La serva padrona
Encyclopedia
La serva padrona is an opera buffa
by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi
(1710 – 1736) to a libretto
by Gennaro Antonio Federico, after the play
by Jacopo Angello Nelli. The opera is only 45 minutes long and was originally performed as an intermezzo
between the acts of a larger serious opera. The same libretto was set by Giovanni Paisiello
in 1781, a production of which has been released on DVD.
to Pergolesi's opera seria
, Il prigionier superbo
(The Proud Prisoner). The two were premiered on 5 September 1733, the first performance after an earthquake in Naples
had caused all theatres to be closed, and celebrated the birthday of the Empress of Habsburg.
Il prigioniero was unsuccessful in its day and is not a recognized title in today’s operatic repertoire. Eventually the two pieces were separated, and La serva padrona went on to enjoy fame throughout Europe for years after its premiere. The importance of this intermezzo
can hardly be overlooked in the history of opera. With a new finale, the French version played a large part in the Querelle des Bouffons. It was appealing because of its presentation of characters that were relatable to any audience, namely the cunning maid and her aging master. La serva padrona is often seen as the quintessential piece that bridges the gap from the Baroque
to the Classical period. Owing to its importance, over time it came to be known as more than just an intermezzo and was performed as a stand-alone work.
Intermezzo 1
Dressing room
Uberto, an elderly bachelor, is angry and impatient with his maidservant, Serpina, because she has not brought him his chocolate today. Serpina has become so arrogant that she thinks she is the mistress of the household. Indeed, when Uberto calls for his hat, wig and coat, Serpina forbids him from leaving the house, adding that from then on he will have to obey her orders. Uberto thereupon orders Vespone to find him a woman to marry so that he can rid himself of Serpina.
Intermezzo 2
Same dressing room
Serpina convinces Vespone to trick Uberto into marrying her. She informs Uberto that she is to marry a military man named Tempesta. She will be leaving his home and apologizes for her behavior. Vespone, disguised as Tempesta, arrives and, without saying a word, demands 4,000 crowns for a dowry. Uberto refuses to pay such a sum. Tempesta threatens him to either pay the dowry or marry the girl himself. Uberto agrees to marry Serpina. Serpina and Vespone reveal their trick; but Uberto realizes that he has loved the girl all along. They will marry after all; and Serpina will now be the true mistress of the household.
has a score with massive omissions, wrong notes, and much spoken dialogue. Boosey & Hawkes
has the score in an operetta
adaptation by Seymour Barab
, with highly simplified accompaniment and much spoken dialogue. Casa Ricordi
presents the opera as sung-through and is the version most used in performance today. W.W. Norton & Company includes excerpts of the full score (for strings and continuo
) that has numerous melodic differences from the Ricordi edition, but that correlate with the accompanying recording by Siegmund Nimsgern
.
ian director Carla Camurati made a feature film
version with Sylvia Klein (Serpina), José Carlos Leal (Uberto) and Thales Pan Chacon (Vespone).
Opera buffa
Opera buffa is a genre of opera. It was first used as an informal description of Italian comic operas variously classified by their authors as ‘commedia in musica’, ‘commedia per musica’, ‘dramma bernesco’, ‘dramma comico’, ‘divertimento giocoso' etc...
by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi
Giovanni Battista Pergolesi
Giovanni Battista Pergolesi was an Italian composer, violinist and organist.-Biography:Born at Iesi, Pergolesi studied music there under a local musician, Francesco Santini, before going to Naples in 1725, where he studied under Gaetano Greco and Francesco Feo among others...
(1710 – 1736) to a 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 Gennaro Antonio Federico, after the play
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
by Jacopo Angello Nelli. The opera is only 45 minutes long and was originally performed as an intermezzo
Intermezzo
In music, an intermezzo , in the most general sense, is a composition which fits between other musical or dramatic entities, such as acts of a play or movements of a larger musical work...
between the acts of a larger serious opera. The same libretto was set by Giovanni Paisiello
Giovanni Paisiello
Giovanni Paisiello was an Italian composer of the Classical era.-Life:Paisiello was born at Taranto and educated by the Jesuits there. He became known for his beautiful singing voice and in 1754 was sent to the Conservatorio di S. Onofrio at Naples, where he studied under Francesco Durante, and...
in 1781, a production of which has been released on DVD.
