Piramo e Tisbe
Encyclopedia
Piramo e Tisbe is an opera
in two acts, described by its composer as an intermezzo
tragico, by Johann Adolf Hasse to a libretto
by Marco Coltellini
.
Piramo e Tisbe is based on the story of the lovers Pyramus and Thisbe
as told in Ovid
's Metamorphoses. The same story is parodied in Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream, and this comic version of it forms the basis of the 1745 opera Pyramus and Thisbe
by John Frederick Lampe
, but Coltellini's libretto is a straightforward sentimental tragedy, in which the two eponymous lovers kill themselves, (as does Tisbe's father, who blames himself, having previously forbidden their love).
Piramo e Tisbe is more elaborately composed than Hasse's other operas, with accompanied recitative
s and aria
s which are thorough-composed, that is, not merely strophic settings. Hasse wrote to a friend that he rated it' amongst the best works I have written.
. The work was revised and performed at the theatre of the Laxenburg Palace of that city in September 1770. Its first American performance was in 2003 at the Bloomington
Early Music Festival in Indiana
.
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...
in two acts, described by its composer as an intermezzo
Intermezzo
In music, an intermezzo , in the most general sense, is a composition which fits between other musical or dramatic entities, such as acts of a play or movements of a larger musical work...
tragico, by Johann Adolf Hasse to a 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 Marco Coltellini
Marco Coltellini
Marco Coltellini was an Italian opera librettist and printer.He was probably born in Livorno and embarked on a career in the Church, but had to leave after fathering four daughters. He set up a printing shop in Livorno to publish the works of Enlightenment figures such as Francesco Algarotti and...
.
Piramo e Tisbe is based on the story of the lovers Pyramus and Thisbe
Pyramus and Thisbe
Pyramus and Thisbe are two characters of Roman mythology, whose love story of ill-fated lovers is also a sentimental romance.The tale is told by Ovid in his Metamorphoses.-Plot:...
as told in 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...
's Metamorphoses. The same story is parodied in Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream, and this comic version of it forms the basis of the 1745 opera Pyramus and Thisbe
Pyramus and Thisbe (opera)
Pyramus and Thisbe is a "mock opera" by the German-born composer John Frederick Lampe on the story of Pyramus and Thisbe. It was first performed at Covent Garden Theatre, London on 25 January 1745...
by John Frederick Lampe
John Frederick Lampe
John Frederick Lampe was a musician.He was born in Saxony, but came to England in 1724 and played the bassoon in opera houses. His wife, Isabella Lampe, was sister-in-law to the composer Thomas Arne with whom Lampe collaborated on a number of concert seasons...
, but Coltellini's libretto is a straightforward sentimental tragedy, in which the two eponymous lovers kill themselves, (as does Tisbe's father, who blames himself, having previously forbidden their love).
Piramo e Tisbe is more elaborately composed than Hasse's other operas, with accompanied recitative
Recitative
Recitative , also known by its Italian name "recitativo" , is a style of delivery in which a singer is allowed to adopt the rhythms of ordinary speech...
s and aria
Aria
An aria in music was originally any expressive melody, usually, but not always, performed by a singer. The term is now used almost exclusively to describe a self-contained piece for one voice usually with orchestral accompaniment...
s which are thorough-composed, that is, not merely strophic settings. Hasse wrote to a friend that he rated it
Performance history
Piramo e Tisbe was first performed in the autumn of 1768 at an as yet unidentified estate outside ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. The work was revised and performed at the theatre of the Laxenburg Palace of that city in September 1770. Its first American performance was in 2003 at the Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County in the southern region of the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 80,405 at the 2010 census....
Early Music Festival in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast, 1768 (Conductor:) |
|---|---|---|
| The father | 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... |
|
| Piramo | 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... |
|
| Tisbe | soprano | |
Recordings
- Capella Clementina, cond. Helmut Müller-BrühlHelmut Müller-BrühlHelmut Müller-Brühl is a German conductor.Müller-Brühl is a former pupil of Hermann Abendroth, the founder of Cologne Chamber Orchestra. In 1958, Müller-Brühl invited this orchestra to be the principal orchestra for concerts given at his family home, Schloss Brühl...
; Barbara SchlickBarbara SchlickBarbara Schlick is a German soprano who is particularly admired for interpretations of the concert literature of the baroque era.-Career:...
, Suzanne Gari, Michel Lecocq (Koch-Schwann, 1984) - La Stagione Orchestra (Frankfurt), cond. Michael SchneiderMichael Schneider (conductor)Michael Schneider is a German flautist, recorder player, conductor and academic teacher. He is especially connected with later baroque repertoire such as the works of Telemann, and founded the orchestra La Stagione to perform that repertoire.-Professional career:Schneider studied flute and...
; Barbara SchlickBarbara SchlickBarbara Schlick is a German soprano who is particularly admired for interpretations of the concert literature of the baroque era.-Career:...
, Ann Monoyios, Wilfried Jochens (Capriccio, 1995) - San Rocco Academy Orchestra (Venice), cond. Mario Merigo; Marina Bolgan, Svetlana Svorodova, Emanuele Giannino (Mondo Musica, 2000)