Risurrezione

Risurrezione (in English, Resurrection), is an opera or dramma in four acts by Franco Alfano. The libretto was written by Cesare Hanau based on the 1899 novel Resurrection (Russian: Воскресение) by Leo Tolstoy. The first performance was given on 30 November 1904, in the Teatro Vittorio Emanuele, Turin, Italy.

Risurrezione
Opera by Franco Alfano
The composer c. 1919
LibrettistCesare Hanau
LanguageItalian
Based onLeo Tolstoy's novel Resurrection
Premiere
30 November 1904 (1904-11-30)
Teatro Vittorio Emanuele, Turin

Roles
Role Voice type Premiere Cast, 30 November 1904
(Conductor: Tullio Serafin )
Katerina Mihaylovna, named Katyusha soprano Elvira Magliulo
Prince Dimitri Ivanovich Nehlyudov tenor Oreste Mieli
Sofia Ivanovna, his aunt mezzo-soprano Elvira Ceresoli-Salvatori
Matryona Pavlovna, housekeeper contralto
Simonson Ivanovich, political convict baritone Angelo Scandiani
Anna, old peasant contralto
Korablyova, prisoner contralto
servant contralto
Vera, political convict mezzo-soprano
Fenyichka, prisoner soprano
Hunchback girl, prisoner contralto
Red-haired girl, prisoner mezzo-soprano
Krilycov, political convict bass José Beckmans
Chief guard bass
Guard baritone
Train-station officer baritone
Officer tenor
A woman soprano
Muzhik baritone
Two peasants basses
Three prisoners 2 sopranos / 1 contralto
Kozak baritone
Church voices, Peasants, Prisoners in female prison, Political convicts, 8-year old girl

Synopsis
Place: Russia and Siberia
Time: The end of 19th century

Act 1

Prince Dimitri arrives to say goodbye to his aunt, Sophia Ivanovna, before leaving for the war. His old playmate Katiusha, a young peasant girl, is now Sophia Ivanovna’s companion. Dimitri is overjoyed to meet her again and that night becomes her lover. The next day he leaves for the war.

Act 2

The station of a small town. Katiusha, now pregnant, has been driven out of the house. She anxiously waits for Prince Dimitri who is due to pass through the station. But when she sees him arrive in the company of a prostitute, her courage fails her and she remains hidden until she goes away, pierced to her soul.

Act 3

Prison in St Petersburg. Katiusha, broken by Dimitri’s neglect of her and the death of her child, ends up in a place of debauchery. She is involved in a crime and, although innocent, is condemned for murder during a difficult trial, and is to be deported to Siberia. Before she leaves, Dimitri, now overcome with remorse, comes to see her in jail and offers to marry her. But she is in such a state of abject despair that she refuses all consolation.

Act 4

On the road to Siberia. Katiusha has become herself again, the good sweet girl of former times. She has found the will to live by comforting her fellow deportees. Dimitri, who has followed her, now wants to marry her at any price. He obtains a pardon for her and her freedom. But Katiusha, although she still loves him with all her soul, refuses. She feels that only if they both renounce marriage can they be redeemed.

Noted arias
  • Si, la ravviso la mia cara stanza (Yes, I see my dear room...) – Arioso of Dimitri (Act I)
  • Qualcun giù in giardino?... È Katiusha!.. (Someone’s in the garden?... It’s Katyusha!...) – Duetto of Katerina and Dimitri (Act I)
  • Dio pietoso, fa ch’il venga alfin (Merciful Lord, make him come at last) – Aria of Katerina (Act II)
  • Piangi, si, piangi (Cry, yes, cry) – Arioso of Dimitri (Act III)
  • Quando la vidi, una voce mi disse (When I saw her, a voice said to me) – Aria of Simonson (Act IV)
  • Ed ora, va... parti!... Son felice!!! (And now, go... leave!... I’m happy!!!) – Finale duetto of Katerina and Dimitri (Act IV)

Orchestration

3 Flutes (1 piccolo) / 3 oboes (1 English horn) / 3 clarinets (1 bass clarinet) / 2 bassoons / 1 contrabassoon

4 Horns / 3 trumpets / 3 trombones / 1 tuba

Timpani / percussion (cymbals / triangle / bass drum) / tubular bells / xylophone / celesta / 2 harps / piano

Violins / violas / violoncellos / double basses

gollark: Carcinization complete.
gollark: I agree.
gollark: Perhaps I am *actually* to implement this sort of combat-agents thing.
gollark: In <@160279332454006795>'s thing, the population of each type of agent was also adjusted up/down depending on their score.
gollark: .

References

Sources

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.