Bianca e Falliero

"Bianca e Falliero, ossia Il consiglio dei tre (Bianca and Falliero, or The Counsel of Three)" is a two-act operatic "melodramma" by Gioachino Rossini to an Italian libretto by Felice Romani. The libretto was based on Antoine-Vincent Arnault's play "Les Vénitiens, ou Blanche et Montcassin."

Performance history

The opera premiered on December 26 1819 at La Scala. Giuseppe Fioravanti, a popular basso buffo of the day and the son of composer Valentino Fioravanti, sang in the premiere. [Warrack, John & West, Ewan "Fioravanti, Valentino" "The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Opera" Oxford University Press, 1996 "Oxford Reference Online" (Retrieved on March 21, 2008), ] Carolina Bassi Manna, Italian contralto considered one of the best in her day, also created a role in this opera. [Warrack, John & West, Ewan "Bassi Manna, Carolina" "The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Opera" Oxford University Press, 1996 "Oxford Reference Online" (Retrieved on March 21, 2008), ]

The work was performed thirty times during the initial season in Milan and was performed throughout Italy and elsewhere to some extent before largely disappearing into obscurity after 1846. It was revived at the Rossini Opera Festival in Pesaro in 1986 with Katia Ricciarelli, Marilyn Horne, and Chris Merritt. [Farr, Robert. [http://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2005/Nov05/Rossini_conspectus_2.htm "The thirty-nine operas of Gioachino ROSSINI (1792-1868) A conspectus of their composition and recordings"] , "MusicWeb International", November 16 2005. Retrieved on March 22 2008.]

The opera is considered very difficult to sing due to the intensity of its coloratura writing. [Warrack, John & West, Ewan "Rossini, Gioachino" "The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Opera" Oxford University Press, 1996 "Oxford Reference Online" (Retrieved on March 21, 2008), ]

Roles

ynopsis

"Bianca e Falliero" is a tale of emotional excess and bitter strife within war-threatened Venice. Falliero, the hero, comes home after defeating the enemies of Venice only to find his beloved Bianca promised to a rival and soon to be married.

Act 1

Contareno offers his daughter Bianca in marriage to Capellio, a member of a rival clan, in an act of conciliation meant to end a long-standing family feud. Bianca, however, loves Falliero, rumoured to have recently died defending Venice from a military threat. She sings of her love for the young general in the cavatina "Della rosa il bel vermiglio". When Falliero returns from the war and Bianca rebels against her father's plan for her, Contareno threatens to ruin Falliero. The wedding ceremony begins, but Bianca refuses to marry Capellio by not signing the marriage certificate. Falliero bursts onto the scene.

Act 2

Falliero is forced to run from the scene of the wedding to escape the wrath of Bianca's father. Bianca again refuses to continue the ceremony. News arrives that Falliero has been captured and must stand trial for treason, allegedly for his contacts with a foreign power due to the fact that he was found hiding in the Spanish Embassy. Unfortunately for him, his judges are to be the Council of Three: Contareno, Capellio and Loredano. Although Falliero does not defend his actions, Bianca passionately argues on his behalf. Eventually, Bianca's impassioned pleas convince Capellio that the two lovers belong together. All ends happily.

Recycled and Reused music

The quartet during the trial scene, "Cielo, il mio labbro ispira", was reworked several times by Rossini over the years, and its popularity eventually outlasted that of the opera itself.Osbourne, Richard: "Bianca e Falliero", "Grove Music Online" ed. L. Macy (Retrieved on March 27, 2008), ] The critic Stendhal considered this quartet to be one of Rossini's finest creations. [Crutchfield, Will. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE3DA143DF93AA35751C1A961948260 "Opera: Rossini's 'Bianca'"] , "The New York Times", 1987-12-09. Retrieved on 2005-10-27.]

The composer reused music from the rondo finale of his recent, well-received opera, "La donna del lago" in this work as well.

Notes and references