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Maurice Ravel's Shéhérazade for solo voice and orchestra is first performed in Paris, May 17, 1904. It is a song cycle for soprano (or tenor) solo and orchestra, after three poems by Tristan Klingsor: "Asie," "La flûte enchantée," and "L'indifférent," written in 1903. The performance was at the Société Nationale, Paris, with Jeanne Hatto and the orchestra conducted by Alfred Cortot.
Pietro Mascagni's famous and most successful opera, Cavalleria Rusticana, is first performed in Costanzi Theater, Rome, also on the same day, May 17 (1890).
Michèle Losier - Shéhérazade, I. Asie (Ravel)
Cavalleria Rusticana - Mascagni (opera completa) - Noto (SR) 31/08/2013
Video Credit:
Sheherazade by Ravel. YouTube uploaded by Bellerophon. Accessed 17 May 2016.
Cavalleria Rusticana. by Mascagni. YouTube uploaded by Giacomo Mazzoni. Accessed 17 May 2018.
Resources:
Myers RH. Ravel: Life and Works. Thomas Yoseloff, New York, 1960.
Sadie, Stanley, Ed. (1994). The Grove Concise Dictionary of Music, Ne wUpdated Edition. London: Macmillan Publishers.
(c) May 2016. Updated May 18, 2018. Tel. Inspired Pen Web. All rights reserved.
Madama Butterfly (Madame Butterfly) is an opera in three acts (originally two) by Giacomo Puccini, with an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa.
It is based on the short story "Madame Butterfly" (1898) by John Luther Long, which in turn was based on stories told to Long by his sister Jennie Correll and on the semi-autobiographical 1887 French novel Madame Chrysanthème by Pierre Loti. Long's version was dramatized by David Belasco as the one-act play Madame Butterfly: A Tragedy of Japan, which, after premiering in New York in 1900, moved to London, where Puccini saw it in the summer of that year.
On February 17, 1904, Giacomo Puccini's masterpiece, Madama Butterfly
premiered at Teatro alla Scala, sung in Italian.
The opera, briefly
Lieutenant B.F. Pinkerton, an officer in the U.S. Navy, is captivated with Cio-Cio San, a young geisha, known as 'Madam Butterfly'. Pinkerton's desire for Butterfly is so strong that he would do anything to have her. He therefore arranges through Goro, a
marriage broker, to marry her in a Japanese wedding ceremony.
This tale of a young Japanese geisha who marries an American naval officer who then leaves her explores themes of devotion and responsibility, fidelity and justice.
Food for thought: It should be noted that 'Madama Butterfly' was composed by Puccini during the 18th and 19th century opera – quite different from the current gender and racial implications, to a degree that no small number of hyper-critical observers are demanding its removal from the repertoire entirely for what may be construed as racist. Simply, let's enjoy the show, the music, the performance.
Japan, at the turn of the 20th century. Lieutenant Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton of the U.S. Navy inspects a house overlooking Nagasaki harbor he is leasing from Goro, a marriage broker. The house comes with three servants and a geisha wife named Cio-Cio-San, known as 'Madam Butterfly'. Subject to a monthly renewal, the lease runs for 999 years. Sharpless, the American consul, arrives breathless from climbing the hill. Pinkerton describes his philosophy of the fearless Yankee roaming the world in search of experience and pleasure. He intends to marry Butterfly although unsure of his feelings for the young girl. Sharpless warns him that the girl may view the marriage differently, but Pinkerton brushes off such concerns and says someday he will take a real, American wife. He offers the consul whiskey and proposes a toast. Butterfly arrives with her friends for the ceremony. After the formal introduction, Butterfly admits her age is 15, and explains that her family was once prominent but now earns a living as a geisha to earn her living. Her relatives arrive for the marriage of Butterfly to Pinkerton. Cio-Cio-San shows Pinkerton her few possessions and tells him that she has been to the Christian
mission and will embrace her husband’s religion. The Imperial Commissioner reads the marriage agreement, and the relatives congratulate the couple. Suddenly, a threatening voice is heard from afar—it is the priest Bonze, Butterfly’s uncle. He curses the girl for going to the mission and rejecting her ancestral religion. Pinkerton
orders them to leave, and as they go, the Bonze and the relatives denounce Cio-Cio-San. Pinkerton tries to console Butterfly. Suzuki helps her into her wedding kimono before the couple meets in the garden, where they make love.
