Pia de' Tolomei
Pia de' Tolomei is a tragedia lirica, or tragic opera, in two acts by Gaetano Donizetti. Salvadore Cammarano wrote the Italian libretto after Bartolomeo Sestini's novella, in its turn after Dante's narrative poem The Divine Comedy part 2: Purgatorio. It premiered on 18 February 1837 at the Teatro Apollo in Venice.
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[edit] Background
Pia de' Tolomei is a tragic figure whom Dante encountered in Purgatory.[1] Her story was so familiar to Dante's readers that an understated allusion was enough to call it to mind:
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Italian
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Translation in English
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|---|---|
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"Deh, quando tu sarai tornato al mondo, |
Ah, when you have returned to the world, |
[edit] Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 18 February 1837 (Conductor: - ) |
|---|---|---|
| Pia, Nello's wife | soprano | Fanny Tacchinardi Persiani |
| Ghino Degli Armieri, Nello's cousin | tenor | Antonio Poggi |
| Nello Della Pietra | baritone | Giorgio Ronconi |
| Rodrigo, Pia's brother | contralto | Rosina Mazzarelli |
| Piero, a hermit | bass | Alessandro Meloni |
| Ubaldo, Nello's servant | tenor | Alessandro Giacchini |
| Bice | soprano | Marietta Bramati |
| Lamberto, old servant of Pia's family | bass | Alessandro Cecconi |
| Servants, bridesmaids, hermits | ||
[edit] Synopsis
- Place: Siena
- Time: 1260
Ghino has fallen in love with Pia, wife of his cousin Nello, a Ghibelline lord. When she refuses his love, as revenge Ghino informs Nello that he has discovered a secret message (found by the mischievous servant Ubaldo) proving that Pia has an adulterous relation. It tells of a secret meeting to be held between Pia and her lover. Ghino goes to the place described in the message, and does find Pia with a man. Ghino does not know that the man is not her lover but her brother Rodrigo, a Guelph, whom she is helping to escape from Nello's prison. Rodrigo manages to escape, but Pia is captured and imprisoned.
Ghino again offers her his love, promising to give her freedom in exchange; but the woman still refuses. Impressed by Pia's virtue and informed of the true identity of her alleged lover, Ghino repents and, mortally wounded in battle, reveals the truth to Nello. However, Nello had already given to his servant Ubaldo the order to kill Pia by poisoning. Nello rushes to stop the servant, but it is too late: he finds his wife is dying. On her deathbed, Pia forgives her husband, and effects a reconciliation between him and Rodrigo.
[edit] Recordings
| Year | Cast (Pia, Ghino degli Armieri, Nello della Pietra, Rodrigo) |
Conductor, Opera House and Orchestra |
Label[2] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Majella Cullagh, Bruce Ford, Roberto Servile, Manuela Custer |
David Parry London Philharmonic Orchestra and Geoffrey Mitchell Choir[3] |
Audio CD: Opera Rara Cat: ORC 30 |
| 2005 | Patrizia Ciofi, Dario Schmunck, Andrew Schroeder, Laura Polverelli |
Paolo Arrivabeni Teatro La Fenice Orchestra and Chorus [3] (Audio and video recordings made at performances in the Teatro La Fenice, April) |
Audio CD: Dynamic Cat: CDS 488/1-2 DVD: Dynamic Cat: 33488 |
[edit] References
- Notes
- ^ Purgatorio V, 130-136; Italian Wikipedia: "Pia de' Tolomei"
- ^ Source of recording on operadis-opera-discography.org.uk
- ^ a b Performed in the Critical Edition prepared by Giorgio Pagannone for the Donizetti Foundation, Bergamo
- Online sources
- Libretto (Italian)
- Programme for the 2005 production of Pia de' Tolomei at the Teatro La Fenice with essays and illustrations (Italian)
- Other sources
- Ashbrook, William, Donizetti and His Operas, Cambridge University Press, 1982, ISBN 052123526X ISBN 0-521-23526-X
- Holden, Amanda (Ed.), The New Penguin Opera Guide, New York: Penguin Putnam, 2001. ISBN 0-140-29312-4
- Osborne, Charles, The Bel Canto Operas of Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini, Portland, Oregon: Amadeus Press, 1994 ISBN 0931340713
- Weinstock, Herbert, Donizetti and the World of Opera in Italy, Paris, and Vienna in the First Half of the Nineteenth Century, New York: Pantheon Books, 1963. ISBN 63-13703
