bassano where the opera is set
Oberto (opera)
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Bass Ignazio Marini was the first Oberto
Oberto (opera)
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Lorenzo Salvi was the first Riccardo
Oberto (opera)
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Mary Shaw Postans sang the first Cuniza
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Un giorno di regno
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Un giorno di regno, ossia Il finto Stanislao is an operatic melodramma giocoso in two acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto written in 1818 by Felice Romani. Originally written for the Bohemian composer Adalbert Gyrowetz the libretto was based on the play Le faux Stanislas written by the Frenchman Alexandre Vincent Pineu-Duval in 1808, Un giorno was given its premiere performance at the Teatro alla Scala, Milan on 5 September 1840. After the success of his first opera, Oberto in 1839, Un giorno was first of the three, but he wrote the piece during a period when first his children and then his wife died and its failure in 1840 caused the young composer to almost abandon opera. It was not until he was enticed to write the music for the libretto of what became Nabucco that Verdi restarted his career. After Oberto and after Merelli returned from Vienna in early 1840, premiere and other 19th century performances The first performance at La Scala on 5 September 1840 was a failure, and La Scala cancelled the remaining scheduled performances. They did not revive the work until 2001, Verdi would not attempt another operatic comedy until the end of his career with Falstaff. At the premiere Verdi was seated in the pit. Other factors which have been noted include the size of La Scala itself plus the rather old-fashioned nature of the work which was written in a style that was rapidly going out of fashion. In fact, in summary, Budden notes that by the side of Lelisir damore or Don Pasquale, other productions in Italy during Verdis lifetime seemed to fare better, it was given in Venice in 1845, in Rome in 1846, and Naples in 1859. 20th century and beyond Today, the opera is rarely performed, in the U. S. it received its premiere on 18 June 1960, while in the UK, the premiere took place on 21 March 1961. It was part of the San Diego Operas June 1981 Verdi Festival, along with Oberto and other early Verdi operas, it opened the New York Grand Opera Companys Viva Verdi. Series of presentation of all Verdis operas in order under Vincent La Selva in July 1994. The Bronx Opera Company has performed it twice, in 1983 and 1994, with the temporary shutdown of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in 1999, the Royal Opera gave a concert performance at the Royal Festival Hall. Russian baritone Vladimir Chernov sang the King with John Del Carlo as Baron Kelbar and this presentation was followed in 2001 with a staged production at the Buxton Festival in England. In 2008, Opera della Luna toured a version of the opera in the UK, one reviewer commented that the production makes up for what it lacks in bel canto elegance by being a riotously funny, enormously enjoyable evenings entertainment. In October 2012, the Bilbao-based ABAO society, one which plans to present all of Verdis works, however, Sarasota Opera presented the new critical edition of the opera in March 2013, the 29th work of the complete Verdi canon to be presented by the company. I have done my very best to provide an edition that faithfully reflects Verdi’s intentions throughout, the Baron has recently arranged a political alliance by betrothing his daughter, Giulietta, to La Rocca, the Brittany Treasurer, but Giulietta prefers La Roccas nephew, Edoardo. Another undesired marriage involves Baron Kelbars niece, the Marchesa del Poggio and she has become engaged to the Count of Ivrea because Belfiore has been unable to commit himself to marrying her, in spite of the fact that he does love her
Un giorno di regno
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Portrait of King
Stanislas of Poland
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Nabucco
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Nabucco is an Italian-language opera in four acts composed in 1841 by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Temistocle Solera. Under its original name of Nabucodonosor, the opera was first performed at La Scala in Milan on 9 March 1842, Nabucco is the opera which is considered to have permanently established Verdis reputation as a composer. He commented that this is the opera with which my career really begins. And though I had many difficulties to fight against, it is certain that Nabucco was born under a lucky star and it follows the plight of the Jews as they are assaulted, conquered and subsequently exiled from their homeland by the Babylonian King Nabucco. The historical events are used as background for a romantic and political plot, the success of Verdis first opera, Oberto, resulted in Bartolomeo Merelli, La Scalas impresario, offering Verdi a contract for three more works. After the failure of his second opera Un giorno di regno, in An Autobiographical Sketch, written in 1879, Verdi tells the story of how he came to be twice persuaded by Merelli to change his mind and to write the opera. However, in Volere è potere —written ten years closer to the event—Michele Lessona provides a different account of the events. After a chance meeting with Merelli close to La Scala, the impresario gave him a copy of Temistocle Soleras libretto which had been rejected by the composer Otto Nicolai, Verdi describes how he took it home, and threw it on the table with an almost violent gesture. Towards the end of May he found himself with that play in his hands, he read the last scene over again. And set the scene to music, nevertheless, Verdi still refused to compose the music, taking the manuscript back to the impresario the next day. But Merelli would accept no refusal and he immediately stuffed the papers back into Verdis pocket and not only threw me out of his office, at the very least, both Verdis and Lessonas versions end with a complete score. The opening performances, limited to only eight because the season was coming to an end, were a colossal success, but, when the new season opened on 13 August 1842, about an additional 60 performances had been added by the end of that year. Numerous Italian and foreign theatres put on opera in the years immediately following, including La Fenice in Venice in December 1842. In 1843 Donizetti conducted it in Vienna, and other stagings took place that year in Lisbon, but the definitive name of Nabucco for the opera was first used at a performance at the San Giacomo Theatre of Corfu in September,1844. Nonetheless, a plausible alternative for the establishment of this abbreviated form claims that it was the result of a revival of the opera in Teatro del Giglio of Lucca. The opera was first given in London at Her Majestys Theatre on 3 March 1846 under the name of Nino, in the US it appeared at the Astor Opera House in New York on 4 April 1848. Although not as frequently performed as some of Verdis other operas and it has been on the Metropolitan Operas roster since it was first presented there during the 1960/61 season. Nabucco is also performed at the Arena di Verona, where it was presented in 2002,2003,2005,2007,2008 and 2011
Nabucco
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Costume sketch for Nabucco for the original production
Nabucco
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Giuseppe Verdi (Litho by Roberto Focosi, c.1840)
Nabucco
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Librettist Temistocle Solera
Nabucco
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Soprano Giuseppina Strepponi, the first Abigaille, c. 1840
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