Maria egiziaca (Saint Mary of Egypt) is an opera "in three episodes" by the Italian composer Ottorino Respighi. The libretto, by Claudio Guastallo, is based on a Medieval life of Saint Mary of Egypt by Domenico Cavalca. The work was originally intended as a concert piece although it has been fully staged in some revivals. It was first performed at Carnegie Hall, New York on 16 March 1932. Both the language of the libretto and the music employ archaism; Respighi's score contains stylistic echoes of Gregorian chant, Renaissance music and Monteverdi.
Roles
| Role |
Voice type |
Premiere cast |
|---|
| Maria |
soprano |
Charlotte Börner |
| Abbate Zosimo (Abbot Zosimus)/Pilgrim |
baritone |
Nelson Eddy |
| Sailor |
tenor |
Alfredo Tedesco |
| The leper |
tenor |
|
| Second companion/Poor man |
contralto |
Myrtle Leonard |
| First companion/Blind woman/Voice of an angel |
soprano |
Helen Gleason |
|
Synopsis
The prostitute Mary suddenly feels an overwhelming longing to travel to Jerusalem. Here she repents her sins and an angel tells her to go to the desert where she lives in prayer until old age. She is found dying by the saint, Zosimus, who digs her grave with the help of a lion.
Sources
