Torquato Tasso (opera)

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Torquato Tasso
Opera by Gaetano Donizetti
Gaetano Donizetti 1.jpg
Gaetano Donizetti c. 1835
Librettist Jacopo Ferretti
LanguageItalian
Based onLife of Torquato Tasso
Premiere
9 September 1833 (1833-09-09)

Torquato Tasso is a melodramma semiserio, or "semi-serious" opera, in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti and based on the life of the great poet Torquato Tasso. The Italian libretto was written by Jacopo Ferretti, who used a number of sources for his text, including works by Giovanni Rosini, Goethe, Goldoni and Lord Byron, as well as Tasso's actual poetry. It premiered on 9 September 1833 at the Teatro Valle, Rome.

Contents

The work has been criticized for "its odd deployment of vocal types" [1] characteristic of the semiseria genre.

Roles

RoleVoice typePremiere Cast, 9 September 1833
(Conductor: - )
Eleonora, Duke Alfonso's sister soprano Adelina Spech-Salvi
Eleonora, Countess of Scandiano mezzo-soprano Angiolina Carocci
Torquato Tasso baritone Giorgio Ronconi
Roberto Geraldini, the duke's secretary tenor Antonio Poggi
Don Gherardo bass Ferdinando Lauretti
Ambrogio, Torquato's servanttenorLuigi Garofalo
Alfonso II, Duke of Ferrarabass Antonio Rinaldi
Pages, knights

Synopsis

Time: 16th century
Place: Ferrara, Northern Italy [2]

Recordings

YearCast
(Torquato Tasso, Eleanore d'Este, Roberto, Don Gherhardo)
Conductor,
Opera House and Orchestra
Label [3]
1974 Christian du Plessis,
Janet Price,
Bruce Brewer,
Andrea Snarski
Kenneth Montgomery,
Opera Rara Orchestra and Chorus
(Recording of a performance in the Collegiate Theatre, London as part of the Camden Festival on 27 February and 1 and 2 March)
Audio CD: Celestial Audio
Cat: CA 247
1985 Simone Alaimo,
Luciana Serra,
Ernesto Palacio,
Roberto Coviello
Massimo De Bernart
Orchestra and chorus of Teatro Comunale, Genova
Audio CD: Bongiovanni
Cat: GB 2028/0-2

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References

Notes

  1. Ashbrook 1998, p. 762
  2. Osborne, p. 220
  3. Source for recording information: operadis-opera-discography.org.uk

Cited sources

Other sources