La vedova scaltra
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La vedova scaltra (English: The Cunning Widow) is an opera in three acts by Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari to a text by Mario Ghisalberti, after Carlo Goldoni's original play (also called La vedova scaltra) first given in 1748.
Performance history
It was first performed at the Teatro Reale dell'Opera in Rome on 5 March 1931. It was revived in Venice, in celebration of the 300th anniversary of the birth of Carlo Goldoni, in February 2007. This performance, with Anne-Lise Sollied, Maurizo Muraro and Emanuele D'Aguanno as the main soloists, has been recorded (see below).
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 5 March 1931 (Conductor: Gino Marinuzzi) |
|---|---|---|
| Rosaura, a widow | soprano | Adelaide Saraceni |
| Monsieur Le Beau, a Frenchman | tenor | Alessio De Paolis |
| Conte di Bosco Nero, an Italian | tenor | Alessandro Ziliani |
| Milord Runebif, an Englishman | baritone | Giulio Cirino |
| Don Alvaro di Castiglia, a Spaniard | baritone | Giacomo Vaghi |
| Marionette | soprano | Rina De Ferrari |
| Folletto | tenor | Adelio Zagonara |
| Arlecchino | baritone | Emilio Ghirardini |
| Birif | bass | Mario Bianchi |
| Majordomo | bass | Pierantonio Prodi |
Synopsis
The story is a comedy about a young widow courted by four suitors of different nationalities.
Recordings
- Wolf-Ferrari: La vedova scaltra Principal singers: Anne-Lise Sollied (Rosaura), Maurizio Muraro (Runebif), Emanuele D'Aguanno (Le Beau), Mark Milhofer (Bosco Nero), Riccardo Zanellato (Castiglia), Elena Rossi (Marionette), Alex Esposito (Arlecchino), Claudio Zancopé (Birif), Luca Favaron (Folletto), Antonio Casagrande (servant)- Teatro La Fenice Orchestra. Conductor: Karl Martin Director: Massimo Gasparon Recording date: 1 September 2008 Label: Naxos - (CD and DVD)
- Wolf-Ferrari: La vedova scaltra. Anne-Lise Sollied, Henriette Bonde-Hansen, Francesco Piccoli, Orchestre National de Montpellier, Enrique Mazzola Accord Universal France (CD).
References
- Casaglia, Gherardo (2005). "La vedova scaltra, 5 March 1931". L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia (in Italian).
- Waterhouse, John C G (1992), 'Vedova scaltra, La' in The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, ed. Stanley Sadie (London) ISBN 0-333-73432-7