Sancia di Castiglia

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Sancia di Castiglia
Opera seria by Gaetano Donizetti
Gaetano Donizetti 1.jpg
Gaetano Donizetti c. 1835
LibrettistPietro Salatino
LanguageItalian
Premiere
4 November 1832 (1832-11-04)

Sancia di Castiglia is an Italian opera seria in two acts by Gaetano Donizetti to a libretto by Pietro Salatino. It was first performed at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples on 4 November 1832, conducted by Nicola Festa.

Contents

Roles

Roles, voice types, premiere cast
Role Voice type Premiere cast, 4 November 1832 [1]
Conductor: Nicola Festa
Sancia soprano Giuseppina Ronzi de Begnis
Garzia, her son mezzo-soprano Diomilla Santolini
Ircano bass Luigi Lablache
Rodrigo tenor Giovanni Basadonna
Elvirasoprano Edvige Ricci

Synopsis

Place: Castile, Spain
Time: The Middle Ages

Sancia, Queen of Castile, [lower-alpha 1] whose husband has been killed in battle, also believes that her son, Garcia, has been killed. She plans to marry the Saracen prince, Ircano, against the advice of her minister, Rodrigo. When Garcia, having survived an assassination attempt instigated by Ircano, reappears to claim the throne, Ircano tells Sancia that he will marry her only if she poisons her son. Garcia is about to drink from the poisoned goblet when a suddenly repentant Sancia snatches it and drinks it herself. She dies pleading for her son's forgiveness.

Recordings

YearCast: Sancia,
Ircano,
Rodrigo
Conductor,
opera house and orchestra
Label [2]
1992 Montserrat Caballé,
Boris Martinovich,
José Sempere
José M. Collado,
Coro del Teatro Lírico Nacional. Orquesta Sinfónica de Madrid
(Recording of a concert performance in the Teatro de la Zarzuela, Madrid, 9 February)
CD: House of Opera
Cat: CD 192

Notes and references

  1. There were two Queens Sancha of Castile, and Sancha of León had a son García II of Galicia, but the plot is unrelated to those.
  1. Casaglia, Gherardo (2005). "Sancia di Castiglia, 4 November 1832" . L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia (in Italian).
  2. Source for recording information: operadis-opera-discography.org.uk

Further reading

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