La falena

For the 1916 Italian silent film, see La falena (film).
La falena
Opera by Antonio Smareglia
LibrettistSilvio Benco
LanguageItalian
Premiere
6 September 1897 (1897-09-06)
Teatro Rossini, Venice

La falena (The Moth-Woman) is a leggenda or opera in three acts by composer Antonio Smareglia with an Italian libretto by Silvio Benco [it]. The opera premiered at the Teatro Rossini in Venice on 6 September 1897.[1]

Musical analysis

La falena is a through composed opera containing an all-pervasive symphonic movement which is only broken in between acts. The music for the extended Act 2 duet between the virtuous king and the evil protagonist is particularly thrilling. The two men move as hallucinatory figures as the music rages with nightmarish obsessive urges that heighten the opera's drama.[1]

Roles

Role Voice type Premiere Cast, 6 September 1897
(Conductor: Gialdino Gialdini)[2]
Albina soprano Emma Carelli
King Stellio tenor Alfonso Garulli
Uberto baritone Vittorio Brombara
Falena mezzo-soprano Alice Cucini

References

  1. ^ a b Matteo Sansone: "La Falena", Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed March 05, 2009), (subscription access) Archived 2008-05-16 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Casaglia, Gherardo (2005). "La falena, 6 September 1897". L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia (in Italian).