| Aureliano in Palmira | |
|---|---|
| Dramma serio byGioachino Rossini | |
 Rossini ca. 1815 | |
| Librettist | G. F. R. |
| Language | Italian |
| Based on | Zenobia di Palmira byPasquale Anfossi |
| Premiere | |
Aureliano in Palmira is anoperaticdramma serio in two acts written byGioachino Rossini to an Italianlibretto in which the librettist was credited only by the initials "G. F. R." The libretto has generally been attributed toFelice Romani,[1][2] but sometimes to the otherwise unknown Gian Francesco Romanelli.[3][4] It has been suggested that the latter name may have resulted from a confusion of Romani withLuigi Romanelli, La Scala's house poet prior to Romani's appointment to the post.[a]
The story was based on the libretto byGaetano Sertor forPasquale Anfossi's 1789 operaZenobia di Palmira and it centers on the rivalry between the Roman EmperorAurelian and PrinceArsace ofPersia over the beautifulZenobia, Queen ofPalmyra.
The act 1 duet between Zenobia and Arsace, "Se tu m'ami, o mia regina" (If you love me, oh my queen), was greatly admired byStendhal. Although he had never seen a complete performance ofAureliano in Palmira, he heard the duet in a concert in Paris and described its music as "sublime" and one of the best duets that Rossini had written.[b] Other music from this opera, particularly the overture, was later reused by Rossini inElisabetta, regina d'Inghilterra and inThe Barber of Seville.[5]
It premiered atLa Scala in Milan on 26 December 1813.
19th century
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Aureliano in Palmira was Rossini's second commission fromLa Scala. It opened the theatre'sCarnival season with the famedcastrato,Giovanni Battista Velluti as Arsace. It was the only role that Rossini wrote for the castrato voice. Rossini had originally written the role of Aureliano forGiovanni David, one of the most renowned tenors of the day. However, throat problems during rehearsals led David to withdraw from the production, and Luigi Mari took his place.[6] The popular soprano,Lorenza Correa, sang the role of Queen Zenobia. The orchestra at the premiere was conducted byAlessandro Rolla, with the staging directed byAlessandro Sanquirico.[7]
The opera's opening night proved disappointing to the Milanese critics who praised the production but considered the music inferior to that of Rossini'sTancredi which had premiered in Venice earlier that year. There was also criticism of the three principal singers.[8] Nevertheless, it had a run of 14 performances at La Scala that season and was performed sporadically in various Italian theatres (including theTeatro di San Carlo in Naples) between 1814 and 1831. It was also performed in London in 1826, again with Velluti as Arsace. The opera then fell more or less into obscurity.
20th century and beyond
Its first modern performance was in September 1980 at theTeatro Politeama [it] inGenoa conducted byGiacomo Zani, with Paolo Barbacini as Aureliano, Helga Müller-Molinari as Arsace, andLuciana Serra as Zenobia. There was another major revival in 1996 at theRossini in Wildbad Festival conducted by Francesco Corti, with Donald George as Aureliano,Angelo Manzotti as Arsace, and Tatiana Korovina as Zenobia. It was performed again in 2011 inMartina Franca and was given a new production at theRossini Opera Festival in Pesaro in August 2014. The Pesaro production, conducted byWill Crutchfield and directed byMario Martone, was the first performance of thecritical edition of the opera, which Crutchfield prepared.[9]
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast, 26 December 1813[6] Conductor:Alessandro Rolla |
|---|---|---|
| Aureliano,Emperor of Rome | tenor | Luigi Mari |
| Zenobia,Queen of Palmyra,Arsace's lover | soprano | Lorenza Corrèa |
| Arsace,Prince of Persia | altocastrato | Giovanni Battista Velluti |
| Publia,Valeriano's daughter, secretly in love with Arsace | mezzo-soprano | Luigia Sorrentini |
| Oraspe,Palmyran army general | tenor | Gaetano Pozzi |
| Licinio,a tribune | bass | Pietro Vasoli |
| Il Gran Sacerdote (High Priest) | bass | Vincenzo Botticelli |
| Un pastoreA shepherd | baritone | ? |
| Priests, Palmyran maidens, Palmyran, Persian, and Roman soldiers; shepherds and shepherdesses; Roman, Palmyran, Persian soldiers | ||
Queen Zenobia, her lover Arsace, and the priests offer sacrifices in the Temple ofIsis and pray for their deliverance from the approaching Roman army. General Oraspe enters to the strains ofmartial music and announces that Aureliano's Roman army is at the gates of Palmyra. Arsace pledges his Persian troops to defend the city. After a dramatic battle scene on the plains outside the city, the Persians are defeated. The Roman soldiers celebrate their victory. Aureliano arrives and addresses Arsace, now a prisoner. He responds to the Emperor with dignity and affirms his love for Zenobia, saying that he is prepared to die for her.
