Saverio Mercadante - Il Bravo, ossia La veneziana (1839) - Cavatina for Foscari (Romanza for Violetta) - "Della vita nel sentiero" (Stefano Antonucci & Janet Perry)

Описание: Mercadante composed "Il bravo" between 1838 and 1839, not without difficulty, as he had problems with finding a reliable librettist, going through Bindocci, soon replaced with Gaetano Rossi and later on with Marcelliano who, on the composer's demand, was supervised by Felice Romani. The work was written for Domenico Donzelli (nearing the end of an illustrious career) and premiered with an excellent cast (headed by Schoberlechner, the first Elaisa). The success of the opening night at la Scala on the 9th of March, 1839, was complete.

The libretto to the work, based on Fenimore Cooper's novel of the same title, is far-fetched and overwhelming in its' presentation of cliches; thus, it is truly difficult to coercively explain the plot (even more so that the complicated narrative of Verdi's "Il trovatore"). The opera, set in XVI century Venice, occupied by an oppressive regime, centers on the torment of the noble Carlo (tenor) who, in an attempt to save his father's life (who stands accused by the Council of Ten), submits to the ungrateful task of carrying out murders on their request under the guise of Il Bravo. He is approached by Pisani (tenor), a noble gentlemen, just back from an exile, in love with (and loved by) a noble (notice the pattern :)?) orphan, Violetta (soprano), who is constantly wooed by a patrician, Foscari (bass), and whom the young man wishes to steal away. Carlo happily reveals to Pisani his true identity and exchanges his mask for two days of peace. Foscari's last mistress was Teodora (soprano), a mysterious courtesan of doubtful reputation but of the noblest intentions (trying to find her long-lost daughter). It soon turns out that she is in fact both Violetta's mother and Carlo's wife whom he believed to have killed years ago on an unjust suspicion. Violetta and Pisani are blessed by their elders and escape from Venice. Tragically, Carlo receives an order from Foscari to kill Teodora in exchange for his father. His estranged wife makes a sacrifice by committing suicide herself, while Carlo learns with horror that his father had died a long time ago. So, the story, though featuring tragic overtones, is romanticized to the point of idiocy... but the fact remains that composers had worked with far worse material, and it would be unfair to judge the work purely on its' narrative, for example, "Il giuramento" is also set to a quite substandard libretto completely vindicated by the music. "Il bravo" and its' music are even fresher, even more astonishing. Mercadante concentrates on the action itself, instead of exploring the rather thin psychological possibilities, presenting each scene (starting with a hushed guards' chorus, passing panoramas of celebrations and ending with a moonlit canal) as believably as possible. The quartet of tenor-tenor-soprano-soprano (a very difficult to write for combination) is given a generous amount of ravishing music up to their two quartets that find Mercadante's vocal writing at its' finest. Moreover, "Il bravo", even more so that the earlier "Il giuramento", is more revolutionary in its' approach to the belcanto idiom. But let us judge the work's merits first hand :).

No. 2. Cavatina for Foscari. Foscari remains the weakest (dramatically) role of the five protagonists but he is the only one of the cast (besides Teodora) to merit a full aria. The piece is undeniably handsome, starting with a short, unforced narrative cantabile, as Foscari remembers how he first saw Violetta and how he is unable to forget her "angelic face". This section is not overstretched, giving the piece a more realistic character. His retinue is, though, quick to remove him from his peace of mind by reminding him of Il Bravo but Foscari does not even consider the man. His cabaletta, highlighted by the use of the clarinet, is again centered on Violetta, as the hero is completely lost in hope of his beloved answering his prayers. The most stunning feature comes just as the second stanza is to be sung with a sudden cadenza of the harp, as Violetta's voice is heard, driving all assembled to a whisper of admiration and Foscari to words of poetic immediacy. The romanza, sung as a remembrance of love long lost, is immediately recognizable as a beloved belcanto tradition, contrasting the soprano voice with a romantic harp accompaniment. The unusual features are apparent from first hearing, however: Violetta's lines are almost devoid of ornaments which are transported to the harp's elaborations; Mercadante adds a nocturnal effect with a tempo di mezzo of ideal immediacy with the winds actually replicating the gusts of wind, highlighted by the oboe. A solo used not as a tempo di mezzo but a separation of the cabaletta, a most fitting invention! Foscari then returns again, logically, to his jubilant cabaletta, given a new resolve.

Janet Perry - Violetta,
Stefano Antonucci - Foscari,
Leonardo de Lisi - Cappello (tenor),
Giuseppe de Matteis - Luigi (bass).

Hope you'll enjoy :).