Maometto II
Encyclopedia
Maometto II is an opera in two acts by Gioachino Rossini, to an Italian libretto by Cesare della Valle, set in the 1470s during the time of the war between the Turks and Venetians. Della Valle based his libretto on his earlier play Anna Erizo. The name of the title character, Maometto II, refers to the real-life Ottoman Turkish Sultan, the Great Conqueror of Istanbul Mehmed II
, who lived from 1432 to 1481.
, although it was succeeded very quickly by Matilde di Shabran
. Rossini began composing the opera in May 1820 for Naples, but various political upheavals, which threatended the rule of King Ferdinand I, were sufficiently under control to allow theatrical activity to continue and for the first performance to take place at the Teatro di San Carlo
in Naples
on 3 December 1820.
While "(the opera) was not much liked by the Neapolitans" , it "was well received when Rossini revised it for performances in Venice at the Teatro La Fenice in December 1822." In 1823 and 1824, Maometto II was presented in Vienna and in Milan and then in Lisbon in 1826, but after that it dropped out of sight because "a large part of its score (was adapted) to a new French libretto"and staged in Paris on 9 October 1826 as Le siège de Corinthe
, the 1820s wars between the Greeks and the Turks then being more topical than those between the Turks and the Venetians of the original.
. No references to a production in the UK exist.
As part of the 2012 summer opera festival season, Maometto II will be given its first presentations by the Santa Fe Opera
using the newly-published critical edition from the University of Chicago The cast features Luca Pisaroni
in the title role and rising soprano Leah Crocetto (Grand Prize winner of the 2010 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions
) as Anna.
has just fallen
to the Turks, and the troops of Maometto II (Sultan Mehmed II
) are laying siege
at the Venetian
city of Negroponte (Chalkis). Young Calbo pushes Paolo Erisso to go on fighting and defend the city, while Condulmiero wishes to yield. Erisso's daughter, Anna, is to marry Calbo, as it is the wish of her father. She is, however, in a secret relationship with an unknown noble that she met in Corinth
. The Muslims break through the defenses, and Erisso and Calbo are made prisoners. Maometto arrives and is recognized by Anna: he is the secret lover of hers. Erisso and Anna are horrified by this sudden revelation. Anna threatens to kill herself unless Maometto releases Erisso and Calbo, and, promising her a life of luxury, he agrees.
of authority with her in order to guarantee her safety in his absence. Anna joins Erisso and Calbo, who are in hiding. Erisso initially spurns his daughter for consorting with the enemy, but she swears that she will never marry him, and gives Erisso Maometto's seal, which will enable him and Calbo to come out of hiding. Erisso marries Calbo and Anna before the tomb of her mother, and the two men depart for the combat against Maometto. Before long, Anna is told that Maometto has been defeated by Erisso and has fled, but that her life is now in danger, since he will be seeking revenge. She is confronted by Maometto and his men and, after revealing that she gave his seal to her father and that she has married Calbo, she stabs herself and dies on her mother's tomb.
Mehmed II
Mehmed II , was Sultan of the Ottoman Empire for a short time from 1444 to September 1446, and later from...
, who lived from 1432 to 1481.
Composition history
The opera was written as Rossini's composing career was beginning to slow down to one opera per year, and it appeared almost a year after Bianca e FallieroBianca e Falliero
Bianca e Falliero, ossia Il consiglio dei tre is a two-act operatic melodramma by Gioachino Rossini to an Italian libretto by Felice Romani. The libretto was based on Antoine-Vincent Arnault's play Les Vénitiens, ou Blanche et Montcassin.-Performance history:The opera premiered on December 26,...
, although it was succeeded very quickly by Matilde di Shabran
Matilde di Shabran
Matilde di Shabran , ossia Bellezza, e cuor di ferro , is a melodramma giocoso in two acts by Gioachino Rossini to a libretto by Jacopo Ferretti after François-Benoît Hoffman’s libretto for Méhul’s Euphrosine and J. M. Boutet de Monvel's play Mathilde...
