Emilio Arrieta: Ildegonda (1845)

Opera in due atti. Running Time: 1 hour 46 minutes.

I am almost certain that, even more so than with Fredegundis, no one has ever heard of this one! Written to a text by Temistocle Solera (1815-1878) (frequent early Verdi librettist including Nabucco and Attila) this was the Spaniard Arrieta’s first operatic composition; essentially a graduating student exercise demonstrating the composer’s articulation of Italian operatic concepts when he graduated from the Milan Conservatory. Arrieta (1821-1894) would go on to complete three other Italian-language operas, as well as DOZENS of Zarzuelas (a Spanish form of operetta which I haven’t really tackled yet on this blog). Needless to say, the opera has a spotty performance history. It was somewhat popular in Spain following its premiere in Milan in 1845 for a period of five years (between 1849 and 1854, including a performance which enthralled the Queen of Spain to the work) before disappearing completely apart from a 2004 concert performance (the recording here) conducted by Jesus Lopez Cobos. A chorus and an entire scene have been cut from act two which I will indicate, but otherwise the performance appears to be complete.

Although we have had several attempts by non-Italian composers to ape Italian opera on this blog before, this isn’t really one of those works. It is a Spaniard imitating Italian opera, but, for once, it actually comes off well and not as bald imitation. The plot is a bit ridiculous, it is Solera after all, and ironically the librettist had set his text to music himself five years earlier. It is a combination of elements from Lucia di Lammermoor, Imelda da Lambertazzi, and Romeo and Juliet with a soprano death scene straight out of Donizetti.

The libretto is available through the Library of Congress website (images 5 to 18): https://www.loc.gov/resource/music.musschatz-16069/?sp=5&st=image

SETTING: Milan, during the Sixth Crusade, circa 1225. Ildegonda (soprano) is the daughter of Rolando Gualderano (baritone) and sister of Roggiero (tenor). The conflict of the narrative is that she is a noblewoman in love with the poor, but handsome, Rizzardo Mazzafiore (tenor) with whom she has exchanged vows of love. A confrontation results in Roggiero being killed by Rizzardo, who goes on Crusade to atone. When he returns, Ildegonda has been imprisoned for refusing to marry her forced betrothed, Ermenegildo Falsabiglia (bass). Rolando is reconciled with Rizzardo as a result of Ildegonda’s last request before she dies as a result of the poor conditions of her imprisonment. Ildegonda has a confidante, the awkwardly named Ildebene (soprano).

LOOK OUT FOR:

ACT 1: (58.5 minutes)

Scene 1: A Hall in the Gualderani palace.

0: For some reason the eight minute overture is cut from the main video of the score, but it is rather good ** and rather worth listening to on its own merits. This being from the same concert performance in 2004, it is odd that the 2020 upload of the opera does not include it. It is probably more notable for its orchestration (which includes a lot of triangle work, note this later in the opera as well). I will count the overture toward the running time of act one even though it won’t match completely with the video of the opera performance (subtract 8 minutes from the timers included for act one).

8 (0 from the beginning of the video): Fulge la Stella This is followed by a three and a half minute long highly dramatic chorus ** (more triangle). This sets up the music in relation to the plot and vocals. The orchestra is strong, but it never overpowers the vocal lines. This sets up the engagement of Ildegonda (against her will) to Ermenegildo by her father.

13: La mia canizie A quartet for the Gualderani plus Ildebene ** as Ildegonda attempts to soften her father (unsuccessfully) to the idea of her marrying Rizzardo. The chorus pops in very effectively in the climax, although it is Ildegona who truly dominates the number. This, and the following aria for Rolando, are the first which demonstrate traces of Verdian influence.

19: Da piu di A short cavatina aria for Gualderano addressed to his son ** is followed by a chorus of warriors and then the bellicose cabaletta as Rolando encourages Roggiero to go on Crusade.

Scene 2: The Garden outside the Church of Ritiro, patronized by the Gualderani.

26, 30: A te dal petto supplici/Quai memorie A lovely chorus of children from inside the church ** introduces a gentle aria for Ildegonda ** who fantasizes about Rizzardo. The cabaletta, which is introduced by a weird outburst from Ildebene, is somewhat furious.

36: E pur segnata Rizzardo is finally introduced in an off-stage serenade for Ildegonda **. The two women make interjections in places very melodically. Ildebene departs and Rizzardo comes on.

