| Alberto Franchetti |
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Operas
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Cristoforo Colombo (Christopher Columbus) is an opera in four acts and an epilogue by Alberto Franchetti to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica. It was written in 1892 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' arrival in America.
Commissioned by the city of Genoa, Columbus' birth place, the opera deals with the voyage of discovery, its opposition by the Spanish authorities, Columbus' encouragement by Queen Isabella, and finally, after his difficulties and triumph, his anguish when he learns of her death.[1]
An essentially melodic opera written in the verismo style, it is harmonically rich, with obvious references to the work of Richard Wagner. The Act 2 monologue contains a Rhine-like motif; after cries of Terra! Terra! the orchestra replies with Tristan-like ecstasy, and then a rainbow bridge-like triumph.[2] Its anti-church elements have been noted, particularly in the opera's earlier versions: it is the clerics who oppose the voyage initially, and who violently attempt to evangelise the South American natives.[3]
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The opera premiered at Genoa's Teatro Carlo Felice on October 6, 1892 conducted by Luigi Mancinelli with sets designed by Ugo Gheduzzi and costumes by Adolf Hohenstein. The same year, it was performed in a revised version at La Scala, Milan. It had a number of performances throughout Italy, many of them conducted by Arturo Toscanini, and in Buenos Aires. The opera's North American premiere was presented by the Philadelphia-Chicago Grand Opera Company at the Philadelphia Metropolitan Opera House on November 20, 1913, with Titta Ruffo in the title role, Rosa Raisa as Queen Isabella of Spain, Amedeo Bassi as Don Fernan Guevara, and Gustave Huberdeau as Don Roldana Ximenes.
Despite initial stage success, a massive cut of the first version, of some 100 pages of orchestral score, led to the published version; a set of adventures in America in acts 3 and 4 having been considered too long. The final version of 1923 contained three acts, omitting the American content altogether, although containing much of its music. One of Luigi Illica's first librettos, it had a difficult gestation due to difficulties with the composer. Illica withdrew his name from the project after the first performance.[4]
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast[5] 6 October 1892 (Conductor: Luigi Mancinelli) |
|---|---|---|
| Cristoforo Colombo, Christopher Columbus | baritone | Giuseppe Kaschmann |
| Isabella de Aragona, Queen Isabella I of Spain | soprano | Elvira Colonnese |
| Don Fernando Guevara, Captain of the Royal Guards | tenor | Edoardo Garbin |
| Don Rolando Ximenes, a Spanish knight | bass | Francesco Navarini |
| Matheos, foreman of the ship's crew | tenor | Giovanni Paroli |
| Anacona, an Indian queen | mezzo-soprano | Giulia Novelli |
| Iguamota, her daughter | soprano | Elvira Colonnese |
| Bobita, the old chieftain | bass | Vittorio Cesarotto |
| Bobadilla, false messenger of the King of Spain | bass | Raffaele Terzi |
Individual arias
Complete opera
Further Sources