Gasparone

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gasparone is an operetta in three acts by Karl Millöcker to a German libretto by Friedrich Zell and Richard Genée. The libretto was later revised by Ernst Steffan and Paul Knepler. An amusing feature of the work is that the title character never appears and acts as a scapegoat upon which all the misdeeds in Syracuse, Sicily can be blamed.[1]

Contents

[edit] Performance history

The opera had its premiere on January 26, 1884 at Theater an der Wien, Vienna. It was subsequently given in Berlin at Friedrich-Wilhelmstädtisches Theater on September 26, 1884, and in New York City in German at Thalia Theater in 1885 and in English at the Standard Theatre in 1885 and again in 1887 with Lillian Russell as Carlotta, Eugene Oudin as Count Erminio and J. H. Ryley.[2]

After its debut, Millöcker revised the piece, creating eight versions.[3] However, the most commonly used performing edition is that prepared in 1932 by the composer Ernst Steffan.[4] Nevertheless, as Andrew Lamb has pointed out, this revision introduced new material and "reduced the effectiveness of Millöcker's comic-opera structures" in order to suit the taste of the 1930s.[5]

[edit] Roles

Role Voice type Premiere Cast, January 26, 1884
(Conductor: Karl Millöcker[6])
Carlotta, Widowed Countess Santa Croce soprano Maria Therese Massa
Count Erminio Saluzzo tenor Joseffy
Baboleno Nasoni, Bürgermeister von Toresino bass Schweighofer
Sindulfo, his son tenor
Benozzo, Landlord of the Fisherman's Inn tenor Alexander Girardi[7]
Sora, his wife soubrette Rosa Streitmann
Zenobia, duenna of the Countess alto
Massaccio, a smuggler , Benozzo's uncle baritone
Marietta, the Countess's maid mezzo-soprano
Luigi, Erminio's friend speaking role
Colonel Ruperto Corticelli speaking role
Lieutenant Guarini speaking role
Smugglers, Sora's friends, milkmaids, pesant girls, citizens of Syracuse, policement, customs officers, boatmen (chorus)

[edit] Synopsis

Place: Mediterranean coast near the town of Syracuse, Sicily
Time: 1820

[edit] Film version

A film version was made in Germany in 1937. It was produced by Max Pfeiffer and directed by Georg Jacoby, with Marika Rökk (Ita), Johannes Heesters (Erminio), Heinz Schorlemmer (Sindulfo), Edith Schollwer (Carlotta), Oskar Sima (Massaccio), Leo Slezak (Nasoni), Rudolf Platte (Benozzo), Elsa Wagner (Zenobia), and Ursula Herking (Sora). [8]

It was remade for German television in 1962.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Lamb, Andrew. 150 Years of Popular Musical Theatre, p. 56 (2000) Yale University Press ISBN 0300075383
  2. ^ New York Times review of 1887 New York production
  3. ^ Discussion of eight versions of the operetta Gasparone made by Millöcker
  4. ^ Traubner, Richard. Operetta: A Theatrical History, pp. 138-140 (2003) Routledge ISBN 0415966418
  5. ^ Lamb, Andrew (1992), 'Millöcker, Carl' in The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, ed. Stanley Sadie (London) ISBN 0-333-73432-7
  6. ^ Amadeus Almanac
  7. ^ Amadeus Almanac
  8. ^ 1937 Film adaptation at the IMDB database

[edit] External links

 This article about an opera or opera-related subject is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
Languages