Pelagio is an opera (tragedia lirica) in four acts by Saverio Mercadante. The Italian-language libretto was by Marco D'Arienzo. It premiered on 12 February 1857 at the Teatro San Carlo, Naples, to great success.[1]
The opera had further successful performances in Milan and Lisbon.
In modern times, Pelagio was performed in 2005 in Gijón, Spain, and in 2008 at the Festival della Valle d'Itria.
Pelagio is an opera with "roots in the bel canto tradition that shows the influence of Verdi", and the work has been described as rich in "excellent music", with "at least one aria (for Bianca in act 4) of an almost Verdian intensity and pathos".[2]
| Pelagius (Italian: Pelagio) | baritone | Filippo Coletti | |
| Abdel-Aor, governor of Gijón | tenor | Lodovico Graziani | |
| Bianca, daughter of Pelagius | soprano | Fortunata Tedesco | |
| Giralda, Bianca's confidante | contralto | Schiavi | |
| Asan, captain of the Moors | bass | Marco Arati | |
| Aliatar, a guard in Abdel-Aor's apartments | bass | Nicola Monti | |
| Mendo de Quexada, Spanish nobleman | bass | Michele Benedetti | |
| An inhabitant of Gijón | tenor | A. Lauri | |
| Arabian soldiers, Arabian men and maidens, Spanish warriors, Spanish men and maidens | |||
Time: 8th century
The main character is the Asturian king who founded the Kingdom of Asturias and fought against the Moors. It is supposed that his daughter Bianca, brought up by Giralda because Pelagio was believed to be dead, falls in love with the Moor Abdel-Aor, governor of the city of Gijón. Bianca is thus cursed by Pelagius. The opera ends with the death of Bianca, killed by the same Abdel-Aor because he realizes that the love with Bianca has become impossible and is convinced that Bianca is betraying him to help her father.
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