Performance history
La serva padrona was originally an intermezzoIntermezzo
In music, an intermezzo , in the most general sense, is a composition which fits between other musical or dramatic entities, such as acts of a play or movements of a larger musical work...
to Pergolesi's opera seria
Opera seria
Opera seria is an Italian musical term which refers to the noble and "serious" style of Italian opera that predominated in Europe from the 1710s to c. 1770...
, Il prigionier superbo
Il prigionier superbo
Il prigionier superbo is an opera seria in three acts composed by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi to a libretto attributed to Gennaro Antonio Federico and based on an earlier libretto by Francesco Silvani for Gasparini's opera, La fede tradita e vendicata...
(The Proud Prisoner). The two were premiered on 5 September 1733, the first performance after an earthquake in Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
had caused all theatres to be closed, and celebrated the birthday of the Empress of Habsburg.
Il prigioniero was unsuccessful in its day and is not a recognized title in today’s operatic repertoire. Eventually the two pieces were separated, and La serva padrona went on to enjoy fame throughout Europe for years after its premiere. The importance of this intermezzo
Intermezzo
In music, an intermezzo , in the most general sense, is a composition which fits between other musical or dramatic entities, such as acts of a play or movements of a larger musical work...
can hardly be overlooked in the history of opera. With a new finale, the French version played a large part in the Querelle des Bouffons. It was appealing because of its presentation of characters that were relatable to any audience, namely the cunning maid and her aging master. La serva padrona is often seen as the quintessential piece that bridges the gap from the Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
to the Classical period. Owing to its importance, over time it came to be known as more than just an intermezzo and was performed as a stand-alone work.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast 5 September 1733 |
|---|---|---|
| Uberto, an old man | buffo bass Bass (voice type) A bass is a type of male singing voice and possesses the lowest vocal range of all voice types. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, a bass is typically classified as having a range extending from around the second E below middle C to the E above middle C... |
Gioacchino Corrado |
| Serpina, his maid | soprano Soprano A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody... |
Laura Monti |
| Vespone, his servant | silent actor Actor An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity... |
Synopsis
Dressing room
Uberto, an elderly bachelor, is angry and impatient with his maidservant, Serpina, because she has not brought him his chocolate today. Serpina has become so arrogant that she thinks she is the mistress of the household. Indeed, when Uberto calls for his hat, wig and coat, Serpina forbids him from leaving the house, adding that from then on he will have to obey her orders. Uberto thereupon orders Vespone to find him a woman to marry so that he can rid himself of Serpina.
Intermezzo 2
Same dressing room
Serpina convinces Vespone to trick Uberto into marrying her. She informs Uberto that she is to marry a military man named Tempesta. She will be leaving his home and apologizes for her behavior. Vespone, disguised as Tempesta, arrives and, without saying a word, demands 4,000 crowns for a dowry. Uberto refuses to pay such a sum. Tempesta threatens him to either pay the dowry or marry the girl himself. Uberto agrees to marry Serpina. Serpina and Vespone reveal their trick; but Uberto realizes that he has loved the girl all along. They will marry after all; and Serpina will now be the true mistress of the household.
Recordings
- Virginia ZeaniVirginia ZeaniVirginia Zeani is a Romanian soprano, particularly associated with the Italian repertory, especially the role of in "La traviata".-Early life:Zeani was born Virginia Zehan, in Solovăstru, Romania...
opposite her husband Nicola Rossi-LemeniNicola Rossi-LemeniNicola Rossi Lemeni, , was a basso opera singer of mixed Italian-Russian parentage.Rossi Lemeni was born in Istanbul, Turkey, the son of an Italian colonel and a Russian mother. In his prime he was one of the most respected bassos in Italy...
(1959) - Renata ScottoRenata ScottoRenata Scotto is an Italian soprano and opera director.Recognized for her sense of style, musicality and as a remarkable singer-actress, Scotto is considered one of the preeminent singers of her generation, specializing in the bel canto repertoire with excursions into the verismo and Verdi...
and Sesto BruscantiniSesto BruscantiniSesto Bruscantini was an Italian baritone, one of the greatest buffo singers of the post-war era, especially renowned in Mozart and Rossini....
(c1960) - Anna MoffoAnna MoffoAnna Moffo was an Italian-American opera singer and one of the leading lyric-coloratura sopranos of her generation...
and Paolo MontarsoloPaolo MontarsoloPaolo Montarsolo was an Italian operatic bass particularly associated with buffo roles.-Biography:Montarsolo was born in Portici...
