Concert Programme - Leoncavallo's Zingari

Friday 3 December 2021, 7.30pm

Orchestra at Cadogan Hall

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Opera Rara present

Friday 3 December 2021, 7.30pm • Cadogan Hall

Puccini arr. Rizzi Tosca Symphonic Suite 22 mins

Interval (20 minutes)

Leoncavallo Zingari 60 mins

Carlo Rizzi Conductor

Krassimira Stoyanova Fleana

Arsen Soghomonyan Radu

Stephen Gaertner Tamar

Łukasz Goliński Il Vecchio

Opera Rara Chorus

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Due to illness, Carlos Álvarez is unable to sing the role of Tamar in this performance of Zingari. Opera Rara and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra are grateful to Stephen Gaertner for singing this role at short notice.

Welcome

Welcome to tonight’s concert featuring Leoncavallo’s one-act opera: Zingari. We have returned to the original version of the composer’s dramatic score which was premiered with great success at London’s Hippodrome Theatre in 1912. Tonight’s performance promises to be a special and unique opportunity to hear the opera as it has not been heard for more than 100 years.

This is Carlo Rizzi’s first public performance as Opera Rara’s Artistic Director. We are also delighted to be giving the world premiere of his orchestral suite drawn from Puccini’s iconic opera Tosca

Opera Rara and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra have enjoyed a long and rich collaboration including an acclaimed recording of Meyerbeer’s Il crociato in Egitto in 1991.

Tonight’s performance marks Opera Rara’s return to live performance after an absence of almost two years. It is a pleasure for us resume our concerts again and to welcome you to what promises to be a thrilling evening of opera at its most powerful and intense.

Henry Little, Chief Executive, Opera Rara

James Williams, Managing Director, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Production credits

Leoncavallo’s Zingari Original 1912 version

Edited by Ian

Schofield

Additional orchestration for the 1912 version prepared by Martin Fitzpatrick for Opera Rara. Surtitles created and operated by Jonathan Burton

Eamonn Dougan Assistant Conductor and Chorus Master

Steven Maughan Repetiteur

Matteo Dalle Fratte Italian Language Coach

Your safety at our venues

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra asks you to follow the guidance from each of our venues during your visit. The guidelines are there to keep the audience and performers safe by limiting the rise in COVID cases, which is vital to safeguard the future of the Orchestra and live concerts.

We strongly recommend wearing a face covering throughout your visit to the concert venue, unless you are exempt.

Please make use of the hand sanitiser stations provided and be respectful of fellow audience members when enjoying tonight’s concert together.

Find out how our venues are keeping you safe at rpo.co.uk

Ruth Mulholland Chorus Manager opera-rara.com

Tonight’s Performance

Music by Puccini and Leoncavallo

Tosca Symphonic Suite

Giacomo

Puccini (1858–1924),

arr. Carlo Rizzi

Some time ago, while conducting the Suite from Der Rosenkavalier I found myself reflecting on the fact that in Strauss the orchestra is always intrinsic to the harmonic and melodic creation and never merely an accompaniment or support for the singers. I remember thinking how different this was from the main Italian opera repertoire, as in the works of Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti, Verdi and... Puccini? No… I could not place Puccini in this group. I started to scan his operas in my mind and realised that some of his works could also be re-imagined in a purely orchestral arrangement, just as Strauss had done for Der Rosenkavalier

The thought stayed with me but it was only last year, when lockdown gave me an unusual period of free time, that I was able to return properly to the possibility of ‘Puccini orchestral suites’ and to explore deeply the two operas that I believed promised the most – Tosca and Madama Butterfly. Of course, I instantly found myself facing many questions. Which parts of the operas to choose from? Should I include all the highlights and best-known arias? How long should these suites be? As I worked, I found the answers, guided by what had always been clear in my mind from the beginning – after all my re-imagining and selecting, the final arrangements had to be completely faithful to Puccini’s original orchestration, with nothing added to ‘cover’ any perceivable lack of vocal line. For me, revealing Puccini as the great orchestrator that he was, was absolutely paramount. So, while the Tosca and Madama Butterfly suites are new, every note of them comes only from Puccini’s scores and his genius.

Another question that I asked myself was to which audience I was most wanting to address these new pieces. To an audience of opera-goers or to people that are usually more drawn to the concert hall and who might be less familiar with this music? For both, of course, but I decided to give my particular consideration to the latter and to my wish to create something that would widen appreciation of these masterpieces and that could stand alongside a symphony or a concerto. It was with this in my mind that I worked to develop the suites loosely in the form of a symphonic poem rather than as a medley of the best melodies.

Tonight, in the end, I am conducting this world premiere of the Tosca Symphonic Suite in front of an extremely discerning opera audience. I am very happy and proud to do so and hope that as you listen you will enjoy immersing yourselves in all the colours, vibrancy, nuances and textures that come out of Giacomo Puccini’s orchestra.

Note by Carlo Rizzi

Zingari

Ruggero Leoncavallo (1857–1919)

Synopsis

Episode One

The action opens at twilight in a gypsy camp on the banks of the River Danube. Wagons are positioned on the left side of the stage; on the right in the distance is the river and a large almond tree. Coppersmiths are finishing their work and decide to go to the river. Tamar approaches the Old Man by the fire and tells him that a strange man has been seen in the camp at night; Fleana – the Old Man’s daughter – has also been seen leaving her tent and kissing the stranger. In a short aria (Ah! taci! non lo dir!) Tamar expresses his unrequited love for Fleana. The gypsies find Fleana and the stranger and bring them bound to the Old Man. Fleana declares her love for the stranger, who is revealed as a young nobleman called Radu; he in turn declares his allegiance to her community (Principe! Radu io son). The Old Man blesses the relationship and Fleana and Radu are left alone; to the accompaniment of an offstage female chorus, they declare their undying love (Eccolo finalmente il sogno!). The couple then hear Tamar lurking in the bushes and find he is brandishing a knife. He confesses his love for Fleana. Tamar and Radu begin to fight but Fleana separates them; she then mockingly rejects Tamar’s love. Tamar leaves and the gypsies prepare to celebrate the wedding; Fleana performs a dance at the community’s request. Using Tamar’s knife, the Old Man makes a blood oath between the couple, but Tamar is heard singing in the distance (Ah! Canto notturno). Radu’s jealousy is aroused but Fleana restrains him and they again declare their love.

Intermezzo

Episode Two

A year has past. The action takes place in another encampment, at night by a village church; tents are scattered nearby. The gypsies are fleeing enemies and Tamar orders them to hide. Fleana arrives and declares him the true king of the gypsies. He leaves as Radu approaches. Radu laments that Fleana has become cold and distant towards him: he is tormented at night by anxious thoughts and believes that someone is taking her away from him (Mi fai morire). He demands an answer from her. She mocks him and declares she will reveal nothing even if he ties her up and burns her (Tagliami! Abbruciami). Left alone, Radu laments his situation once more and enters his tent. Tamar is heard singing in the distance, and when he appears, Fleana joins him and they declare their love. They enter a nearby hut. Radu appears, looking for Fleana: he hears the couple inside the hut (Fleana! Ove sei?). Enraged, he locks the door, places piles of straw around the building and sets it alight. Fleana and Tamar scream in horror and the chorus appear, crying out for water to save the couple, and wishing death on Radu. Radu curses the couple, but as the hut collapses the Old Man tells the chorus to free Radu: he is a madman.

Leoncavallo’s music hall Zingari

Few operatic composers have been so closely associated with one repertory work as Ruggero Leoncavallo. Even during his lifetime, critics in Italy and abroad regularly described him as a composer haunted by the fame of his early masterpiece Pagliacci (1892): subsequent operas were said to be either damned as

failed attempts to move away from his realist beginnings or – worse still – as misguided efforts to revive the spirit of his great success. But this narrative has always overlooked the considerable public acclaim enjoyed by several of his later works, and has also framed any return to an earlier style as a sure sign of artistic failure. None of Leoncavallo’s later operas reveals the impact of this critical trend as clearly, perhaps, as Zingari (1912) – after Pagliacci, the most widely performed of his operas during his lifetime, yet now a rarity on the operatic stage.

Leoncavallo’s ‘gypsy’ opera was explicitly intended to be a revival of the format that had made him famous two decades earlier. Commissioned by the Hippodrome Theatre in London, this short work in two ‘episodes’ – separated by an Intermezzo, is even briefer than Pagliacci, with a significantly simpler plot and a more modest number of roles. What it lacks in scale, however, it more than makes up for in impact. The final moments, when Radu burns down the hut with Fleana and Tamar inside, are arguably every bit as vivid as those of Pagliacci: the earlier work’s sophisticated metatheatrical play now replaced with the old-fashioned pleasure of theatrical flames.

The circumstances in which Zingari reached the London stage are complex. Since its opening in 1900, the Hippodrome had become one of the crown jewels in the network of music hall venues owned by Moss Empires, by then the joint enterprise of Sir Edward Moss and Sir Oswald Stoll. For its first decade the venue hosted a wide range of entertainments including acrobats, animals and musical performers, catering to the tastes of its middle-class audience. By 1909, however, the layout of the theatre had been reconfigured to make it closer to a traditional theatre (placing seats in the stalls) and the programme increasingly turned to ‘elite’, foreign theatrical genres: in the words of the theatre’s own publicity, it was ‘the Royal Opera House of variety theatres’. Under the management of Albert de Courville, the Hippodrome hosted the Ballets Russes in 1909 for the UK premiere of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, and Puccini, Mascagni and Leoncavallo were all soon invited to conduct their operas.

Puccini declined, but the other two seized the opportunity – Leoncavallo visiting in late 1911 and Mascagni in early 1912. Leoncavallo’s initial tour involved twice-daily performances of Pagliacci, heavily abbreviated to fit the theatre’s rapid turnover of audiences and preceded by entertainments including acrobats, a conjuror and a music hall pianist. Pragmatic – and no doubt needing the cash – Leoncavallo enthusiastically accepted an offer to return the following September with an entirely new opera that would fit the venue’s new profile: artistically ambitious, yet suited to appear alongside dancing animals and other spectacular novelties.

Leoncavallo’s source for Zingari’s libretto – Pushkin’s narrative poem The Gypsies (1824) – may seem an equally unlikely match for the composer’s talents. By 1912, however, the Russian text had already been the source for a number of theatrical works, including Rachmaninov’s Aleko (1892). Even more significantly for Leoncavallo, The Gypsies had exerted a crucial influence on the development of Prosper Mérimée’s novella Carmen (1845), which in its operatic form as Bizet’s classic (1875) had become a vital stimulus in the development of Italian verismo. The similarities between Zingari and Carmen are obvious both on the level of plot – the two operas both feature an outsider entering a gypsy environment, and end with murder – and in their shared enthusiasm for musical exoticism. Yet while Bizet found inspiration in Spanish dance forms, Leoncavallo instead drew on an established lexicon of gypsy musical tropes, a field already well-ploughed by composers including Liszt, Brahms and Dvořák. Leoncavallo even claimed in several interviews to have conducted ethnographic research into gypsy music, an assertion that seems highly doubtful for the period around 1912, but that no doubt reflected a much longer interest in foreign musical styles on his part (part of Leoncavallo’s youth was spent in Cairo).

Perceived gypsy ‘exoticism’ is immediately on display in the opening scene, an anvil chorus with noisy percussion that clearly recalls Act Two of Verdi’s Il trovatore (1853) as well as the camp scenes of the same composer’s La forza del destino (1862). This lively mood is soon dissipated by the baleful tones of Tamar and Il Vecchio, however, the former expressing his frustrated passion in a mournful aria evoking the slow opening of a Csárdás. Tamar later enjoys another exotic showpiece in the form of the Canto notturno: an aria that appears twice in the opera, demonstrating his identity as the poet, and that became an immediate favourite among early audiences of Zingari.

As the action progresses, however, it is Fleana who becomes the main focus of the opera’s musical exoticism. The ornamented, melismatic lines and chromaticism of her part are vividly on display in the ‘danza’ she performs near the end of Episode One, a moment of musical performance within the opera that offers another echo of Carmen. This mode returns in a different form in her scornful rejection of Radu in Episode Two (Tagliami! Abbruciami), an aria marked alla zingaresca and characterised by both noisy percussion and metrical dissonance. In Pushkin’s poem, this episode is even more explicitly presented as a moment of sung performance – Fleana taunting Radu, Carmen-style, with song. But even in Zingari it remains clear that Fleana enjoys a distinctly musical and exotic profile that aligns her early on with Tamar.

Set against this exoticism is Radu, the aristocratic outsider, whose love duet with Fleana in the Episode One clearly recalls the Nedda-Silvio duet in Pagliacci in its nocturnal rapture and rising melodic sequences (the soloists for the premiere of Zingari, significantly, were the same as for the 1911 Hippodrome Pagliacci). This duet is enriched by an offstage female chorus that comprises one of the opera’s most inspired touches – an indication of just how much Leoncavallo’s confidence as an orchestrator had developed in the decades since Pagliacci.

The brief Intermezzo introduces a new love theme, which then becomes the basis for the love duet between Fleana and Tamar in Episode Two. This duet is preceded by a solo for the contraviolino, a newly invented string instrument halfway in size between viola and cello, quickly followed by a reprise of Tamar’s seductive Canto notturno. The opera’s final scene for Radu then offers another musical echo of Pagliacci: Radu’s earlier music in Episode Two now returns in an increasingly frenzied guise as he violently takes his revenge on the lovers.