. Rossini began composing the opera in May 1820 for Naples, but various political upheavals, which threatended the rule of King Ferdinand I, were sufficiently under control to allow theatrical activity to continue and for the first performance to take place at the Teatro di San Carlo
Teatro di San Carlo
The Real Teatro di San Carlo is an opera house in Naples, Italy. It is the oldest continuously active such venue in Europe.Founded by the Bourbon Charles VII of Naples of the Spanish branch of the dynasty, the theatre was inaugurated on 4 November 1737 — the king's name day — with a performance...
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...
on 3 December 1820.
While "(the opera) was not much liked by the Neapolitans" , it "was well received when Rossini revised it for performances in Venice at the Teatro La Fenice in December 1822." In 1823 and 1824, Maometto II was presented in Vienna and in Milan and then in Lisbon in 1826, but after that it dropped out of sight because "a large part of its score (was adapted) to a new French libretto"and staged in Paris on 9 October 1826 as Le siège de Corinthe
Le siège de Corinthe
Le siège de Corinthe is an opera in three acts by Gioachino Rossini to a French libretto by Luigi Balocchi and Alexandre Soumet, based on Maometto II by Cesare della Valle...
, the 1820s wars between the Greeks and the Turks then being more topical than those between the Turks and the Venetians of the original.
Performance history
As Maometto II, the opera disappeared and, although rarely performed today, it was revived by the Rossini Festival in Pesaro in 1985. It was given its first performance in the US on 17 September 1988, when it was presented by the San Francisco OperaSan Francisco Opera
San Francisco Opera is an American opera company, based in San Francisco, California.It was founded in 1923 by Gaetano Merola and is the second largest opera company in North America...
. No references to a production in the UK exist.
As part of the 2012 summer opera festival season, Maometto II will be given its first presentations by the Santa Fe Opera
Santa Fe Opera
The Santa Fe Opera is an American opera company, located north of Santa Fe in the U.S. state of New Mexico, headquartered on a former guest ranch of .-General history:...
using the newly-published critical edition from the University of Chicago The cast features Luca Pisaroni
Luca Pisaroni
Luca Pisaroni is an Italian operatic bass-baritone, known for his Mozartean roles. Although Pisaroni was born in Venezuela, at the age of four his family moved to Busseto, Italy were he grew up attending the musical academy by famous local tenor Carlo Bergonzi...
in the title role and rising soprano Leah Crocetto (Grand Prize winner of the 2010 Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions
Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions
The Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions is an annual singing competition sponsored by the Metropolitan Opera. Established in 1954, its purpose is to discover, assist, promote, and develop young opera singers. The competition is held in four stages: Districts, Regional, Semi-Final, and...
) as Anna.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 3 December 1820 (Conductor: Nicola Festa) |
|---|---|---|
| Maometto II (Mehmed II Mehmed II Mehmed II , was Sultan of the Ottoman Empire for a short time from 1444 to September 1446, and later from... ) |
bass | Filippo Galli Filippo Galli (bass) Filippo Galli was an Italian opera singer who began his career as a tenor in 1801 but went on to become one of the most acclaimed basses of the Bel Canto era, with a voice known for its wide range, extreme agility, and expressivity, and a remarkable gift for acting-Early life:Born in Rome, Galli... |
| Paolo Erisso, head of the Venetians Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in... in Negroponte |
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... |
Andrea Nozzari Andrea Nozzari Andrea Nozzari was an Italian tenor.Nozzari was born in Vertova and studied in Bergamo and Rome. He is notable for the principal roles written for him by Gioachino Rossini and mostly premiered in Domenico Barbaia's theatres in Naples... |
| Anna, his daughter | 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... |
Isabella Colbran Isabella Colbran Isabella Colbran was a Spanish opera singer, who was known in her native country as Isabel Colbrandt. Many sources note her as a dramatic coloratura soprano but, some believe that she was a mezzo-soprano with a high extension, a soprano sfogato... |
| Calbo, Venetian noble | mezzo-soprano Mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above... or contralto Contralto Contralto is the deepest female classical singing voice, with the lowest tessitura, falling between tenor and mezzo-soprano. It typically ranges between the F below middle C to the second G above middle C , although at the extremes some voices can reach the E below middle C or the second B above... |
Adelaide Comelli |
| Condulmiero, Venetian noble | tenor | Giuseppe Ciccimarra Giuseppe Ciccimarra Giuseppe Ciccimarra was an Italian tenor, closely associated with Rossini roles.-Career:Ciccimarra was born in Altamura... |
| Selimo, Muslim noble | tenor | Gaetano Chizzola |
Act 1
ByzantiumByzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
has just fallen
Fall of Constantinople
The Fall of Constantinople was the capture of the capital of the Byzantine Empire, which occurred after a siege by the Ottoman Empire, under the command of Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, against the defending army commanded by Byzantine Emperor Constantine XI...
