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Les vêpres siciliennes (The Sicilian Vespers) is an opera in five acts by the Italian romantic composer Giuseppe Verdi set to a French libretto by Charles Duveyrier and Eugène Scribe from their work Le duc d'Albe. It is based on a historical event, the Sicilian Vespers of 1282, using material drawn from the medieval Sicilian tract Lu rebellamentu di Sichilia.[1] It was first performed at the Paris Opéra on 13 June 1855.
The Italian version: I vespri siciliani
As was later to happen with Verdi's Don Carlos, which was also based on a French libretto, an Italian libretto was quickly prepared under Verdi's supervision by the poet Ettore Caimi with the title, Giovanna de Guzman [2]. It was first performed at the Teatro Regio, Parma on December 26, 1855.
Verdi was aware that in Italy at that time, it would have been impossible to place the story in Sicily[3] but, based on Scribe's suggestions for changing the location[4], it became Portugal in 1640 while under Spanish control.
Performance history
Because the original version never entered the established repertory, Verdi attempted to aid its revival at the Paris Opéra on 6 July 1863 by revising some of the roles for selected singers. However, after a few performances, the opera disappeared and was replaced by the French version of Il trovatore, Le trouvère. Except for one revival in Paris in 1863, "it vanished from the Parisian stage altogether" [4]
In the 1855/1856 season, the Italian version of opera - without the ninety-minute ballet - was performed nine times and, after 1861, it reverted to its original name.[4] Thus, in modern times, it is most often performed in Italian under the title I vespri siciliani.
Roles
| Role |
Voice type |
French version:
Premiere Cast,
13 June 1855[5]
(Conductor: - ) |
Italian version:
Premiere Cast,
26 December 1855
La Fenice, Venice
(Conductor: - ) |
FR: Guy de Montfort, Governor of Sicily under Charles d'Anjou, King of Naples /
IT: Michele de Vasconcello, A Portuguese quisling[4] |
baritone |
Marc Bonnehée |
|
| Le Sire de Béthune, a French officer |
bass |
M. Coulon |
|
| Le Comte de Vaudemont, a French officer |
bass |
M. Guignot |
|
FR: Henri, a young Sicilian /
IT: Enrico |
tenor |
Louis Gueymard |
|
FR: Jean Procida, a Sicilian doctor /
IT: Don Giovanni Ribera Pinto, a Portuguese captain |
bass |
Louis-Henri Obin |
|
FR: La Duchesse Hélène sister of Duke Frederick of Austria /
IT: Giovanna de Guzman (originally Helena) |
soprano |
Sophie Cruvelli |
|
| Ninetta, her maid |
contralto |
Mme Sannier |
|
| Daniéli, her servant |
tenor |
M. Boulo |
|
| Thibault , a French soldier |
tenor |
M. Aimes |
|
| Robert, a French soldier |
baritone |
M. Marie |
|
| Mainfroid, a Sicilian, adherent of Procida |
tenor |
M. Koenig |
|
Synopsis
- Place: Palermo, Italy
- Time: 1282
Act 1
Palermo's main square
Tebaldo, Roberto, and other French soldiers have gathered in front of the Governor's palace. As they offer a toast to their homeland, they are observed by the local Sicilians, unhappy with the occupation.
Elena enters dressed in mourning for her executed brother. The group demands that she entertain them, but her song only incites the Sicilians to rebellion against the occupiers. When the governor, Monteforte, enters the crowd calms down. Then Arrigo announces that that he has been released from prison. Alone with Arrigo, Montforte offers him a position with the French as long as he stays away from Elena. He refuses, and immediately follows Elena in to the palace.
Act 2
Beside the sea
Act 3
Scene 1: Montforte's palace
Scene 2: A ball at montforte's palace
Act 4
A prison
Act 5
The gardens of Montforte's palace
Noted arias
- "Viens à nous, Dieu tutélaire" (Deh! tu calma, o Dio possente) - Hélène in Act I
- "Dans l'ombre et le silence" (Nell'ombra e nel silenzio) - Jean Procida in Act II
- "Et toi, Palerme" (O tu Palermo) - Jean Procida in Act II
- "Au sein de la puissance" (In braccio alle dovizie) - Guy de Montfort in Act III, Scene 1
- "O jour de peine" (Giorno di pianto) - Henri in Act IV
- "La brise souffle au loin" (La brezza aleggia intorno) - Henri in Act V
- "Merci, jeunes amies" (Mercé, dilette amiche) - Hélène in Act V
Notable adaptations
Selected recordings
| Year |
Cast
(Elena, Arrigo, Montforte, Procida) |
Conductor,
Opera House and Orchestra |
Label |
Version |
| 1969 |
Jacqueline Brumaire
Jean Bonhomme
Neilson Taylor
Stafford Dean |
Mario Rossi,
BBC Concert Orchestra,
BBC Chorus |
Audio CD: Opera Rara
Cat: ORCV303 |
Les vêpres siciliennes (French) |
| 1974 |
Martina Arroyo
Plácido Domingo
Sherrill Milnes
Ruggero Raimondi |
James Levine,
New Philharmonia Orchestra,
John Alldis Choir |
Audio CD: Victor Red Seal
Cat:
|
I vespri siciliani (Italian) |
| 1975 |
Montserrat Caballé
Plácido Domingo
Franco Bordoni
Justino Diaz |
Eve Queler,
Teatro del Liceo Orchestra and Chorus |
Audio CD: MRF Records
Cat: MRF-128 |
I vespri siciliani (Italian) |
| 1990 |
Cheryl Studer
Chris Merritt
Giorgio Zancanaro
Ferruccio Furlanetto |
Riccardo Muti,
Teatro alla Scala |
Audio CD: EMI
Cat: CDS 7 54043-2 |
I vespri siciliani (Italian) |
| 1990 |
Cheryl Studer
Chris Merritt
Giorgio Zancanaro
Ferruccio Furlanetto |
Riccardo Muti,
Teatro alla Scala |
DVD: Image Entertainment
Cat: ID4361PUDVD |
I vespri siciliani (Italian) with Act 3 ballet |
Note: "Cat:" is short for catalogue number by the label company; "ASIN" is amazon.com product reference number.
Notes
- ^ Clifford R. Backman (2002), The Decline and Fall of Medieval Sicily: Politics, Religion, and Economy in the Reign of Frederick III, 1296–1337 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press), 6.
- ^ "I now know what it means to translate and I feel sympathy for all bad tranlation that are around because it is impossible to make a good one", Verdi to Giulio Ricordi 6 June 1865 in Budden, p.238 (see below)
- ^ "I shall...(change) the subject so as to render it acceptable for Italian theatres", Letter from Verdi to Ricordi, 29 April 1855, quoted in Budden, p. 238 (see below)
- ^ a b c d Budden, pp.238/240, see below
- ^ List of singers taken from Budden,p.168 (see below)
Paris Opéra
References
- Budden, Julian, The Operas of Verdi, Vol. 2, London: Cassell, 1978 ISBN 030431059X
External links
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