''La vestale'' (''The Vestal Virgin'') is an

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

composed by

Gaspare Spontini Gaspare Luigi Pacifico Spontini (14 November 177424 January 1851) was an Italian opera composer and conductor from the classical era. Biography Born in Maiolati, Papal State (now Maiolati Spontini, Province of Ancona), he spent most of his ...

to a French

libretto A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major li ...

Étienne de Jouy Étienne, a French analog of Stephen or Steven, is a masculine given name. An archaic variant of the name, prevalent up to the mid-17th century, is Estienne. Étienne, Etienne, Ettiene or Ettienne may refer to: People Scientists and inventors ...

. It takes the form of a ''

tragédie lyrique This is a glossary list of opera genres, giving alternative names. "Opera" is an Italian word (short for "opera in musica"); it was not at first ''commonly'' used in Italy (or in other countries) to refer to the genre of particular works. Most c ...

'' in three acts. It was first performed on 15 December 1807 by the Académie Impériale de Musique (

Paris Opera The Paris Opera (, ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be ...

) at the Salle Montansier and is regarded as Spontini's masterpiece. The musical style shows the influence of

Gluck Christoph Willibald (Ritter von) Gluck (; 2 July 1714 – 15 November 1787) was a composer of Italian and French opera in the early classical period. Born in the Upper Palatinate and raised in Bohemia, both part of the Holy Roman Empire, he ...

and anticipates the works of Berlioz,

Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...

, and French

Grand opera Grand opera is a genre of 19th-century opera generally in four or five acts, characterized by large-scale casts and orchestras, and (in their original productions) lavish and spectacular design and stage effects, normally with plots based on o ...

Composition history

Spontini had finished ''La vestale'' by the summer of 1805 but had faced opposition from leading members of the Opéra and rivalry from fellow composers.Del Teatro The premiere was made possible with the help of Spontini's patron, the

Empress Joséphine Joséphine Bonaparte (, born Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie; 23 June 1763 – 29 May 1814) was Empress of the French as the first wife of Emperor Napoleon I from 18 May 1804 until their marriage was annulled on 10 January 1810 ...

, but only after being rearranged by Jean-Baptiste Rey and

Louis-Luc Loiseau de Persuis Louis-Luc Loiseau de Persuis (4 July 1769 – 20 December 1819) was a French violinist, conductor, choirmaster, teacher, composer, and theatre director. After commencing his studies of music in his hometown of Metz, Persuis moved to Paris in 1787, ...

. ''La vestale'' was an enormous success, enjoying over two hundred performances by 1830.

Performance history

Its fame soon spread abroad; it appeared in Naples and in Vienna in 1811. The full piano score with lyrics in French and German was sold in Germany in 1812, as well as the score for an aria and a duet. In 1814 the opera was performed in Budapest. followed by Stockholm in 1823. It was premiered in the United States in French at

Théâtre d'Orléans The Théâtre d'Orléans (English: Orleans Theatre) was the most important opera house in New Orleans in the first half of the 19th century. The company performed in French and gave the American premieres of many French operas. It was located on ...

in New Orleans on 17 February 1828. Wagner conducted the work in Dresden in 1844 with Wilhelmine Schröder-Devrient.Kaminski 2003: Spontini: ''La Vestale'', p. 1434 Important 20th-century revivals include those for

Rosa Ponselle Rosa Melba Ponzillo, known as Rosa Ponselle (January 22, 1897 – May 25, 1981) was an American operatic soprano. She sang mainly at the New York Metropolitan Opera and is generally considered to have been one of the greatest sopranos of the 20t ...

at the Met in 1925-26 and the

Maggio Musicale Fiorentino The Maggio Musicale Fiorentino (English: Florence Musical May) is an annual Italian arts festival in Florence, including a notable opera festival, under the auspices of the Opera di Firenze. The festival occurs between late April into June annual ...

in 1933, for

Maria Caniglia Maria Caniglia (5 May 1905 – 16 April 1979) was one of the leading Italian spinto sopranos of the 1930s and 1940s. Life and career Caniglia was born in Naples and studied at the Music Conservatories of Naples with Agostino Roche. She made ...

in Rome, 1942, and the 1954 production at

La Scala La Scala (, , ; abbreviation in Italian of the official name ) is a famous opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the ' (New Royal-Ducal Theatre alla Scala). The premiere performan ...

with

Maria Callas Maria Callas . (born Sophie Cecilia Kalos; December 2, 1923 – September 16, 1977) was an American-born Greek soprano who was one of the most renowned and influential opera singers of the 20th century. Many critics praised her ''bel cant ...

in the title role, which was the first opera staging by the film director

Luchino Visconti Luchino Visconti di Modrone, Count of Lonate Pozzolo (; 2 November 1906 – 17 March 1976) was an Italian filmmaker, stage director, and screenwriter. A major figure of Italian art and culture in the mid-20th century, Visconti was one of the ...