to the Turks, and the troops of Maometto II (Sultan Mehmed II
Mehmed II
Mehmed II , was Sultan of the Ottoman Empire for a short time from 1444 to September 1446, and later from...
) are laying siege
Ottoman–Venetian War (1463–1479)
The First Ottoman–Venetian War was fought between the Republic of Venice and her allies and the Ottoman Empire from 1463 to 1479. Fought shortly after the capture of Constantinople and the remnants of the Byzantine Empire by the Ottomans, it resulted in the loss of several Venetian holdings in...
at the Venetian
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
city of Negroponte (Chalkis). Young Calbo pushes Paolo Erisso to go on fighting and defend the city, while Condulmiero wishes to yield. Erisso's daughter, Anna, is to marry Calbo, as it is the wish of her father. She is, however, in a secret relationship with an unknown noble that she met in Corinth
Corinth
Corinth is a city and former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Corinth, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit...
. The Muslims break through the defenses, and Erisso and Calbo are made prisoners. Maometto arrives and is recognized by Anna: he is the secret lover of hers. Erisso and Anna are horrified by this sudden revelation. Anna threatens to kill herself unless Maometto releases Erisso and Calbo, and, promising her a life of luxury, he agrees.
Act 2
Maometto declares his love for Anna and offers her the throne, but she refuses. Maometto departs in order to mount another attack on the citadel, but he leaves his imperial sealSeal (device)
A seal can be a figure impressed in wax, clay, or some other medium, or embossed on paper, with the purpose of authenticating a document ; but the term can also mean the device for making such impressions, being essentially a mould with the mirror image of the design carved in sunken- relief or...
of authority with her in order to guarantee her safety in his absence. Anna joins Erisso and Calbo, who are in hiding. Erisso initially spurns his daughter for consorting with the enemy, but she swears that she will never marry him, and gives Erisso Maometto's seal, which will enable him and Calbo to come out of hiding. Erisso marries Calbo and Anna before the tomb of her mother, and the two men depart for the combat against Maometto. Before long, Anna is told that Maometto has been defeated by Erisso and has fled, but that her life is now in danger, since he will be seeking revenge. She is confronted by Maometto and his men and, after revealing that she gave his seal to her father and that she has married Calbo, she stabs herself and dies on her mother's tomb.
