LA SONNAMBULA Vincenzo Bellini
CONTENTS
Synopsis
4
The Female Gravitational Centre of a Solar System → Interview with conductor Giacomo Sagripanti
7
Fragile Oblivion → Marco Arturo Marelli
14
Can You Not See Her? → Daniela Heisig
22
Context for Bellini’s Sonnambula → Sergio Morabito
26
Bellini’s Operas in Vienna → Michael Jahn
34
LA SONNAMBULA Melodramma in two acts Music Vincenzo Bellini Libretto Felice Romani
Orchestra 2 flutes, 1 piccolo, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, 1 cimbasso, timpani, violin I, violin II, viola, cello, doublebass Stage music 2 flutes, 1 piccolo, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, tamburro, gran cassa, clamps Lenght 2 hours 45 minutes, including 1 interval Autograph Ricordi archives World première 6 March 1831, Teatro Carcano, Milan Première at the Court Opera Vienna 8 February 1872
SYNOPSIS Act 1 Amina’s upcoming wedding with Elvino is being celebrated. Only Lisa, Elvi no’s former lover, is sad. She does not want to resign herself to the new admirer Alessio. During the engagement ceremony Elvino slips the ring of his recently deceased mother on to Amina’s finger. A stranger arrives. It is Count Rodolfo, who originally comes from this region, but nobody recognizes him. He notices Amina and starts complimen ting her, thus provoking Elvino’s jealousy. Amina’s foster mother Teresa finally breaks up the gathering by warning from a dreaded phantom who haunts the area at night. Amina soothes Elvino’s jealousy. Lisa, having guessed the Count’s real identity, courts him, trying to get his attention. This is when Amina enters the room sleepwalking, she is longing for Elvino. The Count forces himself not to abuse from the situation with the lovely, half-dressed young woman. But Lisa calls Elvino; when he finds Amina sleeping, wrapped in Rodolfo’s coat, the situation seems obvious to him. It is Teresa alone who comforts abandoned and desperate Amina.
Act 2 Elvino buries himself in his pain. Amina’s protestation of her innocence is in vain; Elvino takes the ring from her finger and breaks off the engagement. Lisa already sees herself as Elvino’s new bride. Rodolfo tries to rectify the wrong suspicions, explaining that Amina was sleepwalking and that she is not guilty of any wrongdoing. But he cannot convince Elvino. When Teresa finds out about Elvino’s new wedding plans, she reveals what she saw hap pening between Lisa and Rodolfo the night before. Elvino believes that he ↑ has also been betrayed by the “second bride”. pages: While Count Rodolfo tries to save the situation by protesting Amina’s Previous scene innocence, she appears again sleepwalking. When Elvino sees her in this → state, he understands how the equivocal situation could arise the evening Stefania Bonfadelli as before. He embraces her again as his bride and Amina sings about her bliss. Amina, 2001 SY NOPSIS
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