Sant'Alessio
Encyclopedia
Sant'Alessio is an opera
in three acts composed by Stefano Landi
in 1631 with a libretto by Giulio Rospigliosi
.
Sant'Alessio was the first opera to be written on a historical subject. It describes the inner life of fifth-century Saint Alexis. The work broke new ground with a psychological characterization of a type that was new to opera. It also contains interspersed comic scenes that are anachronistically drawn from the contemporary life of Rome in the 17th century.
spirit of Jesuit drama
s, marks a new departure in the theatre in Rome, combining antiquarian interests in ancient drama with modern musical conceptions of recitative, ensembles and occasional arias. Musically, the work has considerable variety, with elements of comedy and tragedy, and went some way towards establishing specifically Christian opera in a Rome that remained musically conservative. Singers for the opera, all male, were recruited from the Papal Chapel and included castrati. The Barberinis, noted patrons of the arts, owed their current influence to the Barberini Pope Urban VIII. The librettist, Giulio Rospigliosi, became Pope Clement IX in 1667.
The part of Sant'Alessio lies extremely high and was meant to be sung by a castrato. The accompanying orchestra is up-to-date, dispensing with the archaic viols and using violins, cellos, harps, lutes, theorbo
s, and harpsichords. The opera includes introductory canzonas which function as overtures; indeed they are the first overtures in the history of opera. Dances and comic sections mix with serious arias, recitatives, and even a madrigalian lament, for an overall dramatic variety which was extremely effective, as attested by the frequent performances of the opera at the time. Sant'Alessio was one of the first staged dramatic works successfully to mix both the monodic and polyphonic styles.
ai Giubbonari, Rome, on 2 March 1631. A further performance was given at the inauguration of the theatre at the Palazzo Barberini alle Quattro Fontane on 21 February 1632.
An ambitious all-male production of the piece, directed by baroque theatre specialist Benjamin Lazar and conducted by William Christie
, premiered in Caen
(Normandy) on October 16th, 2007. This acclaimed production involved no fewer than eight countertenors, including Philippe Jaroussky
as Saint Alexis and Max Emanuel Cencic
as his wife. One performance was broadcast in full as a live video webcast by France 3
on October 18th, 2007.
. He dies in the poverty he has chosen, under the steps of his father's house, his identity revealed in a letter he holds as he dies.
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 composed by Stefano Landi
Stefano Landi
Stefano Landi was an Italian composer and teacher of the early Baroque Roman School. He was an influential early composer of opera, and wrote the earliest opera on a historical subject: Sant'Alessio .-Biography:Landi was born in Rome, the capital of the Papal States.In 1595 he joined the Collegio...
in 1631 with a libretto by Giulio Rospigliosi
Pope Clement IX
Pope Clement IX , born Giulio Rospigliosi, was Pope from 1667 to 1669.-Early life:Born Giulio Rospigliosi to a noble family of Pistoia, Grand Duchy of Tuscany, he was a pupil of the Jesuits. After receiving his doctorate in philosophy at the University of Pisa, he taught theology there...
.
Sant'Alessio was the first opera to be written on a historical subject. It describes the inner life of fifth-century Saint Alexis. The work broke new ground with a psychological characterization of a type that was new to opera. It also contains interspersed comic scenes that are anachronistically drawn from the contemporary life of Rome in the 17th century.
Musical context
Landi's religious context, in keeping with the Counter-ReformationCounter-Reformation
The Counter-Reformation was the period of Catholic revival beginning with the Council of Trent and ending at the close of the Thirty Years' War, 1648 as a response to the Protestant Reformation.The Counter-Reformation was a comprehensive effort, composed of four major elements:#Ecclesiastical or...
spirit of Jesuit drama
Jesuit drama
Jesuit drama was a form of theatre practised in the colleges of the Society of Jesus between the sixteenth and 18th centuries, as a way of instructing students in rhetoric and imparting Roman Catholic doctrine.-History:...
s, marks a new departure in the theatre in Rome, combining antiquarian interests in ancient drama with modern musical conceptions of recitative, ensembles and occasional arias. Musically, the work has considerable variety, with elements of comedy and tragedy, and went some way towards establishing specifically Christian opera in a Rome that remained musically conservative. Singers for the opera, all male, were recruited from the Papal Chapel and included castrati. The Barberinis, noted patrons of the arts, owed their current influence to the Barberini Pope Urban VIII. The librettist, Giulio Rospigliosi, became Pope Clement IX in 1667.
