| Giovanni Pacini |
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Operas
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Maria, regina d'Inghilterra (Mary Tudor, Queen of England) is an Italian opera in three acts, composed by Giovanni Pacini from a libretto by Leopoldo Tarantini, which was based on the play Marie Tudor by Victor Hugo. It was given its first performance at the Teatro Carolino, in Palermo, on 11 February 1843.
Contents |
The opera was greeted with considerable acclaim at its creation. After a decade or so, it lost its popularity and disappeared from the stage until its revival by Opera Rara at the Bloomsbury Theatre in London as part of the Camden Festival on 23 March 1983.[1]
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast (Conductor: -) |
|---|---|---|
| Maria, Queen of England | soprano | Antonietta Marini-Rainieri |
| Riccardo Fenimoore | tenor | Nicola Ivanoff |
| Clotide Talbot | soprano | Teresa Merli-Clerici |
| Ernesto Malcolm | baritone | Antonio Superchi |
| Gualtiero Churchill | bass | Antonio Benciolini |
Mary I of England is infatuated by the adventurer Riccardo Fenimoore, whom she has ennobled as Lord Talbot, but he is unfaithful having seduced the foundling Clotide, who has been raised and is now betrothed to the adoring Ernesto Malcolm, a commoner. Gualtiero Churchill, the Lord Chancellor, wants to protect the Queen by bringing Riccardo down, so he tells the Queen of Talbot's duplicity, and also reveals his knowledge that Clotilde is actually heir to the Talbot name. The Queen condemns Talbot to death but repents and orders Clotilde to see to his release, however Churchill sees to it that the execution is carried out (to the dismay of the Queen).
| Year | Cast: (Mary, Riccardo, Clotilde, Ernesto) |
Conductor, Opera House and Orchestra |
Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Nelly Miricioiu, Bruce Ford, Mary Plazas, José Fardilha |
David Parry, Philharmonia Orchestra and the Geoffrey Mitchell Choir |
Audio CD: Opera Rara ORC15 |