ML Hart - Stories of the Operas / 1

*AIDA*
		Set in ancient Egypt, Aida is one of the most spectacular of all grand operas, yet the story is very human, one of timeless human relationships. Princess Aida of Ethiopia has been captured and is slave to Amneris, daughter of the Pharoh of Egypt. Both women are in love with Radamés, a heroic general who leads the Egyptian army against the Ethiopians, capturing Aida's father, King Amonasro. Radamés is dismayed when the Egyptian King pledges his daughter's hand in marriage as a reward for his battlefield victories. The despondent Aida is forced by her father, in the name of patriotism, to trick Radamés into revealing the movements of the army - and when Amneris discovers his treachery, she orders the High Priest to arrest him. Amneris begs Radamés to confess and escape with her, then she pleads in vain for the tribunal of priests to spare his life, as Radamés answers the charges of treason with silence. Condemned to die, Radamés is sealed in an underground tomb where he discovers Aida hiding, who chooses to share his fate rather than live without him. As they sing of their love for each other, in a haunting farewell to life on earth, Amneris, in the temple above the tomb, sings of her despair and prays for peace. music by Giuseppe Verdi, libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni (Italy, late 19th century)
During the Triumphal Scene, large opera companies often include animals in the pageantry, everything from horses to camels to elephants. There are numerous stories about the animals, frightened by the fanfare of trumpets, leaving something of themselves on stage... The exiled princess Aida sings of being torn by love for her country and love for Radamés, her country's enemy. Michele Crider - San Diego Opera.
*ARIODANTE*
		Ariodante premiered at Covent Garden in 1735, the first Handel opera to appear there, and one of the composer's 36 operas written during the time he lived in London. The score is one of Handel's best, though a little "old-fashioned" in sound, almost recalling Purcell, who died 40 years earlier. The story is set at the court of the King of Scotland, but otherwise, there is nothing remotely Scottish or Celtic about the opera. The King's daughter, Ginevra is pursued by the evil Polinesso, Duke of Albany, who wants the throne. Ginevra rejects him in favor of a knight, Ariodante. At the same time, the lady-in-waiting, Dalinda, is infatuated with Polinesso and rejects the true love of Ariodante's brother,Lurcanio. This story draws on the same source as Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, and the mistaken-identity-as-proof-of-infidelity plot device of Prince John, Boccacio and Margaret is exactly the same. Polinesso enlists Dalinda's help to have Ariodante and Lurcanio overhear "Ginevra" proclaim her love for Polinesso. Ariodante, in wild grief, contemplates suicide in the great aria "Scherza infida." News that Ariodante has thrown himself into the sea arrives at the court, Lurcanio (like Benedick) accuses Ginevra's infidelity as the cause, and the King denouces his daughter. Understandably bewildered, Ginevra (like Hero), plunges into despair and madness. Since the hero must survive so all can be well again, Ariodante does survive and on his way back to court, rescues Dalinda from an assassination attempt - one that was engineered by Polinesso. Dalinda finally sees the light and confesses the plot to Ariodante. Meanwhile, trial-by-combat is being arranged in the accusation against Ginevra - Polinesso steps forward to defend her against Lurcanio who is, of course, victorious. Before Polinesso dies, he too confesses. Ariodante then arrives at the court with his explanations, everyone is forgiven and reunited, true love and constancy have been rewarded and the wicked punished. What more could you want? music by Georg Frideric Handel, libretto based on a text by Antonio Salvi (England, early 18th century)
At its premiere, the title role was sung by the castrato Signor Carestini. Polinesso, Ginevra's other suitor, was sung by a female alto, one Signora Negri. Today, the gender of singers is usually reversed, with a mezzo-soprano singing Ariodante and a countertenor singing Polinesso. Prince Ariodante has two show-stopping arias, "Doppo notte" and, above, "Scherza infida."
*THE BARBER OF SEVILLE*
		The complexity and clever wit of the plot - mixing clever servants, disguises, foolish old men, and true love - completely integrated with the music's immensely popular meoldies, is a feast for the audience... though not at first. The premiere was a fiasco, with disturbances from the audience, who had come primed for disaster. Onstage, when Almaviva began his serenade to Rosina, all the strings on his guitar snapped... Basilio fell flat upon his entrance and had to sing with a bloodied nose... and a cat appeared on the stage during the melée of the Act I finale, chased in different directions by different characters, finally becoming entangled in Rosina's skirts. Rossini didn't help matters by taking his place in the orchestra wearing an offensively colored suit, much too tight for him, to the delight of the booing, shrieking supporters of Paisiello, a rival composer. Figaro, a barber, matchmaker, and general go-to guy, can do anything in Seville, Spain. The wealthy and powerful Count Almaviva has fallen in love with Rosina, a young girl kept indoors by her guardian, Dr Bartolo, who intends to marry her for her dowry. Rosina thinks the Count is a poor student named Lindoro and - equally in love - she and Figaro meet and conspire to get Almaviva into the house, disguised first as a drunken soldier, then as a music teacher. Mayhem ensues as the "soldier" insults Dr Bartolo, the police are called, everyone goes crazy, and finally, the two lovers are married just before Bartolo can carry out his convoluted schemes to convince Rosina that "Lindoro" is worthless. All is forgiven, and everyone lives happily ever after... until the sequel, Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro. music by Giaocchino Rossini, libretto by Cesare Sterbini after the play by Beaumarchais (Italy, early 19th century)
Although the famous overture wasn't created for this work (borrowed from a previous opera) the rest of the opera was said to have been written in only 14 days. Despite an inauspicious opening night, from its second performance, the opera was a triumph. Rosina and her friend Figaro, the jack-of-all-trades barber of Seville, admire the effects of his hairdressing skills.
