Les vêpres siciliennes
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| Operas by Giuseppe Verdi |
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Oberto (1839) |
Les vêpres siciliennes (The Sicilian Vespers) is an opera in five acts by the Italian Romantic Composer Giuseppe Verdi set to a French libretto by Charles Duveyrier and Eugène Scribe from their work Le duc d'Albe. It is based on a historical event, the 1282 Sicilian Vespers. It was first performed at the Paris Opéra on 13 June 1855.
Like Verdi's Don Carlos, which was also based on a French libretto, an Italian version was quickly prepared. The opera is often performed in Italian under the title I vespri siciliani.
An Italian version with the title Giovanna de Guzman set to a Italian libretto by Eugenio Caimi was first performed at the Teatro Regio, Parma on December 26, 1855.
Contents |
[edit] Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, June 13, 1855[1] (Conductor: - ) |
|---|---|---|
| Guy de Montfort, Governor of Sicily under Charles d'Anjou, King of Naples |
baritone | Marc Bonnehée |
| Le Sire de Béthune, a French officer | bass | M. Coulon |
| Le Comte de Vaudemont, a French officer | bass | M. Guignot |
| Henri, a young Sicilian | tenor | Louis Gueymard |
| Jean Procida, a Sicilian doctor | bass | Louis-Henri Obin |
| La Duchesse Hélène sister of Duke Frederick of Austria | soprano | Sophie Cruvelli |
| Ninetta, her maid | contralto | Mme Sannier |
| Daniéli, her servant | tenor | M. Boulo |
| Thibault , a French soldier | tenor | M. Aimes |
| Robert, a French soldier | baritone | M. Marie |
| Mainfroid, a Sicilian, adherent of Procida | tenor | M. Koenig |
[edit] Noted arias
- "Viens à nous, Dieu tutélaire" (Deh! tu calma, o Dio possente) - Hélène in Act I
- "Dans l'ombre et le silence" (Nell'ombra e nel silenzio) - Jean Procida in Act II
- "Et toi, Palerme" (O tu Palermo) - Jean Procida in Act II
- "Au sein de la puissance" (In braccio alle dovizie) - Guy de Montfort in Act III, Scene 1
- "O jour de peine" (Giorno di pianto) - Henri in Act IV
- "La brise souffle au loin" (La brezza aleggia intorno) - Henri in Act V
- "Merci, jeunes amies" (Mercé, dilette amiche) - Hélène in Act V
[edit] Selected recordings
| Year | Cast (Elena, Arrigo, Montforte, Procida) |
Conductor, Opera House and Orchestra |
Label | Version |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Martina Arroyo Plácido Domingo Sherrill Milnes Ruggero Raimondi |
James Levine, New Philharmonia Orchestra, John Alldis Choir |
Audio CD: Victor Red Seal Cat: |
I vespri siciliani (Italian) |
| 1975 | Montserrat Caballé Plácido Domingo Franco Bordoni Justino Diaz |
Eve Queler, Teatro del Liceo Orchestra and Chorus |
Audio CD: MRF Records Cat: MRF-128 |
I vespri siciliani (Italian) |
| 1990 | Cheryl Studer Chris Merritt Giorgio Zancanaro Ferrucio Furlanetto |
Riccardo Muti, Teatro alla Scala |
Audio CD: EMI Cat: CDS 7 54043-2 |
I vespri siciliani (Italian) |
Note: "Cat:" is short for catalogue number by the label company; "ASIN" is amazon.com product reference number.
[edit] Notes
- ^ List of singers taken from Budden, Julian: The Operas of Verdi (Cassell), vol 2, p. 168.
[edit] External links
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