Act II.
Three years have passed. Cio-Cio-San continuously awaits her husband’s return. Suzuki prays to the gods for help, but Butterfly berates her for believing in lazy Japanese gods rather than in Pinkerton’s promise to
return. Sharpless appears with a letter from Pinkerton, but before he can read it to Butterfly, Goro arrives with the latest suitor, the wealthy Prince Yamadori. Butterfly politely serves the guests tea but insists she is not available for marriage—as she awaits her husbands return. Sharpless attempts to read Pinkerton’s letter and suggests that perhaps Butterfly should reconsider Yamadori’s offer. In response, she presents the consul with
her young son by Pinkerton. She says that his name is “Sorrow,” but will be called "Joy" when his father returns. Unable to read Pinkerton's letter, Sharpless leaves, promising to tell the former of the child. A cannon shot in the harbor announces the arrival of a ship. Butterfly and Suzuki take a telescope to the terrace and read the name of the vessel—it is Pinkerton’s. Overjoyed, Butterfly joins Suzuki in decorating the house to welcome Pinkerton. Butterfly, her son, and Suzuki settle into a vigil watching over the harbor but with no Pinkerton in sight.
Act III.
Another Dawn breaks. Suzuki insists that Butterfly get some sleep. Butterfly carries the child into the house. Sharpless appears with Pinkerton and Kate, Pinkerton’s new wife. Suzuki realizes who the American woman is and agrees to help break the news to Butterfly. Pinkerton is overcome with guilt and runs from the scene, pausing to remember his days in the little house. Cio-Cio-San rushes in hoping to find Pinkerton, but sees Kate instead. Grasping the situation, she agrees to give up her son but insists Pinkerton return for him. Dismissing everyone, Butterfly takes out the dagger with which her father committed suicide, choosing to die with honor rather than live in shame. She is interrupted when the child comes in, but Butterfly says goodbye and blindfolds him. She stabs herself as Pinkerton arrives, calling out for her.
Video Credit:
2018.Puccini - Madama Butterfly full Opera english subtitles Soprano Mirella Freni Tenore Placido Domingo. YouTube, uploaded by Giacomo James. Accessed February 17, 2023. (Note: Herbert Von Karajan, Norbert Balatsch; Wiener Philarmoniker, staged and directed by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle. Artists: Mirella Freni, Placido Domingo, Christa Ludwig, Robert Kerns, Michel Sénéchal, Marius Rintzler, Elke Schary, Giorgio Stendoro.)
La clemenza di Tito (The Clemency of Titus), K. 621, is an opera seria in two acts composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Caterino Mazzola, after Metastasio, an Italian poet and librettist, considered the most important writer of opera seria libretti. Mozart's La clemenza was started after the bulk of Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), the last opera that Mozart worked on, was already written. The work premiered on 6 September 1791, at the Estates Theatre in Prague.
Sadly, Mozart did not live to hear the premiere of this opera since he passed away December 5, 1791.
Mozart's opera LA Clemenza di Tito about a power struggle. In ancient Rome, the ambitious daughter of a deposed emperor, Vitellia, manipulates Sesto her lover into attempting to assassinate the new Emperor Tito. The plot revolves around power struggle, political intrigue, love, betrayal, and jealousy,
culminating in the test of Emperor Tito's virtue, his decision to show
mercy rather than seek vengeance, and the ultimate theme of forgiveness.
Enjoy the video of Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito. YouTube, uploaded by Bergen Nasjonale Opera. Accessed September 6, 2025. This is a recording of the live stream of W. A. Mozart's opera La clemenza di Tito in Grieghallen in Bergen, 15th of March 2021, with six soloists, Edvard Grieg Kor and Edward Gardner conducting the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra.
Listening Pleasures:
Mozart's Opera La Clemenza di Tito. Uploaded by EGMusic Opera Production. Accessed September 6, 2018. Live performance at the Covent Garden, 1976. With Janet Baker, Yvette Minton, Werner Hollweg. Covent Garden Orchestra, conducted by J. Pritchard.
Four of about twenty two operas of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart have remained extremely popular on stage and record. One of them is Don Giovanni.