. There followed other revivals for leading sopranos;

Leyla Gencer Ayşe Leyla Gencer (, née Çeyrekgil; 10 October 192810 May 2008) was a Turkish operatic soprano. Gencer was a notable ''bel canto'' soprano who spent most of her career in Italy, from the early 1950s through the mid-1980s, and had a reperto ...

in Palermo, 1969 and Rome, 1973;

Renata Scotto Renata Scotto (born 24 February 1934) is an Italian soprano and opera director. Recognized for her sense of style, her musicality, and as a remarkable singer-actress, Scotto is considered one of the preeminent singers of her generation. Since ...

in Florence, 1970;

Montserrat Caballé Montserrat Caballé i Folch or Folc (full name: María de Montserrat Bibiana Concepción Caballé i Folch (, , ; (12 April 1933 – 6 October 2018), known simply as Montserrat Caballé, was a Catalan Spanish operatic soprano. She sang a wide v ...

in Barcelona in 1982; and

Raina Kabaivanska Raina Yakimova Kabaivanska ( bg, Райна Якимова Кабаиванска); born 15 December 1934) is a Bulgarian opera singer, one of the leading lirico-spinto sopranos of her generation, particularly associated with Verdi and Pucci ...

in Genoa in 1984. Muti reproduced the original version at La Scala in 1993, and English National Opera mounted the opera in London in 2002. A very memorable performance, on a slippery stage, on the last night of the Wexford Opera Festival in 1979 is described by

Bernard Levin Henry Bernard Levin (19 August 1928 – 7 August 2004) was an English journalist, author and broadcaster, described by ''The Times'' as "the most famous journalist of his day". The son of a poor Jewish family in London, he won a scholarship t ...

. ''La vestale'' is famous in historical terms but is only very infrequently performed. Two of its arias (translated to Italian and recorded by

and

), "Tu che invoco" and "O nume tutelar", are better known than the work as a whole. In recognition of its role in the development of Richard Wagner's third opera, ''

Rienzi ' (''Rienzi, the last of the tribunes''; WWV 49) is an early opera by Richard Wagner in five acts, with the libretto written by the composer after Edward Bulwer-Lytton's novel of the same name (1835). The title is commonly shortened to ''Ri ...

'', it was performed in concert form in Dresden's

Semperoper The Semperoper () is the opera house of the Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden (Saxon State Opera) and the concert hall of the Staatskapelle Dresden (Saxon State Orchestra). It is also home to the Semperoper Ballett. The building is located on the ...

in the Summer of 2013, conducted by Gabriele Ferro and starring

Francisco Araiza José Francisco Araiza Andrade (born 4 October 1950), is a Mexican operatic tenor and lied singer who has sung as soloist in leading concert halls and in leading tenor operatic roles in the major opera houses of Europe and North America during t ...

as Cinna, Maria Agresta as Julia, and baritone Christopher Magiera as Licinius. A parody was staged in Paris in 1808, set in a hatmaker's shop.

Roles

Synopsis

:Place: Rome :About 269 BC

Act 1

Returning to Rome after a victorious campaign, Licinius finds his beloved Julia has become a priestess of Vesta. Although Julia attempts to avoid going to Licinius's

triumph The Roman triumph (Latin triumphus) was a celebration for a victorious military commander in ancient Rome. For later imitations, in life or in art, see Trionfo. Numerous later uses of the term, up to the present, are derived directly or indirectl ...

, she is delegated to present him with a wreath. He tells her that he intends to kidnap and reclaim her.

Act 2

In the temple of Vesta, Julia guards the eternal flame and prays to be freed of temptation. Licinius arrives; during their rapturous reconciliation, the flame expires. Licinius is advised by Cinna to flee. Julia is interrogated by the high priest but refuses to name Licinius. She is sentenced to death for licentiousness.

Act 3

Despite the pleas of Licinius, Julia is to be buried alive; even when he admits his intrusion to the Temple, Julia claims not to recognise him. A

thunderstorm A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere, known as thunder. Relatively weak thunderstorms are some ...

ensues, during which

lightning Lightning is a naturally occurring electrostatic discharge during which two electrically charged regions, both in the atmosphere or with one on the ground, temporarily neutralize themselves, causing the instantaneous release of an avera ...

reignites the sacred flame. Recognising this as a sign from the Gods, the High Priest and Vestal Priestess release Julia who is then married to Licinius.

Recordings

*Sung in Italian – , Elena Nicolai, Renato Gavarini, Alfredo Fineschi, Giuliano Ferrein, Albino Gagi – Chorus and Orchestra della Rai di Roma, conducted by Fernando Previtali (Warner Fonit, 1951) *Sung in Italian –

Ebe Stignani Ebe Stignani (10 July 1903 – 5 October 1974) was an Italian opera singer, who was pre-eminent in the dramatic mezzo-soprano roles of the Italian repertoire during a stage career of more than thirty years. Career Born in Naples in 1903 (some so ...

