Demofonte (Berezovsky)
Il Demofonte, also: Demofonte or Demofoonte (Russian/Ukrainian: Демофонт or Демофон) is an opera seria by Ukrainian/Russian composer Maksym Berezovsky (1745-1777) composed in 1773 to the Italian libretto by Pietro Metastasio (1698-1782).
There are dozens of the operas of the same title; however this is especially important for music history as the first opera of Russian/Ukrainian professional composer.
Creation and performance history
The opera libretto "Il Demofonte" was written by Pietro Metastasio in 1731 (or 1733) and became immensely popular. By 1800 it had inspired at least 73 operas (according to the Encyclopaedia "Musical Petersburg: The 18th Century") [1]
Berezovsky worked on the opera during his 4-year stay in Italy specially for a winter carnival in Livorno (Leghorn), where a Russian flotilla was anchored. He did this upon the request of his patron, count Alexey Grigorievich Orlov, the commander-in-chief of the Russian fleet. The opera was premiered in February 1773 and was well received by the local press.
The review in the Leghorn newspaper Notizie del mondo published on February 27, 1773 noted that the “opera with music composed by Maestro Beresovsky, the Russian maestro di cappella at the service of Her Majesty the Empress of the whole Russia, combines liveliness and good taste with the possession of musical science”.
However the full score of the opera has been lost. Now the opera is preserved only in a few remaining fragments: sinfonia (that regarded as the first Symphony of a Russian/Ukrainian composer), which probably served as an introduction to the opera and four arias:
- Sinfonia in C major (1770-1773) in three short movements listen to the beginning of Sinfonia
- Aria of Demofonte “Per lei fra l’armi”
- Aria of Demofonte “Mentre il cor con meste voci”
- Aria of Timante "Prudente mi chiedi" from Act II listen to the introduction to the Aria
- Aria of Timante "Misero pargoletto" from Act III, Scene 5
It is known via Sergei Prokofiev [2] that Sergei Diaghilev had an intention to re-stage the opera; however, this plan had not been realized. The arias were published in Kiev in 1988. The recording of the Sinfonia and two Timante’s Arias now are available on a CD (MAXIM BEREZOVSKY: Secular Music, SACD CM 0022003, 54:48, see theExternal links below)
Cast
A playbill featuring the singers' names was found by Robert Aloys Mooser and published in "Annales de la Musique et des Musiciens en Russie au XVIIIe siècle" (Geneva, 1948) that says:
Demophonte, dramma seria. Musica del Sig. Maestro Berezowskoy.
Attori
- Signori:
- Giacomo Verdi
- Francesco Porri
- Giuseppe Afferri (tenore)
- Vincenzo Nicolini
- Signore:
- Camilla Mattei
- Caterina Spighi
Le balli sono inventati e diretti delli Signori Fratelli Turchi
Synopsis
Thracian king Demofonte asks the oracle of Apollo when the practice of every year sacrifices the life of a virgin will be stopped. The answer of the oracle was puzzling: "as long as the innocent usurper sits on the throne". The nobleman Matusio tries to protect his daughter Dircea from being sacrificed. He and Demofonte have no idea that Dircea is secretly married to Timante, the son of Demofonte and the heir of the thtrone. Demofonte wants Timante to merry Creusa, a princess of Phrygia. Timante's younger brother Cherinto is accompanying her to the Thracian kingdom, however falls in love with her. Meeting Creusa Timante admitted that he can't marry her, but did not explain why.
Dircea has been caught when trying to flee the country. She has been imprisoned, and Demofonte orders the immediate sacrifice of Dircea. Timante tries to release her but with no success. He is also imprisoned. Creusa asks Demofonte for mercy. The king releases Timante and Dircea, and Timante decides to give up the throne in favour of Cherinto.
Suddenly they find a letter revealing that Dircea is the daughter of Demofonte, which makes Timante and Dircea brother and sister. Timante is in despair, and trying to avoid Dircea. However another letter reveals that Timante is the son of Matusio. Everybody is happy. The marriage of Timante and Dircea becomes legal, and Cherinto is the real crown prince and can marry Creusa. No more virgins are sacrificed, since Timante is no longer the "innocent usurper of the throne".
Notes
- ^ Here is only the short list of the operas with the same title:
- Pasquale Anfossi, Demofoonte (carnivall 1773 Rome)
- Andrea Bernasconi, Demofoonte (carnival 1741 Rome)
- Antonio Boroni, [Baroni, Borroni, Buroni, Burroni] Demofoonte (carnival 1762 Torino)
- Giuseppe Brivio, Demofoonte (carnival 1738 Torino)
- Antonio Caldara, Demofoonte (1733 Vienna)
- Francesco Ciampi, Demofoonte (February 5, 1735 Rome)
- Gioacchino Cocchi, Demofoonte (1754 Venice)
- Egidio Duni [Duny], Demofoonte (May 24, 1737 London)
- Baldassare Galuppi, Demofoonte (December 18, 1749 Madrid)
- Christoph Willibald Gluck, Demofoonte (January 6, 1743 Milano)
- Francesco Mancini, Il Demofoonte (1735, Naples) [together with D. Sarro and F. Leo]
- Josef Myslivecek , Il Demofoonte (January 1769 Venice , January 20, 1775 Naples)
- Giovanni Paisiello, Demofoonte (carnival 1775 Venice)
- Antonio Pampani, Demofoonte (carnival1757 Rome)
- David Perez, Demofoonte (1752 Lisbon)
- Brizio Petrucci, Demofoonte (December 26, 1765 Ferrara)
- Niccolò Piccinni, Demofoonte (May 1761 Reggio)
- Giuseppe Sarti [Sardi], Demofoonte (January 30, 1771 Copenhagen, carnival 1782 Rome)
- Gaetano Maria Schiassi, Il Demofoonte (carnival 1735 Venice)
- ^ Нестьев И. Жизнь Сергея Прокофьева. Москва, 1973
Bibliography
- Энциклопедический словарь Брокгауза и Ефрона (1890—1907)
- Штелин, Я. Музыка и балет в России XVIII века. // Музыкальное наследство. Вып. 1. М., 1935
- Старикова, Л. М. Новые документы о деятельности итальянской труппы в России в 30-е годы XVIII века <...> // ПКНО. 1988. М., 1989
- Рыцарева, Марина Композитор Березовский, - Rytsareva, Marina Kompozitor Berezovsky, Leningrad, Muzyka, 1983