Don
Giovanniis in two Acts, approximately two hours and thirty minutes. Libretto is in Italian by Lorenzoda Ponte after Giovanni Bertati's libretto for Giuseppe Gazzaniga's The Stone Guest, the contemporary version of the Don Juan legends.It was first performed First performance: National Theatre, Prague, in October 29, 1787. Subtitled "drama giocoso," the opera blends comedy, melodrama, and supernatural
elements. In Vienna, it was first performed May 7, 1788.
Opera Alessandro by George Frideric Handel is first performed on May 5, 1726. The venue is at London's King Theatre, with Faustina Bordoni making her debut as Rossane. The opera is in 3 acts, text by Paulo Antonio Rolli.
Summary of Handel Opera Alessandro
Opera Alessandro (Alexander the Great, HWV 21) is an opera written for the Royal Academy of Music in 1719, composed by George Frideric Handel in 1726. Paolo Rolli was the librettist who based the story on Ortensio Mauro's La superbia d'Alessandro. The opera was first performed on 5 May 1726 at the King's Theatre, London.
Nabucco (English Nebuchadnezzar), is an Italian opera in four acts composed by Giuseppe Verdi in 1841 to an Italian libretto by Temistocle Solera. It is based on Biblical stories from the Books of Jeremiah and Daniel. Under its original name of Nabucodonosor, the opera was first performed at La Scala in Milan on 9 March 1842.
The opera Nabucco is considered to have permanently established Verdi's reputation as a composer. He commented that "this is the opera with which my artistic career really begins. And though I had
many difficulties to fight against, it is certain that Nabucco was born under a lucky star."
APOLOGY: This video is not available for embedding. It contains content from nikitaventures music, who has blocked it from display on this website or application. Watch it on YouTube
Verdi's La Traviata and Bellini's La Sonnambula first performed the same day
This day on March 6, 1831, the opera La Sonnambula by Vincenzo Bellini premieres in Milan's Teatro Carcano. Opera La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi is also performed for the first time, March 6, 1853, at Teatro la Fenice in Venice.
La sonnambula (The Sleepwalker) is a two-act opera in semi-seria, with music in Bellini's tradition in bel canto to an Italian libretto by Felice Romani. It is based on a a ballet-pantomime called La somnambule, ou L'arrivée d'un nouveau seigneur by Eugène Scribe and Jean-Pierre Aumer. La traviata is a three-act opera by Giuseppe Verdi. It is set to an Italian libretto by Francisco Maria Piave, based on La dame aux Camélias (1852), a play adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas, fils. The title La traviata means literally The Fallen Woman, or The Woman Who Goes Astray. Originally, it was entitled Violetta, after the Verdi's main character.
Bellini: la Sonnambula, 2010, Nathalie Dessay, air final
Australian Soprano Nicole Car is Luisa Miller in Verdi's opera of the same name.
Soprano Nicole Car is one of the most outstanding young singers to emerge from Australia in recent years. She is currently starring in the title role of Verdi's "Luisa Miller" - an opera of love, intrigue, and poison.
"Luisa Miller" is still on: February 24
(Wednesday), 27 (Saturday), and 29 (Monday), 7.30pm for all
performances at the Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House.
(For Sydneysiders interested, get your tickets while there are few seats left.)
Mozart's Opera seria/drama in three acts. Drama opera Idomeneo.Information. Cast of Characters.
Synopsis.
Opera
Idomeneo, K366, was composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791).
Libretto by Giambattista Varesco based on Antoine
Danchet libretto for "Idoménée"
by André Campra.
Language: Italian.
Premiere: Munich,
Cuvillies Theater, January 29, 1781.Revised version by Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari (premiered in Munich, June 15, 1931).
Setting:Port of Sidon,
island of Crete, shortly after the Trojan war (12th
century BC).
Cast of Characters:
Ilia, daughter
of King Priam of Troy
(soprano)
Idamante, son of
Idomeneo(male soprano or tenor)
Elettra (Electra), daughter
of King Agamemnon of Argos(soprano)
Arbace (Arbaces),
Idomeneo's confidant (tenor or
baritone)
Idomeneo, King
of Crete (tenor)
High priest of Neptune
(tenor)
Voice of Nettuno (Neptune)(bass)
Two Trojans(tenor, bass)
Two Cretan girls(soprano, alto)
Chorus: Retinues of Idomeneo and Idamante, Trojan
prisoners, people of Crete, sailors, warriors from Crete and Argos
Synopsis:
Act 1.