Recordings
| Year | Cast (Maometto, Anna, Calbo, Erisso) |
Conductor, Opera House and Orchestra |
Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Samuel Ramey Samuel Ramey Samuel Edward Ramey is an American operatic bass with a long, distinguished career.During his best years, he was greatly admired for his range and versatility, having possessed a sufficiently accomplished bel canto technique to enable him to sing the music of Handel, Mozart, Rossini, yet power... , June Anderson June Anderson June Anderson is a Grammy Award-winning American coloratura soprano. Originally known for bel canto performances of Rossini, Donizetti, and Vincenzo Bellini, she was the first non-Italian ever to win the prestigious Bellini d'Oro prize... , Margherita Zimmermann Margherita Zimmermann Margherita Zimmermann is an Argentine mezzo-soprano, particularly associated with the Italian and French repertories.-Life and career:... , Ernesto Palacio Ernesto Palacio Ernesto Palacio is a Peruvian tenor, particularly associated with Rossini and Mozart roles.Palacio first studied theology before turning to music... |
Claudio Scimone Claudio Scimone Claudio Scimone is an Italian conductor.He was born in Padua, Italy and studied conducting with Dmitri Mitropoulos and Franco Ferrara. He has established an international reputation as a conductor, as well as a composer. He has revived many baroque and renaissance works... , Philharmonia Orchestra Philharmonia Orchestra The Philharmonia Orchestra is one of the leading orchestras in Great Britain, based in London. Since 1995, it has been based in the Royal Festival Hall. In Britain it is also the resident orchestra at De Montfort Hall, Leicester and the Corn Exchange, Bedford, as well as The Anvil, Basingstoke... and Ambrosian Opera Chorus |
Audio CD: Phillips Cat: 475 509-2 |
| 1985 | Samuel Ramey Samuel Ramey Samuel Edward Ramey is an American operatic bass with a long, distinguished career.During his best years, he was greatly admired for his range and versatility, having possessed a sufficiently accomplished bel canto technique to enable him to sing the music of Handel, Mozart, Rossini, yet power... , Cecilia Gasdia, Lucia Valentini-Terrani, Chris Merritt Chris Merritt Chris Merritt is an opera singer. He studied piano, singing, dance and drama at Oklahoma City University where he made his first stage appearance in Jacques Offenbach's Les contes d'Hoffmann in a university production. At age 21, he was accepted into the summer season Apprentice Program for... |
Claudio Scimone, Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and European Festival Chorus (Video recording of a performance at the Pesaro Rossini Festival) |
DVD: Premiere Opera Cat: 5187 |
| 2005 | Lorenzo Regazzo Lorenzo Regazzo Lorenzo Regazzo, born in Venice, Italy, is an opera singer. His voice can be categorised as bass, bass-baritone or basso cantante. He is especially well-known for interpreting Baroque, Classical, and bel canto repertoire... , Carmen Giannattasio, Maxim Mironov Maxim Mironov Maxim Mironov is an operatic tenor, best known for his interpretation of the bel canto repertoire. After graduating from the Moscow Gnessin State Musical College in he joined the Helikon Opera Theatre in Moscow... , Annarita Gemmabella |
Claudio Scimone, Orchestra and chorus of the Teatro La Fenice (Video recording of a performance at the Teatro La Fenice di Venezia of the version performed in that theatre in 1822, February). |
DVD: Dynamic Cat: DV 33492 |
| 2008 | Michele Pertusi, Marina Rebeka, Daniela Barcellona, Francesco Meli Francesco Meli Francesco Meli is an Italian operatic tenor particularly associated with the bel canto reportoire. He began his vocal studies at age 17 with Norma Palacios at the Conservatorio di Musica "Niccolò Paganini" in Genoa. He later became a pupil of mezzo-soprano Franca Mattiucci... |
Gustav Kuhn, Orchestra Haydn di Bolzano e Trento and Prague Chamber Chorus (Recording of a performance in the Adriatic Arena, Pesaro, August) |
Audio CD: Celestial Audio Cat: CA 831 |
External links
- Teatro La FeniceLa FeniceTeatro La Fenice is an opera house in Venice, Italy. It is one of the most famous theatres in Europe, the site of many famous operatic premieres. Its name reflects its role in permitting an opera company to "rise from the ashes" despite losing the use of two theatres...
, Programma di sala: "Maometto II", complete libretto with illustrations and accompanying essays in Italian (opens as a .doc file)