FULL La liberazione di Ruggiero dall’isola d’Alcina (Caccini) Alessandria 2019 Cristina Mosca, Zhe Xu, Zixin Luo
Information on the Performance
- Work Title: La liberazione di Ruggiero dall’isola d’Alcina
- Composer: Caccini Francesca
- Libretto: Ferdinando Saracinelli Libretto Text, Libretto Index
- Venue & Opera Company: Cortile di Palazzo Cuttica, Alessandria, Italy, Conservatorio di Musica “Antonio Vivaldi”
- Recorded: June 20, 2019
- Type: Staged Opera Live
- Singers: Cristina Mosca, Zhe Xu, Zixin Luo, Yurou Li, Roberto Filippo Romeo, Takuya Suzuki, Sumireko Inui, Angelica Lapadula
- Conductor: Marco Berrini
- Orchestra:
- Chorus Master: Sabino Manzo
- Stage Director: Luca Valentino
- Costume Designer:
Information about the Recording
- Format: Streaming
- Quality Video: 4 Audio:4
- Subtitles: nosubs
- Video Recording from: YouTube FULL VIDEO
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS PERFORMANCE
Quote from operaincasa.com
On February 3, 1625 at the Villa of Poggio Imperiale was represented The liberation of Ruggiero from the island of Alcina by Francesca Caccini (1587-1640), known as the “Cecchina”. Singer, harpsichordist and composer, daughter of the more famous Giulio Caccini, one of the founders of the Camerata de’ Bardi and author of a Euridice (1602), Francesca will be the first woman to compose an opera – and for a very long time the only one.
Written to a libretto by Ferdinando Sarcinelli, the work is one of the few that has survived from his conspicuous production. Consisting of 31 musical numbers divided into a prologue and four scenes with dances, it is among the first attempts to set Ariosto’s story to music. The occasion of the composition was the visit of Prince Ladislaus of Poland and Sweden, future king as Sigismund IV, and of his engagement with Margherita, favorite nephew of the Grand Duchess of Tuscany Magdalene, widow of Cosimo I de ‘Medici. For the record, the wedding never took place.
Prologue. Neptune invites the other sea deities to sing in praise of the visiting Polish royal host. The spirit of the Vistula River and a chorus of other deities call upon Apollo to aid them in this praise. Neptune introduces the story of Roger.
Scene I. The enchantress Melissa, riding a dolphin, approaches the island of Alcina. She learned from Merlino and it was he who informed her of the fate of Bradamante and Ruggero to become the founders of the Este dynasty. Melissa therefore decided to help Bradamante in the quest to be reunited with her lover Ruggero by freeing him from Alcina’s spells.
Scene II. Alcina, an old sorceress, magically appears young and beautiful and has thus enchanted Ruggero. When Alcina is tired of her numerous lovers, she transforms them into trees. Alcina’s bridesmaids leave Ruggero until his return. A shepherd tells of his love for her and a siren on the waves sings the delights of love to Ruggero. Roger falls asleep. Melissa, disguised as Atlante, an old African sorcerer who had lovingly raised Ruggero, reveals to him the true nature of Alcina and invites him to return to the warrior he once was. Ruggero then decides to leave Alcina while the enchanted plants beg him not to leave them at the mercy of the sorceress. Melissa promises to ensure their safety. Alcina returns with premonitions of her fate. A messenger says she has seen Ruggero with a hoary old man (Melissa in disguise) and that now the young man remembers his love for Bradamante and has decided to leave Alcina who comes out full of anger. Ruggero expresses his joy at freedom and reminds Melissa to free Astolfo and the other enchanted plants before leaving the island.
Scene III. The sea is on fire and Alcina enters a boat made of whalebone and threatens Ruggero with the rage of a scorned woman. A chorus of monsters demand vengeance on her behalf. Astolfo, freed by Melissa from Alcina’s spell that had transformed him into myrtle, wonders how to escape from the island. Melissa reassures him: they will all fly away with his help. His power is much stronger than Alcina. The sorceress accepts defeat as her fate is against her.
Scene IV. Alcina, in the boat that transforms into a sea monster with wings, takes off and flees. The whole scene transitions to rocky cliffs.