| Clari | |
|---|---|
| Opera semiseria byFromental Halévy | |
 The composer in 1825 | |
| Librettist | Léon Halévy |
| Language | Italian |
| Premiere | |
Clari is anopera semiseria in three acts byFromental Halévy, to an Italian libretto byPietro Giannone. It was first produced at theThéâtre-Italien in Paris on 19 December 1828.
Clari was based on a popular novella, the storyline of which had already been set as an opera byHenry Bishop in London in 1823 (Clari, or the Maid of Milan – it included what came to be Bishop's most famous song,Home! Sweet Home!). There had also been a production of the story asClari ou la promesse de mariage as a 'ballet-pantomime' in three acts at theParis Opéra in 1820, with music byRodolphe Kreutzer and designs byCicéri andLouis Daguerre.[1]
Halévy waschef de chant (vocal coach) at the Théâtre-Italien when he wrote the opera, his first in theItalian language. Clari's entrance aria in Act I,Come dolce a me favelli, had been in fact written by him in Italy some five or six years earlier as a fulfilment of his requirements when he had won thePrix de Rome.[2]
Although Halévy was able to secureMaria Malibran for the title role, the work failed to please the public and was taken off after six performances.[3] Fromental's brother, Ludovic, in his biography of the composer, however refers to Malibran's performance as 'so moving and dramatic'.[4] A few further performances were given, of a revised version, in 1830.[5]
The opera was not revived for nearly 180 years whenCecilia Bartoli took the role of Clari in a production given by theOpernhaus Zürich in 2008 in celebration of the centenary of Malibran's birth.[6]
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 19 December 1828 (Conductor: - ) |
|---|---|---|
| Clari | soprano | Maria Malibran |
| Il Duca (The Duke) | tenor | Domenico Donzelli |
| Bettinaa housemaid | ||
| Germano,servant of the Duke | bass | Carlo Zucchelli |
| Luca,a servant | ||
| Alberto,Clari's father | ||
| Simonetta,Clari's mother | ||
| Servants, country folk, guests of the Duke | ||
The ingenuous country-girl Clari attracts the Duke, who installs her in his mansion as his 'cousin'. His intentions however appear to be far from marriage. Realising this, Clari, escapes back to her home, where her father berates her for shaming the family. The Duke however, realising that he truly loves her, pursues her, and all ends happily.
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