La zingara explained

La zingara
Type:Opera semiseria
Composer:Gaetano Donizetti
Librettist:Andrea Leone Tottola
Language:Italian
Premiere Location:Teatro Nuovo (Naples)

La zingara (The Gypsy Girl) is an opera semiseria in two acts by Gaetano Donizetti, set to a libretto by Andrea Leone Tottola after La petite bohémienne (The Little Gypsy) by Louis-Charles Caigniez, which was itself derived from a work of August von Kotzebue.

It was Donizetti's first opera written for Naples, and the first performance of this "rescue opera" took place at the Teatro Nuovo on 12 May 1822.

One critic reviewing the 2001 recording from the Festival della Valle d'Itria, made the following observations:

Despite its moronic libretto, the opera was an enormous success at its premiere in Naples in 1822, and even Bellini wrote nice things about the second-act septet[1] in which Donizetti mixes buffo and serious characters, as well as Neapolitan dialect (there are no recitatives; numbers are separated by spoken dialogue) with "pure" Italian, and the absurd plot is (sort of) held together by the clever Argilla, who under the guise of telling fortunes gains entry to people's feelings as well as to every area of the castle. Is it a masterpiece? Even close? No, but there are niceties galore—rhythmic arias and ensembles, good (if typical) characterizations, and good tunes.[2]

Its American premiere was produced by Amore Opera in New York City in 2017.[3]

Roles

RoleVoice typePremiere cast, 12 May 1822
(Conductor: –)
Argillamezzo-soprano
InessopranoCaterina Monticelli
FernandotenorMarco Venier
Don Ranuccio ZappadorbassCarlo Moncada
Don Sebastiano AlvarezbassGiuseppe Fioravanti
Duca d'AlzirastenorAlessandro Busti
Papaccionebasso buffoCarlo Casaccia
AmeliasopranoFrancesca Ceccherini
GhitasopranoClementina Grassi
ManuelitasopranoMarianna Grassi
Antonio AlvarezbaritoneRaffaele Sarti
SguigliobaritoneRaffaele Casaccia
Domestici di Zappador e di zingari, chorus

Synopsis

Time: The middle ages

Place: Spain

Don Ranuccio has imprisoned Don Sebastiano in his castle and he also wants to kill the Duke of Alziras, his political rival. Ranuccio's daughter Ines is in love with Fernando, but her father wants her to marry Antonio who is Don Sebastiano's nephew.

Argilla, the gypsy girl of the title, brings together the lovers Ferrando and Ines, saves the life of the Duke, whom she brings together again with his brother, and frees Don Sebastiano, who turns out to be her father. Comedy is provided by the servant Pappacione, fooled into searching for gold in an old cistern. All ends happily.

References

NotesCited sources

Other sources

External links

Notes and References

  1. Osborne 1994, p. 146: He notes that this was an "adumbration" of the famous sextet which appeared 13 years later in Lucia di Lammermoor
  2. Robert Levine, "Donizetti – La zingara Review of 2002 recording on classicstoday.com. Retrieved 23 December 2013
  3. http://parterre.com/2017/06/02/arrivederci-romany/ "Arrivederci, Romany!"
  4. http://www.operadis-opera-discography.org.uk/CLDOZING.HTM Recording(s) on operadis-opera-discography.org.uk