42: A te pur soffrir The love duet is a combination of tender and somewhat bellicose ***. In the second half (which is the better of the two) there is also a flute solo introducing the vows the lovers make which sounds somewhat closer to Ponchielli (anachronistically). A military fanfare is heard outside (probably Roggiero coming!) and she begs him to flee. Easily the best number in the show.

50: Mio fratello! But it is too late to flee as Roggiero finds the lovers and Rizzardo stabs him. Rolando comes on and Roggiero (mortally wounded but still alive) is carried out into the house, from which his death is announced shortly. This prompts a brilliant act finale *** from the three remaining primary characters (and Ildebene and the chorus) as Rolando disowns Ildegonda. Rizzardo offers to let Rolando kill him on the spot, but the older man refuses.

ACT 2: 48.5 minutes

(The act is divided into two parts, although I will count them as simply parts of the same act for the sake of the timers, although I will give the lengths of each part).

PART ONE: (23 minutes)

Scene 1: Atrium of the Palace.

1: Bella fra quante The choral opening to the act has been cut, so instead we immediately go into the aria for Idelbene which is a sweet piece **. Other than the orchestral passages before and after, the scene is rather placid and is a solo scene for the seconda.

Scene 2: A subterranean chamber underneath the Ritiro church.

9: Preghiam! Preghiam! An angry orchestral intermezzo is stopped almost dead by Ildegonda’s cry to the Almighty, praying that her father doesn’t find her as she is trying to hide from him. This is followed by an almost Rienzi-like feminine background chorus ** which accompanies the soprano.

13: Tu non sai The second Rizzardo-Ildegonda duet ** really starts off with a rather lovely theme from the tenor vocal line which gets taken up slowly by the soprano and orchestra, although in a more agitated form. It moves into a second movement, started by Ildegonda, which is slightly more forlorn but also more gentle and gets taken up by both as the orchestra starts to float about (notice the woodwinds).

20: Stolto! The lovers are discovered by Rolando and his knights! This prompts a vigorous stretta which ends the first part of the act **. It has one solidly good tune, although Ildegonda’s constant held high notes can get a bit tiresome.

PART TWO: (25.5 minutes)

Scene 1: Same as Act 1 Scene 1.

(This scene has been cut completely, but consists of an aria for Rolando in which he mourns his son followed by a dialogue with Ildebene in which she attempts to soften his anger towards his daughter and Rizzardo, claiming that his hatred which destroy him and that Ildegonda is already wasting away in her imprisonment. It ends with a couplet for Rolando before concluding. I am not sure why the scene has been cut, if this is due to it having a lower musical quality or if it was just for time purposes, although the performance itself is certainly short enough for it to have been included?)

Scene 2: A prison.

23: Another intermezzo **, this time dominated by the middle woodwinds (oboe, clarinet, bassoon).

28: Oh mia sposa! A nice tenor aria for Rizzardo ** as he thinks about Ildegonda.

31: Rizzardo! The chorus of knights informs Rizzardo that Ildegonda is wasting away in her imprisonment and is near death **. The most striking feature here would be how darkly colored the chorus is. Rizzardo’s music is comparatively contemplative and even sunny, if a little stilted.

Scene 3: In the Ritiro.

37: Qui posa il fianco The final scene consists of two numbers. The first is a feminine chorus of virgins who attend to the dying Ildegonda, who makes interjections. Although the fact that she is dying would be easily lost on this very Spanish-sounding number **.

43: Qual benda Rizzardo and Rolando arrived, having reconciled, and fall into the arms of the dying Ildegonda. It is too late. In the finale trio con coro Rizzardo has a strong theme, although Ildegonda tends to dominate the number **. She dies, the chorus mourn her virginity. Curtain.

COMMENTS:

I was trying to figure out what to review next after Ory. I wanted an Italian work, something mid-19th century, but with a little more orchestral power, this fit the bill. Although only the end of the first act is really great, the opera is consistently very good musically. The plot is a bit silly, almost nothing occurs in act one other than the set up and the death of Roggiero, and the second act suffers from being rather episodic (it is in “two parts” after all!) Why Ildegonda is dying so quickly is never really explained, and the fact that father and lover are able to reconcile their differences before her demise (but after the death of Roggiero) makes the conflict which causes the deaths of both of Rolando’s children seem trivial. The figure of Falsabiglia turns out to be minor, while Ildebene is far more important to the plot than she would seem at first (especially if the third scene of act two were to be brought back). So we have a gamma plot saddled to a consistent and frequently alpha level score. A beta plus, but a rare one that is really worth look out for as a historical curio.