Monna Vanna (Février)
Encyclopedia
Monna Vanna is a drame lyrique or opera
in four acts by composer Henry Février
. The opera's French libretto
is by playwright Maurice Maeterlinck
and is based on his play of the same name. The opera premiered on 13 January 1909 at the Académie Nationale de Musique
in Paris
.
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 four acts by composer Henry Février
Henry Février
Henry Février was a French composer.-Biography:Henry Février studied at the Paris Conservatoire where his teachers included Jules Massenet and Gabriel Fauré. He also took private lessons with André Messager...
. The opera's French 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...
is by playwright Maurice Maeterlinck
Maurice Maeterlinck
Maurice Polydore Marie Bernard Maeterlinck, also called Comte Maeterlinck from 1932, was a Belgian playwright, poet, and essayist who wrote in French. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1911. The main themes in his work are death and the meaning of life...
and is based on his play of the same name. The opera premiered on 13 January 1909 at the Académie Nationale de Musique
Palais Garnier
The Palais Garnier, , is an elegant 1,979-seat opera house, which was built from 1861 to 1875 for the Paris Opera. It was originally called the Salle des Capucines because of its location on the Boulevard des Capucines in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, but soon became known as the Palais Garnier...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 13 January 1909 (Conductor:) |
|---|---|---|
| Giovanna (Monna Vanna), Guido's wife | 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... |
Lucienne Bréval Lucienne Bréval Lucienne Bréval was a Swiss dramatic soprano who had a major international opera career from 1892-1918... |
| Guido Colonna, commander of the Pisan Garrison | bass | Vanni Marcoux Vanni Marcoux Jean-Émile Diogène Marcoux was a French operatic bass-baritone, known professionally as Vanni Marcoux . He was particularly associated with the French and Italian repertories... |
| Marco Colonna, Guido's father | baritone Baritone Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or... |
Jean-François Delmas Jean-François Delmas (singer) Jean-François Delmas was a French bass-baritone who created roles in many French operas including Athanaël in Thaïs.... |
| Prinzivalle, General in the pay of Florence | 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... |
Lucien Muratore Lucien Muratore Lucien Muratore was a French actor and operatic tenor, particularly associated with the French repertory.- Life and career :... |
| Trivulzio, Commissioner of the Florentine Republic | bass | Joachim Cerdan |
| Borso, Guido's lieutenant | Conguet | |
| Torello, Guido's lieutenant | Triadou | |
| Vedio, Prinzivalle's secretary | tenor | Georges Nansen |
| Nobles, Soldiers, Peasants, etc. | chorus Choir A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus... |
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