As a result to the Trojan War, Ilia the Trojan princess, daughter of the defeated Trojan King Priam was captured and taken to Crete. She loves Idamante, son of Idomeneo, but tries to
keep it from Idamante who also loves her. At first Ilia thought that Idamante loves Elettra. Idamante promises to mitigate the suffering of her countrymen and frees the Trojan prisoners. The Trojans and Cretans welcomed the return of peace but Elettra, daughter of the Greek King Agamemnon rebukes Idamante. Elettra loves Idamante and is jealous of Ilia.
Meanwhile, Arbace, Idomeneo's confidant, brings news that Idomeneo has been lost at sea. This is not so. Idomeneo was indeed beset by storms on his return home from the Trojan wars, but he seeks Neptune's help and vows that in return for safety, he will sacrifice the first mortal he meets on his return home. He was saved by Neptune, washed up on a beach in Crete. Unfortunately, the first person who approached him was his own son Idamante but didn't recognize him.
Act 2.
Idomeneo explains his problem to Arbace and asks his advice. Arbace suggests they pack Idamante off to Argos while they find a way to placate Neptune; that another could be sacrificed if Idamante were banished far away. To avert the consequence, Idomeneo sends his son to Argos with Elettra, who welcomes the idea. Idomeneo consoles Ilia. He guesses that she loves Idamante. Elettra is grateful for Idomeneo's kindness and is confident she can win Idamante's heart once she gets him away from Ilia. Elettra prepares to leave. Their departure at the port of Sidon was prevented by strong winds before the ship could sail. A sea serpent also appears. Idomeneo recognizes this as Neptune's doing for his having violated his vow to the god of the sea.
Act 3.
Idomeneo joins the priests of Neptune in prayer that the god of sea may be appeased. Neptune has raised a sea monster that is causing death and destruction. Idamante slays the sea monster. He persuades his father to sacrifice him. Ilia asks to die in Idamante's place but the heavenly voice of Neptune intercedes: Idomeneo must abdicate in favor of his son. Idomeneo proclaims Idamante and his new bride Ilia as the new King and Queen of Crete.
November 10, 1862. The opera of Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi, La Forza del destino, which had been commissioned by the Russian Imperial Opera, premiered in Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre of St. Petersburg. The libretto of La forza del destino (The Force of Destiny) was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on a Spanish drama, Don Alvaro o La Fuerza de Sino (1835), by Angel de Saavedra, Duke of Rivas, with a scene adapted from Friedrich Schiller's Wallensteins Lager.
After some revisions, performances were held in Rome and Madrid. Subsequently, the opera travelled to New York, Vienna, Buenos Aires and London. Verdi made other revisions, with additions by Antonio Ghislanzoni, which premiered at La Scala, Milan in 1869. This has become the "standard" performance version. La forza del destino is part of the standard operatic repertoire. There are a number of recordings of it regularly performed.
Macbeth, an Italian opera by Giuseppe Verdi: Macbeth plot summary, Macbeth character list, and other Verdi opera information.
The 4-act tragic opera Macbeth by Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi premieres in Teatro della Pergola, Florence, Italy, on March 14, 1847. It is based on the libretto by Francesco Maria Piave on a play of the same name by William Shakespeare. Verdi composed it 1846-1847, and revised 1864-1865. The revise version première was: April 21, 1865, in Paris.
Setting is in Scotland, around 11th century Macbeth’s castle.
Here's a performance of Macbeth conducted by Riccardo Muti, uploaded by operaliricachannel. Published 15 January 2013
Verdi opera Aida is first performed in Cairo's Khedival Theater, on December 24, 1871.
Aida is a four-act melodrama opera. Composed by Giuseppe Verdi (October 9/10, 1813 – January 27, 1901), libretto is written by Antonio Ghislanzoni, after a scenario by French Auguste Mariette and a French prose version by Camille du Locle. It was composed by Verdi between 1870-1871. The first performance was on December 24, 1871, Opera House, Cairo, Italy, and on February 8, 1872, in La Scala, Milan.
