| Maria, regina d'Inghilterra | |
|---|---|
| Opera by Giovanni Pacini | |
 Pacini | |
| Librettist | Leopoldo Tarantini |
| Language | Italian |
| Based on | Marie Tudor by Victor Hugo |
| Premiere | |
Maria, regina d'Inghilterra (Mary Tudor, Queen of England) is an Italian opera in three acts, composed by Giovanni Pacini from a libretto by Leopoldo Tarantini, which was based on the 1833 play Marie Tudor by Victor Hugo. It was given its first performance at the Teatro Carolino, in Palermo, on 11 February 1843.
The opera was greeted with considerable acclaim at its creation. After a decade or so, it lost its popularity and disappeared from the stage until its revival by Opera Rara at the Bloomsbury Theatre in London as part of the Camden Festival on 23 March 1983. [1]
Between March and May 2012, the opera was performed at the City Theater of Giessen in Germany. [2]
Odyssey Opera mounted a fully staged production on 1 and 3 November 2019 at the Huntington Theater in Boston. [3]
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast (Conductor: -) |
|---|---|---|
| Maria, Queen of England | soprano | Antonietta Marini-Rainieri |
| Riccardo Fenimoore | tenor | Nicola Ivanoff |
| Clotilde Talbot | soprano | Teresa Merli-Clerici |
| Ernesto Malcolm | baritone | Antonio Superchi |
| Gualtiero Churchill | bass | Antonio Benciolini |
Mary I of England is infatuated with the Scottish adventurer Riccardo Fenimoore, whom she has ennobled as Lord Talbot, but he is unfaithful to her having seduced the foundling Clotilde, who is the only surviving child of the late Earl of Talbot. She has been raised and is now betrothed to the adoring Ernesto Malcolm, a commoner. Gualtiero Churchill, the Lord Chancellor, wants to protect the Queen by bringing Riccardo down, so he tells the Queen of Talbot's duplicity, and also reveals his knowledge that Clotilde is actually heir to the Talbot name. The Queen condemns Fenimoore to death but repents and orders Clotilde to help release him. However, to the dismay of the Queen, Churchill sees to it that the execution is carried out.
| Year | Cast: (Mary, Riccardo, Clotilde, Ernesto) | Conductor, Opera House and Orchestra | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Nelly Miricioiu, Bruce Ford, Mary Plazas, José Fardilha | David Parry, Philharmonia Orchestra and the Geoffrey Mitchell Choir | Audio CD: Opera Rara ORC15 |
Giovanni Pacini was an Italian composer, best known for his operas. Pacini was born in Catania, Sicily, the son of the buffo Luigi Pacini, who was to appear in the premieres of many of Giovanni's operas. The family was of Tuscan origin, living in Catania when the composer was born.
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Maria Stuarda is a tragic opera, in two acts, by Gaetano Donizetti, to a libretto by Giuseppe Bardari, based on Andrea Maffei's translation of Friedrich Schiller's 1800 play Maria Stuart.
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Opera Rara is a London-based opera company and recording label which specialises in recording and performing forgotten operatic repertoire from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Founded in 1970 by bel canto enthusiasts Patric Schmid and Don White, Opera Rara's recordings are internationally distributed by Warner Classics. In September 2019, Italian conductor Carlo Rizzi succeeded Sir Mark Elder as Artistic Director.
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Raffaele Ferlotti was an Italian operatic baritone who had an active international career from the 1830s through the 1860s. He was a regular performer in Italy's leading opera houses, especially La Scala, and created roles in several world premieres. On the international stage he performed in operas in Austria, England, France, and Spain.
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