Aurora (opera)
Encyclopedia
Aurora is an opera
in three acts by the Argentine composer Héctor Panizza (also known as Ettore Panizza) set to an Italian libretto
by Luigi Illica
and Hector Quesada. Composed in 1907, Aurora became the second national opera of Argentina
, after Felipe Boero's more popular El Matrero. Although its plot is set in Argentina
, Aurora is Italian in style. Panizza's score shows a strong influence of Giordano
and Mascagni
.
Aurora was the first Argentine opera to be commissioned for the inaugural season of the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires
, where it premiered on 5 September 1908. The main tenor
aria, "Alta en el cielo" ("High in the sky"), from the intermedio épico at the finale of Act 2 was used as a national hymn to the Argentine flag.
The later revised version of the opera set in Spanish was premiered on 9 July 1945 and is now considered the Argentine patriotic opera par excellence.
Aurora was also performed at Teatro Colón in 1909 (with Hariclea Darclée
), 1945, 1953, 1955, 1965, 1966, 1983 and 1999.
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
in three acts by the Argentine composer Héctor Panizza (also known as Ettore Panizza) set to an Italian libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
by Luigi Illica
Luigi Illica
Luigi Illica was an Italian librettist who wrote for Giacomo Puccini , Alfredo Catalani, Umberto Giordano, Baron Alberto Franchetti and other important Italian composers. His most famous opera librettos are those for La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly and Andrea Chénier.Illica was born at...
and Hector Quesada. Composed in 1907, Aurora became the second national opera of Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, after Felipe Boero's more popular El Matrero. Although its plot is set in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, Aurora is Italian in style. Panizza's score shows a strong influence of Giordano
Umberto Giordano
Umberto Menotti Maria Giordano was an Italian composer, mainly of operas.He was born in Foggia in Puglia, southern Italy, and studied under Paolo Serrao at the Conservatoire of Naples...
and Mascagni
Pietro Mascagni
Pietro Antonio Stefano Mascagni was an Italian composer most noted for his operas. His 1890 masterpiece Cavalleria rusticana caused one of the greatest sensations in opera history and single-handedly ushered in the Verismo movement in Italian dramatic music...
.
Aurora was the first Argentine opera to be commissioned for the inaugural season of the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, where it premiered on 5 September 1908. The main tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
aria, "Alta en el cielo" ("High in the sky"), from the intermedio épico at the finale of Act 2 was used as a national hymn to the Argentine flag.
The later revised version of the opera set in Spanish was premiered on 9 July 1945 and is now considered the Argentine patriotic opera par excellence.
Aurora was also performed at Teatro Colón in 1909 (with Hariclea Darclée
Hariclea Darclée
Hariclea Darclée was a celebrated Romanian operatic soprano. She possessed an agile, powerful, and beautiful voice that was wielded with a fine technique. An extremely beautiful woman, Darclée's stage presence was as elegant and refined as her singing...
), 1945, 1953, 1955, 1965, 1966, 1983 and 1999.
Sources
- Laurance, Rita, Aurora, opera, All Music Guide