One of the most famous opera by Verdi, Aida was commissioned by Ismail Pasha, Khedive of Egypt. Production was delayed by the Franco-Prussian war and Giuseppe Verdi donated a portion of his considerable fee to the victims of the siege of Paris. Today, Aida is as popular as ever all over the world, including many recordings. Act one has some famous and best-loved scenes. Verdi did not attend this premiere.
Set in Ancient Egypt, opera Aida is a timeless tragic tale of forbidden love and betrayal against the backdrop of war. The story is a roller coaster of emotions told through Verdi's powerful music. It follows the struggle of the Ethiopian princess Aida held captive as a slave in ancient Egypt, in love with a young Egyptian warrior, General Radamès, and he with her. They need to decide between love or loyalty to their countries.
ACT 1
Outside of the royal palace near Memphis, Egypt's High priest Ramfis informs Radames, a young Egyptian warrior, that armies from Ethiopia are making their way towards the Nile valley. Radames expresses his hope of being appointed the commander of Egypt's army where he can lead his troops to
victory, as well as rescue Aida, his Ethiopian lover captured by Egyptian troops. He is unaware, as well as the rest of Egypt, that Aida is the daughter of Amonasro, Ethiopia's king. Since her capture, Aida has served as a
slave to the Egyptian princess, Amneris, who is in love with Radames, but senses he is in love with another woman. It isn't long before Amneris figures out who the mystery woman is when she sees the longing glances shared between him and Aida. Amneris
maintains her composure from deep-rooted jealousy. She continues to keep Aida as her slave.
The king of Egypt arrives and announces that Ramfis' information was correct and that Ethiopian troops, lead by the King of Ethiopia himself, have already made their way into Thebes. The king appoints Radames as
the leader of the army while simultaneously declaring war on Ethiopia. A joyful Radames makes way to the temple to complete his
coronation ritual. Left alone in the hall, Aida becomes distraught as she is forced to choose between her Egyptian lover and her father and country.
ACT 2
Radames and his troops return from
Thebes after their victorious battle. Inside Amneris' chambers, she has her slaves entertain. Doubting her suspicions of Aida and Radames, she decides to test Aida. She dismisses all of her slaves except for Aida and tells her that
Radames has died in battle. Aida breaks down into tears who confesses her love for Radames, which instantly infuriates Amneris, who vows revenge.
The triumphant Radames makes his return with his army to Memphis, marching through the
city while the captured Ethiopians trail behind. Aida
sees her captured father and rushes to his side. He makes her promise
not to reveal their true identities.
The King of Egypt, so delighted with Radames' performance, honors him by
granting him anything he asks for. Before Radames can make his request,
Amonasro declares that the King of Ethiopia was killed in battle and
asks the Egyptian king to set them free.However, the Egyptians join in chant asking for the death of the Ethiopians and
the King grants their desires. In order to save his lover's life,
Radames cashes in on the King's generosity and asks him to spare their
lives. The King happily grants him his request and declares Radames his
successor and future husband of Princess Amneris. Aida and her father
are taken into custody to prevent any Ethiopian revolt.
ACT 3
Preparations are made for the upcoming wedding between Radames and
Amneris. Aida waits for Radames outside of the temple in a place previously
agreed upon. Amonasro pressures her
daughter Aida to find out where the Egyptian army is being kept. Feeling homesick, she agrees to her father's wishes. When Radames comes out of the temple to meet Aida, Amonrasro hides and eavesdrops on their
conversation. After their lovers talk about their future lives
together, Aida asks Radames where the army is located.
Amonasro comes out of hiding and reveals his identity to Radames just as Amneris and the High Priest come out of the temple. Before Aida and Amonasro escape, Aida pleads for Radames to follow them but instead,
Radames submits himself as a traitor to Amneris and the High Priest.
ACT 4
Amneris is frustrated with Radames but pleads with him to deny his self-accusations. Full of pride and love for his country, he does not. He accepts his punishment but is happy to know that Aida and her father have escaped. This hurts Amneris even more. She tells him that she will save him if he renounces his love for Aida, but again, he refuses. The High Priest and
his court condemn Radames to death by being buried alive. Amneris begs for their mercy, but they do not budge.
