Styled a festa teatrale, Le feste d'Apollo consists of a prologue and three self-contained acts on the model of French opéra-ballet (the court of Parma was passionately interested in French culture). Gluck knew the Archduchess Maria Amalia well as she had sung in two of his operas, Il Parnaso confuso and La corona, in Vienna. The composer recycled a lot of music from his earlier operas in the score of Le feste. In fact, the whole of the third act, Orfeo, is a shorter reworking of his most famous piece, Orfeo ed Euridice (1762). The overture to the prologue is taken from Telemaco. Gluck later reused some of the choruses in two of the operas he wrote for Paris, Iphigénie en Aulide and Iphigénie en Tauride.
Gluck travelled to Parma to supervise rehearsals from February to April 1769. The wedding was delayed by the death of Pope Clement XIII and did not take place until 19 July. The celebrations, including the staging of Le feste, followed in August.
The Italian libretto is by Carlo Gastone della Torre di Rezzonico (1742-1796). A group of young Athenian men and women, led by Anfrisio and Arcinia, gather to celebrate the festival of Apollo. The priest of Apollo reveals the god has sent him a vision which promises a flourishing future for the Duke of Parma and his bride.
The libretto, by Giuseppe Maria Pagnini (1737–1814), is based on the myth of Baucis and Philemon in Ovid's Metamorphoses. In Pagnini's version, Baucis and Philemon are not an old married couple but a pair of young lovers. The king of the gods, Jupiter, visits the world of mortals disguised as a traveller from Crete, intending to punish mankind for its wickedness. However, when he visits the countryside of Phrygia, Baucis and Philemon warmly welcome him to their cottages. Jupiter reveals his true identity and officiates at the wedding of the couple. He tells them they will live together as priests in his temple and when they die they will become demi-gods and protectors of the region.
Bauci's aria "Il mio pastor tu sei" in the third scene is notable for containing several top Gs[1] - higher than Mozart's notoriously famous aria for the Queen of the Night.
The libretto, by Giuseppe Pezzana (1735–1802), is loosely based on the myth of Aristaeus taken from Virgil's Georgics, Book Four. Aristaeus, the son of the nymph Cyrene, had been in love with Eurydice, the wife of Orpheus, but as he pursued her she had trodden on a snake and died from its venomous bite. To punish Aristaeus, the wood nymphs kill his bees and make him fall in love with the nymph Cydippe, who rejects his advances on the orders of Aristaeus's mother. Aristaeus visits Cyrene in despair and begs for her help. She tells him his sufferings are a result of what he has done to Orpheus and Eurydice and tells him to sacrifice to their shades and the wood nymphs. Aristaeus does so and the gods are appeased. New swarms of bees issue from the carcasses of bulls Aristaeus has slain and Cyrene gives Cydippe to Aristaeus in marriage.
Christophe Rousset and his ensemble Les Talens Lyriques recorded two of the acts (Aristeo and Filemone e Bauci) under the title Philémon et Baucis (Ambroisie, 2006)
References
Notes
^Andrew Benson-Wilson, Gluck: Bauci e Filemone & Orfeo, in "Andrew Benson-Wilson : Early Music Reviews +", 31 May 2019; Tim Hughes, Live review: Bampton Classical Opera Philemon and Baucis (Gluck) and The Judgement of Paris (Arne), in "The Argus", 16 August 2016). The aria was written with la Bastardella's formidable voice in mind: while being in Parma the next year, barely trusting his own ears, Mozart reported he had heard her perform even a C an octave above high C (Kathleen Kuzmick Hansell. "Aguiari [Agujari], Lucrezia ['La Bastardina', 'La Bastardella']", Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians).
