L'equivoco stravagante

L'equivoco stravagante (Italian pronunciation: [leˈkwiːvoko stravaˈɡante]; The Curious Misunderstanding) is an operatic dramma giocoso in two acts by Gioachino Rossini to an Italian libretto by Gaetano Gasbarri. It was Rossini's first attempt at writing a full two-act opera.

L'equivoco stravagante
Dramma giocoso by Gioachino Rossini
Rossini c. 1815
LibrettistGaetano Gasbarri
LanguageItalian
Premiere
26 October 1811 (1811-10-26)
Teatro del Corso, Bologna

Performance history

L'equivoco stravagante was first performed at the Teatro del Corso, Bologna, on 26 October 1811. It was only performed three times before the police closed the production down, possibly because the text touched on the subject of army desertion. The music of the overture was subsequently lost.

The opera was first produced in the United States (in English translation as The Bizarre Deception) by the Bronx Opera in January 2004.[1]

Roles
Role Voice type Premiere Cast
26 October 1811
(Conductor: Giuseppe Boschetti )
Gamberotto, a rich farmer bass Domenico Vaccani
Ernestina, literature-loving daughter of Gamberotto contralto Marietta Marcolini
Buralicchio, wealthy young man, promised to Ernestina bass Paolo Rosich
Ermanno, poor young man, in love with Ernestina tenor Tommaso Berti
Rosalia, Ernestina's maid' soprano Angiola Chies
Frontino, Gamberotto's servant and confidant of Ermanno tenor Giuseppe Spirito

Synopsis
Place: Italy
Time: Early 19th Century

Ermanno loves Ernestina, who is attracted to the rich, but foolish, Buralicchio. Ermanno's scheming results in Ernestina being arrested on suspicion of having deserted from the army (and really being a man in disguise), but he rescues her, and all ends happily.

Recordings
Year Cast:
Gamberotto,
Ernestina,
Buralicchio,
Ermanno		 Conductor,
Opera House and Orchestra		 Label [2]
1974 Sesto Bruscantini,
Margherita Guglielmi,
Rolando Panerai,
Giuseppe Baratti		 Bruno Rigacci,
Orchestra of RAI, Napoli
(Recording of a performance broadcast on 8 January 1974)		 Audio CD: Bongiovanni "The Golden Age of Opera" series,
Cat: GOA 154-155
2001 Marco di Felice,
Petia Petrova,
Marco Vinco,
Vito Martino		 Alberto Zedda,
Czech Chamber Soloists and Chorus		 Audio CD: Naxos Opera Classics
Cat: 8.660087-88
2008 Bruno de Simone,
Marina Prudenskaja,
Marco Vinco,
Dmitry Korchak		 Umbero Benedetti Michelangeli,
Orchestra Haydn di Bolzano e Trento
(Recorded at the Rossini Opera Festival)		 DVD: Dynamic (record label)
Cat: 33610

References

Notes

  1. Tommasini, January 16, 2004
  2. Recordings of L'equivoco stravagante on operadis-opera-discography.org.uk

Sources

  • Casaglia, Gherardo (2005)."L'equivoco stravagante, 26 October 1811". L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia (in Italian).
  • Gossett, Philip; Brauner, Patricia (2001), "L'equivoco stravagante" in Holden, Amanda (ed.), The New Penguin Opera Guide, p. 767. New York: Penguin Putnam. ISBN 0-14-029312-4
  • Osborne, Charles (1996), The Bel Canto Operas of Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini, Portland, Oregon: Amadeus Press, 1994 ISBN 0-931340-71-3
  • Osborne, Richard (1998),"L'equivoco stravagante", in Stanley Sadie (Ed.), The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, Vol. Two, p. 59. London: Macmillan Publishers, Inc. ISBN 0-333-73432-7 ISBN 1-56159-228-5
  • Tommasini, Anthony, "Classical Music and Dance Guide" (Refers to Bronx Opera production), The New York Times, January 16, 2004. Accessed 8 December 2013.
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