Radames is taken to the lowest level in the temple, sealed away into a dark tomb. Moments after being locked away, he hears someone breathing in a dark corner. It is Aida. She confesses her love for him and has chosen to die with him. The two embrace as Amneris weeps above them.
Triumphal March from Verdi Opera Aida
Verdi: Aïda - San Francisco Opera (starring Luciano Pavarotti)
Video Credit:
Triumphal March from Aida, uploaded by ClaudioDavidT. Accessed, Dec 26, 2011. Triumphal March from Aida by Giuseppe Verdi ; Metropolitan Opera House(1989)
This day, on December 8, 1849, the 3-act opera Luisa Miller by Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi premieres in Teatro San Carlo, Naples. It is written to an Italian libretto by Salvadore Cammarano, based on a German play Kabale und Liebe by writer Friedrich von Schiller.
Rossini Opera Le Siège de Corinthe First Performed, 9 October 1826
Le siège de Corinthe (The Siege of Corinth) is Gioachino Rossini's first French opera. Is is in three acts to a French libretto by Luigi Balocchi and Alexandre Soumet, based on Maometto II by Cesare della Valle. It is also known in its Italian version as L'assedio di Corinto.
Opera History
Le Siège de Corinthe opera by Gioachino Rossini commemorates the siege and ultimate destruction of Missolongi town in 1826 by the Turkish during the ongoing Greek War of Independence (1821–1829). The reference to Corinth is an example of allegory, although Sultan Mehmed II had indeed besieged the city in the 1450s.
This same incident also inspired a prominent painting by Eugène Delacroix (Greece Expiring on the Ruins of Missolonghi), and was mentioned in the writings of Victor Hugo. He tried earlier versions but was not successful.
Turandot
is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to a libretto in Italian
by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni. Puccini left the opera unfinished
at the time of his death in 1924; it premiered in 1926 after the music
was posthumously completed by Franco Alfano.
Composers:Giacomo Puccini, Franco Alfano
Librettists:Renato Simoni, Giuseppe Adami
Written:1924
Language:Italian
Characters:Princess Turandot, Emperor Altoum, Calàf, Prince of Persia, Timur, A Mandarin, Liù, Ping, Pang, Pong
Arias:Nessun dorma, In questa reggia, Tu che di gel sei cinta, Non piangere, Liù, Del primo pianto
First performance:25 April 1926, Teatro alla Scala, Milan, Italy
Turandot 1958 (TV film) Franco Corelli GREAT QUALITY + SUBTITLES ( full / complete opera). YouTube, uploaded by Franco Corelli Info Center... Accessed 25 April 2016.
Turandot Synopsis
Act I
A Mandarin reads the royal decree that the Princess Turandot will marry any royal suitor who anser her three riddles. If he cannot, the price
shall be his head. Her most recent suitor, the Prince of Persia, is to
be executed at the moon’s rising. In the commotion outside the palace a
blind man falls to the ground, and his companion, Liù, asks for help.
They are aided by Calaf, who recognizes the man as his long-lost father,
Timur, the banished ruler of his land. Calaf, like his father, is
running from enemies and concealing his identity, and is known only as
the Unknown Prince. Liù continues to aid Timur even in exile because
years before, as she explains, Calaf bestowed a smile upon her.
The people impatiently await the beheading. As the Prince of
Persia enters, the crowd is suddenly moved and pleads with the Princess
to pardon him. Turandot appears and dispassionately confirms the
Prince’s sentence with a silent gesture. Calaf immediately is entranced
by Turandot's beauty when she apppears to condemn the Prince of Persia. Timur and Liù try to convince the smitten Calàf that he
must leave with them, but he breaks away and attempts to announce
himself as a suitor. The three ministers of the Imperial Household,
Ping, Pang, and Pong, warn him of his folly, to n and tries to dissuade him, but to no avail. Liù begs him
to listen, but Calaf ignores her entreaties and ceremoniously rings the
gong, signifying his challenge for Turandot’s hand.
Act II
Ping, Pang, and Pong
prepare for the eventuality of a wedding or a funeral. They discuss
their misery since Turandot reached marriageable age, numbering the many
noble suitors who have met a deadly fate. They long for their country homes. Their hopes are guarded. Is there truly a man whose passion can melt
Turandot’s icy heart?
