Maria Padilla

For the historical figure which inspired the opera, see María de Padilla.
Maria Padilla
Opera by Gaetano Donizetti
Gaetano Donizetti, portrayed by Joseph Kriehuber in 1842
Librettist
LanguageItalian
Based onFrançois Ancelot's play about María de Padilla
Premiere
26 December 1841 (1841-12-26)
La Scala, Milan

Maria Padilla is a melodramma, or opera, in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti. Gaetano Rossi and the composer wrote the Italian libretto after François Ancelot's play. It premiered on 26 December 1841 at La Scala, Milan. The plot is loosely based on the historical figure María de Padilla, the mistress of Pedro the Cruel, King of Castile.

Performance history

The first 20th century performance, and UK premiere, took place at the Queen Elizabeth Hall on 8 April 1973 by Opera Rara with Janet Price in the lead role, Margreta Elkins, Christian du Plessis and Gunnar Drago, with the Bournemouth Sinfonietta conducted by Kenneth Montgomery.[1] The American premiere took place in Stony Brook on 23 April 1983 by the Long Island Opera Society (an uncut concert performance of the Naples version) with Marilyn Brustadt in the title role, conducted by David Lawton.[2] In 1990 Renée Fleming made her major debut in the opera with Opera Omaha.[3] Among other performances, the opera was presented at Dorset Opera in Sherborne in 1988,[4] by the Buxton Festival in 2003[5] and by the Minnesota Opera in 2005.[6]

Roles

Sophie Löwe, who created the role of Maria Padilla
Roles, voice types, premiere cast
Role Voice type Premiere cast, 26 December 1841[7]
Conductor: Eugenio Cavallini
Donna Maria Padilla, Ruiz' daughter[8] soprano Sophie Löwe
Donna Ines Padilla, Ruiz' daughter mezzo-soprano Luigia Abbadia
Don Pedro, prince of Castile baritone Giorgio Ronconi
Don Ruiz di Padilla tenor Domenico Donzelli
Don Ramiro, duke of Albuquerque bass Gaetano Rossi
Francisca mezzo-soprano Teresa Ruggeri
Don Luigi, count of Aguillar tenor Ranieri Pochini
Don Alfonso di Pardo bass Agostino Berini
Bianca di Francia silent
Gentlemen, Castilian and French dignitaries, hunters, vassals of Padilla, guards, Castilian and French pages

Synopsis

Place: Castile
Time: 14th century

Maria tells her sister Ines that she hopes to marry Don Pedro, the ruler of Castile. When he sneaks into her room disguised as Mendez, Maria tells him that she knows his true identity and demands marriage to save her honour. Don Pedro acquiesces, although the marriage must be kept secret. After their elopement, a faction of the Don Pedro's court wants him marry Bianca, a Bourbon princess, in order to avoid a civil war. He appears to be negotiating this, despite his secret marriage to Maria.

Meanwhile, Maria's father, Don Ruiz di Padilla, appears at the court. Believing that she is merely Don Pedro's mistress, he challenges the prince to a duel, but is led away in disgrace. Maria visits her father and tries to explain that she is the secret wife of Don Pedro, but her father refuses to listen.

Much to Maria's horror, Bianca arrives at the court, and is welcomed by Maria's enemies there as Don Pedro's bride and their queen. Instead, Don Pedro proclaims Maria as his queen and she dies of joy. (In the original ending which was changed by the censors, Maria grabbed the crown from Bianca's head and then committed suicide.[9])

Recordings

Year Cast:
Maria, Ines, Ruiz, Pedro 		Conductor,
Company, orchestra, chorus 		Label[10]
1980 Lois McDonall,
Della Jones,
Graham Clark,
Christian du Plessis 		Alun Francis
London Symphony Orchestra and Geoffrey Mitchell Choir
(recorded June 1980, Henry Wood Hall) 		CD: Opera Rara
Cat: ORC6
1990 Renée Fleming,
Stella Zambalis,
Hans Gregory Ashbaker,
Motti Kaston 		John DeMain
Opera Omaha Orchestra and Chorus
(Recording of a performance in the auditorium of the Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha, Nebraska, September) 		CD: Premiere Opera
Cat: CDNO 8932

References

  1. ^ Blyth, Alan. Concert performances - Maria Padilla. Opera Rara at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, April 8. Opera, June 1973, Vol 24, No 6, p. 559.
  2. ^ Ashbrook, William. Our Critics Abroad - America. Opera, September 1983, p. 981.
  3. ^ Leo Dagambina, "Opera Omaha Presents the American Premiere of Maria Padilla Starring Renée Fleming", leoadambiga.wordpress.com. Retrieved 1 November 2013
  4. ^ Forbes, Elizabeth. Maria Padilla. Dorset Opera at Sherborne School Hall, August 19. Opera, Vol 39, No.10, October 1988, p. 1247.
  5. ^ "Donizett's Maria Padilla". donizettisociety.com. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  6. ^ "Maria Padilla". donizettisociety.com. Retrieved 20 April 2018.
  7. ^ Casaglia, Gherardo (2005). "Maria Padilla, 26 December 1841". L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia (in Italian).
  8. ^ Premiere cast and conductor from Casaglia
  9. ^ Ashbrook, William (1982). Donizetti and His Operas. Cambridge University Press. p. 572. ISBN 0-521-23526-X.
  10. ^ Source of recording on operadis-opera-discography.org.uk

Further reading