Satyricon (opera)

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Satyricon is a chamber opera by Bruno Maderna with a libretto adapted by Ian Strasfogel and the composer from Petronius. It was written during Maderna's last illness in 1973 and premièred as part of the Holland Festival on March 16, 1976 in Scheveningen, Netherlands.

The work consists of 16 unordered numbers and the collage effect extends to the music, which relies heavily on pastiche. There are four singers, employing respectively English & German, French, wordless vocalise and Latin: the host Trimalchio (tenor, doubling as the merchant Habinnas), his wife Fortunata (mezzo-soprano),Criside (Soprano) and Eumolpus (Bass). It is suggested that tape music may be used between scenes; the 2004 revival in Darmstadt included dialogue and a number of additional spoken roles.

[edit] Sources

Fearn, Raymond. "Satiricon", Grove Music Online, ed. L. Macy (accessed Feb. 26 2008), grovemusic.com (subscription access).
Maderna, Bruno. Satiricon Salambert SCD9101 Paul Sperry, Milagro Vargas, Liliana Oliveri, Aurio Tomicich, conducted by Sandro Gorli, Divertimento Ensemble 1992.