This final scene was one of several moments that Leoncavallo changed as he revised the opera following the first London rehearsals and performances, choosing to have Radu commit suicide rather than escape. In subsequent editions of Zingari, the first appearance of Tamar’s Canto notturno would also be substantially cut as well as dozens of bars of further material, and with numerous small changes also made to the libretto – the composer characteristically striving for greater concision as he returned to the work. The orchestral score of the version used for the London performances is now lost; only the vocal score (in Leoncavallo’s own reduction) survives in both a printed edition and the composer’s manuscript. On the basis of these sources, however, it has nonetheless been possible for Opera Rara to reconstruct the ‘original’ Zingari – returning it to the London stage more than a century after Leoncavallo himself conducted the premiere.

Note by Ditlev Rindom

Libretto

Dramma lirico in due episodi

L’azione si svolge lungo le rive del basso Danubio. Tra il primo e il secondo episodio un anno. Oggi.

IL PRIMO EPISODIO

L’accampamento degli zingari, in un crepuscolo caldo, in riva al Danubio, in una verde radura erbosa. Le tende lacere, rosssigne, sono disposte in un semicerchio a sinistra: insieme ai carri della tradizione vagabonda, adornati di strani disegni, di tappeti bizzarri, con la ménagerie cenciosa che serve alla piccola vita quotidiana dei loro abitatori. In fondo, si apre la prateria sconfinata che si allarga poi in una decorazione ambigua di pioppi altissimi. La lunga riva malinconica del fiume, oltre il quale è piantato il bivacco, è folta di canneti e di salici. Scompare nel fondo, a destra. Il sole vi si annega in

Opera in two episodes

The action takes place along the banks of the lower Danube. A year has passed between the first and second episode. Today.

EPISODE ONE

The gypsy camp: warm twilight in a grassy green glade on the banks of the Danube. The ragged, reddish tents are arranged in a semicircle on the left, together with gypsy-style wagons adorned with strange designs, unusual carpets, and the menagerie that serves the modest daily life of their inhabitants. Towards the back, the endless prairie opens up, eventually widening into an ambiguous decoration of tall poplars. The long melancholy bank of the river, beyond which the camp is set up, is thick with reeds and willows. It disappears towards the back, on the right. The sun is

un’aureola vermiglia. A destra, pure, in una penombra diffusa appare la strada del villaggio: fra due siepi di biancospino. Un grande mandorlo in fiore, enorme, vi si staglia, e protende le lunghe rame stellate. È la primavera mite, calma, serena.

Appare davanti al fuoco il Vecchio immobile. Più in là, in una piccola fucina improvvisata, i calderai.

ZINGARI

Batti!

Il fuoco! In questa coppa, chi berrà? La fiamma te la benedica! Per la bocca d’un re, forse, è foggiata con due mani di Zingaro!

Ed in un cuore ha passata una spada! È l’incantesimo! Batti! Più forte! Su! Forte!

(Tralasciano il lavoro. Alcuni si asciugano il sudore. Altri si stirano le membra.)

Tramonta! Son le lucciole che guizzano per prati le scintille!

DONNE (lontani)

Ahò! Ah!

(Le donne escono dalle tende entrano in scena)

Di già la sera s’avanza! Incappucciata!

(Le donne si avvicinano a poco a poco.)

ZINGARI

Poi, navigando il cielo in un miracolo di più splendide stelle son pupille... O donne!

È l’ora che la fiamma si spenga?

(Il Vecchio si alza dominando la folla.)

IL VECCHIO

Doman risplenderà nel sole ancor!

ZINGARI

Orsù! È l’ora! Spegnetelo nell’acqua!

E che tutto la notte lo nasconda! Scendiamo al fiume allora!

(Escono tumultuosamente. Le donne rientrano nelle tende e nelle capanne. Gli uomini corrono verso il fiume.)

Più giù! Dietro ai salci! Verso il richiamo!

(Tamar si avvicina al Vecchio come se volesse rivelargli un grande segreto.)

TAMAR

C’è uno straniero che s’aggira a notte intorno ai nostri cari, fra le tende! E tu lo sai...

IL VECCHIO

Lo so!

TAMAR

Fleana fugge dalla sua tenda.

IL VECCHIO

E va?

TAMAR

Nei canneti che in complici richiami confondono i bisbigli, i passi, i baci!

IL VECCHIO

Legati me li condurrete!

TAMAR

Sfreccia

la femmina sugli argini, ma guarda: forse costretti dentro alla sua treccia

drowned out in a halo of vermilion. Also on the right, the village road appears in a diffuse penumbra between two hawthorn hedges. A huge almond tree in bloom stands out against them, extending its long starry branches. It is a mild, calm, peaceful spring.

The motionless Old Man appears before the fire. Further on, in a small, improvised forge, are the tinkers.

GYPSIES

Beat!

Fire! Who will drink in this cup? The flame blesses it for you! For a king’s mouth, perhaps, it has been shaped by two Gypsy hands!

And a sword has been passed through a heart! It’s a spell! Beat! Harder! Come on! Harder!

(They leave their work. Some wipe off their sweat. Others stretch their limbs.)

Sunset! The fireflies dart through meadows with their sparks!

WOMEN (far away)

Hey! Ah!

(The women leave the tents and enter the scene) Already the evening approaches! Descending like a hood! (The women approach gradually).

GYPSIES

Then, sailing through the sky in a miracle of splendid stars, pupils... O women!

Is it time for the flame to go out?

(The Old Man stands up, dominating the crowd.)

THE OLD MAN

Tomorrow it will shine in the sun again!

GYPSIES

Come on! It’s time! Put it out in the water! And let the night conceal all!

Let’s go down to the river then!

(They go out excitedly. The women return to their tents and huts. The men run towards the river.)

Further down! Behind the willows! Towards the calling sound!

(Tamar approaches the Old Man as if he wants to share a great secret with him).

TAMAR

There’s a stranger wandering around at night around our loved ones, amongst the tents!

And you know...

THE OLD MAN

I know!

TAMAR

Fleana flees from her tent.

THE OLD MAN

And goes?

TAMAR

To the reeds whose complicit sounds conceal the whispers, the footsteps, the kisses!

THE OLD MAN

Tie them up and bring them to me!

TAMAR

The woman is scurrying around the banks, but look: perhaps we’ll bring them to you using

in un sol laccio te li porterem!

Sono in agguato i miei fratelli!

IL VECCHIO

E se l’amasse?

TAMAR (con uno schianto)

Ah! taci! non lo dir!

Che il sol sospetto agghiaccia

Il dubbio mio sì forte e sì vivo! E più l’ombra appar se la discaccio in quell’angoscia che m’illividì

E piango, allor, i sogni non vissuti che ardon le labbra oltre ogni dir!

Per l’ansia di quei baci sconosciuti ch’ella mi nega se mi fa morir!

Son qui ! Ritornano!

(Tamar ed il Vecchio continuano il loro dialogo doloroso. Dopo il secondo grido interno le donne escono alla rinfusa dalle tende e vanno incontro alle quinte a destra: parte di esse accompagnano, come andassero incontro.)

ZINGARI

Son qui! Ah!

(Gli uomini sempre all’interno avvicinandosi.)

ZINGARI

Donne, incontro alla torma! Olà!

DONNE (chiamento)

Alenko! Zurna!

Dal fiume chi risale?

(Le donne sono scomparse dalla scena.)

TUTTI

Uno stranier! È nostro!

(Gli zingari invadono Ia scena e trascinano innanzi al Vecchio. Radu, con le mani legate, mentre Fleana, furente, si fa più vicina a lui.)

ZINGARI

Li abbiam colti sulla riva!

Si baciavano! Giudica! Le nostre donne non sono per i forestieri!

IL VECCHIO

Fleana! Zingara del mio cuor, che hai tu fatto?

FLEANA

Discioglietelo prima dalle corde... L’ospite sacro, o padre mio, ti porto! E tale sia nel nostro campo accolto! È tradizion concorde

Ti dirà... Zingaro vuole esser come noi. Nè alcuna legge ce lo proscrive. E poi ch’egli mi elegge sarò la sua compagna!

IL VECCHIO

Il tuo sospiro sia comandamento però che tu sei libera. (agli zingari)

Scioglietelo! (a Radu)

Ma tu chi sei ? Di te dimmi. Che vuoi? (Ora che è in libertà, è immobile davanti a lui. E come in un’estasi egli parla.)

just her braid as a leash!

My brothers are lying in wait!

THE OLD MAN

What if she loves him?

TAMAR (abruptly)

Ah! Silence! Don’t say that!

The mere suspicion is chilling

My doubt is so strong and so alive!

And the shadow appears all the more if I chase it away into that grief that wounded me

And I weep, then, for dreams unlived that burn my lips beyond all telling!

For the anxiety of those unknown kisses that she denies me, she is killing me!

They’re here! They’re coming back!

(Tamar and the Old Man continue their sorrowful dialogue. After the second cry from within, the women come out at random from the tents and go to the wings on the right: some of them approach together, as if going to meet up).

GYPSIES

They’re here! Ah!

(The men still inside, approaching.)

GYPSIES

Women, meet the crowd! Hey!

WOMEN (calling) Alenko! Zurna!

Who’s coming up from the river?

(The women have disappeared from the scene.)

ALL

An outsider! He’s ours!

(The gypsies invade the scene and drag Radu, hands tied, before the Old Man, while Fleana, furious, moves closer to him).

GYPSIES

We caught them on the banks! They were kissing! Judge! Our women are not for outsiders!

THE OLD MAN

Fleana! Gypsy of my heart, What have you done?

FLEANA

Untie him first...

A sacred guest, O my father, I bring you! And may he be welcomed as such in our camp! It is a hallowed tradition. He’ll tell you... he wants to be a gypsy like us. There is no law that forbids us from allowing it. And when he chooses me, I’ll be his companion!

THE OLD MAN

Your sigh shall be a commandment, but you must be free.

(to the gypsies)

Untie him!

(to Radu)

Who are you? Tell me about yourself. What do you want? (Now that he has been freed, he stands motionless before him. And he speaks as if in ecstasy.)

RADU

Principe ! Radu io son: ella t’ha detto, e principe son, io dell’avventura!

Ma la tua vita, non mi fa paura nè mi spaventa della terra il letto! Dammi un amore selvaggio e ribelle purché il mio cielo fiorisca di stelle! Stracciami dunque la veste regale E tienmi al carro che balza e traballa! Fuggo il mio regno ed il tuo m’abbarbaglia ch’è sconfinato, turchino, immortale.

Già mi credevo padrone del mondo, ma pel mio sogno altra strada non v’è che quella aperta dal mister profondo che ti consacra, mio prence, mio re!

IL VECCHIO

E sia! Rimani all’ombra della tenda, che pane e sangue volentieri dividerò!

FLEANA (a Radu,con un grido)

Sei mio! Chi più potrebbe rubarmelo?

TAMAR (mormorandole dietro le spalle, piano)

Chi t’odia per l’amor che non ti disse e che lo fa morir! Guardati dunque! (si allontana rapidamente) (Fleana crolla le spalle e si volge alla folla.)

FLEANA

Zingari! Le mie nozze festeggeremo nel crepuscolo! Sfoglierete ogni siepe, ogni ramaglia!

ZINGARI

Ecco! Il mandorlo già tutta sventaglia!

La corona dei suoi fiori perlari!

FLEANA

Canterete ogni canto!

ZINGARI

È la tua voce che valica il Danubio se singhiozzano le tiorbe!

FLEANA

Al fiume! Ritornate al fiume!

ZINGARI

Al fiume scendiamo!

Olà! Più giù!

(Gli zingari si disperdono. Il Vecchio alza la mano come per benedire Fleana e Radu. Se ne va. I due si raccolgono allora all’ombra del grande mandorlo.)

RADU

Eccolo finalmente il sogno! Vivere così! Vespero vibra, arde, scintilla. In ogni nube s’apre una pupilla Guardano appariscenze fuggitive.

FLEANA

Tutte le rame scattano e si piegano! Cade una pioggia di fiori e di foglie! Il mandorlo... il suo tesoro discioglie e ce lo getta!

RADU

Amore! Strega!

Occhi azzuri! Adorata! Il bosco inneggia purché la bocca mia sia la tua bocca!

RADU

Prince! I am Radu, as she has told you, and I am a prince of adventure! Your way of life doesn’t scare me

Nor do I dread the ground for a bed! Give me a wild and rebellious love as long as my sky is full of stars! Tear from me then the royal robe And take me to the jerky rickety wagon! I flee my kingdom and am dazzled by yoursit is boundless, turquoise, immortal. I used to think I owned the world, but to achieve my dream there is no other way than the one opened up by the profound mystery that consecrates you, my prince, my king!

THE OLD MAN

So be it! Stay in the shadow of the tent, bread and blood I will gladly share!

FLEANA (to Radu, with a cry)

You’re mine! Who could steal him from me now?

TAMAR (quietly murmuring behind her back)

He who hates you for the love he never told you of and that is killing him!

Just look at you!

(he walks away quickly)

(Fleana shrugs and turns to address the crowd.)

FLEANA

Gypsies! We’ll celebrate my nuptials in the twilight! Take the leaves from every hedge, every branch!

GYPSIES

There! The almond tree is already flaunting the crown of its pearl-like flowers!