(1962) - Maddalena Bonifacio and Siegmund NimsgernSiegmund NimsgernSiegmund Nimsgern is a German bass-baritone, born in Sankt Wendel, Saarland, Germany.After leaving school in 1960 he studied singing and musical education at the Hochschule für Musik Saar with Sibylle Fuchs, Jakob Stämpfli and Paul Lohmann.He made his debut at the Saarländisches Staatstheater in...
(with Collegium Aureum in Deutsche Harmonia Mundi) (1969) - Carmen Bustamante and Renato CapecchiRenato CapecchiRenato Capecchi was an Italian baritone, actor, and opera director.He sang in the Italian premiere of Shostakovich's The Nose and Prokofiev's War and Peace, and in the world premieres of Gian Francesco Malipiero's La donna è mobile, Giorgio Federico Ghedini's Billy Budd and Lord Inferno, and...
(1973) - Julianne BairdJulianne BairdJulianne Baird is an American soprano best known for her singing in Baroque works, in both opera and sacred music. She has nearly 100 recordings to her credit and is a well-traveled recitalist and soloist with major symphony orchestras...
and John Ostendorf (1989) - Mariella AdaniMariella AdaniMariella Adani is an Italian classical soprano who has had an active career in operas, concerts, and recitals during the 1950s through the 1980s...
and Leonardi Monreale, Pomeriggi Musicali del Teatro Nuovo di Milano, Ettore GracisEttore GracisEttore Gracis was an Italian conductor. Born in La Spezia, he studied at the Venice Conservatory and the Accademia Musicale Chigiana. He became involved with the Venice Festival of Contemporary Music and the Naples Festival, conducting modern revivals of classical Italian and German operas...
cond.; Nonesuch H-71043 (c1960s) - Patricia Biccire and Donato Di Stefano, La Petite BandeLa Petite BandeLa Petite Bande is a Belgium-based ensemble specialising in Baroque music played on period instruments. They are particularly known for their recordings of works by Corelli, Rameau, Handel, and Bach.-History:...
cond. Sigiswald KuijkenSigiswald KuijkenSigiswald Kuijken is a Belgian violinist, violist, and conductor known for playing on authentic instruments.-Biography:Kuijken was born in Dilbeek, near Brussels. He was a member of the Alarius Ensemble of Brussels between 1964 and 1972 and formed La Petite Bande in 1972...
Accent ACC 96123 D (1996)
Scores
The scores of the opera vary wildly. Edwin F. KalmusEdwin F. Kalmus
Edwin F. Kalmus was an American music publisher. In 1926, he founded his eponymous publishing house in New York which quickly became one of the largest self-contained publishing houses in the United States...
has a score with massive omissions, wrong notes, and much spoken dialogue. Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes
Boosey & Hawkes is a British music publisher purported to be the largest specialist classical music publisher in the world. Until 2003, it was also a major manufacturer of brass, string and wind musical instruments....
has the score in an operetta
Operetta
Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...
adaptation by Seymour Barab
Seymour Barab
Seymour Barab is an American composer, organist, pianist,. He is known for his fairy tale operas for young audiences, such as Chanticleer and Little Red Riding Hood. He is a long time member of the Philip Glass Ensemble.-References:**-External links:*...
, with highly simplified accompaniment and much spoken dialogue. Casa Ricordi
Casa Ricordi
Casa Ricordi is a classical music publishing company founded in 1808 as G. Ricordi & Co. by violinist Giovanni Ricordi in Milan, Italy...
presents the opera as sung-through and is the version most used in performance today. W.W. Norton & Company includes excerpts of the full score (for strings and continuo
Figured bass
Figured bass, or thoroughbass, is a kind of integer musical notation used to indicate intervals, chords, and non-chord tones, in relation to a bass note...
) that has numerous melodic differences from the Ricordi edition, but that correlate with the accompanying recording by Siegmund Nimsgern
Siegmund Nimsgern
Siegmund Nimsgern is a German bass-baritone, born in Sankt Wendel, Saarland, Germany.After leaving school in 1960 he studied singing and musical education at the Hochschule für Musik Saar with Sibylle Fuchs, Jakob Stämpfli and Paul Lohmann.He made his debut at the Saarländisches Staatstheater in...
.
Film version
BrazilBrazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian director Carla Camurati made a feature film
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
version with Sylvia Klein (Serpina), José Carlos Leal (Uberto) and Thales Pan Chacon (Vespone).
External links
- Libretto
- A large pdf of the French version
- A complete score can be found in the Werner Icking Music Archive