Cristoforo Colombo (opera)

Cristoforo Colombo (Christopher Columbus, Italian pronunciation: [kriˈstɔːforo koˈlombo]) is an opera in four acts and an epilogue by Alberto Franchetti to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica. It was written in 1892 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' arrival in America.

Cristoforo Colombo
Opera by Alberto Franchetti
Poster for the world premiere
LibrettistLuigi Illica
LanguageItalian
Based onChristopher Columbus
Premiere
6 October 1892 (1892-10-06)
Teatro Carlo Felice, Genoa

Commissioned by the city of Genoa, Columbus' birthplace, the opera deals with the voyage of discovery, its opposition by the Spanish authorities, Columbus' encouragement by Queen Isabella, and finally, after his difficulties and triumph, his anguish when he learns of her death.[1]

An essentially melodic opera only tangentially influenced by the emerging verismo style, it is harmonically rich, with obvious references to the work of Richard Wagner and Meyerbeer. The act 2 monologue contains a Rhine-like motif; after cries of Terra! Terra! the orchestra replies with Tristan-like ecstasy, and then a rainbow bridge-like triumph.[2] Its anti-church elements have been noted, particularly in the opera's earlier versions: it is the clerics who oppose the voyage initially, and who violently attempt to evangelise the South American natives.[3]

Performance history

The opera premiered at Genoa's Teatro Carlo Felice on 6 October 1892 conducted by Luigi Mancinelli with sets designed by Ugo Gheduzzi and costumes by Adolfo Hohenstein. The same year, it was performed in a revised version at La Scala, Milan. It had a number of performances throughout Italy, many of them conducted by Arturo Toscanini, and in Buenos Aires. The opera's North American premiere was presented by the Philadelphia-Chicago Grand Opera Company at the Philadelphia Metropolitan Opera House on November 20, 1913, with Titta Ruffo in the title role, Rosa Raisa as Queen Isabella of Spain, Amedeo Bassi as Don Fernan Guevara, and Gustave Huberdeau as Don Roldano Ximenes.

Despite initial stage success, a massive cut of the first version, of some 100 pages of orchestral score, led to the published version; a set of adventures in America in acts 3 and 4 having been considered too long. The final version of 1923 contained three acts, omitting the American content altogether, although containing much of its music. One of Luigi Illica's first librettos, it had a difficult gestation due to difficulties with the composer. Illica withdrew his name from the project after the first performance.[3]

Roles
Hohenstein's costume design for Cristoforo Colombo
Act 1 (1918)
Act 2 (premiere)
Roles, voice types, premiere cast
Role Voice type Premiere cast, 6 October 1892[4]
Conductor: Luigi Mancinelli
Cristoforo Colombo, Christopher ColumbusbaritoneGiuseppe Kaschmann
Isabella de Aragona, Queen Isabella I of SpainsopranoElvira Colonnese
Don Fernando Guevara, Captain of the Royal GuardstenorEdoardo Garbin
Don Roldano Ximenes, a Spanish knightbassFrancesco Navarrini
Matheos, foreman of the ship's crewtenorGiovanni Paroli
Anacoana, an Indian queenmezzo-sopranoGiulia Novelli
Iguamota, her daughtersopranoElvira Colonnese
Bobita, the old chieftainbassVittorio Cesarotto
Bobadilla, false messenger of the King of SpainbassRaffaele Terzi

Selected recordings
  • Individual arias
    • Titta Ruffo Edition: Two arias from act 2 of the opera: "Aman lassù le stelle" (Strange loves have the stars on high) and "Dunque ho sognato?" (Is it a dream?) (Preiser Records 89303)
  • Complete opera
    • Cristoforo Colombo Renato Bruson (baritone); Roberto Scandiuzzi (bass); Rosella Ragatzu (soprano); Gisella Pasino (mezzo-soprano); Marco Berti (tenor); Hungarian Radio Chorus, Budapest, Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Marcello Viotti. (Koch Schwann 367392)[5]

References
  1. Opera at Home, Gramophone Co., 3rd ed., 1925
  2. Mike Richter, Franchetti: Cristoforo Colombo selections Archived 2008-05-13 at the Wayback Machine. Accessed 14 May 2008.
  3. Luca Zoppelli and Arthur Groos, "Twilight of the True Gods: Cristoforo Colombo, I Medici and the Construction of Italian History", Cambridge Opera Journal, vol. 8, no. 3, (November 1996), pp. 251–269; Cambridge University Press.
  4. Casaglia, Gherardo (2005)."Cristoforo Colombo, 6 October 1892". L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia (in Italian).
  5. Robert Levine, Review: Cristoforo Colombo, Classics Today. Accessed 13 May 2008.

Further reading
  • George Jellinek, History Through the Opera Glass, Kahn & Averill, 1994. ISBN 0-912483-90-3
  • Gustav Kobbé, The Complete Opera Book (1919 edition), G. P. Putnam.
  • Jürgen Maehder and Antonio Rostagno, "Franchetti, Baron Alberto" in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell (eds), 2001.
  • Mercedes Viale Ferrero, La visione scenica di Cristoforo Colombo (in Italian). Accessed 14 May 2008.
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