FLEANA

You will sing every song!

GYPSIES

It is your voice that crosses the Danube when the lutes begin their lament!

FLEANA

To the river! Back to the river!

GYPSIES

Down to the river we go! There! Further down!

(The gypsies disperse. The Old Man raises his hand as if to bless Fleana and Radu. He leaves. The two then gather in the shade of the huge almond tree.)

RADU

Here’s the dream at last! To live like this! Vibrant Venus is burning and sparkling. In every cloud a pupil opens, watching over fleeting apparitions.

FLEANA

All the branches are snapping and bending! A rain of flowers and leaves is falling! The almond tree... is unleashing its treasure and throwing it at us!

RADU

My love! Sorceress! Blue eyes! Beloved! The woods sing in praise as long as my mouth is your mouth!

Trafiggimi co’ tuoi sguardi: trabocca l’anima mia che tutta in te fiammeggia!

FLEANA

Cuore mio dolce ha un brivido la siepe! Giù corolle più chiare della luna che il vento porta in onde di profumo! Ci cullerete come una sottile fantasima, volante in nuvolaglie. Navigherete sopra alle boscaglie stellate, sotto al ciel primaverile, mentre alle nostre voci disumane risponderanno per il nostro amore tutte le siepi che splendono in fior e tutti i fior che stellano le rame!

VOCI DI DONNE

Maggio! Bel maggio! Fremer di virgulti sotto i capelli! Fresco della terra sotto le carni! Piovono i tuoi baci che come fuoco avvampano in silenzio! Fiamme nell’ossa, brividi alla pelle

RADU (inebriato, attirandola a sè)

Vien qui vicino!

FLEANA (abbraciandolo teneramente)

Vicino ti sto!

RADU

Sempre così vorrai?

FLEANA

Sempre così vorrò!

RADU

La tua bocca!

FLEANA (baciandolo)

Così

RADU

Giglio!

FLEANA

Dolcezza!

RADU

Fleana!

FLEANA

Anima mia!

RADU

Occhi azzuri... adorata! Il bosco inneggia

Purché la bocca mia sia la tua bocca! Trafiggimi coi tuoi sguardi trabocca l’anima mia che in te fiammeggia!

FLEANA

Io ti guardo ed irraggia questi occhi un sole Zingara più non sono! Io son regina! T’avvolgo nella mia chioma se m’arroventi con le tue parole! (Ad un tratto, un rumore improvviso interrompe il lungo bacio d’amore.)

FLEANA

Chi è nell’ombra?

RADU

Dove?

Pierce me with your eyes: inflamed by you, my soul overflows!

FLEANA

My sweetheart the hedge flutters! Petals brighter than the moon carried down by the wind in waves of perfume! You will cradle us like a slender spirit, flying in wisps of clouds. You will sail over the starry thickets, under the spring sky, whilst in response to our inhuman voices, answering for our love will be all the hedges, resplendent and in bloom, and all the flowers that cover the branches in stars!

WOMEN’S VOICES

May! Beautiful May! New shoots pushing up beneath our hair! The fresh feel of the ground beneath our flesh! Your kisses rain down and burn in silence like fire! Flames in your bones, your skin shivers...

RADU (intoxicated, drawing her to himself) Come closer!

FLEANA (embracing him tenderly) I’m close to you!

RADU

Is that how you’ll always want it to be?

FLEANA

That’s how I’ll always want it to be!

RADU

Your mouth!

FLEANA (kissing him)

Like that

RADU

(Oh pure white) lily!

FLEANA Sweetness!

RADU

Fleana!

FLEANA My soul!

RADU

Blue eyes... beloved! The woods sing in praise as long as my mouth is your mouth! Pierce me with your eyes: inflamed by you my soul overflows!

FLEANA

I look at you and a sun makes these eyes glow, I am no longer a gypsy! I am a queen! I will wrap you in my hair if you inflame me with your words! (Suddenly, a sudden noise interrupts the long loving kiss.)

FLEANA

Who’s in the shadows?

RADU Where?

(Fleana corre verso la siepe e scova nel fogliame Tamar che strisciava con un coltello fra i denti.)

FLEANA

Tamar! Alzati! Via! Mi spiavi? Rispondi! (Il coltello cade.)

Misericordia! Tu?

(È disarmato: come se un grande pianto, una grande nostalgia accorata lo invadessero.)

TAMAR

Oh tristezza!

RADU Chi è dunque?

FLEANA

È Tamar, quegli che crebbe con me, che mi seguì con un ardore giovanile. È il poeta degli Zingari! (volgendosi improvvisamente a Tamar) Che cosa chiedi? Volevi uccidermi? Parla! II coltello! Dimmelo!

TAMAR

Sì! T’odio!

RADU

T’ama invece!

TAMAR (con passione profonda)

E non seppi dirti mai l’ignoto amor! Non seppi le parole che splendono nel cuor siccome un sole e fanno aprire fasci di rosai... Eri la vita mia! La giovinezza!

FLEANA

Che cosa vale l’amor tuo? Rispettami, se m’ami!

RADU

Oh come t’ama... Ma più forte sei tu, però che sprezzi anche la morte! (a Tamar avventandosi su di lui) Vattene!

TAMAR (minaccioso)

Bada a te! Davanti a lei sono un fanciullo! Ma potrei schiantarti!

RADU Sfidi?

TAMAR (si afferrano e lottano) Guarda! (Tamar atterra Radu.)

FLEANA (avanzandosi)

Tamar! Tu sei più forte d’un uomo, ma più debole di me! (Li divide. Radu si risolleva bieco e minaccioso. I due si guardano pronti a lanciarsi uno sull’altro. Ma Fleana li trattiene.

FLEANA (a Tamar)

Ten va! Non hai pensato. Amarmi volea dir stendere il tuo mantello sotto il mio strascico breve e popolare di fantasmi il sonno! Addormentarmi, accarezzarmi nella pietà

(Fleana runs to the hedge and spots Tamar in the foliage, crawling along with a knife between his teeth.)

FLEANA

Tamar! Get up! Go away! Were you spying on me? Answer me! (The knife falls.) Heavens! You? (He seems defenceless and is overcome by a great fit of weeping and heartfelt longing.)

TAMAR

Oh sadness!

RADU

Who is it, then?

FLEANA

It is Tamar, who grew up with me, who followed me with youthful ardour. He’s the Gypsies’ poet! (turning suddenly to Tamar) What is it you want? Did you want to kill me? Speak! The knife! Tell me!

TAMAR

Yes! I hate you!

RADU

On the contrary, he loves you!

TAMAR (with deep passion)

And I could never tell you about this secret love! I didn’t know how to say the words that shine in my heart like a sun and make rows of rosebushes open up... You were my life! My youth!

FLEANA

What’s your love worth? Respect me, if you love me!

RADU

Oh how he loves you... But the stronger one is you who even scorn death! (to Tamar pouncing on him) Get out!

TAMAR (threatening)

Watch out! As far as she’s concerned I’m a child! But I could crush you!

RADU

Is that a challenge?

TAMAR (they grab hold of each other and fight) Look!

(Tamar floors Radu.)

FLEANA (coming forward)

Tamar! You’re stronger than a man, but weaker than me!

(She splits them up. Radu gets to his feet, sinister and menacing. The two stare at each other, ready to pounce. But Fleana holds them back.)

FLEANA (to Tamar)

Go away! You didn’t realise that loving me meant laying your cloak beneath my path And haunting my sleep! As I slumber, caressing me in the piety

del mesto canto in un incanto di santità!

Ma tu l’amore sempre ignorerai: nè uccidere, nè vivere tu sai!

Va singhiozzando dunque i tuoi tormenti. Va là, povero zingaro! Ah!ah!ah! (riso stridente, dall’acuto al grave)

Dilla ancor della notte alla sua brezza, l’angoscia delle tue canzoni ardenti. Io sono tutta la tua giovinezza... Che divina mi fa di crudeltà! Ah!ah!ah!

RADU (cinge Fleana per la vita) O solamente mia!

TAMAR (indietreggiando allibito) Perduta! T’ho perduta! (Fugge dal fondo.)

ZINGARI (entrano in scena tutti) Allo stazzo! Olà! Fleana!

IL VECCHIO

Festeggeremo le tue nozze ! Orsù!

ZINGARI

Disciogli i balenanti tuoi capelli che li vuole la luna tempestare!

A notte prima ti saprem cantare per le nozze tue i cantici più belli.

IL VECCHIO

Ma danza prima!

ZINGARI

Danza!

RADU (accarezzando la chioma di Fleana) Aureola nera come la notte!

FLEANA

La la la la!

ZINGARI

Ah! Urrà!

FLEANA

Ora congiungi le nostre mani!

IL VECCHIO

Cosi sia...

(Fleana raccoglie il coltello caduto a Tamar e lo porge al Vecchio.)

FLEANA

Con questo coltello, il sacrificio!

RADU

Del tuo sangue!

(Il Vecchio recide leggermente il dorso.della mano di Fleana, finché.una goccia di sangue appare sulla pelle bianchissima. Anche sulla mano di Radu compie il sacrificio leggendario. Congiunge le mani degli innamorati; che, come i due dorsi si toccano hanno il brivido del diverso sangue che si trasmette.)

IL VECCHIO

Sia benedetto il frutto del tuo amor in eterno!

(Tutti scuotono forte le lunghe rame si che in terra è una grande fiorita di neve.)

of the sad song in an enchantment of holiness!

But you will never know love: You neither know how to kill nor to live! So go and lament your suffering. Go, poor gypsy! Ha! Ha! Ha! (shrill laughter, from high- to low-pitched) Speak again of the night and its breeze, the pain of your passionate songs. I am the whole of your youth... How divinely cruel it makes me! Ha! Ha! Ha!

RADU (holding Fleana by the waist)

O mine alone!

TAMAR (backing away in dismay)

Lost! I have lost you! (He escapes from the back.)

GYPSIES (all entering the scene)

To the pasture! Hey! Fleana!

THE OLD MAN

Let’s celebrate your wedding! Come on!

GYPSIES

Let down your magnificent hair which the moon wants to adorn! The night before, we’ll sing you the most beautiful songs for your wedding.

THE OLD MAN

But dance first!

GYPSIES

Dance!

RADU (stroking Fleana’s hair)

A halo as black as the night!

FLEANA

La-la-la-la!

GYPSIES

Ah! Hooray!

FLEANA

Now join our hands!

THE OLD MAN

So be it.

(Fleana picks up the knife Tamar had dropped and hands it to the Old Man.)

FLEANA

With this knife, the sacrifice!

RADU

Of your blood!

(The Old Man lightly cuts the back of Fleana’s hand until a drop of blood appears on her pure white skin. He also performs the legendary sacrifice on Radu’s hand. He joins the hands of the lovers who, as the backs of their hands touch, feel the thrill of the other blood as it transfers from the one to the other.)

THE OLD MAN

Blessed be the fruit of your love forever!

(Everyone shakes the long branches vigorously, until the ground is covered in a snow of blooms.)

ZINGARI

In eterno! Sia uno zingaro col cuor vagabondo! E la sua libera anima al vento!

IL VECCHIO

Zingari! All’alba toglieremo il campo! E lontano anderà la mia tribù!

GLI ZINGARI

All’alba! All’alba!

(Gli Zingari si disperdono qua e là e scompaiono.)

TAMAR (di dientro)

Ah! Canto notturno nel firmamento. Se vivere non so, a chi m’innamorò singhiozza il mio lamento!

(Nel centro della scena sono Fleana e Radu. Il Vecchio alla voce di Tamar resta pensieroso e guarda Radu che è fosco e accigliato.)

FLEANA (quasi parlato)

È Tamar!

TAMAR

Come un viburno m’agito al vento.

(Il Vecchio si appressa a Radu e lo vorrebbe convincere d’andare con Fleana sotto le tende senza ascoltare il canto, ma egli rifiuta energicamente ed il Vecchio si allontana e scompare.)

Se il vento mi strappò, non ti raggiungerò fior d’ogni mio lamento! O tenerezza! Allora ti terrò così come nube stretta nel cerchio dell’aurora!

RADU (minaccioso a Fleana)

Lo senti!

FLEANA (ritenendolo con affetto) Taci!

TAMAR

Ah ! Negli occhi tuoi sarà tutto il mio cuor Come in un rio che foce non ha dovesse mai la mia vita essere, o Amor, tutta l’insidia di un’eternità!

RADU (vorrebbe scagliarsi verso Tamar. È trattenuto da Fleana).

Lo senti!

FLEANA

Non ascoltar!

RADU

Hai sentito, Fleana !

FLEANA (voluttuoso) O cuor mio grande non ascoltar! Io t’amo

RADU

Tutta la vita mia ti donerò e fin ch’io viva, no, non le far male Io sono un bimbo che vuol sognare e senza il sogno viver non sa! Ti darò la vita mia, non la schiantar!

GYPSIES

Forever! Let him be a gypsy with a wandering heart! And his soul be free to the wind!

THE OLD MAN

Gypsies! At dawn we’ll clear the camp! And my tribe will go far away!

GIPSIES

At dawn! At dawn! (The gypsies scatter here and there and disappear.)

TAMAR (from inside)

Ah! Night Song in the firmament.

If I am unable to live, with the one I fell in love with, cries my lament!

