Dafne (Gagliano)
Encyclopedia
Dafne is an opera
by the Italian
composer Marco da Gagliano
. It is described as a favola in musica in one act and a prologue. The libretto
, by Ottavio Rinuccini
, is based on the myth of Daphne
and Apollo
as related by Ovid
in the first book of the Metamorphoses. It is a reworking and expansion of the text Rinuccini had given Jacopo Peri
to set around 1598. The opera was first performed at the Ducal Palace, Mantua
in late February, 1608. It had originally been intended to form part of the wedding celebrations of Prince Francesco Gonzaga of Mantua
and Margherita of Savoy
, but the arrival of the bride was delayed and the staging was brought forward (Monteverdi's opera L'Arianna
was also written for the marriage but not performed until May). A private performance of Dafne was given in Florence
at the house of Don Giovanni de' Medici
on 9 February 1611. The Medici were the patrons of the Florentine Gagliano and the laurel (into which the heroine of the opera is transformed) was their symbol.
The score of the opera was printed in Florence on 20 October 1608. It contains detailed instructions on how to perform the work. Among other things, Gagliano recommends clearly separating the soloists from the chorus, positioning the orchestra in front of the stage so the singers can see them properly, and having a second actor to play Apollo in the combat scene with the Python in case the singer should be out of breath for the big aria which follows.
. Cupid and Venus are unimpressed when he boasts he is invincible and plot revenge. They make Apollo fall in love with the nymph Daphne. She rejects his advances and prefers to be turned into a laurel tree
to avoid his love. The disconsolate god makes the laurel the emblem of his art.
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
by the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
composer Marco da Gagliano
Marco da Gagliano
Marco da Gagliano was an Italian composer of the early Baroque era. He was important in the early history of opera and the development of the solo and concerted madrigal.-Life:...
. It is described as a favola in musica in one act and a prologue. The libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
, by Ottavio Rinuccini
Ottavio Rinuccini
Ottavio Rinuccini was an Italian poet, courtier, and opera librettist at the end of the Renaissance and beginning of the Baroque eras...
, is based on the myth of Daphne
Daphne
Daphne was a female minor nature deity. Pursued by Apollo, she fled and was chased. Daphne begged the gods for help, who then transformed her into Laurel.-Overview:...
and Apollo
Apollo
Apollo is one of the most important and complex of the Olympian deities in Greek and Roman mythology...
as related by Ovid
Ovid
Publius Ovidius Naso , known as Ovid in the English-speaking world, was a Roman poet who is best known as the author of the three major collections of erotic poetry: Heroides, Amores, and Ars Amatoria...
in the first book of the Metamorphoses. It is a reworking and expansion of the text Rinuccini had given Jacopo Peri
Jacopo Peri
Jacopo Peri was an Italian composer and singer of the transitional period between the Renaissance and Baroque styles, and is often called the inventor of opera...
to set around 1598. The opera was first performed at the Ducal Palace, Mantua
Mantua
Mantua is a city and comune in Lombardy, Italy and capital of the province of the same name. Mantua's historic power and influence under the Gonzaga family, made it one of the main artistic, cultural and notably musical hubs of Northern Italy and the country as a whole...
in late February, 1608. It had originally been intended to form part of the wedding celebrations of Prince Francesco Gonzaga of Mantua
Francesco IV Gonzaga
Francesco IV Gonzaga , was Duke of Mantua and Duke of Montferrat between 9 February and 22 December 1612.-Biography:Born in Mantua, he was the eldest son of Duke Vincenzo I and Eleonora de' Medici....
and Margherita of Savoy
Margarida of Savoy, Vicereine of Portugal
Margaret of Savoy, Duchess Consort of Mantua and Montferrat was best known as the last Spanish Vicereine of Portugal...
, but the arrival of the bride was delayed and the staging was brought forward (Monteverdi's opera L'Arianna
L'Arianna
L'Arianna was the second opera written by Claudio Monteverdi, and one of the most influential and famous specimens of early Baroque opera. It was first performed in Mantua on 28 May 1608. The libretto is by Ottavio Rinuccini, who took the Classical story of Ariadne and Theseus from Ovid's Heroides...
was also written for the marriage but not performed until May). A private performance of Dafne was given in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
at the house of Don Giovanni de' Medici
Don Giovanni de' Medici
thumb|left|Don Giovanni de' Medici.Don Giovanni de' Medici was an Italian military commander and diplomat....
on 9 February 1611. The Medici were the patrons of the Florentine Gagliano and the laurel (into which the heroine of the opera is transformed) was their symbol.