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Le feste d Apollo The Festivals of Apollo is an operatic work by Christoph Willibald von Gluck first performed at the Teatrino della Corte Parma Italy on 24 August 1769 for the wedding celebrations of Ferdinand Duke of Parma and Archduchess Maria Amalia of Austria Title page of the original libretto Styled a festa teatrale Le feste d Apollo consists of a prologue and three self contained acts on the model of French opera ballet the court of Parma was passionately interested in French culture Gluck knew the Archduchess Maria Amalia well as she had sung in two of his operas Il Parnaso confuso and La corona in Vienna The composer recycled a lot of music from his earlier operas in the score of Le feste In fact the whole of the third act Orfeo is a shorter reworking of his most famous piece Orfeo ed Euridice 1762 The overture to the prologue is taken from Telemaco Gluck later reused some of the choruses in two of the operas he wrote for Paris Iphigenie en Aulide and Iphigenie en Tauride Gluck travelled to Parma to supervise rehearsals from February to April 1769 The wedding was delayed by the death of Pope Clement XIII and did not take place until 19 July The celebrations including the staging of Le feste followed in August Contents 1 The work 1 1 Prologue 1 2 Bauci e Filemone 1 3 Aristeo 1 4 Orfeo 2 Recording 3 References 4 External linksThe work EditThe prologue and three acts are as follows Prologue Edit The Italian libretto is by Carlo Gastone della Torre di Rezzonico 1742 1796 A group of young Athenian men and women led by Anfrisio and Arcinia gather to celebrate the festival of Apollo The priest of Apollo reveals the god has sent him a vision which promises a flourishing future for the Duke of Parma and his bride Cast Voice type Conductor Christoph Willibald von GluckSacerdote d Apollo Priest of Apollo tenor Gaetano Bernardino OttaniAnfrisio soprano castrato Giuseppe Millico il Moscovita Arcinia soprano Lucrezia Agujari la Bastardella Chorus Young Athenian men and womenBauci e Filemone Edit Maria Amalia Duchess of Parma The libretto by Giuseppe Maria Pagnini 1737 1814 is based on the myth of Baucis and Philemon in Ovid s Metamorphoses In Pagnini s version Baucis and Philemon are not an old married couple but a pair of young lovers The king of the gods Jupiter visits the world of mortals disguised as a traveller from Crete intending to punish mankind for its wickedness However when he visits the countryside of Phrygia Baucis and Philemon warmly welcome him to their cottages Jupiter reveals his true identity and officiates at the wedding of the couple He tells them they will live together as priests in his temple and when they die they will become demi gods and protectors of the region Bauci s aria Il mio pastor tu sei in the third scene is notable for containing several top Gs 1 higher than Mozart s notoriously famous aria for the Queen of the Night Cast Voice type Conductor Christoph Willibald von GluckBauci Baucis soprano Lucrezia AgujariFilemone Philemon soprano castrato Vincenzo CaselliGiove Jupiter tenor Gaetano Bernardino OttaniUna pastorella A shepherdess Chorus Shepherds and shepherdessesAristeo Edit The libretto by Giuseppe Pezzana 1735 1802 is loosely based on the myth of Aristaeus taken from Virgil s Georgics Book Four Aristaeus the son of the nymph Cyrene had been in love with Eurydice the wife of Orpheus but as he pursued her she had trodden on a snake and died from its venomous bite To punish Aristaeus the wood nymphs kill his bees and make him fall in love with the nymph Cydippe who rejects his advances on the orders of Aristaeus s mother Aristaeus visits Cyrene in despair and begs for her help She tells him his sufferings are a result of what he has done to Orpheus and Eurydice and tells him to sacrifice to their shades and the wood nymphs Aristaeus does so and the gods are appeased New swarms of bees issue from the carcasses of bulls Aristaeus has slain and Cyrene gives Cydippe to Aristaeus in marriage Cast Voice type Conductor Christoph Willibald von GluckAristeo Aristaeus soprano castrato Vincenzo CaselliAti tenor Gaetano Bernardino OttaniCirene Cyrene soprano Antonia Maria Girelli AguilarCidippe Cydippe soprano Felicita SuardiSilvia a wood nymphChorus Wood nymphs Silvia s followers nymphs of the River Peneus inhabitants of Tempehttp www myword it opera dictionary 804 Orfeo Edit This is a reworking of Orfeo ed Euridice which had first been performed in Vienna in 1762 with a libretto by Ranieri de Calzabigi Cast Voice type Conductor Christoph Willibald von GluckOrfeo Orpheus soprano castrato Giuseppe MillicoEuridice Eurydice soprano Antonia Maria Girelli AguilarAmore Cupid soprano en travesti Felicita SuardiRecording EditChristophe Rousset and his ensemble Les Talens Lyriques recorded two of the acts Aristeo and Filemone e Bauci under the title Philemon et Baucis Ambroisie 2006 References EditNotes Andrew Benson Wilson Gluck Bauci e Filemone amp Orfeo in Andrew Benson Wilson Early Music Reviews 31 May 2019 Tim Hughes Live review Bampton Classical Opera Philemon and Baucis Gluck and The Judgement of Paris Arne in The Argus 16 August 2016 The aria was written with la Bastardella s formidable voice in mind while being in Parma the next year barely trusting his own ears Mozart reported he had heard her perform even a C an octave above high C Kathleen Kuzmick Hansell Aguiari Agujari Lucrezia La Bastardina La Bastardella Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians SourcesBooklet notes to the Rousset recording Holden Amanda Ed The New Penguin Opera Guide New York Penguin Putnam 2001 ISBN 0 14 029312 4 Pesque Emmanuelle and Jerome Fuller version of the booklet notes in French External links EditLibretto in Italian Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Le feste d 27Apollo amp oldid 1121177144, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