(In the centre of the stage are Fleana and Radu. Hearing Tamar’s voice, the Old Man is pensive and looks at Radu, who is gloomy and frowning.)

FLEANA (almost spoken) It’s Tamar!

TAMAR

Like a viburnum I shake in the wind. (The Old Man approaches Radu and tries to persuade him to go inside the tents with Fleana instead of listening to the singing, but he refuses emphatically and the Old Man turns away and disappears.)

If the wind blows me away, I won’t reach you flower of my every lament! O tenderness! So I’ll hold you like this, like a cloud encircled by dawn!

RADU (threateningly to Fleana) You hear him!

FLEANA (holding him affectionately) Quiet now!

TAMAR

Ah! In your eyes my whole heart will be As in a stream that has no mouth should my life ever be, O Love, imperilled by eternity!

RADU (wants to hurl himself at Tamar. He is held back by Fleana).

Do you hear him?

FLEANA

Don’t listen!

RADU

You heard him, Fleana!

FLEANA (sensuous)

O my great love don’t listen! I love you

RADU

All my life I will give to you And as long as I live, no, do not harm it I am a child who wants to dream and who doesn’t know how to live without dreaming! I will give you my life, don’t crush it!

FLEANA (con un grido di passione: come smarrita)

L’ebbrezza io sono, e tu, tu sentimi, amore!

Chiusa fra le tue braccia! Ebra! Smarrita!

Nel nostro bacio rinnoviam la vita! Son con te, cuor del mio cuor!

INTERMEZZO

IL SECONDO EPISODIO

Una piccola chiesa abbandonata: in vista del paese che si profila lontano, in un orizzonte chiarissimo. Montagne turchine, popolate di case microscopiche e di grandi foreste oscure, s’avventano nel fondo. Da una parte, addossato alla chiesa, il carro di Fleana e di Radu: con la porta aperta verso la scena. Due, tre tende illuminate, in cui riposano gli zingari. Altre si intravedono più là. Dall’altra parte una capanna contadinesca, fatta di paglia e di legno, il cui battente può chiudersi di fuori: serve di nascondiglio. Il plenilunio. Alcuni zingari sono accosciati, intorno alla fiamma del focolare che arde, vicino al carro. Dormono.

ZINGARI

Presto! Ognuno rientri nelle tende! Siamo inseguiti!

TAMAR

Fingerete di dormir.

UN ZINGARO

Intanto chi nasconderà la preda?

TAMAR

I lumi!

UN ZINGARO

Silenzio!

TAMAR

Spegnete!

FLEANA (ansiosamente)

Siete scoperti? (Fleana scruta l’orizzonte.)

TAMAR

Forse!

FLEANA

Non v’inseguono più!

TAMAR

Hanno perduto il passo! Siam salvi! Ho guidato al bivacco la tribù! In ogni siepe guatava un nemico! In ogni strada tendeva il suo laccio!

FLEANA

Tu il vero duce sei degli Zingari!

TAMAR

E tu sei la regina, bella selvaggia! (Fleana lo guarda come ammaliata.)

FLEANA

È Radu! T’allontana ! Egli è geloso!

FLEANA (with a cry of passion, as if lost)

I am intoxication, and you, listen to me, love! Locked in your arms! Intoxicated! Lost! In our kiss let us renew our life! I am with you, my dearest heart!

INTERMEZZO

EPISODE TWO

A small, abandoned church that can be seen from the village, looming in the distance against a very clear horizon. Turquoise mountains covered by tiny houses and great dark forests rushing into the background. On one side, by the side of the church, Fleana and Radu’s wagon with the door open towards the stage. Two or three lighted tents in which the gypsies are resting. Others can be glimpsed further on. On the other side, a peasant hut, made of straw and wood, whose door can be closed from the outside: it serves as a hiding place. Full moon. Some gypsies are huddled around the flames of the fire that is burning near the wagon. They are asleep.

GYPSIES

Hurry! Everyone back to their tents! We’re being pursued!

TAMAR

Pretend to sleep.

A GYPSY

But who’s going to hide the prey?

TAMAR

The lights!

A GYPSY

Quiet!

TAMAR

Put them out!

FLEANA (anxiously)

Have you been discovered? (Fleana scans the horizon.)

TAMAR

Perhaps!

FLEANA

They’re not after you any more!

TAMAR

They couldn’t keep up! We’re safe! I led the tribe to the camp! In every hedgerow it was staring at an enemy! On every street it set its trap!

FLEANA

The real leader of the Gypsies is you!

TAMAR

And you are the queen, beautiful and wild! (Fleana looks at him as if bewitched.)

FLEANA

It’s Radu! Leave! He’s jealous!

TAMAR

A questa notte!

(Tamar esce correndo dietro la capanna a sinistra.)

FLEANA (sussurrato) Vieni!

(Fleana siede presso al fuoco. Radu compare dal fondo.)

RADU

M’attendevi? Fleana, io t’ho pensato nella mia strada. Mi saltava in gola il cuor nella fuga silenziosa. La troverò? Ho paura ogni volta che qui ti lascio sola! Non mi rispondi ? Taci!

Rientra.

FLEANA (dura) No.

RADU

Non ti conosco più! Sei cambiata. Mi sfuggi!

FLEANA No!

RADU

Mi fai morire. Temo sempre ad ogni istante di perderti! La notte se mi desto e ti cerco, e ti chiamo, e non ti trovo, balzo in piedi. Sei qui! Seduta: guardi la notte immensa! Piangi! Come t’asciugherò le lacrime? M’insidia la stessa anima mia!

FLEANA (duramente) La tua ragione malferma...

RADU

No! Qualcuno s’aggira attorno a noi. Così come in un giorno lontan lungh’esso un fiume ti cercai. (desperatamente)

E mi ti vuol ghermire!

E mi ti vuol strappare! E mi dilania! E m’arroventa di sospetto se mordo la tua bocca! Io non so più l’anima mia così straniera alla mia stessa gelosia! Io non so più gridar i miei richiami Fleana, che t’avvinsero al mio core. Ho paura di te perché non m’ami Ho paura di me, pazzo d’amor! (afferrandole il braccio, con violenza) Rispondimi!

FLEANA (da in una lunga risata sardonica) Risponderti ? Ah!Ah!Ah! Ma sì! Tagliami! Abbruciami ma vi disprezzo fuoco di rogo e lama di coltello! Più mi torturi, più sento ribrezzo, Vecchio marito e sposo giovincello! Più mi dilani, più l’invoco e chiamo se dovessi morirne, io l’amo!

RADU (angosciato, tremante) Non lo voglio sentir questo lamento!

TAMAR

Until tonight!

(Tamar exits running behind the hut on the left.)

FLEANA (whispering) Come!

(Fleana sits by the fire. Radu appears from the back.)

RADU

Were you waiting for me? Fleana, I thought of you on my way. My heart was in my throat during my silent flight. Will I find her? I’m afraid every time I leave you here alone! Aren’t you going to answer me? Aren’t you going to say something? Come back inside.

FLEANA (harsh) No.

RADU

I don’t know you anymore! You’ve changed. You’re avoiding me!

FLEANA No!

RADU

You’re killing me. Every moment I fear I’ll lose you! In the night if I wake up and look for you, and I call you, and I can’t find you, I leap to my feet. You’re here! Sitting here: Look at the vastness of the night! You’re crying! How can I wipe away your tears?

My very soul undermines me!

FLEANA (harshly) You’re not thinking straight...

RADU

No! Someone is prowling around us. Just as I looked for you that day long ago by the river. (desperately)

And he wants to snatch you from me! And he wants to tear you away from me! And it’s tearing me apart! And I burn with suspicion when I bite your mouth!

I no longer know my soul, a stranger to my own jealousy! I no longer know how to shout out my calls, Fleana, that bound you to my heart. I’m afraid of you because you don’t love me I’m afraid of myself, mad with love! (grabbing her arm violently) Answer me!

FLEANA (in a long sardonic laugh)

Answer you? Ah! Ah! Of course! Cut me! Burn me, but I have only contempt for the fire and the blade!

The more you torture me, the more you repulse me, Old husband and young groom!

The more you tear me apart, the more I will call his name, and even if I should die, I love him!

RADU (distraught, trembling)

I don’t want to hear this lament!

FLEANA

(Attizza il focherello vicino al carro. E va e viene prendendo piccole bracciate di legna, provocante nella sua meravigliosa bellezza.)

Che m’importa? Per me lo grido al vento! Che se lo porta in dolce signoria!

Tagliami! Abbruciami, non dirò nulla! Che cosa allor saprai dalla fanciulla ?

RADU

Fleana!

FLEANA

Giovine passa come falco! È April e mi ghermisce pei capelli sciolti , e ridiamo di te, vecchio, che ascolti. Aprile! Dolce morir!

RADU

Taci, Fleana

FLEANA (feroce)

Tu l’hai compresa la mia canzon? Tagliami! Ah bruciami! Adirati dunque! Va! Ah! Ah! Ah! (riso sarcastico stridente ad libitum)

RADU

Son pazzo!

Non puoi aver dimenticato tutto l’amore che ci martellò!

Bada!

(L’afferra e la getta per terra.)

FLEANA (rialzandosi minacciosa e crudele)

Vile! Sol con le femmine sei forte!

RADU

Fleana, pietà!

(Lo guarda con disprezzo e si avvia verso il carrozzone. Sale sulla scaletta cantarellando.)

FLEANA

Tagliami! Abbruciami! Ah! Ah! Ah!

(Entra e chiude la porta.)

RADU (cade accasciato sulla scaletta del carrozzone) Ah! Perduto! Tutto! Ho perduto la pace vagabonda Che mi s’aprì sotto il diverso cielo d’una via sconosciuta che sprofonda d’ogni nube, una stella, in ogni velo! Non mi ricordo più della mia vita e del passato amor più nulla so: che nel cuor mi si strugge l’infinita viltà che di te sola m’avvampò!

(Pallido e smarrito egli entra nella sua tenda, vicino al carro di Fleana.)

TAMAR

Canto notturno nel firmamento, se vivere non so, a chi m’affascinò singhiozza il mio lamento! Come un viburno m’agito al vento, se il vento mi strappò non ti raggiungerò fior d’ogni mio tormento! O tenerezza! Allora

FLEANA

(She pokes the little fire near the wagon and comes and goes carrying small armfuls of wood, alluring in her amazing beauty).

What do I care? For my part, I’ll shout it on the wind! So that it may be carried sweetly! Cut me! Burn me, I won’t say anything! What will you learn from the girl then?

RADU Fleana!

FLEANA

Youth passes like a hawk! It’s April and he grabs me by my flowing hair, and we laugh at you, old man, as you listen.

April! Sweet death!

RADU

Silence, Fleana.

FLEANA (fierce)

Did you understand my song? Cut me! Burn me! Rage then! Go on! Ha! Ha! Ha! (spontaneous, shrill, sarcastic laughter)

RADU

I’m crazy! You can’t have forgotten all that love that bowled us over! Be careful!

(He grabs her and throws her to the floor.)

FLEANA (getting to her feet, threatening and cruel) Coward! You’re only strong with girls!

RADU

Fleana, have mercy! (She looks at him with disdain and walks towards the carriage. She climbs the ladder singing.)

FLEANA

Cut me! Burn me! Ha! Ha! Ha! (She enters and closes the door.)

RADU (collapses on the steps of the carriage) Ah! Lost! All is lost! I have lost my wanderer’s peace Which opened up to me under the different sky of an unknown path that garners from every cloud, from every veil, a star!

I now remember nothing of my life and of past love I know no more: but my heart is consumed by the infinite cowardice that you alone inflamed!

(Pale and lost he enters his tent, near Fleana’s wagon.)

TAMAR

Night song in the firmament, If I am unable to live, with the one who captivated me cries my lament! Like a viburnum I shake in the wind, if the wind blows me away, I won’t reach you flower of my every torment! O tenderness! So

ti terrò così come nube stretta nel cerchio dell’aurora?

(Tamar compare dietro la chiesa piccola e squallida. Giunge in mezzo alla scena.)

Ah! Negli occhi tuoi sarà tutto il mio cuor come in un rio che foce non ha, dovesse mai la mia vita essere, o amor, tutta l’insidia d’un’eternità!...

(Fleana, ansiosa, inquieta, appare sulla porticina del carro discende. Tamar va cautamente verso di lei. Cadono fra le braccia una dell’altro.)

TAMAR Radu?

FLEANA Dorme!

TAMAR Di quà!

FLEANA (spaventata, ascoltando) Silenzio!

TAMAR

È il tuo passo!

Bella! Bella! Sei qui tutta fremente ! Come tremi!

FLEANA Tamar!

TAMAR

Mia finalmente!

È l’ora dell’amor: chi ti strappa alle mie braccia forti? Io ti chiamavo nella mia notte… per ogni dove...??

FLEANA

Anch’io, sì, ti cercavo!

TAMAR

Bella! Sospiro ! Dimmelo ! Ripetilo mille volte!

FLEANA

Sì! Zingaro davver ti ritrovo! Sei forte! Puoi piegarmi come giunco sottil!

TAMAR

Come mi piaci!

Ti porto via con me! Ti porto via!

FLEANA Bambino! Amami?

TAMAR

T’amo!

FLEANA

È poco.

(Gli dà un piccolo morso sulla nuca.)

TAMAR (scattando)

È poco?

Fleana, cadono due stelle di fuoco!

