AT THE OPERA – WEDNESDAY 5 NOVEMBER
The 19th century opera, Part 11
Prepared and presented by Ian MacDonald
Verdi, G. Luisa Miller. Opera in three acts. Libretto by Salvadore Cammorano after Schiller’s play, Intrigue and love. First performed Naples, 1849.
Verdi, G. Luisa Miller, Act I
[55:53]
Verdi, G. Luisa Miller, Act II
[39:07]
Verdi, G. Luisa Miller, Act III
[36:10]
Rodolfo: Carlo Bergonzi, ten
Count Walter: Giorgio Tozzi, bass
Luisa: Anna Moffo, sop
Federica: Shirley Verrett, mezz
Miller: Cornell MacNeil, bar
Wurm: Ezio Flagello, bass
RCA Italiana Opera Ch & O/Fausto Cleva.Total Time: 2:11:10
RCA GD86646(2)
Rodolfo, son of Count Walter, shares a deep love with Luisa Miller, daughter of an old soldier. The Count wants Rodolfo to marry his cousin, Federica, but Rodolfo refuses, revealing that he knows a terrible secret about the Count’s past. The furious Count imprisons Miller, and his aide, Wurm, forces Luisa to write to Rodolfo saying she loves another. Rodolfo confronts Luisa, who admits writing the letter. Rodolfo poisons both himself and Luisa. Dying, Luisa tells him how Wurm forced her to write the letter. Miller, Count Walter and Wurm arrive and Rodolfo summons his last strength to kill Wurm before he falls dead beside Luisa.
Verdi, G. Pietoso al lungo pianto, from A king for a day (1840). Carlo Bergonzi, ten; New Philharmonia O/Nello Santi.
LP Philips 6747 193 [02:15]
AT THE OPERA – WEDNESDAY 12 NOVEMBER
A Charles Mackerras celebration, Part 11
Prepared and presented by Camille Mercep
Janácek, L. From the house of the dead. Opera in three acts. Libretto by the composer. First performed, Brno, 1930.
Janácek, L. From the house of the dead, Act I
[27:21]
Janácek, L. From the house of the dead, Act II
[29:41]
Janácek, L. From the house of the dead, Act III
[33:44]
GORYANCHIKOV: Dalibor Jedlička, bass
ALYEYA: Jaroslava Janská, sop
SHISHKOV: Václav Zitek, bar
FILKA MOROZOV: Jiři Zahradnič, ten
Vienna State Opera Ch & O/Charles Mackerras.
Decca 430 375-2 [01:30:48]
A political prisoner, the nobleman Alexander Petrovich Goryanchikov, arrives at a Siberian prison camp and is interrogated by the Commandant who orders him to be flogged. Meanwhile, the prisoners have found an eagle with a broken wing and begin to tease it. They admire its defiance and decide to look after it. As various prisoners relate the crimes that have brought them to Siberia, Goryantchikov is dragged in, near death, after his flogging.
A year has passed and Goryanchikov has befriended a young Tartar boy, Alyeya, and has taught him to read and write. A prisoner, resentful of Goryanchikov having the means to buy tea, attacks him but Alyeya gets injured during the scuffle. In the prison hospital, Shiska tells Luka, who is dying from tuberculosis, the story of the girl whom he had married, who was rumoured to have been dishonoured by Filka. When Shiskov discovered she still loved Filka, he killed her. When Luka dies, Shishkov recognises him as Filka. The Commandant informs Goryanchikov that he has been pardoned and apologises for the flogging. As Goryanchikov is freed, the prisoners release the eagle whose wing has now fully healed. The guard orders them back to work.
Dvorák, A. Song to the moon, from Rusalka (1901). Renée Fleming, sop; Czech PO/Charles Mackerras.
ABC 480 5629 [05:45]
Nathan, I. Finale: Hail to the star that in glory appears, from Don John of Austria (1847; arr. Mackerras). Cheryl Barker, sop; Sally-Anne Russell, mezz; Steve Davislim, ten; Grant Doyle, bar; Paul Whelan, bass; Sydney Philharmonia Chamber Singers; Sydney SO/Alexander Briger.
ABC 476 4114 [08:49]
AT THE OPERA – WEDNESDAY 19 NOVEMBER
Anniversaries, Part 11
Prepared and presented by Paul Roper
Rameau, J-P. Dardanus. Opera in five acts. Libretto by Charles-Antoine Leclerc de La Bruère. First performed Paris, 1739.
VENUS: Mireille Delunsch, sop
CUPID, PLEASURE: Françoise Masset, sop
DARDANUS: John Mark Ainsley, ten
TEUCER: Russell Smythe, ten
IPHIS: Véronique Gens, sop
ANTÉNOR: Laurent Naouri, bar
ISMÉNOR: Jean-Philippe Courtis, bar
Les Musiciens du Louvre Ch & O/Marc Minkowski
Archiv 476 7250 [02:35:43]
Venus encourages the Pleasures to reign in Cupid’s palace. Jealousy and her attendants attempt to disrupt them by causing them and Cupid to fall asleep. Venus urges Jealousy to awaken them, and Cupid urges all mortals to pay him homage. They then proceed to re-enact the story of Dardanus.