The score of the opera was printed in Florence on 20 October 1608. It contains detailed instructions on how to perform the work. Among other things, Gagliano recommends clearly separating the soloists from the chorus, positioning the orchestra in front of the stage so the singers can see them properly, and having a second actor to play Apollo in the combat scene with the Python in case the singer should be out of breath for the big aria which follows.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast |
|---|---|---|
| Dafne (Daphne) | soprano Soprano A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody... |
Caterina Martinelli |
| Apollo | tenor Tenor The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2... |
Francesco Rasi |
| Venere (Venus Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun, orbiting it every 224.7 Earth days. The planet is named after Venus, the Roman goddess of love and beauty. After the Moon, it is the brightest natural object in the night sky, reaching an apparent magnitude of −4.6, bright enough to cast shadows... ) |
soprano | |
| Amore (Cupid) | soprano | Caterina Martinelli |
| Ovidio (Ovid) | ||
| Tirsi (Thyrsis) | castrato Castrato A castrato is a man with a singing voice equivalent to that of a soprano, mezzo-soprano, or contralto voice produced either by castration of the singer before puberty or one who, because of an endocrinological condition, never reaches sexual maturity.Castration before puberty prevents a boy's... |
Antonio Brandi |
Synopsis
The prologue is delivered by the poet Ovid. When the opera proper begins, the god Apollo slays the Python, a monster which has been terrifying the Greek island of DelosDelos
The island of Delos , isolated in the centre of the roughly circular ring of islands called the Cyclades, near Mykonos, is one of the most important mythological, historical and archaeological sites in Greece...
. Cupid and Venus are unimpressed when he boasts he is invincible and plot revenge. They make Apollo fall in love with the nymph Daphne. She rejects his advances and prefers to be turned into a laurel tree
Bay Laurel
The bay laurel , also known as sweet bay, bay tree, true laurel, Grecian laurel, laurel tree, or simply laurel, is an aromatic evergreen tree or large shrub with green, glossy leaves, native to the Mediterranean region. It is the source of the bay leaf used in cooking...
to avoid his love. The disconsolate god makes the laurel the emblem of his art.
Recordings
- La Dafne Robert White, Mauritia Thornburg, Su Harrison, Mary Rawcliffe, Susan Judy, Anne Turner (sop), Dale Terbeek (ct), Hayden Blanchard, Jonathan Mack (ten), Myron Myers (b), Musica Pacifica, conducted by Paul Vorwerk (ABC Command, Quadraphonic, 1975)
- Dafne Norma Lerer, Nigel RogersNigel RogersNigel David Rogers is an English tenor, conductor, and teacher, who has made numerous recordings, mostly of early music.A native of Wellington, Shropshire, Rogers studied at King's College, Cambridge from 1953–1956, in Rome in 1957, in Milan from 1958–1959, and with Gerhard Hüsch at the Munich...
, Ian PartridgeIan PartridgeIan Partridge CBE is a retired English lyric tenor, whose repertoire ranged from Monteverdi, Bach and Handel, the Elizabethan lute songs, German, French and English songs, through to Schoenberg, Weill and Britten, and on to contemporary works. He formed a renowned vocal-piano duo with his sister...
, Monteverdi-Chor Hamburg, Camerata Accademica of Hamburg, conducted by Jürgen Jürgens (DG Archiv, 1977) - Dafne Maria Cristina KiehrMaria Cristina KiehrMaría Cristina Kiehr is a soprano vocalist associated with Baroque music. After receiving her early musical training in Argentina, she moved in 1983 to Europe and studied under René Jacobs at the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, specializing in the Baroque repertoire. She performs and records for the...
, Roberta Invernizzi, Adriana Fernandez, Jordi Ricart, Achim Schulz Anderson, Furio Zanasi, Studio di Musica Antica Antonio Il Verso, Palermo; Ensemble Elyma, conducted by Gabriel GarridoGabriel GarridoGabriel Garrido is an Argentinian conductor specialising in the recovery of the baroque musical heritage of Latin America.Garrido was born in Buenos Aires, and at the age of 17 Argentine recorder quartet, Pro Arte, undertaking two tours in Europe...
(K617, 1995) - Dafne Chantal Santon, Guillemette LaurensGuillemette LaurensGuillemette Laurens is a French operatic mezzo-soprano.Guillemette trained at the Academy of Toulouse and debuted as Baba in The Rake's Progress at Salle Favart. She took part in the premiere recording of Lully's Atys conducted by William Christie. She is a highly-respected singer of Baroque...
, Daphné Touchais, Mathieu Abelli, Ensemble Fuoco e Cenere, conducted by Jay Bernfeld (Arion, 2007)
Sources
- The Viking Opera Guide ed. Holden (Viking, 1993)
- Del Teatro (in Italian)
- Le magazine de l'opéra baroque by Jean-Claude Brenac (in French)
- The Oxford Illustrated History of Opera ed. Parker (OUP, 1994)