La finta parigina
Encyclopedia
La finta parigina is an opera buffa
by Domenico Cimarosa
with a mostly Italian (there is also some French) libretto by Francesco Cerlone. The opera
premiered at the Teatro Nuovo in Naples
, Italy
in 1773.
of 1773 and, although the exact date of the works premier is now unknown, it was performed during Carnival of that year. It is the second of the sixty-eight operas that Cimarosa wrote and is written in the then popular style of comic Neapolitan opera. This style of comedy relyes heavily upon character acting which is often zany and eccentric. Cerlone's libretto is filled with puns
and other linguistic gags. The dialect of the opera was also written with a comic affectation that would have been highly amusing to the opera's original audience. Cimarosa's music also emphasizes the comic nature of the language and plot. For example, he constructs a mock duel scene via instrumentally accompanied recitative, its cantabile
lines gradually developing into an ensemble. The opera was well received on its premier and is still infrequently revived today.
Opera buffa
Opera buffa is a genre of opera. It was first used as an informal description of Italian comic operas variously classified by their authors as ‘commedia in musica’, ‘commedia per musica’, ‘dramma bernesco’, ‘dramma comico’, ‘divertimento giocoso' etc...
by Domenico Cimarosa
Domenico Cimarosa
Domenico Cimarosa was an Italian opera composer of the Neapolitan school...
with a mostly Italian (there is also some French) libretto by Francesco Cerlone. The opera
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...
premiered at the Teatro Nuovo in Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, Italy
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...
in 1773.
Historical background and analysis
La finta parigina was composed for CarnivalCarnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
of 1773 and, although the exact date of the works premier is now unknown, it was performed during Carnival of that year. It is the second of the sixty-eight operas that Cimarosa wrote and is written in the then popular style of comic Neapolitan opera. This style of comedy relyes heavily upon character acting which is often zany and eccentric. Cerlone's libretto is filled with puns
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
and other linguistic gags. The dialect of the opera was also written with a comic affectation that would have been highly amusing to the opera's original audience. Cimarosa's music also emphasizes the comic nature of the language and plot. For example, he constructs a mock duel scene via instrumentally accompanied recitative, its cantabile
Cantabile
Cantabile is a musical term meaning literally "singable" or "songlike" . It has several meanings in different contexts. In instrumental music, it indicates a particular style of playing designed to imitate the human voice. For 18th century composers, the term is often used synonymously with...
lines gradually developing into an ensemble. The opera was well received on its premier and is still infrequently revived today.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, Carnival 1773 (Conductor: - ) |
|---|---|---|
| Donna Olimpia Onesti, Don Martino's wife who is supposedly dead | 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... |
|
| Don Flaminio del Sole, a local dandy | 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... |
|
| Mossiù Le Blò, a French doctor who is really a quack | tenor | |
| Don Martino Crespa, Donna Olimpia's supposedly widowed husband | baritone Baritone Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or... |
|
| Donna Armida Gnoccolosa, engaged to Don Martino | soprano | |
| Cardillo, an innkeeper | baritone | |
| Malacarne, brother of Cardillo | bass | |
| Preziosa, a purveyor of cheese | soprano | |
| Rosolina, Cardillo's young sister | soubrette Soubrette A soubrette is a female stock character in opera and theatre. The term arrived in English from Provençal via French, and means "conceited" or "coy".-Theater:... |
|
Discography
- La finta parigina with conductorConductingConducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
Danilo Lombardini and the Orchestra Filarmonica Siciliana. Cast includes: Alessia Sparacio (Armida), Juan Gambina (Flaminio), Nunzio Galli (Le Blò), Alessandro Battiato (Martino), Anna Rita Gemmabella (Olimpia), Rosita Ramini (Preziosa), Alice Sunseri (Rosolina), Paolo Cutolo (Cardillo), and Giovanni Bellavia (Malacarne). Released on the Bongiovanni label in 1999.