Dardanus, son of Jupiter, co-founded the royal house of Troy with Teucer, King of Phrygia. They have since fallen out, and are now at war. Teucer’s daughter, Iphis, has feelings for Dardanus but is discouraged by her father. Teucer announces a military alliance with Anténor, another Trojan leader, to whom Iphis is to be given in marriage (to her dismay).
The priest-magician, Isménor, offers to help Dardanus woo Iphis, displaying his powers by causing an eclipse of the sun. He bestows on Dardanus a staff that will allow him to disguise himself as Isménor. This power is invoked and Iphis approaches the supposed Isménor, seeking help in overcoming her love for Dardanus, who sheds his disguise and pledges his reciprocal love. Embarrassed, Iphis runs away.
Dardanus has been captured. Anténor tells Iphis that this military success allows them to marry that day but Iphis rejects him. The Phrygian people’s victory celebrations are short-lived, as they learn that Neptune has despatched a sea-monster in retaliation for the mistreatment of Jupiter’s son. Anténor prepares for battle again.
Jupiter orders Venus to free Dardanus in his sleep. She summons Dreams which depict Dardanus fighting the sea-monster which, so encouraged, he proceeds to do. He also rescues Anténor, who doesn’t recognise Dardanus and presents him with a sword in gratitude. Dardanus asks Anténor to promise that Iphis can reject him as a suitor if she chooses.
In the belief that it was Anténor who killed the monster, Teucer welcomes him home triumphantly. Dardanus offers to give back Anténor’s sword but Anténor keeps his word by abandoning his wish to marry Iphis. Venus descends and reconciles the warring parties, and Cupid prepares for the marriage of Dardanus and Iphis.
Rameau, J-P. Les niais de Sologne (1724). Christophe Rousset, hpd.
L’Oiseau-Lyre 425 886-2 [05:03]
Montéclair, M. de Mes yeux, eteignez dans vos larmes, from Jephté (1732). Sophie Daneman, sop; Les Arts Florissants/William Christie.
Harmonia Mundi HMC 901 424.25 [04:12]
AT THE OPERA – WEDNESDAY 26 NOVEMBER
Favourites, Part 11
Prepared and presented by Camille Mercep
Rossini, G. The Italian girl in Algiers. Opera in two acts. Libretto by Angelo Anelli. First performed Venice, 1813.
Rossini, G. The Italian girl in Algiers, Act I
[01:11:30]
Rossini, G. The Italian girl in Algiers, Act II
[01:09:21]
ELVIRA: Kathleen Battle, sop
MUSTAFÀ: Samuel Ramey, bass
LINDORO: Ernesto Palacio, ten
HALY: Nicola Zaccaria, bass
ISABELLA: Marilyn Horne, mezz
TADDEO: Domenico Trimarchi, bar
Prague Philharmonic Choir; I Solisti Veneti/Claudio Scimone.
Erato 2564 68335-9 [02:20:51]
Elvira mourns the loss of the love of her husband, Mustafa. Mustafa, the ruler of Algeria, plans to marry her to Lindoro, his Italian slave. He orders his henchman, Haly, to find him an Italian wife. An Italian ship is ship-wrecked on the coast and, on board, is Lindoro’s fiancée, Isabella, who has come to look for him. She and her travelling companion, Taddeo, are found by Haly and brought to Mustafa, who is delighted to have an Italian beauty to marry. Isabella immediately recognises Lindoro and upsets Mustafa’s plans by insisting that Lindoro should become her personal servant. Left alone, they plan to escape but are foiled when Mustafa arrives. Lindoro tells Mustafa that the reason that Isabella is delaying marrying him is because he does not belong to the noble order of the Papataci, but that he and Taddeo can initiate him. During the preparations for the ceremony, the guards are given too much to drink and the lovers escape. On realising that he has been tricked, Mustafa begs Elvira’s forgiveness. No more Italian girls for him!
Rossini, G. Gran Dio! Deh, tu proteggi il mio prode campion … Giusto Dio che umile adora, from Tancredi (1813). Aleksandra Kurzak, sop; Warsaw Chamber Choir; Sinfonia Varsovia/Pier Giorgio Morandi.
Decca 478 3553 [08:23]
Rossini, G. Notturno à due voci: La regata veneziana; La pesca, from Soirées musicales (1830-35). Renata Scotto, sop; Bianca Casoni, cont; Giuseppe Nait, ten; Teodoro Rovetta, bass; Antonio Beltrami, pf.
LP EMI 1C 065 99868 [08:32]
Rossini, G. La danza. Tarantella napoletana Gia la luna è in mezzo al mare, from Les soirées musicales (1830-35; arr. Sadin). Rolando Villazón, ten; Maggio Musicale Fiorentino O/Marco Armiliato.
DG 479 4959 [03:13]