Гендельдің «Роделинда» операсы

1725 opera by Handel

Rodelinda, regina de' Longobardi (HWV 19) is an opera seria in three acts composed for the first Royal Academy of Music by George Frideric Handel. The libretto is by Nicola Francesco Haym, based on an earlier libretto by Antonio Salvi. Rodelinda has long been regarded as one of Handel's greatest works.

Rodelinda was first performed at the King’s Theatre in the Haymarket, London, on 13 February 1725. It was produced with the same singers as Tamerlano. There were 14 performances; it was repeated on 18 December 1725, and again on 4 May 1731, a further 16 performances in all, each revival including changes and fresh material. A further notable London revival by the Handel Opera Society, in English and using a cut text, including both Joan Sutherland and Janet Baker in the cast, conducted by Charles Farncombe, was performed in June 1959. Among other performances, Rodelinda was staged at the Glyndebourne Festival in the UK in 1998, by the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 2004 and by English National Opera in 2014. The ENO production was revived at the Bolshoi Theatre in 2015. The Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona, performed the opera in March 2019, with Lisette Oropesa and Bejun Mehta in the leading roles. The Dutch National Opera staged Rodelinda in January 2020, with Lucy Crowe and Bejun Mehta in the leading roles.

Prior to the opening of the opera, Grimoaldo has defeated Bertarido, King of Lombardy, in battle and has usurped the throne of Milan. Bertarido has fled, leaving his wife Rodelinda and his son Flavio prisoners of the usurper. Failing to secure support to recover his crown, Bertarido has caused it to be reported that he has died in exile, a ruse to be used in an attempt to rescue his wife and son.

Alone in the palace, Rodelinda mourns the loss of her husband Bertarido. The usurper Grimoaldo enters, declaring a long hidden passion for her. He proposes marriage and offers her back the throne that is rightfully hers. She angrily rejects him (Aria: "L'empio rigor del fato"). Eduige arrives looking for Grimoaldo. Grimoaldo, having previously been betrothed to Bertarido's sister Eduige, now spurns her. After Grimoaldo leaves, the scheming Garibaldo, his counsellor, professes love for Eduige. She promises to return his love once she has had revenge on Grimoaldo (Aria: "Lo farò, diro: spietato"). Alone, Garibaldo reveals that his love for Eduige is feigned, and is part of a plan to gain the throne for himself (Aria: "Di cupido impiego i vanni").

Bertarido, in hiding nearby, reads the inscription on his own memorial and longs for his beloved wife Rodelinda (Aria: "Dove sei, amato bene?"). Along with his friend and counsellor Unulfo, he secretly watches as a weeping Rodelinda and Flavio, her son, lay flowers at his memorial. Garibaldo enters with an ultimatum for Rodelinda: either she agrees to marry Grimoaldo, or her son will be put to death. Rodelinda consents but also vows to demand Garibaldo's death when she returns to the throne. Bertarido, still watching, is aghast and takes Rodelinda's decision as an act of betrayal.

Garibaldo taunts Eduige, telling her that she has missed her chance to become queen. Eduige satirically congratulates Rodelinda, noting her sudden decision to betray her husband's memory and marry his usurper. Eduige vows vengeance on Grimoaldo. Eduige departs and Grimoaldo enters. Rodelinda sets out her terms for marrying Grimoaldo: he must in her sight kill Flavio with his own hands. Grimoaldo, horrified, refuses. After Rodelinda leaves, Garibaldo encourages Grimoaldo to carry out the murder, but he again refuses. He says that Rodelinda's act of courage and determination has made him love her all the more, though he has now lost hope of winning her. When the two advisors are alone, Unulfo asks Garibaldo how he could give a king such advice, and Garibaldo expounds his tyrannical perspective on the use of power (Aria: "Tirannia gliel diede il regno").

Bertarido approaches the palace grounds in disguise; his sister Eduige recognizes his voice. Unulfo brings word of Rodelinda's fidelity, and Eduige agrees to help Bertarido rescue his wife and son. Unulfo promises to pass a message to Rodelinda that her husband is still alive. Bertarido rejoices.

Rodelinda and Bertarido meet in secret, and are discovered in an embrace by Grimoaldo who fails to recognise her husband. Grimoaldo is outraged, believing that Rodelinda has taken a lover. To save her honour, Bertarido reveals his identity but Grimoaldo vows to kill him anyway, whoever he may be. The spouses bid each other a last farewell (Duet: "Io t'abbraccio").

Unulfo and Eduige plan to release Bertarido from prison: they will smuggle to him a sword and the key to a secret passage. Garibaldo advises Grimoaldo to put the unknown man – whether Bertarido or not – to death. Grimoaldo is racked by jealousy, passion and fear.

Languishing in prison, Bertarido receives the sword, the key, and a written note. When Unulfo comes to release him, Bertarido mistakes the visitor in the darkness for the executioner and wounds him with the sword. Unulfo shrugs the injury off, and the two leave. Eduige guides Rodelinda into the cell. Finding it empty, and seeing blood on the floor, they fear that Bertarido is dead.