Inside Palmyra's walls, Zenobia has hidden the kingdom's treasures in the vaults beneath the palace. She decides to make a last stand with her troops to save the city. She asks Aureliano for a truce so that she can speak with him and obtain the liberty of the prisoners, including Arsace. On Aureliano's refusal to free the prisoners, she asks to at least see Arsace for a last time. Zenobia and Arsace weep over their fate. Aureliano enters and promises to free Arsace on condition that he abandons Zenobia. Arsace refuses and is sentenced to death. The Roman and Palmyran armies prepare for a last battle.
Palmyra has now been conquered by the Romans. Aureliano enters Zenobia's palace and offers his love to her, which she refuses. Meanwhile, Oraspe frees Arsace who then flees to the hills by theEuphrates river where he is sheltered by a group of shepherds. Arsace's soldiers join him and tell him that Zenobia has been taken prisoner. Arsace sets off to free her and launch a new attack against the Romans with the Palmyran troops.
In the palace, Aureliano proposes to Zenobia that they reign together over Palmyra. Once again Zenobia refuses. Later that night, Arsace and Zenobia meet again in the moonlight and embrace. When they are discovered by the Roman troops, they ask to die. Although he secretly admires their courage and devotion to each other, Aureliano decrees that they will end their days in separate cells. Publia, the daughter of Roman general and secretly in love with Arsace, begs Aureliano to take pity on him.
The final scene takes place in a large chamber of Zenobia's palace. The leaders and priests of the defeated Palmyrans are gathered in supplication before Aureliano. Oraspe, Arsace and Zenobia are led into the chamber in chains. Aureliano, has a change of heart and frees Zenobia and Arsace to reign together over Palmyra provided they both swear fealty to the Roman Empire. This they do, and praise Aureliano for his generous heart. The chorus sings joyfully, "Torni sereno a splendere all'Asia afflitta il dì" (May the day dawn serene and shining for suffering Asia).
| Year | Cast: Aureliano, Zenobia, Arsace, Gran Sacerdote | Conductor, opera house and orchestra | Label[10] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Paolo Barbacini, Luciana Serra, Helga Müller-Molinari, Orazio Mori | Giacomo Zani, Orchestra of the Teatro dell'Opera Giocosa di Genova and the Gregorio Magno Chorus. (Live performance at the Teatro Politeama Genovese, Genoa, 11 September) | CD: Sarx ANG Cat: 97001 |
| 1991 | Ezio di Cesare, Denia Mazzola, Luciana d'Intino, Antonio Marani | Giacomo Zani, Orchestra Lirico-Sinfonico del Teatro del Giglio di Lucca | CD: Nuova Era Cat: 232733 |
| 1996 | Donald George, Tatiana Korovina, Angelo Manzotti, Alexander Alnicolli | Francesco Corti, I Virtuosi di Praga orchestra and the Czech Chamber Chorus (Recording at performances at the Rossini in Wildbad Festival, July) | CD: Bongiovanni Cat: GB 2201/2-2 |
| 2011 | Bogdan Mihai, Maria Aleida, Franco Fagioli, Luca Tittoto | Giacomo Sagripanti, Orchestra Internazionale d'Italia and the Coro Slovacco di Bratislava (Recorded at a performance at theFestival della Valle d'Itria, 2011)[11] | DVD: Bongiovanni, Cat: AB 20022 |
| 2012 | Kenneth Tarver, Catriona Smith, Silvia Tro Santafé, Andrew Foster-Williams | Maurizio Benini, London Philharmonic Orchestra andGeoffrey Mitchell Choir | CD:Opera Rara, Cat: ORC46 |
| 2015 | Michael Spyres, Dmitri Pkhaladze | Will Crutchfield (conductor) Orchestra Sinfonica G. Rossini & Chorus of the Teatro Comunale di Bologna Mario Martone (stage director) | Blu-ray:Arthaus |
| 2018 | Juan Francisco Gatell, Silvia Dalla Benetta, Marina Viotti, Baurzhan Anderzhanov | José Miguel Pérez-Sierra, Virtuosi Brunensis, Camerata Bach Choir | CD:Naxos Records Cat:8660448-50 |
Notes
Citations
Sources
Media related toAureliano in Palmira at Wikimedia Commons| International | |
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