L'americano
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| Operas by Niccolò Piccinni |
|---|
Le donne vendicate (1763) |
L'americano (The American) is an intermezzo for four voices in two acts by composer Niccolò Piccinni with an Italian libretto by Angelo Longi. The opera premiered on February 22, 1772 at the Teatro Capranica in Rome in celebration of Carnival.[1] Musically this work is unusual as it is much lengthier than most intermezzos and has an abundance of arias but very few ensemble numbers and duets.[2]
Contents |
[edit] Roles
| Cast | Voice type | Premiere, February 22, 1772 (Conductor: - ) |
|---|---|---|
| Cavalier Lisandro, an Italian aristocrat | soprano | |
| Donna Aurora, Lisandro's fiancée and an aristocrat | soprano | |
| Villotto, an American | tenor | |
| Silvia, Aurora's friend but of a lower social class | baritone |
[edit] Synopsis
Villotto, an American, befriends the Cavalier Lisandro on his visit to the California peninsula. Lisandro decides that it would be fun to take Villotto back to Europe to the chagrin of his fiancée, Donna Aurora. Villotto makes all sorts of social errors that upset the aristocratic Aurora. To make matters worse, Lisandro begins to fall in love with Aurora's friend Sylvia. After all sorts of misadventures, Aurora ends up falling for Villotto and Lisandro ends up happily with Sylvia.[3]
[edit] Recordings
- L'Americano with conductor Eric Hull and the Orchestra Internazionale d'Italia. Cast includes: Patrizia Ciofi (Silvia); Giovanna Donadini (Donna Aurora); Simon Edwards (Villotto); Domenico Colaianni (Lisandro). It was recorded live at the Valle d’Itria Festival in July 1996 and is the only recording of this opera to date. Released on the Dynamic label in 1998.[4]