FLEANA

Dimmi quel che desideri?

TAMAR

Te sola.

shall I hold you like this, like a cloud

Encircled by dawn?

(Tamar appears behind the small, rundown church. He reaches the middle of the stage.)

Ah! In your eyes my whole heart will be as in a stream that has no mouth should my life ever be, O Love, imperilled by eternity!...

(Fleana, anxious and uneasy, appears at the wagon door and steps down. Tamar approaches her cautiously. They fall into each other’s arms.)

TAMAR Radu?

FLEANA

He’s asleep!

TAMAR

Over here!

FLEANA (frightened, listening) Quiet!

TAMAR

It’s your footstep! Beauty! Beauty! You’re shaking! How you tremble!

FLEANA Tamar!

TAMAR

Mine at last!

It’s the hour of love: who can tear you away from my strong arms? I called to you at night... everywhere...?

FLEANA

So did I, yes, I was looking for you!

TAMAR

My beauty! How I sigh! Tell me! Say it again a thousand times!

FLEANA

Yes! You’re a real gypsy now I see! You’re strong! You can bend me like a slender reed!

TAMAR

How I adore you! I’m taking you away with me! I’m taking you away!

FLEANA

Child! Do you love me?

TAMAR

I love you!

FLEANA

That’s not much. (Gives him a little bite on the back of his neck).

TAMAR (startled) Not much?

Fleana, there go two shooting stars!

FLEANA

Tell me what you want?

TAMAR

Only you.

FLEANA Mi lascia!

TAMAR

No!

FLEANA

Lasciami. Mi fai paura....

TAMAR

Sono il rogo che s’accende, su cui s’agita la notte, mentre il bosco senza fine più che al cielo si protende nel silenzio dell’ attesa!. .. Giovinezza, ecco! T’ho presa !

FLEANA

lncantesimo dell’ora che ci fa rabbrividir!

Chi non sente giovinezza sì vicina alla tua vita, la sua vita impallidire. Sì che sembra di morir!

(Tamar trascina Fleana nella capanna a sinistra. I due amanti scompaiono. Dietro di loro si chiude la porta robusta.)

RADU (appare pallido spettrale sul limitare della tenda) Fleana! Ove sei?

(Corre verso il fondo a destra.) Fleana!

(Ascolta, poi corre il fondo a sinistra. Ascolta ancora. Si avanza, angosciato, verso la capanna. Si sofferma allibito ascoltando presso Fruscio.)

Ah! Ed io

che t’amavo! M’hai rovinato l’anima!

(Radu, sbarra la porta che lo separa dagli adulteri. Ed ecco, terribile, come impazzito corre vicino al carro, prende a bracciate dei fasci di paglia, li affastella sotto la porta della capanna, corre di nuovo presso il piccolo focolare, dove arde ancora la fiamma, e preso un tizzone ardente appicca il fuoco, sul segno da ambo i lati del rifugio e getta il tizzone mentre la vampa si solleva in una spira sanguigna, rapidamente.)

TAMAR (di dentro) Al fuoco!

FLEANA (di dentro) Aiuto!

BOTH (grido lundo) Ah!

(Accorrono poche donne. Altre donne accorrendo come le altre.)

DONNE Radu! Che hai fatto? All’acqua

RADU (come pazzo scacciandole)

Indietro! lndietro!

(Le donne indietreggiando terrorizzate. Tutte urlando verso l’interno.)

A morte l’omicida! Aiuto!

RADU E sia!

FLEANA & TAMAR (urlando) Aiuto!

FLEANA Leave me be!

TAMAR No!

FLEANA

Leave me be. You’re scaring me....

TAMAR

I am the fire that ignites, over which the night is convulsed, while the endless forest, rather than reaching up to the sky reaches out in the silence of waiting... Youth, that’s it! I’ve got you!

FLEANA

Spell of the hour that makes us shiver! Who does not feel oh youth, when so close to your life, one’s own life fading. It does indeed feel like dying! (Tamar drags Fleana into the hut on the left. The two lovers disappear. Behind them the sturdy door closes).

RADU (appears ghostly pale at the edge of the tent) Fleana! Where are you?

(He runs to the back towards the right.)

Fleana!

(He listens, then runs along the back to the left. He listens again. He moves forward, distraught, towards the hut. He pauses in shock as he listens by the door).

Ah! And I

who I loved you! You’ve destroyed my soul!

(Radu bars the door that separates him from the adulterers. Then, in a terrifying rage as if he’s gone mad he runs towards the wagon, gathers up several bundles of straw, piles them up in front of the door of the hut, runs back to the small fire where the flame is still burning and, having taken a burning log, sets fire to the sign on either side of the hut then throws the log onto the straw and the blaze immediately shoots up in a spiral of flames).

TAMAR (from inside) Fire!

FLEANA (from inside) Help!

BOTH (long cry) Ah!

(A few women rush in. Some more rush in after them.)

WOMEN

Radu! What have you done? Water

RADU (like a madman, chasing them away)

Get back! Get back!

(The women back away in terror. They all scream towards the inside of the hut.)

Death to the murderer! Help!

RADU

So be it!

FLEANA & TAMAR (screaming) Help!

(Le donne fan cenni disperati. Alcune rientrano correndo come per a cercare aiuto.)

RADU

Ma s’arroventino come l’anima mia! M’hanno rubato l’amor! Urlate! Ch’io vi senta agonizzare siccome il mio dolore! Bruci con voi l’angoscia del mio regno perduto! L’empietà del mio tormento! (Alcuni uomini giungono dalla destra. Le donne sembra che narrino l’accaduto mentre giungono i I. Bassi.)

DONNE

Che fu? Radu? Pietà!

Maledetto! Va!

ZINGARI

A morte!

Maledetto!

(Radu inpugna il coltello e minaccia ci si avvicina.)

IL VECCHIO (entra correndo, Radu lo minaccia)

Figlia mia ! (Il Vecchio cade in ginocchio con la faccia volta al cielo. Il tetto della capanna crolla. Le donne fuggono inorridite. Radu getta il coltello. Alcuni Zingari si precipitano su di lui e lo afferrano. Egli si debatte in una grande risata stridula, sinistra.)

ZINGARI

T’abbiam preso

RADU (dibattendosi sempre) No!

Ch’io sono il vento che fugge e mugghia! E si disperde!

E non vuole l’ amor, nè strada o tetto! (ridendo)

Ah! Ah! Ah!

(Si svincola e fugge. Alcuni vorrebbero riafferrarlo, ma il Vecchio li ferma col gesto.)

IL VECCHIO

Lasciatelo!

È pazzo! (come un grido suffocato)

ZINGARI Ah!

FINE DELL’OPERA

(The women make desperate gestures. Some come running back as if to get help.)

RADU

Let them burn like my soul! They have stolen my love! Scream! Let me hear you in agony, like my pain!

May the grief for my lost kingdom burn with you! The impiety of my torment!

(Some men enter from the right. The women seem to be telling them what’s happened as they move in.)

WOMEN

What was it? Radu? Mercy! Damn you! Go!

GYPSIES

Death to you! Damn you!

(Radu picks up the knife and approaches threateningly.)

THE OLD MAN (runs in, Radu threatens him)

My daughter!

(The Old Man falls to his knees with his face turned towards the sky. The roof of the hut collapses. The women flee in horror. Radu throws down the knife. Some Gypsies rush towards him and grab hold of him. Struggling, he breaks into an enormous, shrill, sinister laugh).

GYPSIES

We’ve got you

RADU (still struggling) No!

I am the wind who flees and roars! And scatters! And wants neither love nor a road nor a roof! (laughing)

Ah! Ah!

(He breaks free and flees. Some of them try to catch him again, but the Old Man gestures to stop them).

THE OLD MAN

Let him go!

He’s crazy!

(in a muffled cry)

GYPSIES

Ah!

THE END

Wed 9 Feb 2022, 7.30pm

Fumiaki Miura performs Prokofiev

Anna Clyne This Midnight Hour

Prokofiev Violin Concerto No.2

Ravel Mother Goose: Suite

Stravinsky The Firebird: Suite

Alexander Shelley Conductor

Fumiaki Miura Violin

RPO 2021–2022 Artist-in-Residence

Mon 14 Feb 2022, 7.30pm Valentine’s Opera Gala

Enjoy outstanding overtures, poignant arias and exquisite duets from favourite operas, with music from Rossini, Puccini, Verdi, Bizet, Lehár and more.

Ben Glassberg Conductor

Gemma Summerfield Soprano

Luis Gomes Tenor

Thu 24 Feb 2022, 7.30pm Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.6

Glinka Ruslan and Ludmilla: Overture

Glière Harp Concerto

Tchaikovsky Symphony No.6, ‘Pathétique’

Pablo González Conductor

Suzy Willison-Kawalec Harp

Supported by Calderwood Wealth Management

Thu 10 Mar 2022, 7.30pm Choral Journeys

Programme includes:

Vaughan Williams Benedicite

Ravel Piano Concerto in G Vaughan Williams

Five Mystical Songs

Hilary Davan Wetton Conductor

Llŷr Williams Piano

City of London Choir

Tue 12 Apr 2022, 7.30pm Owain Arwel Hughes conducts Sibelius

Grace Williams Penillion*

Grieg Piano Concerto

Sibelius Symphony No.5

Owain Arwel Hughes Conductor

Jayson Gillham Piano

*Supported by the ABO Sirens Fund

Wed 20 Apr 2022, 7.30pm Fumiaki Miura performs Brahms

Schumann Genoveva: Overture

Brahms Violin Concerto

Dvořák Symphony No.7

Domingo Hindoyan Conductor

Fumiaki Miura Violin

RPO 2021–2022 Artist-in-Residence

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Patron: HRH The Prince of Wales

President: Mrs Aline Foriel-Destezet

Music Director: Vasily Petrenko

Principal Guest Conductor: Pinchas Zukerman

Principal Associate Conductor: Alexander Shelley

Permanent Associate Conductor: Grzegorz Nowak

As the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) celebrates its seventy-fifth anniversary, its mission to enrich lives through orchestral experiences that are uncompromising in their excellence and inclusive in their appeal, places the RPO at the forefront of music-making in the UK and internationally. Typically performing approximately 200 concerts each season and with a worldwide audience of more than half-a-million people, the Orchestra embraces a broad repertoire that enables it to reach the most diverse audience of any British symphony orchestra. Whilst artistic integrity remains paramount, the RPO is unafraid to push boundaries and is equally at home recording video game, film and television soundtracks and working with pop stars, as it is performing the great symphonic repertoire.

The RPO collaborates with the most inspiring artists and was thrilled to welcome Vasily Petrenko as its new Music Director in August 2021. His appointment stands as a major landmark in the Orchestra’s history, signalling its determination to broaden the audience for orchestral music while enhancing its reputation as one of the world’s most versatile ensembles. Vasily Petrenko made his debut with the RPO at London’s Royal Albert Hall in March 2016 delivering a powerful interpretation of Mahler’s Symphony No.2, ‘Resurrection’. His rapport with the Orchestra’s players has been reaffirmed with subsequent London performances, and forthcoming plans include a series of Mahler’s choral symphonies at the Royal Albert Hall, the great works of English composers at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, and tours to Germany and leading European festivals. Vasily Petrenko joins a roster of titled conductors that includes Pinchas Zukerman (Principal Guest Conductor), Alexander Shelley (Principal Associate Conductor) and Grzegorz Nowak (Permanent Associate Conductor).

In addition to the Orchestra’s annual season of concerts in London’s Royal Albert Hall, the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall and its home Cadogan Hall, the RPO is a respected cultural ambassador and enjoys a busy schedule of international touring, performing in the world’s great concerts halls and at prestigious international festivals.

The RPO is recognised as being the UK’s most in-demand orchestra, an accolade that would have pleased its founder, Sir Thomas Beecham. His mission was to lead a vital revival of UK orchestras after World War II and form an ensemble that comprised the finest musicians in the country. The Orchestra has since attracted a glittering list of principal conductors, including Rudolf Kempe, Antal Doráti, Walter Weller, André Previn, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Yuri Temirkanov, Daniele Gatti and Charles Dutoit.

The RPO aims to place orchestral music at the heart of contemporary society, collaborating with creative partners to foster a deeper engagement with communities to ensure that live orchestral music is accessible to as inclusive and diverse an audience as possible. To achieve this, in 1993 the Orchestra launched RPO Resound, which has grown to become the most innovative and respected orchestral community and education programme in the UK and internationally.

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra has always been entrepreneurial and in 1986 it was the first UK orchestra to launch its own record label. The RPO has gone on to embrace advances in digital technology and now achieves nearly thirty million downloads of its recorded music each year. The

Orchestra is active online (rpo.co.uk) and on social media, providing audiences with the opportunity to engage with the RPO and enjoy ‘behind-the-scenes’ insights.

Passion, versatility and uncompromising artistic standards are the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s hallmarks, and as it looks forward to an exciting future with its new Music Director, Vasily Petrenko, it will continue to be recognised as one of the world’s most open-minded, forward-thinking and accessible symphony orchestras.

