Bellini's Adelson e Salvini

[verismissimo]

This evening at the Barbican. Opera Rara with the BBCSO.

Bellini as student... Only chance to hear it live in this lifetime, I guess.

[underthecountertenor]

This Wikisynopsis is snortingly funny. The plot is clearly a complicated one, but the translator appears to give up completely in Act 2.

Act 1
Lord Adelson is on his way home to his castle where his fiancée Nelly, a young orphan, and his friend Salvini, the Roman painter are in residence. Salvini is secretly in love with Nelly, while Salvini is secretly loved by Fanny, a young Irish woman whom he gives painting lessons to. Colonel Struley, outlawed some years before by Adelson's father, is also Nelly's uncle and, secretly he returns to the island with the aim of stealing her away from the castle to take revenge on the Adelson family. Meanwhile, Nelly discovers Salvini's passion and is horrified.

As Adelson returns, Salvini is torn between his love for Nelly and friendship towards Adelson. He contemplates suicide, while the Neapolitan servant, Bonifacio Beccheria, tries to comfort him. However, Struley who has learned of Salvini's feelings for Nelly, has also intercepted a letter from Adelson's family in which they try to force Adelson to marry a high-born London girl. Unable to decide what to do next, when Nelly asks him to read the letter aloud, Struley invents some fatal news: by the provisions of the will of Adelson's uncle, he is forced to marry the daughter of a duke, and must break off his engagement to Nelly. When Adelson returns to the castle, not knowing that this news has been spread, he creates confusion by telling his friend Salvini that he may have the girl - thinking that to be Fanny. On the other hand, Salvini believes it means that Adelson is already married and that he intends for Nelly to be able to marry Salvini.

Act 2
Everything is ready for the wedding between Adelson and Nelly but the absence of his worries about the castle. When she finally finds him, Salvini is going to shoot a pistol. Adelson stops him, he felt that the gesture is dictated by an unhappy love and passion, believing in Fanny identify the object of so much love, gave him the hand of the student painter. Neither, however, is the name of the girl and, in a game of misunderstanding, thank you Salvini momentum with his friend, believing he has granted the hand of Nelly.

Left alone, Salvini is approached by Struley, who aims to take advantage of his passion for Nelly to complete his criminal plans. Lying, the proscribed confides to Salvini that Adelson is in fact already secretly married to Milady Artur and that the promise and the marriage with Nelly are not the deception of a skilled seducer.

Struley ago set fire to a casino in the bottom of the castle grounds that, at the sight of the flames, all accorrano the disaster site and his men to kidnap Nelly. Salvini, after the girl reported the alleged deception of Adelson, initially becomes an accomplice to the colonel and Geronio.

The fire was put out, but a pistol shot is heard in the distance. Bonifacio rushes to the scene by telling you Salvini, realizing the deception, stabs Geronio and was slightly wounded by a bullet from Struley, but manages to free Nelly.

Salvini enters the scene and return his friend's girlfriend. He decided that he will leave for Rome, trattenervisi for a year before returning to the castle and marry Fanny.

The final version of the first Nelly has escaped the ambush of Struley but is unconscious. Adelson, who has finally figured out who was the real object of the love of Salvini, shows the orphan into believing she's dead. Salvini wants to kill himself, but when he sees Nelly rise his joy is so great that his passion is sublimated and, finally abandoning his girlfriend of his friend, he is willing to marry the little Fanny.

[underthecountertenor]

The Barbican has announced a raft of cast changes to rival the Royal Opera House. Including both the title roles and the entire chorus.

'In a change to the previously advertised billing, Leah-Marian Jones replaces Patricia Bardon in the role of Madame Rivers, Opera Rara Chorus replace the BBC Singers, Simone Alberghini replaces Nicola Alaimo in the role of Lord Adelson, and Enea Scala replaces Lawrence Brownlee in the role of Salvini.'

[verismissimo]

The Barbican has announced a raft of cast changes to rival the Royal Opera House. Including both the title roles and the entire chorus.

'In a change to the previously advertised billing, Leah-Marian Jones replaces Patricia Bardon in the role of Madame Rivers, Opera Rara Chorus replace the BBC Singers, Simone Alberghini replaces Nicola Alaimo in the role of Lord Adelson, and Enea Scala replaces Lawrence Brownlee in the role of Salvini.'

And it's close to sell-out! All very curious.

[underthecountertenor]

And it's close to sell-out! All very curious.

I can't see any sign that the BBC is recording it for broadcast - pity if not. Perhaps there will be an Opera Rara recording.

[LHC]

I can't see any sign that the BBC is recording it for broadcast - pity if not. Perhaps there will be an Opera Rara recording.

I was there last night. There was a note in the Programme to say that the BBC had made a recording earlier this week and would be broadcasting it at a later date. I presume this means that a studio recording has been made and this will form the basis of both a BBC broadcast and an Opera Rara recording.

The performance was very enjoyable, with the music showing the obvious influence of Rossini, as well as anticipating Bellini's later operas.

[verismissimo]

What a trick was missed in the fine performance by Opera Rara of Bellini’s graduation piece at the Barbican. It was written for an all-male cast and we happen to live in a time when there are plenty of first-rate male performers around to take the high roles. Not very HIPP!

Appropriate then that the men all outshone the women! Standouts for me were the ardent tenor Enea Scala and the buffo Maurizio Muraro. Superb conducting from the very promising Daniele Rustioni.

[underthecountertenor]

I was there last night. There was a note in the Programme to say that the BBC had made a recording earlier this week and would be broadcasting it at a later date. I presume this means that a studio recording has been made and this will form the basis of both a BBC broadcast and an Opera Rara recording.

The performance was very enjoyable, with the music showing the obvious influence of Rossini, as well as anticipating Bellini's later operas.

Thanks very much, LHC. I will look out for it.

[David-G]

I was there also. A marvellous evening. I am greatly looking forward to the broadcast.