A crowd assembles for the Trial of the three riddles. Turandot
devised this system to avenge her ancestress, who was
captured, raped, and put to death by marauding invaders. She offers
Calaf one last chance to withdraw, but he stands firm. The first
question is offered: “What is born each night and dies each dawn?” Calàf
correctly answers “Hope.” Slightly taken aback, Turandot poses the next
riddle: “What flares warm like a flame, yet it is no flame?” Calaf
hesitates, then answers perfectly “Blood.” Visibly shaken, Turandot asks
the final question: “The ice that gives you fire, what can it be?”
Calaf waits a while and triumphantly cries “Turandot!” The people celebrate
his victory, but Turandot pleads with the emperor not to be given to
this Unknown Prince. Seeing her distress, Calaf offers a riddle of his
own: “If before dawn you can discover the name I bear, I shall
forfeit my life.”
Act III
It is decreed that no one shall sleep, under penalty of death,
until the name of the Unknown Prince is discovered. Calaf expresses his
conviction that he alone will reveal the secret. Ping, Pang, and Pong
offer prizes, including his safe escape, if he tells them his name.
Timur and Liù are captured, and at Turandot’s request Timur is to be
tortured until he reveals the truth. Liù steps forward and says that she
knows the prince’s name but will keep it as her eternal secret then offers herself without revealing Calaf's name. She stabs herself, but before dying she predicts that Turandot will love Calaf by dawn. Calaf
reproaches the Princess for her cruelty.
Turandot’s strength and desire
for revenge leave her, and she weeps for the first time. Turandot is transformed and admits her love for him. Calaf reveals
his true identity, thereby putting his life in Turandot’s hands.
Trumpets announce the arrival of dawn. Turandot addresses the emperor and the people, and announces Calaf's name to the crowd: “I have discovered the
stranger’s name: it is Love!”
Photo credit:
Turandot. Wikipedia Commons / Public Domain. Promotional poster for Giacomo Puccini's opera "Turandot", on 25 April 2016.
Resources:
Martin, Nicholas Ivor. The Da Capo Opera Manual. New York: Da Capo Press (1997)
Jacopo Peri's opera Euridice, with additional music by Giulio Caccini, was first performed in Florence on October 6, 1600, at the Palazzo Pitti with Peri himself singing the role of Orfeo. The libretto by Ottavio Rinuccini is based on books X and XI of Ovid's Metamorphoses which recount the story of the legendary musician Orpheus and his wife Euridice.
Euridice was written for the marriage of King Henry IV of France and Maria de Medici. It should be noted that Caccini wrote his own Euridice even as he supplied music to Peri's opera, in fact published this version before Peri's was performed, in 1600, and got it staged two years later.
I Pagliacci, an Italian opera by Ruggero Leoncavallo. Pagliacci opera plot summary, character list, and other Pagliacci opera information.
Ruggero Leoncavallo's I Pagliacci (The Clowns),
is a tragic opera that cultivated a new style in the late 19th-century
Italian literary movement called verismo,
meaning 'realism' or 'truthful' in the late 19th-century. I Pagliacci was the second of
the nine operas by Leoncavallo. In a prologue and two acts that span
about an hour's time in performance, it tells the story of an acting troupe led by a jealous man who is ultimately driven to murder his actress wife and her lover. Invariably
linked with realism along with Leoncavallo's Pagliacci is Pietro Mascagni's
Cavalleria Rusticana.
Composed: 1892 Librtto: Ruggero Leoncavallo First Performance: Teatro dal Verme, Milan, May 21, 1892 Language: Italian Setting: Near Montalto, Calabria Time: Feast of the Assumption, 1865-70
The 2-act opera carries 19th-century
Italian literary movement verismo or
'realism.'
Pagliacci Brief Summary
Leoncavallo's opera I Pagliacci ('The Clowns') refers to a small group
of strolling players. It follows their loves and jealousies which spill over
into their stage performance, climaxing in murder. Even though the character
knows that his wife has betrayed him, the poor clown has to go on stage and continue
to make people laugh.
Despite simmering tensions, the performance goes ahead and the
performers each take up their characters, all mimicking their
real-life situations. It’s all too much for Canio. Art and reality blur
and things quickly spiral out of control, towards Pagliacci’s bloody conclusion.