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*BILLY BUDD*
		A parable of good versus evil, light and dark, the story has overtones of Milton's Paradise Lost. This is the only all-male opera in the repertoire, set onboard ship in the 18th century British navy. Captain Vere, now an old man, recalls his days on the HMS Indomitable - the entire opera is a flashback of his memories. He remembers the day a handsome youngster named Billy Budd arrived on board, impressed into the King's Navy. Everyone is dazzled by Billy's angelic good looks and his cheerful, friendly optimism, until it's discovered he has a stammer - the fatal flaw in his character. The Master-at-Arms, John Claggart, is as evil as Billy is good, and the conflict between these two leads to a deadly clash: Billy strikes Claggart and kills him. When asked at the court martial to clear himself, Billy is completely unable to speak because of his stammer, and he is condemned to hang. The captain chooses head over heart and refuses to save Billy. The old Captain Vere continues his reminiscing as the opera ends. music by Benjamin Britten, libretto by E.M. Forster and Eric Crozier from a novella by Herman Melville (England, mid-20th century)
Composer Benjamin Britten was particularly adept at word-setting, or making text and music seem as one, almost as if singing the words seems more natural than speaking them. Most of his life's work is in vocal music, and much of it was written for the particular voice of his lifetime partner, tenor Peter Pears. Billy Budd, the epitome of innocence, pays the ultimate price in the battle of good versus evil.
*LA BOHČME*
		The most popular opera of all time, the classic story of boy meets girl, boy loses girl... true love and tragedy among starving artists in Paris. The ideal first opera for any age. Trying to stay warm on Christmas Eve, three roommates - a poet, a painter, and a philosopher - commiserate about their poverty when the fourth member of the group, a musician, arrives with the tale of an unexpected windfall and, more importantly, money and food. They all go to the Cafe Momús to celebrate, with the poet Rodolfo planning to join them in a few minutes. There's a knock on the door - it's a beautiful, pale girl named Mimi whose candle has gone out. Rodolfo offers her wine and contrives for her re-lit candle to go out again. She drops her key in the darkness - as they search for it, their hands touch, and falling in love, they sing of their lives and dreams. They join the others at the Café for a high-spirited evening. As the months go by, the lovers quarrel and part, only to make up again while their friends Marcello and Musetta also break up and make up. The final reunion comes too late, as Mimi succumbs to illness and dies in Rodolfo's arms. music by Giacomo Puccini, libretto by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica from a story by Henri Murger (Italy, late 19th century)
Puccini supervised the rehearsals for the first performance on 1 February 1896, but was not entirely pleased with the conductor: a relatively unknown but fast-rising 28-year-old musical director by the name of Arturo Toscanini. In the artists' garrett, Rodolfo sings to Mimí what is arguably the most famous of all tenor arias - "Che gelida manina" ...
*CARMEN*
		Love, betrayal, revenge, murder - classic operatic themes in an appealing setting make this a worldwide favorite. Another great choice for a first opera. Near Seville, soldiers, factory workers, townspeople, and gypsies mingle in the plaza. The freedom-loving gypsy Carmen throws an enchanted flower at straitlaced Don José to make him fall in love with her. José's fiancée, the village girl Micaela, arrives with a message from his mother, and they sing a tender, innocent duet. When Carmen is arrested for causing a disturbance at the cigarette factory, she seduces the now-willing José into helping her escape, taunting him to join her band of smugglers when he gets out of prison. Carmen and her friends dance at the tavern of Lillias Pastia, welcoming the acclaimed toreador, Escamillo, who falls for Carmen. But she still longs for another, the soldier who went to prison for her. José arrives, still infatuated, having kept the fatal flower with him in prison. Carmen claims he does not really love her, and he sings the passionate Flower Song. After an altercation with his commanding officer, has no choice but to join the gypsies. Now on a downward path, José has lost everything in his life, and is losing Carmen, too, who decides she prefers Escamillo. Their final confrontation takes place outside the bull ring at Seville, where Jose's and Carmen's fates intertwine and end the way Carmen had always known they would, with her death. music by Georges Bizet, libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy from a novella by Prosper Merimée (France, mid 19th century)
The composer never lived to see his opera a success, for it was a resounding failure at its opening in 1875. Parisian audiences were shocked at the sight of women smoking cigarettes on stage and by the immorality of the characters, realistically portrayed. The final moment between José and Carmen: "Eh bien, damnée!"



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