The Orchestra

First Violins

Duncan Riddell

Tamás András

Shana Douglas

Eriko Nagayama

Andrew Klee

Kay Chappell

Anthony Protheroe

Erik Chapman

Adriana Iacovache-Pana

Imogen East

Marciana Buta

Aysen Ulucan

Second Violins

Andrew Storey

Charlotte Ansbergs

Stephen Payne

Manuel Porta

Sali-Wyn Ryan

Sheila Law

Nicola Hutchings

Colin Callow

Amy Heggart

Edward Webb

Violas

Abigail Fenna

David Greenlees

Liz Varlow

Esther Harling

Jonathan Hallett

Esther Vickers

Michael Turner

Rebecca Gould

Cellos

Jonathan Ayling

Chantal Webster

Roberto Sorrentino

Jean-Baptiste Toselli

William Heggart

Naomi Watts

Anna Stuart

Lucy Gijsbers

Double Basses

Benjamin Cunningham

Ben Wolstenholme

Mark O’Leary

Alexander Verster

Cathy Colwell

Alexander Jones

Flutes

Emer McDonough

Joanna Marsh

Diomedes Demetriades

Piccolo

Diomedes Demetriades

Oboes

John Roberts

Timothy Watts

Patrick Flanaghan

Cor Anglais

Patrick Flanaghan

Clarinets

Sonia Sielaff

James Gilbert

Bass Clarinet

Richard Russell

Bassoons

Richard Ion

Helen Storey

Contrabassoon

Laura Vincent

French Horns

Alexander Edmundson

Jonathan Maloney

James Pillai

David Horwich

Trumpets

Thomas Nielsen

Adam Wright

Toby Street

Trombones

Rupert Whitehead

Ryan Hume

Bass Trombone

Josh Cirtina

Tuba

Kevin Morgan

Timpani

Alasdair Kelly

Percussion

Stephen Quigley

Richard Horne

Gillian McDonagh

John McCutcheon

Harp

Daniel De Fry

Celesta

Jonathan Higgins

In recognition of their outstanding commitment to the RPO, Honorary Life Members of the Orchestra: Sir Peter Ellwood CBE DL John Rutter CBE

© Chris Christodolou

Carlo Rizzi

Conductor

Carlo Rizzi made his debut with Opera Rara in 2017, conducting a pair of Gramophone Award-nominated discs: Echo and Espoir, with Joyce El-Khoury and Michael Spyres. In September 2019, he was appointed Artistic Director. Under his leadership Opera Rara will record and perform rarities by Offenbach, Mercadante and Donizetti, including the first recording of Mercadante’s Il proscritto

Carlo holds a long-standing reputation as one of the world’s foremost operatic conductors, in demand as a guest artist at the world’s most prestigious venues and festivals. Equally at home in the opera house and the concert hall, his vast repertoire spans everything from the foundation works of the operatic and symphonic canon to rarities by Bellini, Cimarosa and Donizetti, and works by Giordano, Pizzetti and Montemezzi. Combining a deep expertise in the vocal art with theatrical flair and the practical collaborative skills honed over decades of experience in the world’s finest theatres, he is acclaimed by singers and audiences alike as a master of the operatic craft.

Since 2015, Carlo has been Conductor Laureate of Welsh National Opera, following his tenure as Music Director (1992–2001 and 2004–2008) during which he was widely credited with overseeing a dramatic increase in the company’s artistic standards and international profile. He also has held long-standing relationships with the Teatro alla Scala, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and Metropolitan Opera in New York, and his career has seen him leading numerous productions at the most distinguished operatic addresses, including the Opéra national de Paris, Teatro Real Madrid, Rossini Opera Festival of Pesaro, Netherlands Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, New National Theatre Tokyo, Opernhaus Zürich, Deutsche Oper Berlin and Théâtre Royal de La Monnaie, Brussels.

Carlo’s recent highlights include opening the Canadian Opera Company’s 2019–2020 season with a new production of Turandot, his debut with the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Firenze in performances of Un ballo in maschera and La traviata, his debut at the Palau de les Arts in Valencia for La Cenerentola, new productions of Les vêpres siciliennes for Welsh National Opera and Zandonai’s Francesca da Rimini for Deutsche Oper Berlin, and his debut at the Norwegian Opera in Oslo in a new production of Rigoletto. In 2021–2022, he opened the Welsh National Opera season with a production of Madama Butterfly. Next season he returns to the Metropolitan Opera with productions of Tosca and La bohème, followed by a return to the Bayerische Staatsoper with a production of Tosca.

His extensive discography includes complete recordings of Gounod’s Faust, Janáček’s Katya Kabanova (in English) and Verdi’s Rigoletto and Un ballo in maschera, all with Welsh National Opera; a Deutsche Grammophon DVD and CD of Verdi’s La traviata recorded live at the Salzburg Festival with Anna Netrebko, Rolando Villazon and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, and numerous recital albums with renowned opera singers including Joseph Calleja, Juan Diego Florez, Edita Gruberova, Jennifer Larmore, Ernesto Palacio, Olga Borodina and Thomas Hampson.

© Tessa Traeger

Krassimira Stoyanova

Fleana

Born in Bulgaria, Krassimira Stoyanova studied voice and violin at the Plovdiv Conservatory. In 1995 she made her debut at the National Opera in Sofia, where she developed an extensive repertoire. She launched her international career at the Vienna State Opera, where she was awarded the title of Kammersängerin in 2009.

Krassimira appears regularly at the leading opera houses with the most renowned conductors and has worked, to date, at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, Opéra Bastille in Paris, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, La Scala in Milan and Zurich Opera House, amongst others. She has collaborated with conductors, including Daniel Barenboim, Riccardo Chailly, Myung-Whun Chung, Vladimir Fedoseyev, Daniele Gatti, Bernard Haitink, Manfred Honeck, Mariss Jansons, Fabio Luisi, James Levine, Zubin Mehta, Riccardo Muti, Seiji Ozawa, Georges Prêtre, Yuri Temirkanov, Christian Thielemann and Franz Welser-Möst.

The soprano’s opera repertoire ranges from bel canto to the great Verdi and Puccini roles, Richard Strauss and the Slavic repertoire. She also devotes herself with great passion to rarely performed works, including Donizetti’s Maria di Rohan (which she recorded for Opera Rara under the baton of Sir Mark Elder in 2009), Verdi’s La battaglia di Legnano and Dvořák’s Dimitrij.

Krassimira is also one of the most sought-after singers on the concert podium. She sang with Riccardo Muti in Beethoven’s Symphony No.9, ‘Choral’ at the Ravenna Festival, Verdi’s Requiem at Salzburg Festival, with Sir Colin Davis at St Paul’s Cathedral, with Mariss Jansons at the Vatican, with Christian Thielemann and with the Munich Philharmonic Orchestra, to name but a few.

Recent highlights include recitals at the Bavarian and Vienna State operas, La Scala in Milan and the Vienna Musikverein, performances with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Riccardo Muti, performances as the title role of Aida and Amelia (Simon Boccanegra) at La Scala in Milan, a new production of Ariadne auf Naxos at the Semperoper Dresden under Christian Thielemann, concerts with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, and performances as Leonora (Il trovatore) at the Bavarian State Opera.

Despite the cancellations in the last two seasons, Krassimira was seen in a new production of Luisa Miller (title role) at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and in recitals at the Graz Musikverein, Zurich Opera House and Vienna Musikverein. Furthermore she performed as Desdemona (Otello) at the Vienna State Opera, Amelia (Un ballo in maschera) at the Maggio Musicale in Florence and in Beethoven’s Symphony No.9, ‘Choral’ at La Scala.

In 2021–2022, Krassimira will star in Aida (in Rome and in new production in Dresden) as well as in and in Ariadne auf Naxos (Teatro alla Scala and in Florence).

Arsen Soghomonyan

Radu

Arsen Soghomonyan made his debut as a tenor in March of 2017 as Cavaradossi in to great acclaim at the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Opera Theatre in Moscow. Prior to his debut as a tenor, he was the leading baritone of the Stanislavsky Theatre, where his repertoire included Figaro in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Germont in La traviata, Belcore in L’elisir d’amore, Eletsky in Queen of Spades and Napoleon in Prokofiev’s War and Peace. He has also appeared as a Guest Artist at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.

The 2018–2019 season saw Arsen’s debut at many of Europe’s most important theatres. He appeared in the title role of Otello with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Zubin Mehta, Canio in Pagliacci at the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, and Roberto in Le Villi with Opera Rara. In the 2019–2020 season, the tenor returned to Naples as Cavaradossi in Tosca, and last season he debuted at the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich as Otello and appeared in concerts in Austria. In the 2021–2022 season, Arsen returns to Opera Rara with tonight’s concert version of Zingari, after which he will appear for the first time at the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden as Eletsky in The Queen of Spades and sing the title role of Otello in Munich.

Born in Yerevan, Armenia in 1983, Arsen graduated from the Barkhudaryan Music School, where he studied with L. Ter-Oganesyan. From 2000 to 2006, he studied with R. Hakobyants at the Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan, during which time he made his debut as a baritone in the role of Fiorello in Il barbiere di Siviglia with the Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra and Maestro Eduard Topchyan. He was subsequently invited to the Armenian National Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet, where he sang many of the leading baritone roles.

In 2006, Arsen was awarded the State Prize of Armenia by the President of the Republic of Armenia. He also won First Prize at the International Pavel Lisitsian Baritone Competition in Vladikavkaz, where he received the Special Prize from the Lisitsian family and had the honour of participating in a masterclass with Pavel Lisitsian himself. Additionally, he has been a prize-winner at the Romansiada International Competition in Moscow, S. Manushko International Competition in Warsaw, and UNISA International Singing Competition in South Africa. He has collaborated with such notable conductors as Vladimir Spivakov, Felix Korobov, Tugan Sokhiev, Alberto Zedda and many others.

© Ira Polyarnaya

Stephen Gaertner

Tamar

Since his Metropolitan Opera debut as Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor 2007, American baritone Stephen Gaertner has emerged as an artist to watch in the operatic world. His other roles at the Metropolitan Opera have included Melot in Tristan und Isolde, Paolo Albiani in Simon Boccanegra Otello and Chorèbe in Berlioz’s Les Troyens. He made his European debut in December 2010 with Opéra Royal de Wallonie in Liège as Escamillo in Carmen

Recent career highlights have included appearances as the title role of Macbeth with the Savonlinna Opera Festival and with Opernfestspiele Heidenheim, Amonasro in Aida with Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, Iago in Otello with Teatro de la Ópera in San Juan, Rigoletto with Opera Grand Rapids, Riccardo in I Puritani with Teatro Verdi di Trieste, and Nabucco with Sarasota Opera. The 2021–2022 season will feature Stephen as the title role of Macbeth with Opéra de Dijon, Scarpia in Tosca with Sarasota Opera and Tonio in Pagliacci with Pittsburgh Festival Opera, all of which having been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Stephen has also been a frequent performer of opera in concert. He appeared with Teatro Grattacielo at New York City’s Alice Tully Hall as Cristiano in Zandonai’s I Cavalieri di Ekebù and as Cascart in Leoncavallo’s Zazà (the latter under the baton of the late Alfredo Silipigni). He has also made several appearances with the Opera Orchestra of New York at Carnegie Hall: as Sonora in La fanciulla del West, Abayaldos in Donizetti’s Dom Sébastien Frank in Puccini’s Edgar, all under the baton of founder and Music Director Eve Queler. He has also sung Macbeth in concert with the Südwestdeutsche Philharmonie Konstanz and Carlo in La forza del destino in concert with New Amsterdam Opera in New York City. He made his UK debut in 2015 at London’s Barbican Hall as Cascart in Zazà in concert with Opera Rara and Maurizio Benini conducting the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

He has performed extensively across North America in such diverse roles as Riccardo in I Puritani, Enrico in Lucia di Lammermoor, Rigoletto, Conte di Luna in Il trovatore, Germont in La traviata, Escamillo in Carmen, Iago in Otello, Alfio in Cavalleria Rusticana, Tonio and Silvio in Pagliacci, Marcello in La bohème, Scarpia in Tosca, Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, Lanciotto in Rachmaninov’s Francesca da Rimini, Gianni Schicchi and Balstrode in Peter Grimes. His other concert appearances have included Britten’s War Requiem at Catholic University in Washington, DC and Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem at Carnegie Hall with the New England Symphonic Ensemble.

Stephen has been the recipient of awards from the Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation, Opera Index Inc. and the Oratorio Society of New York.

© Arielle Doneson

Łukasz Goliński

Il Vecchio

A recipient of the Best Polish Male Singer and Debut of the Year Award, Łukasz Goliński’s illustrious 2021–2022 season includes his return to the Royal Opera House as High Priest of Dagon in Samson et Dalila, Marcello in his debuts with the Gran Teatre del Liceu Barcelona (as Count Tomsky in Pique Dame) and with Savonlinna Festival (as Escamillo in a return to Opera Prague as Escamillo in Carmen and his debut as Germont in La traviata. His future credits include debuts with Glyndebourne Festival and Opera Zurich, as well as a return to the Royal Opera House.

Recent engagements have included Łukasz’s debut at the Salzburg Festival as Rangoni in Boris Godunov, a debut at the Staatsoper Berlin as Sonora in La fanciulla del West, and performances at Frankfurt Opera and Stockholm Royal Swedish Opera as Baron Scarpia in Tosca. He reprised his ‘charming and winningly vainglorious [...] matador’ (Artshub) Escamillo in Carmen at the Staatsoper Hamburg, Opera Frankfurt, Opera Australia and National Theatre Prague. He also made his Berliner Philharmonie debut in a concert production of Moniuszko’s Halka as Janusz.

