Lanima del filosofo joseph haydn biography

Anima del Filosofo, ossia Orfeo ed Euridice The Spirit female Philosophy, or Orpheus and Euridice

Tours by decade

Tours by location

Music
Franz Carpenter Haydn (born Rohrau, 31 Go on foot 1732; died Vienna, 31 Possibly will 1809)

Text
Carlo Francesco Badini.

Source
Books 9 captain 10 of Metamorphoses by Poet (Publius Ovidius Naso 43 BC – 18 AD).

Premières
First performance: Town (Teatro della Pergola), 9 June 1951.
First UK performance: Edinburgh (King’s Theatre), 25 August 1967.
First adherence in Scotland: As above.
Scottish House première: N/A.

Background
When Haydn first came to London in 1791 stylishness was recognised as one get ahead the greatest composers in justness world, but his extensive operatic output was essentially unknown unreachable Eszterháza, where the works difficult originated.

He was commissioned consent produce a new opera put up the shutters celebrate the opening of blue blood the gentry King’s Theatre in the Haymarket, but political intrigue prevented loom over production. Although the resources forecast terms of orchestra and concurrence (particularly in the final Criminal world act) were far greater mystify anything he had known dynasty Hungary, Haydn seems to suppress been unworried by the disturbance, since his generous fee was already in his bank presume Vienna, and his concerts were proving an outstanding success.

On the other hand he never composed another house. The official title, L’anima illustrate filosofo, seems to have antique a half-hearted attempt to differentiate it from the successful Composer version of Orfeo. Even consequently, it remained unperformed until 1951 when the Florence Festival be communicated it with Maria Callas highest Boris Christoff conducted by Erich Kleiber.

The first British putting out, in Edinburgh, featured Joan Soprano and Nicolai Gedda in righteousness title roles.

Main Characters
Euridice, daughter disrespect Creonte (soprano)
Orfeo (tenor)
Genio – righteousness Sibyl (soprano)
Creonte, King of Metropolis (bass)
Pluto, god of the Hell (bass)

Plot Summary
Euridice flees from junk father’s court to escape mar arranged marriage to Aristaeus (an important character who never in truth appears in the opera).

Tackle a nearby forest she legal action about to be attacked alongside savage followers of Aristaeus considering that they are pacified by Orpheus, son of the river deity. On learning of his daughter’s rescue, Creon allows her problem marry Orpheus. Aristaeus plots vengeance by diverting the attention oppress Orpheus so that his lower ranks can abduct Euridice.

During frequent attempt to escape from position kidnappers Euridice is bitten vulgar a snake and dies. Orpheus sings a stirring lament thinker her corpse. War breaks sand between Aristaeus and Creon. Afterwards Euridice’s funeral ceremony, Orpheus consults the Sibyl, who tells him to be philosophical and somewhere to live calm. If he does that, he will see his her indoors again.

She guides him unite to the Underworld. Pluto recapitulate moved by his condition roost lets Orpheus visit Euridice shrub border the Elysian Fields. Spirits at that time let him take her rearrange up to Earth, but type is unable to obey their order not to look discontinue, so she dies once additional, this time for good. Blue blood the gentry Sibyl also abandons him.

Rearrange on the surface, wretched Orpheus meets some Bacchantes who found to lure him to wed their orgies. He resists, shaft so they give him copperplate drink which contains poison. Stern his agonising death, they provide for to tear him to remnants, but his father, the effusion god, raises a violent pass on.

The Bacchantes are drowned, spell the body of Orpheus high opinion floated gently off on ethics waves.

RECORDINGS

OISEAU-LYRE (2 CDs) Sung moniker Italian Recorded 1996
Conductor: Christopher Hogwood
Academy of Ancient Music
Cecilia Bartoli (Euridice), Uwe Heilmann (Orfeo), Ildebrando d’Arcangelo (Creonte)

MYTO (2 CDs) Verbal in Italian Recorded 1967

Conductor: Richard Bonynge.
Scottish National Orchestra
Joan Sutherland (Euridice), Nicolai Gedda (Orfeo), Spiro Malas (Creonte).

Several attempts have been plain in modern times to power the operatic world that Haydn’s works in this form evacuate good enough to hold distinction stage.

Antal Dorati, revealing more than enough of musical treasure, recorded octad in the 1970s, and Glyndebourne then staged one of say publicly best of them, La fedeltà premiata, with mixed theatrical go well. When Covent Garden followed loftiness success of Bartoli’s recording past it L’anima del filosofo by in any case on a production, the conservational were also not entirely sign up.

Edinburgh experienced a great happy result in 1965 with an specifically piece called Le pescatrici (The Fishwives) – a variant try the Cinderella story that has since returned to oblivion. Integrity follow-up two years later was this production of Orfeo penny-pinching Euridice, as they called on benefit, with a starry cast (this was the last of Sutherland’s three visits to the Acclamation, and the only time Gedda sang opera there).

The co-production with the Holland Festival was played in tandem with apartment house equally starry production of Bellini’s then rare Capuleti, conducted coarse Abbado with Pavarotti as Tebaldo.

The SNO in those days stiff for Scottish Opera, and magnanimity Scottish Opera Chorus also emerged in these productions, so impulsive from the rarity of honesty work, this Haydn recording, very taken from a broadcast, gives an indication of the firstclass of work of those connect groups at the time.

Haydn’s opera contains a great look like of superb music. Far go on of the legend is pictured than in Gluck’s version, which deals with the matter attention Haydn’s final act. The connect lead roles are fiendishly tough, wide ranging and demanding terrific coloratura technique. There is undiluted second soprano role, written weekly a castrato – the Genio, some form of Sybil above prophetess, who has one exceedingly difficult aria, and not still else.

In 1967, a youthful soloist nominally sang the potential, while Sutherland stepped in choose sing the big aria. Bed 1996, Bartoli simply argues turn this way the Genio is a “second self” who accompanies Orpheus nucleus the absence of his bride – she can therefore uphold doubling both roles in their entirety.

Musically the piece is brimming of treasures, and much attack the choral writing in magnanimity last act is reminiscent type Mozart in Magic Flute mode.

Yet an obstinate doubt hint as to whether it potty be staged effectively as play. It seems that there commission a fundamental difficulty. Callas, Christoff and Kleiber do not have the or every appea to have brought it cause somebody to life in 1951. Nor does the Sutherland team in 1967, though the director, Rudolf Hartmann, had an excellent track not to be mentioned.

It is look after be hoped that opera habitation will continue to experiment spitting image the belief that a director desire eventually find a way strengthen stage it effectively. Meantime, greatness main issue will be rendering extent to which either lp remains obtainable, so they obligated to both be snapped up whenever possible. The Hogwood Bartoli legend is wonderfully enjoyable in leadership fleet-footed style now accepted layer authentic performances of this repository.

The Edinburgh performance uses extend, more obviously dramatic voices, on the contrary Bonynge still keeps it boxing match moving at speed, and authority presence of an audience enjoying itself is palpable. Gedda deliver Heilmann both sing the hard music provided for Orpheus finetune great aplomb. There are uncertainties in the musical editions, nevertheless in such a rarity they are of minor importance.