Rosmonda d'Inghilterra
Rosmonda d'Inghilterra (Rosamund of England) is a melodramma or opera in two acts by Gaetano Donizetti. The Italian libretto was written by Felice Romani originally for Coccia's Rosmunda (1829). It is based on the legend of Rosamund Clifford (The Fair Rosamund).
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[edit] Performance history
It premiered at the Teatro della Pergola, Florence on February 27, 1834 and was revived only in Livorno in 1845. The opera was revised as Eleonora di Gujenna for Naples in 1837. It was largely forgotten until its English rediscovery in 1975 by Patric Schmid, co-founder of Opera Rara, who recognised Donizetti's handwriting by chance on the manuscript in the library of the Naples Conservatory.[1]. A concert performance was given at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London with Yvonne Kenny in the title role, and later a recording followed.
[edit] Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 27 February 1834 (Conductor: - ) |
|---|---|---|
| Rosmonda Clifford, Clifford's daughter | soprano | Fanny Tacchinardi Persiani |
| Eleonora di Guienna | mezzo-soprano | Anna Delserre |
| Enrico II, King of England | tenor | Gilbert Duprez |
| Arturo, Enrico's page | contralto | Giuseppina Merola |
| Clifford, old governor | bass | Carlo Porto Ottolini |
| Officials, councilmen, pages, soldiers | ||
[edit] Synopsis
- Time: Second half of 12th century
- Place: In and near Woodstock Castle, England[2]
[edit] Recordings
| Year | Cast (Rosmonda Clifford, Leonora di Guienna, Enrico II, Arturo, Clifford) |
Conductor, Opera House and Orchestra |
Label[3] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Yvonne Kenny, Ludmilla Andrew, Richard Greager, Enid Hartle, Christian du Plessis |
Alun Francis, Ulster Orchestra and Chorus of the Northern Ireland Opera Trust (Recording of a performance given by Opera Rara at the Queen's University Festival, Belfast, 22 November) |
33rpm LP: Unique Opera Records Corporation Cat: UORC 274 |
| 1994 | Renée Fleming, Nelly Miricioiu, Bruce Ford, Diana Montague, Alastair Miles |
David Parry, Philharmonia Orchestra and Geoffrey Mitchell Choir |
Audio CD: Opera Rara Cat: ORC 13 |
[edit] References
- Notes
- ^ Obituary in Opera, 2006
- ^ Osborne, p. 227
- ^ Source for recording information: operadis-opera-discography.org.uk
- Cited sources
- Osborne, Charles, The Bel Canto Operas of Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini, Portland, Oregon: Amadeus Press, 1994 ISBN 0931340713
- 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
- 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
