Elisabetta, regina d'Inghilterra, (Elizabeth, Queen of England) is a dramma per musica or opera in two acts by Gioachino Rossini to a libretto by Giovanni Schmidt, from the play The Page of Leicester by Carlo Federici. It was premiered at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples on 4 October 1815 and was the first of nine operas which Rossini wrote for the San Carlo,[1] and one of eighteen operas which he wrote during the time he spent in Naples.[2]
Rossini took melodies from other operas to compose Elisabetta, including the overture, first written for Aureliano in Palmira, which is famous as the overture to The Barber of Seville. As Holden notes, with the re-uses of earlier music, "it is as if Rossini wished to present himself to the Neapolitan public by offerng a selection of the best music from operas unlikely to have been revived in Naples."[3]
Some of Elisabetta 's music was recycled in later operas and a part of Elisabetta's first aria was re-used by Rossini four months later in Rosina's aria "Una voce poco fa" in the opera The Barber of Seville.[4]
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The opera was first given in the UK on 30 April 1818 at the King's Theatre in London.[3]
It is rarely performed today, although recordings of live performances in Palermo (1970), in Arles (1975), at the Teatro Regio di Torino (1985, the only DVD), at the Teatro San Carlo, Naples (1991), in New York (1998, given by Opera Northwest), at the Teatro Margarita Xirgu, Buenos Aires (2004), and at the Rossini Festival in Pesaro (2004) exist.[5]
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, October 4, 1815 (Conductor: Nicola Festa) |
|---|---|---|
| Elisabetta (Elizabeth I of England) | soprano | Isabella Colbran |
| The Earl of Leicester, Commander of the army | tenor | Andrea Nozzari |
| Matilda, secretly married to Leicester | soprano | Girolama Dardanelli |
| Enrico, Matilda's brother | contralto | Maria Manzi |
| The Duke of Norfolk | tenor | Manuel Garcia |
| Guglielmo, Captain of the Royal Guard | tenor | Gaetano Chizzola |
| Knights, ladies, noble Scotsmen hostages to Elisabetta, official followers of Leicester, pages, royal guards, soldiers, people (chorus) |
||
| Year | Cast (Elisabetta, Leicester, Matilde, Enrico, Norfolk) |
Conductor, Opera House and Orchestra |
Label[6] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Leyla Gencer Umberto Grilli Margherita Guglielmi Giovanna Vighi, Pietro Bottazzo |
Gianandrea Gavazzeni, Orchestra and Chorus of Teatro Massimo, Palermo (Recording of a performance in Palermo) |
Audio CD: Celestial Audio Cat: CA 235 |
| 1975 | Montserrat Caballé, José Carreras, Valerie Masterson, Rosanne Creffeld, Ugo Benelli |
Gianfranco Masini, Ambrosian Opera Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra |
Audio CD: Philips Cat: 432 453-2 |
| 1985 | Lella Cuberli Antonio Savastano, Daniela Dessi, Adriana Cicogna, Rockwell Blake |
Gabriele Ferro, Orchestra and Chorus of Teatro Regio di Torino (Recording of a performance in Turin) |
DVD: Hardy Classic Video Cat: 4007 |
| 2002 | Jennifer Larmore Bruce Ford Marjella Cullagh Manuela Custer, Antonino Siragusa |
Giuliano Carella, The Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, London Philharmonic Orchestra |
Audio CD: Opera Rara Cat: ORC 22 |