La fiamma
| Ottorino Respighi |
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Operas
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La fiamma (The Flame) is an opera in three acts by Ottorino Respighi to a libretto by Claudio Guastalla based on Hans Wiers-Jenssen's 1908 play Anne Pedersdotter, The Witch. The plot is loosely based on the story of Anne Pedersdotter, a Norwegian woman who was accused of witchcraft and burnt at the stake in 1590. However, Respighi and Guastalla changed the setting of the opera to 7th century Ravenna. The melodramatic tale involves the illicit love of Silvana, the daughter of a witch, for her stepson Donello. When her husband Basilio dies of a heart attack, Silvana is accused of causing his death by witchcraft and is condemned to death. La fiamma premiered to considerable success on 23 January 1934 at the Teatro Reale dell'Opera in Rome in a performance conducted by Respighi himself. The production was directed by Alessandro Sanine with sets designed by Nicola Benois.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, January 23, 1934 (Conductor: Ottorino Respighi)[1] |
|---|---|---|
| Silvana | soprano | Giuseppina Cobelli |
| Donello | tenor | Angelo Minghetti |
| Basilio | baritone | Carlo Tagliabue |
| Eudossia | mezzo-soprano | Aurora Buades d'Alessio |
| Monica | soprano | Laura Pasini |
| Agata | soprano | Matilde Arbuffo |
| Lucilla | mezzo-soprano | Giuseppina Sani |
| Sabina | mezzo-soprano | Giorgina Tremari |
| Zoe | mezzo-soprano | Anna Maria Mariani |
| Agnese di Cervia | mezzo-soprano | Angelica Cravcenco |
| Exorcist | bass | Augusto Romani |
| A bishop | bass | Pierantonio Prodi |
| A mother | soprano | Anna Maria Martucci |
| A cleric | tenor | Adelio Zagonara |
| A workman | tenor | Augusto Prot |
| Chorus (s,a,t,b) | ||
Instrumentation
La fiamma is scored for the following instruments:[2]
piccolo, 2 flutes , 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, double bassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, bass tuba, timpani, bass drum, tam-tam, harp, strings.
Synopsis
- Place: Ravenna
- Time: Seventh century
Act 1
The young Silvana is the daughter of a witch and she herself is said to have magical powers. It is unhappily married to the exarch Basilio, and the marriage is disliked by the mother of Basilio, Eudoassia, who makes life impossible for Silvana.
Act 2
Donello, son of the first marriage of Basilio, returns from Byzantium after a long journey. Between Donello and Silvana blooms an overpowering love.
Act 3
Eudossia discovers the affair between Donello and Silvana. Basilio faces Silvana and she reacts vehemently, defending her feelings for Donello and accusing Basilio of stealing her youth. During the violent quarrel Basilio dies and Silvana is accused of murder and witchcraft.
The trial takes place in the basilica of San Vitale. Silvana denies being a witch and says she acted only for love. Donello tries to take the blame for everything and Silvana is about to be acquitted, but Eudossia intervenes and confirms the accusations. The rage of Eudossia prevails and the same Donello is persuaded that Silvana is a witch. Silvana has no more strength to defend herself and remains alone and dejected, while the bishop curses her and the audience flees horrified.
Recordings
1955: Francesco Molinari-Pradelli, Orchestra e Coro della RAI di Milano, G. O. P.[3] | |
|---|---|
King/Silvana: Mara Coleva |
Eudossia: Lucia Danieli |
1985: Lamberto Gardelli, Choir of the Hungarian Radio and Television and Hungarian State Orchestra, Hungaroton[3][4] | |
King/Silvana: Ilona Tokody |
Eudossia: Klára Takács |
1997: Gianluigi Gelmetti, Teatro dell'Opera di Roma Orchestra and Chorus, CD Agorà (Live recording)[3] | |
King/Silvana: Nelly Miricioiu |
Eudossia: Mariana Pentcheva |
References
Notes
- ↑ Premiere cast from Casaglia (2005)
- ↑ "Ottorino RESPIGHI. Catalogo delle composizioni suddiviso per generi musicali: Opere liriche". l'Orchestra Virtuale del Flaminio (in Italian). Retrieved 2 January 2015.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Ottorino Respighi - La Fiamma - Discography". operaclass. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
- ↑ MusicWeb International
Sources
- Casaglia, Gherardo, "23 Gennaio 1934", Almanacco Amadeus, 2005. Accessed 2 March 2010 (in Italian).
- Crutchfield, Will, "Rare Respighi Opera at Carnegie", New York Times, 4 December 1987. Accessed 2 March 2010.
- Gelli, Piero (ed.), "Fiamma, La", Dizionario dell'Opera, Baldini Castoldi Dalai, 2007, ISBN 88-6073-184-4. Accessed online 2 March 2010.
- Lace, Ian "La Fiamma - Love and Witchcraft", MusicWeb International. Accessed 2 March 2010.
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