Critically acclaimed as ‘the perfect King Roger’ by BR-Klassik, Łukasz’s portrayal of the King in Szymanowski’s Król Roger has taken him to the Accademia di Santa Cecilia with Maestro Antonio Pappano, Royal Opera House (cover), Oper Frankfurt, Polish National Opera and Prague National Opera.

Past guest engagements of note include Fosca at the Teatro Municipal de São Paulo and Matthieu Wissmann / Innkeeper in a new production of The Fiery Angel at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence.

As a regular soloist at the Polish National Opera in Warsaw, Łukasz has appeared as Matthieu Wissmann / Innkeeper in Mariusz Trelinski’s production of The Fiery Angel conducted by Kazushi Ono, as well as in the roles of Jagu in Paderewski’s Manru, Selim in Il turco in Italia, Figaro in Le nozze di Figaro, Sharpless in Madama Butterfly, Janusz in Halka and Lord Cecil in Maria Stuarda.

Further past engagements of note include Marcello in La bohème with Opera Nova Bydgoszcz, Escamillo in Carmen for Teatr Wielki in Poznań, Jagu in Manru, Sparafucile in Rigoletto, Elviro in Xerxes, Alvise in Ponchielli’s La Gioconda, Prince Homonay in Der Zigeunerbaron, Tonio in Pagliacci, Colas in Bastien und Bastienne and Masetto in Don Giovanni.

© Kinga Karpati

Opera Rara

Artistic Director: Carlo Rizzi

Opera Rara’s mission is to rediscover, restore, record and perform the lost operatic heritage of the nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries.

Opera Rara is a unique combination of opera company, recording label and live operatic archaeologist. We search for neglected operatic masterpieces and restore them to life for contemporary audiences to enjoy. Working with the best singers, conductors, orchestras and musicologists, we are at the cutting edge of the opera world, leading the expansion of the repertoire and encouraging other opera companies to explore new and unknown operatic jewels.

2020 marked Opera Rara’s 50th anniversary and half-a-century of ground-breaking work. Our artistic success has been publicly recognised through major awards, notably at the International Opera Awards (Best Opera Recording) for Rossini’s Semiramide (2019), Donizetti’s Les Martyrs (2016) and Offenbach’s Fantasio (2015); International Classical Music Award for Semiramide (Best Opera, 2019) and for Ermonela Jaho’s debut recital album Anima Rara (Best Vocal Music Recording, 2021); Opus Klassik (Best Recording) for Semiramide (2019) and at the OPER! Awards (Best Recording) for Donizetti’s L’Ange de Nisida (2019).

Opera Rara’s latest studio recording, Donizetti’s Il Paria, with Albina Shagimuratova, René Barbera and the Britten Sinfonia conducted by Sir Mark Elder, was released in January 2021 to wide critical acclaim. In June 2022, Opera Rara will present another forgotten gem, Mercadante’s Il proscritto, in partnership with Britten Sinfonia at the Barbican, led by Opera Rara’s Artistic Director, Carlo Rizzi. Restored from its original manuscript, this will be the first performance of one of Mercadante’s most daring and innovative scores since its Naples premiere in 1842. This project is Opera Rara’s forty-fifth full restoration of a forgotten opera.

In over fifty years of operatic archaeology, Opera Rara’s mission has been to rediscover and restore neglected works of the highest quality, giving them new life through studio recordings and live performance. The Opera Rara catalogue comprises over one hundred titles, including sixty complete opera recordings. Our work has led to a fundamental revaluation of the reputation of Donizetti, Pacini, Offenbach and Mercadante, changing the way in which these composers are perceived internationally. Following our world premiere concerts in July 2018, Donizetti’s L’Ange de Nisida received its first full production at the Donizetti Festival in Bergamo in November 2019 and Offenbach’s Fantasio has received several stagings throughout Europe since our recording in 2015, including at the 2019 Garsington Festival.

Opera Rara

Carlo Rizzi Artistic Director

Henry Little Chief Executive

Roger Parker Artistic Dramaturg

Irene Cook Finance Director

Aurelie Baujean Production and Label Director

Zachary Vanderburg Development and Communications Director

Consultants

Jesús Iglesias Noriega, Casting

Kirstin Peltonen, Fundraising

Macbeth Media Relations, Press & PR

Board of Directors

Charles Alexander, Chairman

Glenn Hurstfield

Adolfo Laurenti

Simon Mortimore QC

Alison Nicol

Islée Oliva Salinas

Terence Sinclair

Nicholas Thomas

Louis Watt

Opera Rara, Cloisters House, Studio 11, 8 Battersea Park Road, London SW8 4BG

Tel: 020 7613 2858 Email: info@opera-rara.com Website: opera-rara.com

Opera Rara is a company limited by guarantee no. 982535 and registered as a charity no. 261403.

Opera Rara Chorus

Sopranos

Leilani Barratt

Rosanna Harris

Melodie Hornett

Laura Hudson

Tanya Hurst

Sian Jones

Bernadette Lord

Natalie Montakhab

Sarah Parkin

Zita Syme

Mezzo-sopranos

Rhonda Browne

Caroline Carragher

Jessica Costelloe

Vanessa Heine

Frances Jellard

Melanie Lodge

Deborah Miles

Gemma Morsley

Hyacinth Nicholls

Kate Warshaw

Opera Rara’s Supporters

Tenors

Seumas Begg

Mark Chaundy

Philip Thomas Clieve

Andrew Friedhoff

Neil Gillespie

Andrew Hanley

Martin Hindmarsh

Andrew Mackenzie

Wicks

Stuart McDermott

Richard Monk

Henry Moss

Gerald Place

Andrew Sinclair

Robin Whitehouse

Basses

Donaldson Bell

Damian Carter

Gerard Delrez

Matthew Duncan

Spiro Fernando

Chris Foster

Henry Grant Kerswell

Jordan HardingPointon

Sam Hird

Tom Kennedy

Russell Matthews

Darron Moore

Alistair Sutherland

Jochem Van Ast

Opera Rara’s projects are only made possible by the generosity of our supporters, who believe in our mission to rediscover, restore, record and perform the forgotten operatic heritage of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. We would like to take this opportunity to thank our current Annual Fund donors* and those who have contributed specifically to our work on this recording.

Guardian Society

Carlo Grosso

Stefan Olsson and John Tierney

Circle Members

Charles Alexander

Michael Hartnall

Carlo Rizzi and Lucy Stout

Sir Simon and Lady Virginia Robertson

Patrons

Sir David Bean

David Bernstein

Roger Bramble

Michael Buckley

Anthony Bunker

Sir Anthony Cleaver

Marco Compagnoni

Timothy Congdon

Jeff Fergus

Hamish Forsyth

Edward Gasson

Patrick and Marian Griggs

Malcolm Herring

Allan Heinberg

Glenn Hurstfield

Alan Jackson

Simon Lyell

David McCue

Chris and Dominique Moore

Simon Mortimore QC

Alison Nicol

Peter Rosenthal

Imogen Rumbold

Islée Oliva Salinas

Terence and Sian Sinclair

Martin and Patricia Spiro

Gerry Wakelin and Ivor Samuels

Eleanor Cranmer and Nick Thomas

Mark Walker

Louis Watt

Friends

Marian Gilbart Read

David Grant

Robert Gray

Edward Herzog

Yvonne Horsfall-Turner

Chris Knight

Adolfo Laurenti

Christopher Leslie

Michele Leuenberger

Hal Lindberg

Sir Timothy Lloyd

Bruce Mauleverer

Lady Carolyn Newbigging

John Nickson

Christopher and Lucie Sims

Zachary Vanderburg and Felipe

Ramos Barajas

Richard Anwyl Williams

*This Annual Fund list is comprised of donors who gave at our Connoisseur level or higher from May 2020 to November 2021

Trusts and Foundations

Lifetime Guardians

Opera Rara is particularly grateful to those individuals and organisations who have been exceedingly generous to Opera Rara and have been guardians of our work since 1970.

Charles Alexander

Arts Council England

Foyle Foundation

Carlo Grosso

Michael Hartnall

Glenn Hurstfield

The Monument Trust

Sir Peter Moores and the Peter Moores Foundation

Stefan Olsson & John Tierney

Sir Simon and Lady Virginia Robertson

A full list of our current Annual Fund supporters can be found at: opera-rara.com/our-supporters

Player Profile

Tamás András, First Violins

What is the best thing about being a member of the RPO?

Working with a great bunch of musicians and inspiring conductors are the things that make the RPO one of the best orchestras with which to work.

Where is your favourite place to perform?

I like playing in concert halls with great acoustics and a special atmosphere. We perform in some of the best halls in the UK and around the world.

What inspired you to become a musician as a child?

At a musical test in school, I was selected to have violin lessons at the age of five. I enjoyed playing it and, with the inspiration of my teachers and years of training, I became a professional violinist.

What has been the most valuable piece of advice you have been given in relation to music, and who was it from?

I cannot single out the most valuable bit of advice because one learns from teachers, colleagues and conductors. Being a musician is a life-long journey of learning and discovery.

If you could learn to play another instrument, which would it be and why?

I love the sound of the cello, so I would choose that – not sure about carrying it though!

What was the first recording you ever bought?

I bought a range of recordings of the great violin concertos played by Itzhak Perlman. Discover more about our musicians online at rpo.co.uk/players

Warmly welcoming tens of thousands of group bookers to concerts each year, including tonight, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra offers parties of 6 or more people generous discounts and benefits across its London Season at the Royal Albert Hall, Cadogan Hall and Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall.

The RPO also offers tickets from just £5 each to school and university parties.

For further details or to make a reservation, please visit rpo.co.uk/groups or call 020 7608 8840

Acknowledgements

The RPO gives grateful thanks to the following organisations, families and individuals:

Music Director’s Club

Mrs Aline Foriel-Destezet (RPO President)

Christopher French and Ghizlan El Glaoui

LG SIGNATURE

Signature Corporate Partners

Northern Trust

Elephant Communications

The Red Carnation Hotel Collection

Creative Benefactors

HSH Dr Prince Donatus of Hohenzollern

Philip Keller

Sir Tim McKillop

Andrew and Sarah Wates

RPO Corporate Partners

RPO Chair Partners

Chair Partner for RPO Leader (Duncan Riddell)

– St James’s Place

Tutti First Violin (Shana Douglas)

– Vico Partners

Tutti First Violin (Joana Valentinaviciute)

– The Gabrán Family

Tutti First Violin (Erik Chapman)

– Strabens Hall

Benefactors

Peter and Sally Cadbury

Sir Ewan and Lady Harper

Liz Kistruck

Charles McGregor

Chris Murray

Krista Murray

Anne and John Vadgama

Barry Wordsworth

Principal Second Violin (Andrew Storey)

– Peter and Jane Lumley

Tutti Second Violin (Jennifer Christie)

– Lou Whitehorn

Tutti Second Violin (Charlotte Ansbergs)

– The Bartlett Foundation

Tutti Second Violin (Peter Graham)

– The Ericsson Family

Tutti Second Violin (Stephen Payne)

– Jonathan Warwick

Tutti Second Violin (Manuel Porta)

– The Gorin Halley Family

Tutti Second Violin (Sali-Wyn Ryan)

– Adam and Jane Warby

Principal Viola (Abigail Fenna)

– Nabil and Mai Habba

Sub-Principal Viola (Liz Varlow)

– MWM Consulting

Tutti Viola

– Saker Nusseibeh and Family

Tutti Viola (Ugne Tiškuté)

– Jo Whiterod

Tutti Viola (Chian Lim)

– Mayfair Private

Tutti Viola (Esther Harling)

– David Curtin and Susan Cooksley

Tutti Viola (Jonathan Hallett)

– CBC UK Ltd

Co-Principal Cello (Jonathan Ayling)

– John Kelly-Jones

Tutti Cello (Roberto Sorrentino)

– Tim and Victoria Whiting

Tutti Cello (William Heggart)

– Martin and Liane McCourt

Tutti Cello (Naomi Watts)

– Nicholas and Caroline Bewes

Supporters

ABO Sirens

Andor Charitable Trust

ARCO

Arts Council England

Berkshire Maestros

Brent Council

Brent Music Service

Charles and Nicola

Fairweather

D’Oyly Care Charitable Trust

Ealing Music Service

East Riding of Yorkshire Council

RPO 1946 Club (Legacy Giving)

Philip Back

Ian Campbell

Huw and Kate Davies

Roderick Davies

Sir Peter Ellwood CBE DL

Charles and Monica Eve

Anne Fergusson

Karen Fletcher

Sir Ewan Harper CBE

John Hawley

Gillian May King

Jan Knight

Beverley LeBlanc

Sir Tom McKillop

Paul and Carole Nicholson

Jackie Sibley

James Williams

Tutti Double Bass (Benjamin Cunningham)

– Naomi and Simon Venn

Tutti Double Bass (Ben Wolstenholme)

– Jeff and Petra Hochman

Principal Flute (Emer McDonough)

– Elio and Maria Leoni-Sceti

Sub-Principal Flute (Joanna Marsh)

– Sir Robert and Lady Wilson

Principal Oboe (John Roberts)

– Calderwood Wealth Management

Sub-Principal Oboe (Timothy Watts)

– Sir John and Lady Hood

Principal Clarinet (Katherine Lacy)

– Richard and Geraldine Prosser

Sub-Principal Clarinet (Sonia Sielaff)