Grimoaldo is tormented by remorse and flees to the palace garden, hoping to find a peaceful spot where he can seek solace in sleep (Aria: "Pastorello d'un povero armento"). Garibaldo, finding him unprotected, decides to kill him. Bertarido appears and kills the intended assassin, though sparing Grimoaldo (Aria: "Vivi, tiranno!"). Grimoaldo renounces his claim to the throne of Milan, and pledges himself once again to Eduige. He offers the throne back to Bertarido who accepts it once he is assured that his wife and son will be returned to him. There is general rejoicing.

The German born Handel, after spending some of his early career composing operas and other pieces in Italy, settled in London, where in 1711 he had brought Italian opera for the first time with his opera Rinaldo. A tremendous success, Rinaldo created a craze in London for Italian opera seria, a form focused overwhelmingly on solo arias for the star virtuoso singers. In 1719, Handel was appointed music director of an organisation called the Royal Academy of Music (unconnected with the present day London conservatoire), a company under royal charter to produce Italian operas in London. Handel was not only to compose operas for the company but hire the star singers, supervise the orchestra and musicians, and adapt operas from Italy for London performance. Within a year, 1724–1725, Handel wrote three great operas in succession for the Royal Academy of Music, each with Senesino and Francesca Cuzzoni as the stars, the other two being Giulio Cesare and Tamerlano. Horace Walpole wrote of Cuzzoni in Rodelinda:<blockquote>She was short and squat, with a doughy cross face, but fine complexion; was not a good actress; dressed ill; and was silly and fantastical. And yet on her appearing in this opera, in a brown silk gown trimmed with silver, with the vulgarity and indecorum of which all the old ladies were much scandalised, the young adopted it as a fashion, so universally, that it seemed a national uniform for youth and beauty. This aria is also sometimes sung as a solo piece in English, to an unrelated text – "Art thou troubled?" – by W. G. Rothery, written in 1910. The opera is scored for two recorders, flute, two oboes, bassoon, two horns, strings and continuo (cello, lute, harpsichord).

+YearCast:Rodelinda, Bertarido,Grimoaldo, Eduige,Unulfo, GaribaldoConductor,orchestraLabel1959, live in LondonJoan Sutherland,Margreta Elkins,Alfred Hallett,Janet Baker,Patricia Kern,Raimund HerincxCharles Farncombe,Philomusica OrchestraCD:AndromedaCat:ANDRCD90751964, studio recordingTeresa Stich Randall,Maureen Forrester,Alexander Young,Hilde Rössel Majdan,Helen Watts,John BoydenBrian Priestman,Vienna Radio OrchestraCD:The Westminster LegacyCat:DG 47923431985, April 25 30 and May 3 4,studio recording at St Barnabas’ Church, North Finchley, LondonJoan Sutherland,Alicia Nafé,Curtis Rayam,Isobel Buchanan,Huguette Tourangeau,Samuel RameyRichard BonyngeWelsh National Opera OrchestraCD:Decca (originally);later Australian EloquenceCat: ELQ48061051990, June 3 4, live in FrankfurtBarbara Schlick,David Cordier,Christoph Prégardien,Claudia Schubert,Kai Wessel,Gotthold SchwarzMichael SchneiderLa Stagione FrankfurtCD:Deutsche Harmonia MundiCat: 05472 77182 21996Sophie Daneman,Daniel Taylor,Adrian Thompson,Catherine Robbin,Robin Blaze,Christopher PurvesNicholas KraemerRaglan Baroque PlayersCD:Virgin Classics VeritasCat: 452772004, studio recordingSimone Kermes,Marijana Mijanović,Steve Davislim,Sonia Prina,Marie Nicole Lemieux,Vito Priante Alan CurtisIl Complesso BaroccoCD:DG ArchivCat:47753912013, live in Martina FrancaSonia Ganassi,Franco Fagioli,Paolo Fanale,Marina De Liso,Antonio Giovannini,Gezim MyshketaDiego FasolisOrchestra Internazionale d'ItaliaCD:DynamicCat:CDS77242021, Sept. 16 21, studio recording at the Church of St John the Evangelist, Smith Square, LondonLucy Crowe,Iestyn Davies,Joshua Ellicott,Brandon Cedel,Jess Dandy,Tim MeadHarry BicketThe English ConcertCD:Linn RecordsCat:CKD658

+YearCast:Rodelinda, Bertarido, Grimoaldo, Eduige,Unulfo, GaribaldoConductor,orchestraStage directorLabel1998, GlyndebourneAnna Caterina Antonacci,Andreas Scholl,Kurt Streit,Louise Winter,Artur Stefanowicz. Umberto Chiummo William ChristieOrchestra of the Age of EnlightenmentJean Marie VillégierDVD:Warner ClassicsCat:39842302422003, MunichDorothea Röschmann,Michael Chance,Paul Nilon,Felicity Palmer,Christopher Robson,Umberto ChiummoIvor BoltonBavarian State Opera OrchestraDavid AldenDVD:FaraoCat:D1080602011, Dec. 3, New YorkRenée Fleming,Andreas Scholl,Joseph Kaiser,Stephanie Blythe,Iestyn Davies,Shenyang Harry BicketMetropolitan Opera OrchestraStephen WadsworthDVD:DeccaCat:07434692018, Oct. 11, LilleJeanine de Bique,Tim Mead,Benjamin Hulett,Avery Amereau,Jakub Józef Orliński,Andrea MastroniEmmanuelle Haïm,Le Concert d'AstréeJean BelloriniDVD:Erato Records Cat:9029541988