Così fan tutte, an opera buffa (comic opera),
remains one of the four most popular operas of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Wolfgang A. Mozart wrote some 20 operas. Four
of them have been extremely famous on stage and record. Aside from Cosi fan tutte, the other three are: The Marriage of Figaro (Le Nozze Figaro),
Don Giovanni and The Magic Flute (Die Zauberflöte).
Cosi fan tutte is a comic (opera buffa) with an unusual title. Cosi
means "in this way" or "like this"; fan means "do"; and tutte means the Italian feminine version for "all".So the title can be translated as "In this way do all (women)" or "Like this do all (women)." Or it can even be "Women are all Alike."It's a farce, a fun opera, nevertheless, the genius Mozart wrote some of his great music.
This opera was commissioned to Mozart by Emperor Josef II subtitled The School for Lovers.
Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Libretto in Italian by Lorenzo da Ponte.
First
performed: Burgtheater, Vienna, January 26 (or 28), 1790, conducted
by Mozart himself.
Setting:
Naples during the 18th
century. It is in two Acts, approximately two hours and thirty minutes.
The
Characters:
Fiordiligi and DorabellaTwo
sisters from Ferrara(Both
Sopranos)
DespinaThe sisters' maid(Soprano)
FerrandoAn officer in love with Dorabella(Tenor)
GuglielmoAn officer in love with Fiordiligi(Baritone)
Don AlfonsoAn
elderly philosopher(Baritone)
Cosi fan tutte is said to have been composed by Mozart
at the height of his fame. Here's my favourite quote which I've taken from The Harrap Opera Guide by Sir
Alexander Morley, London, 1970, in my readings: "The artificial comedy, verging at times on the farcical, is set to
apt and witty music, with a strong element of parody but also of a
sentimentality which is constantly spilling over into genuine and touching
sentiment."
Mozart's music for Cosi
consists of an overture, formal arias, symmetrical ensembles of various
combination of the characters with a delightful presence, lively recitatives,
and full finales.
Brief
Synopsis:
Don Alfonso, an old philosopher and cynic, is determined to prove to his two young friends, Guglielmo and Ferrando, that their fiancées, Fiordiligi and Dorabella, are not to be trusted like any other woman. With the help of Despina, the ladies' maid, Alfonso lays his plot. First he tells them that as officers, their lovers have been called up on duty; and
as a part of the old man's plan, he introduces the sisters to two Albanians, who are, in fact, Guglielmo and Ferrando disguised. After inner conflicts the two women succumb to the advances of the "Albanians," forcing Guglielmo and Ferrando to concede defeat. However, Don Alfonso reveals the plot to the two deceived ladies and they are reconciled with their original
lovers.
Trivia: A sort of a joke from the jovial Mozart. The role of Fiordiligi in Cosi was created for Adriana Ferraresi, Da Ponte's mistress, who was reputed to be arrogant and ugly. Mozart wrote her a difficult aria, full of vocal leaps - in Cosi fan tutte - aria "Come scoglio". Mozart was banking on Ferraresi's tendency to lower her chin on the low notes and throw back her head on the high notes, making her head bob back and forth, just like a chicken.
I'm quoting from my Course Guidebook: Mozart - His Life and Music, p.35, by Prof. Robert Greenberg. It's from his lecture 8: The Last Years. This course is one of the three classical music courses I studied under him: from The Great Course / The Teaching Company. Actually, the first time I read about this jolly-humoured 'episode' of our Wunderkind was in fact, from the book 'The Operas of Mozart' written by William Mann, English Music Critic. His original book was published in 1977, the copy I read was in paperback version, 1986. / Tel, 4 May 2007.
Further suggested reading:
Mozart's Fiordiligi: Adriana Ferrarese del Bene. Published online by Cambridge University Press (27 August 2008, pp. 199-214). Written by Patricia Lewy Gidwitz. (Journal: Cambridge Opera Journal / Volume 8 / Issue 3/ Print publication: Nov 1996
Resources:
Various books in my private collection of Mozart books, and other classical music reference materials, including opera books of Da Capo and Batta. Also, from Course Guidebooks, when I was a student at The Teaching Company / The Great Courses. "Great Masters: Mozart - His Life and Music." / Tel
(c) May 4, 2007. Updated January 27, 2010. Tel. Inspired Pen Web. All rights reserved.
