Satyricon (opera)
Encyclopedia
Satyricon is a chamber opera
by Bruno Maderna
with a libretto adapted by Ian Strasfogel and the composer from Petronius
. It was written during Maderna's last illness in 1973 and premièred as part of the Holland Festival
on 16 March 1976, in Scheveningen, The Netherlands.
The work consists of 16 unordered numbers (with the option of placing taped numbers between them) and the collage
effect extends to the music, which relies heavily on pastiche
. It is uncertain to what extent this "open" form was a product of the composer’s inclination to semi-improvisational music theatre, or to the urgency of composition at a time when Maderna’s terminal illness was increasingly becoming evident (Fearn 1992). There are four singers, employing respectively English & German, French, wordless vocalise
, and Latin: the host Trimalchio (tenor
, doubling as the merchant Habinnas), his wife Fortunata (mezzo-soprano
), Criside (Soprano
), and Eumolpus (Bass). At its premiere, the role of Fortunata was created by Débria Brown
. It is suggested that tape music
may be used between scenes; the 2004 revival in Darmstadt
included dialogue and a number of additional spoken roles.
. London: Macmillan Publishers, 1992. ISBN 0333485521.)
Chamber opera
Chamber opera is a designation for operas written to be performed with a chamber ensemble rather than a full orchestra.The term and form were invented by Benjamin Britten in the 1940s, when the English Opera Group needed works that could easily be taken on tour and performed in a variety of small...
by Bruno Maderna
Bruno Maderna
Bruno Maderna was an Italian conductor and composer. For the last ten years of his life he lived in Germany and eventually became a citizen of that country.-Biography:...
with a libretto adapted by Ian Strasfogel and the composer from Petronius
Petronius
Gaius Petronius Arbiter was a Roman courtier during the reign of Nero. He is generally believed to be the author of the Satyricon, a satirical novel believed to have been written during the Neronian age.-Life:...
. It was written during Maderna's last illness in 1973 and premièred as part of the Holland Festival
Holland Festival
The Holland Festival is The Netherlands' oldest and largest performing arts festival, and takes place every June in Amsterdam. It comprises theater, music, opera and modern dance. In recent years, multimedia, visual arts, film and architecture were added to the festival roster...
on 16 March 1976, in Scheveningen, The Netherlands.
The work consists of 16 unordered numbers (with the option of placing taped numbers between them) and the collage
Collage
A collage is a work of formal art, primarily in the visual arts, made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole....
effect extends to the music, which relies heavily on pastiche
Pastiche
A pastiche is a literary or other artistic genre or technique that is a "hodge-podge" or imitation. The word is also a linguistic term used to describe an early stage in the development of a pidgin language.-Hodge-podge:...
. It is uncertain to what extent this "open" form was a product of the composer’s inclination to semi-improvisational music theatre, or to the urgency of composition at a time when Maderna’s terminal illness was increasingly becoming evident (Fearn 1992). There are four singers, employing respectively English & German, French, wordless vocalise
Vocalise
A vocalise is a vocal exercise without words, which is sung on one or more vowel sounds.-In classical music:Vocalise dates back to the mid-18th century...
, and Latin: the host Trimalchio (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...
, doubling as the merchant Habinnas), his wife Fortunata (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...
), Criside (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...
), and Eumolpus (Bass). At its premiere, the role of Fortunata was created by Débria Brown
Débria Brown
Débria M. Brown was an American operatic mezzo-soprano who had an active international career that spanned five decades. She was part of the first generation of black opera singers to achieve wide success and is viewed as part of an instrumental group of performers who helped break down the...
. It is suggested that tape music
Tape Music
Tape Music is an experimental 10" vinyl release by Jack Dangers. The vinyl release was coupled with the album Sounds Of The 20th Century No2 when released as a flexi disc vinyl....
may be used between scenes; the 2004 revival in Darmstadt
Darmstadt
Darmstadt is a city in the Bundesland of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine Main Area.The sandy soils in the Darmstadt area, ill-suited for agriculture in times before industrial fertilisation, prevented any larger settlement from developing, until the city became the seat...
included dialogue and a number of additional spoken roles.
Sources
(Reprinted from The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, 4 vols., edited by Stanley SadieStanley Sadie
Stanley Sadie CBE was a leading British musicologist, music critic, and editor. He was editor of the sixth edition of the Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians , which was published as the first edition of the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.Sadie was educated at St Paul's School,...
. London: Macmillan Publishers, 1992. ISBN 0333485521.)
- Knessl, Lothar. 2001. "Zu Bruno Madernas Satyricon". In Stimme und Wort in der Musik des 20. Jahrhunderts, edited by Hartmut Krones. Wiener Schriften zur Stilkunde und Aufführungspraxis: Sonderreihe “Symposien zu Wien Modern” 1. Vienna: Böhlau, 2001. ISBN 320599387X
- Maderna, Bruno. 1992. Satyricon. Salambert SCD9101. Paul Sperry, Milagro VargasMilagro VargasMilagro Vargas is an American mezzo-soprano known for her distinctive voice and stage presence. She has appeared as an international soloist in operatic, orchestral, chamber music and recital settings.-Family Background and Studies:...
, Liliana Oliveri, Aurio Tomicich, conducted by Sandro Gorli, Divertimento Ensemble. - Maderna, Bruno. 2003. "Entretien à la radio hollandaise NOS après le Satyricon", French translation by Laurent Feneyrou. In Musique et dramaturgie: Esthétique de la représentation au XXe siècle, edited by Laurent Feneyrou, 595–98. Esthétique 7. Paris: Publications de la Sorbonne. ISBN 2859444726. Originally published in Italian in Bruno Maderna: Documenti, edited by Mario Baroni, Rossana Dalmonte, and Francesca Magnani. Atti del Convegno Internazionale Bruno Maderna. Milan: Suvini Zerboni, 1985.
- Mathon, Geneviève. 1997. "Une esthétique de la fragmentation: Le Satyricon de Bruno Maderna". Les Cahiers du CIREM, nos. 40–41 (September): 166–70.
- Mathon, Geneviève. 2003. "À propos du Satyricon de Bruno Maderna". In Musique et dramaturgie: Esthétique de la représentation au XXe siècle, edited by Laurent Feneyrou, 571–93. Esthétique 7. Paris: Publications de la Sorbonne. ISBN 2859444726
- Poel, Piet Hein van de. 2003. "Bruno Maderna sur le Satyricon: 'Pop art' en musique", translated by Rosalie Siblesz. In Musique et dramaturgie: Esthétique de la représentation au XXe siècle, edited by Laurent Feneyrou, 599–601. Esthétique 7. Paris: Publications de la Sorbonne. ISBN 2859444726