The part of Sant'Alessio lies extremely high and was meant to be sung by a castrato. The accompanying orchestra is up-to-date, dispensing with the archaic viols and using violins, cellos, harps, lutes, theorbo
Theorbo
A theorbo is a plucked string instrument. As a name, theorbo signifies a number of long-necked lutes with second pegboxes, such as the liuto attiorbato, the French théorbe des pièces, the English theorbo, the archlute, the German baroque lute, the angélique or angelica. The etymology of the name...
s, and harpsichords. The opera includes introductory canzonas which function as overtures; indeed they are the first overtures in the history of opera. Dances and comic sections mix with serious arias, recitatives, and even a madrigalian lament, for an overall dramatic variety which was extremely effective, as attested by the frequent performances of the opera at the time. Sant'Alessio was one of the first staged dramatic works successfully to mix both the monodic and polyphonic styles.
Performance history
The first performance of the opera is believed to have taken place at the Palazzo BarberiniPalazzo Barberini
Palazzo Barberini is a palace in Rome, facing the piazza of the same name in Rione Trevi and is home to the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica.-History:...
ai Giubbonari, Rome, on 2 March 1631. A further performance was given at the inauguration of the theatre at the Palazzo Barberini alle Quattro Fontane on 21 February 1632.
An ambitious all-male production of the piece, directed by baroque theatre specialist Benjamin Lazar and conducted by William Christie
William Christie (musician)
William Lincoln Christie is an American-born French conductor and harpsichordist. He is noted as a specialist in baroque repertoire and as the founder of the ensemble Les Arts Florissants....
, premiered in Caen
Caen
Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
(Normandy) on October 16th, 2007. This acclaimed production involved no fewer than eight countertenors, including Philippe Jaroussky
Philippe Jaroussky
Philippe Jaroussky is a French sopranist countertenor. He began his musical career with the violin, winning an award at the Versailles conservatory and then took up the piano before turning to singing...
as Saint Alexis and Max Emanuel Cencic
Max Emanuel Cencic
Max Emanuel Cencic is a countertenor, currently based in Austria.- Early Career as a Boy Soprano :...
as his wife. One performance was broadcast in full as a live video webcast by France 3
France 3
France 3 is the second largest French public television channel and part of the France Télévisions group, which also includes France 2, France 4, France 5, and France Ô....
on October 18th, 2007.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 2 March 1631 |
|---|---|---|
| Sant'Alessio | 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... |
Angelo Ferrotti |
| Sposa | soprano | Marc'Antonio Pasqualini Marc'Antonio Pasqualini thumb|right|200px| Marcantonio Pasqualini Crowned by Apollo by [[Andrea Sacchi]].Marc'Antonio Pasqualini was an Italian castrato opera singer who performed during the Baroque period. He has been described as "the leading male soprano of his day"... |
| Curtio | soprano | |
| Angelo | soprano | |
| Roma | soprano | Paoluccio Cipriani |
| Martio | countertenor Countertenor A countertenor is a male singing voice whose vocal range is equivalent to that of a contralto, mezzo-soprano, or a soprano, usually through use of falsetto, or far more rarely than normal, modal voice. A pre-pubescent male who has this ability is called a treble... |
|
| Nuntio | countertenor | |
| Madre | mezzo-soprano Mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above... |
|
| Nutrice | mezzo-soprano | |
| Adrasto | 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... |
|
| Eufemiano | 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... |
Francesco Bianchi |
| Demonio | bass | |
| Uno del Coro | bass | |
Brief synopsis
The story of the opera begins with Saint Alexis, who has embraced a life of holy poverty, returning from the Holy Land as a beggar to his father's house in Rome. He keeps his identity a secret, even when his wife and mother decide to travel in search of him. He resists the temptations offered by the Devil, with the help of an angelAngel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
. He dies in the poverty he has chosen, under the steps of his father's house, his identity revealed in a letter he holds as he dies.
Recording
- Landi: Il Sant'Alessio (Patricia Petibon, Sophie Marin-Degor, Mhairi Lawson, Stephanie Revidat, Maryseult Wieczorek, Steve Dugardin, Armand Gavriilides, Cecile Eloir, Katalin Karolyi, Christopher Josey, Nicolas Rivenq, Clive Bayley, Bertrand Bontoux; Les Arts Les Arts florissants; Conductor William Christie). Originally recorded 1996. Label: Warner Classics