– Simon Hooper

Principal Bassoon (Richard Ion)

– Open Search

Sub-Principal Bassoon (Helen Storey)

– Goodwin PLC

Elephant Communications Fairlight Arts Trust

Garfield Weston Foundation

Goldman Sachs Gives

Goodwin PLC

Hull Music Hub

John Lyon’s Charity

Liszt Institute – Hungarian

Cultural Centre London

Mill Hill County High School

Northern Trust Orchestras Live

St. James’s Place Foundation

Nick and Pat Whitley

John and Anne Vadgama and anonymous members

Swiss Friends of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Francis and Marie-France

Minkoff

Mark and Zsa Moncreiffe

RPO Young Professionals Club

Aurélie Bouzelmat

Jethro Brink

Albert Chu

Theo Crutcher

Emilie Cymberg

Contrabassoon (Fraser Gordon)

– Peter and Sarah Harris

Principal French Horn

– The Ethos Foundation

Sub-Principal French Horn (Kathryn Saunders)

– Charles and Monica Eve

Principal Trumpet

– Nicholas Polkinghorne/ FLM Wealth Management

Sub-Principal Trumpet (Adam Wright)

– Anne Fergusson

Principal Trombone (Matthew Gee)

– Boldfield Computing

Sub-Principal Trombone (Matthew Knight)

– The Lumley Family in memory of Henry and Sheena Lumley

Co-Principal Percussion (Martin Owens)

– Gillian May King

Principal Harp (Suzy Willison-Kawalec)

– Lionside Ltd

Stavros Niarchos Foundation

Suffolk Community Foundation: The Scarecrow Fund

Sunderland Empire

Sunderland Music Education Hub

Suzhou Symphony Orchestra

The Baring Foundation

The Bartlett Foundation

The Boshier-Hinton Foundation

The Dunhill Medical Trust

Caroline English

Lea Engst

Roman Ermolin

Martin Finke

Francisco Gallego Andreu

Camilla Greene

Edward Jezeph

Marcel Klebba

Bauhinia Lee

Sam Lester

Rachel Lumley

Isabel Petrie

Julia Schmitt-Krahmer

Joseph Taylor

Vanessa Theos

Polly Watt

The Kirby Laing Foundation The Worshipful Company of Weavers University of Hull Wandsworth Council Wandsworth Music Wates Family Enterprise Trust

Wates Memorial Fund and anonymous donors.

To find out how you and your company can support the RPO on and off the concert platform and benefit from a host of exclusive opportunities, please contact:

David Sutherland

Head of Development 020 7608 8821 sutherlandd@rpo.co.uk

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is a Registered Charity, number 244533

American Friends of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

Board Members

Barry Bloom (President)

Huw Davies (Vice President & Secretary)

James Mead (Treasurer)

David Albright

Les Bider

Richard Chapman

Eileen Foley

James LoGatto

Harry Macklowe

Michele Park

Robin Vince

Diamond Circle

David and Kelly Albright

Les and Lynn Bider

Barry and Lilia Bloom

Richard Chapman

J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Foundation

James and Elaine Mead

Michele Park and Scott Beardsley

Tad Smith and Caroline Fitzgibbons

Laurie Tisch

Robin and Liselotte Vince

Pinchas Zukerman Circle

Danny and Lillie Bensusan

Jonathan and Kristyn Bloom

Sara K. Bloom

Ambassador Donald and Vera Blinken

Steve and Joy Bunson

Gerald and Kathleen Chamales

Eileen and Josh Foley

David and Alexandra Fox

Gregory and Linda Galdi

Victor and Gail Gartenstein

Scott Greenberg and Alison Zirn

Mr and Mrs David & Frances Ackland

Mrs Mary Allan

Mr John Allen

Mr Ray Allen

Mr and Mrs John & Lesley Amos

Mrs Jane Archer

Mr & Ms Philip Back & Beverly LeBlanc

Mr and Mrs John & Bev Baker

Mr and Mrs Terry & Edna Baker

Mr and Mrs Richard & Ann Barker

Ms Helen Barnett

Miss Patricia Bastin

Mrs Joanna Beaumont

Mr John Belling

Mr and Mrs Graham & Christine Benson

Mrs Wyn Biggs

Mrs Jill Blackler

Mrs Estelle Braham

Mr Patrick S. Briggs

Mr Douglas Cakebread

Mr Peter Cargin

Mrs Liz Carlin

Dr Sheila Child

Mr Richard D Clark

Mr Dennis W Cliff

Mr Robert Clifford

Mr Peter Coates

Mr Richard Coleman

Mr RAD Cornwall

Mr Colin Couves

Mrs Ruth Gill Cox

Mr Roger Creswell

Mrs Marguerite Crouch

Mr Clive Peter Dale

Mr Philip Danby

Mr Roy Davidson

Mr Roderick Davies

Mr David Davies

Mr Jonathan Davis

Peter and Jamee Gregory

Rachel and David Grund

IDB Bank

The Irving Harris Foundation

Dame Alice Kandell

Igor and Christina Kryca

Jim LoGatto and Barbara Kataisto

Jerry and Rosanne Lombardo

Harry Macklowe and Patricia Landeau

Jack Martin and Colleen Crowley

Simon and Pauline Milde

Richard and Debra Parkoff

Brett Rousch

Mikhail and Sophie Segal

William and Adrianne Silver

Michael and Laura Tepper

Tommy and Alice Tisch

Greg Zaffiro and Matthew Ailey

Concertmaster Circle

Scott David Greenberg Trust

Levin Capital Strategies LP

Robert Lombardo

Dan Lubin

Sir Thomas Beecham Circle

Robert N & Nancy A Downey Foundation

Alexander Becker

George and Harriet Blank

Ronald Garfunkel

Margaret Hathaway

Bonnie Pfeifer Evans

Bonnie F Rhodes

Terra Capital

The Wagner Family Foundation

Mr Dennis Davis

Mr Jeffrey Delaney

Mrs Felicity Donald

Mr Joseph B. Drew

Mr Mark Drummond

Mr CJ Dundas

Dr Robin J Eaglen

Ms Jenny Eden

Dr and Mrs Herbert Edmonds

Sir Peter and Lady Judy Ellwood

Mr Robert Elston

Mr and Mrs Eric & Janet Fenna

Mr Peter Filmer

Mr Brian Firth

Mr and Mrs Anthony and Sarah Flanaghan

Dr Gwynneth Flower

Mr Friedrich Frickenhaus

Dr Derek & Heather Gallagher

Mr Fidel Gallo

Mrs Debbie Garvin

Mr Graeme Gilchrist

Dr Kevin Giles

Mr John Gleadall

Miss Therese Gleeson

Mrs Corinne Godart

Mrs Mary Godwin

Mr and Mrs Philip Goodall

Mr and Mrs B & A Gordon

Mr Barry Green MBE

Mrs Clare Grover

Mr David Gutman

Mr Alex Haddow

Mr Andrew Hallett

Mr and Mrs Malcolm & Jill Hamer

Mrs Elizabeth A Hamilton

Mr Robin Hammerton

Dr Clive Harmer

Mr Mike Hayward

Mr Mark Hazell

Mr John Hellinikakis

Dr Joe & Mrs Helene Herzberg

Benefactor

James Black

Vikki Black

Michael van Buskirk

Fred and Melanie Depalma

David Gartenstein

Jane Carter Pomerantz

Zena Tamler

Robert Yaffa

Friends

Aji Abraham

Christophe Baldridge and David Skerpon

Nancy Browne

Shane Burn and Cathy Clarkin

Terry and Robin Ewert

Kenneth Handal and Mary Francina Golden

John Kirkland

Char Magaro

Jane Murphy

Stewart Oldfield

Dave Osborne Jr and Sandy Bergsten

Mitzi Perdue

Daniel Nathans and Kate Hastings

Bruce Saber

Susan Shinkman

James Wetzler

Elizabeth Zabludoff

For further information, please email: americanfriends@rpo.co.uk or visit: afrpo.com

Mr Gary Hodes

Mr Robert Holden

Miss Elaine James

Mr and Mrs Ken & Pam King

Mrs Gill King

Mrs Jan Knight

Mr Daniel Lowe

Mr Xing Kai Loy

Mrs Andrea

Mr Iain Macarthur

Rev Cecil Macaulay

Mr Peter McGrane

Mr John Miles

Mrs Diana Mills

Dr Paul Newton

Mr and Mrs Alan & Lynda Pamment

Mr David Parry

Mr and Mrs David & Catherine Paul

Mr Jean Pierre Payat

Mr Gilbert Phan

Mr Colin Reedie

Mrs Kathryn Reedie

Mr Alan Richardson

Mr and Mrs Nicholas & Gail Rundle

Mrs Susan Russell

Mr Leslie Ryan

Mr John R Sayers

Mr and Mrs James & Susie Scott-Wakeling

Mr Tony Selman

Mrs Brenda Sherbourne

Mr John Short

Mr Joseph Short

Mr John Sibley

Mrs Jacqueline Sibley

Mrs Alexandra Sinclair

Mr Bernard Sisk

Judge Steven Smith

Ms Sue Smith

Mr Brian Smullen

Mr Michael Spurling

Mrs Penny Stanley

Mr M R Stevens

Mr and Mrs David & Elaine Storey

Mr and Mrs Victor & Janice Taylor

Mrs Vivienne Tincombe

Mr Gavin Trechman

Mr Peter True

Mr Charles Tugwell

Lt Col Gordon Turnbull

Mr & Mrs John Vadgama

Mr Richard Vallance

Mr Peter van der Tang

Mrs Anthea Vernell

Mrs Lucy Vernon

Mr Peter Vines

Mrs Sue Vinter

Mr Robert Warren

Mr Roger Wells

Mr David Whalley

Mr Charles B White

Mr & Mrs Richard Whitehead

Mrs Pat Whitley

Mr Barry E Wilkinson

Miss Jeanette Williamson

Mr Peter Woods

Join the RPO Club for benefits including a dedicated booking line and priority access to tickets.

For more information, please visit rpo.co.uk/club or call 020 7608 8840

Elgar THE DREAM OF GERONTIUS

THURSDAY 7 APRIL 2022, 7.30PM

ROYAL ALBERT HALL

With impassioned solos, searing choruses and a rich symphonic tapestry, Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius is widely regarded as one of the most celebrated choral works of the twentieth century.

Setting the scene for the evening is the intense Prelude to Wagner’s opera Parsifal, a composer whose music greatly inspired and influenced Elgar.

Vasily Petrenko Conductor

Christine Rice Mezzo-soprano

Ed Lyon Tenor

Roderick Williams OBE Baritone

Philharmonia Chorus

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

All details correct at time of going to press. Artists may be subject to change.

The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra gratefully acknowledges the support of RPO President, Mrs Aline Foriel-Destezet.

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

16

Board of Directors

Chair

Benjamin Cunningham

Vice Chair

Matthew Knight

Managing Director

James Williams

Charlotte Ansbergs

Shana Douglas

Charles Fairweather

Patrick Flanaghan

Philip Keller

Elizabeth Kistruck

Peter Lumley

Sali-Wyn Ryan

Liz Varlow

Trustees of the RPO Trust

John Bimson

Benjamin Cunningham

Sir Peter Ellwood CBE DL

RPO Advisory Council

Penelope Biggs

Baroness Blackstone

David Curtin

Mark Davy

Charles Eve

Ariane Gorin

Ronan Harris

Michael Hayman MBE DL

Dr Anna Mann

Sir Tom McKillop

John Sunnucks

Andrew Wates OBE DL

James Wright

RPO Sickness and Benevolent Fund

Trustees

David Gordon

David Hirschman

Richard Huxtable

Joanna Marsh

Helen Storey

Rachel van der Tang

Administration

Managing Director

James Williams

Deputy Managing Director

Huw Davies

Concerts

Concerts Director

Louise Badger

Concerts Manager

Frances Axford

Tours and Projects Manager

Dawn Day

General Manager,

Royal Philharmonic

Concert Orchestra

Malcolm Wilson

Projects and Recordings Manager

Elli Clements

Concerts Coordinator

Rebecca Rimmington

Tours Assistant

Chris Grieve

Orchestra Manager

Jane Aebi

Orchestra Manager

Kathy Balmain

Librarian

Patrick Williams

Stage Manager

Dan Johnson

Assistant Stage Manager

John Pullig

Orchestral Driver (Part-time)

Peter Lever

Business Development

Business Development Director

Huw Davies

Marketing

Head of Sales and Marketing

Louise Williams

Digital Marketing Manager

Matt Otty

Friends’ and Groups’ Manager

Jo Thomson

Programme Editor

Doran Crowhurst

Content Coordinator

Tim Lutton

Production and Marketing

Assistant

Khadra Mohamed

Development

Head of Development

David Sutherland

Trusts and Foundations Manager

Liz Purchase

RPO Resound

Director of Community and Education (Maternity Cover)

Lisa Rodio

Community and Education

Project Manager

Anahi Ravagnani

Community and Education

Project Manager

Martha Earley

Finance

Finance Director

Ann Firth

Finance Officer

Tracy Newhouse

Musicians’ Fees Officer/

Finance Officer

Kevin Hollands

Finance Assistant

William Cale

Details correct at the time of going to press.

Design and typesetting: Doran Crowhurst

Printed by Metro Commercial Printing Ltd metroprinting.co.uk

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