, Franco Corelli, Rossi-Lemeni, Sordello – Teatro alla Scala Chorus and Orchestra, Milano, conducted by Antonino Votto (Warner Classics, 1954) *Sung in Italian –

Franca Mattiucci Franca Mattiucci (Rome, 1938) is an Italian operatic mezzo-soprano who had an active international career from 1963 to 1987. In her native country she made appearances at the Arena di Verona Festival, the Baths of Caracalla, La Fenice, La Scala ...

, Robleto Merolla, Teatro Massimo di Palermo orchestra and chorus conducted by Fernando Previtali (1969 various labels) *Sung in French –

Rosalind Plowright Rosalind Anne Plowright (born 21 May 1949) is an English opera singer who spent much of her career as a soprano but in 1999 changed to the mezzo-soprano range. Life and career Rosalind Plowright was born in Worksop and studied at the Royal ...

, Gisella Pasino,

, Bavarian Radio Chorus, Munich Radio Orchestra, conducted by

Gustav Kuhn Gustav Kuhn (born 28 August 1945) is an Austrian conductor and manager, also a composer, and a teacher and author. During his international conducting career, he founded the later "Accademia di Montegral" for young musicians and singers in 1987, ...

(Orfeo, 1991) *Sung in French – Karen Huffstodt,

Denyce Graves Denyce Graves (born March 7, 1964) is an American mezzo-soprano opera singer. Early life Graves was born on March 7, 1964, in Washington, D.C., to Charles Graves and Dorothy (Middleton) Graves-Kenner. She is the middle of three children and ...

Anthony Michaels-Moore Anthony Michaels-Moore (born 8 April 1957) is an English operatic baritone and the first British winner of the Luciano Pavarotti International Voice Competition (Philadelphia, 1985). Michaels-Moore has since performed in many of the world's major ...

, Dimitri Kavrakos, Chorus and Orchestra of

, conducted by

Riccardo Muti Riccardo Muti, (; born 28 July 1941) is an Italian conductor. He currently holds two music directorships, at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and at the Orchestra Giovanile Luigi Cherubini. Muti has previously held posts at the Maggio Musicale ...

(Sony, 1993)Source of some of the recordings in this list: operadis-opera-discography.org.uk
/ref>

References

Notes Sources *Original score: ''La Vestale, tragédie lyrique en 3 actes de M. Jouy, mise en musique par Gaspard Spontini'', Paris, Pacini, s.d.
online
Gallica – BNF) *Barbier, Patrick (1995), ''Opera in Paris 1800–1850''

Amadeus Press Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group is an independent publishing house founded in 1949. Under several imprints, the company offers scholarly books for the academic market, as well as trade books. The company also owns the book distributing compa ...

. * Castil-Blaze (1855), ''L'Academie imperiale de musique'', Vol. II, Paris:
DelTeatro.it: background, synopsis for ''La vestale''
*Faul, Michel (2009), ''Les aventures militaires, littéraires et autres de Étienne de Jouy de l'Académie française'', Éditions Seguier. * Gerhard, Anselm, ''Vestale, La'', in

Sadie, Stanley Stanley John Sadie (; 30 October 1930 – 21 March 2005) was an influential and prolific British musicologist, music critic, and editor. He was editor of the sixth edition of the '' Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' (1980), which was publ ...

(ed.) (1997). ''

The New Grove Dictionary of Opera ''The New Grove Dictionary of Opera'' is an encyclopedia of opera, considered to be one of the best general reference sources on the subject. It is the largest work on opera in English, and in its printed form, amounts to 5,448 pages in four volu ...

'', Grove (Oxford University Press), New York, 1997, IV, . * Holden, Amanda (ed.) (2001), ''The New Penguin Opera Guide'', New York:

Penguin Putnam Penguin Group is a British trade book publisher and part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by the German media conglomerate Bertelsmann. The new company was created by a merger that was finalised on 1 July 2013, with Bertelsmann initially ...

. *Kaminski, Piotr (2003), ''Mille et un opéras'', Les indispensables de la musique (in French), Paris:

Fayard Fayard (complete name: ''Librairie Arthème Fayard'') is a French Paris-based publishing house established in 1857. Fayard is controlled by Hachette Livre. In 1999, Éditions Pauvert became part of Fayard. Claude Durand was director of Fayard ...

. * Levin, Bernard, ''Conducted Tour'', London: Jonathan Cape, 1981, ch. 12, pp. 208–213.; 1983, *

Warrack, John John Hamilton Warrack (born 1928, in London) is an English music critic, writer on music, and oboist. Warrack is the son of Scottish conductor and composer Guy Warrack. He was educated at Winchester College (1941-6) and then at the Royal College o ...

; West, Ewan (1992). ''The Oxford Dictionary of Opera''. Oxford:

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...

. .

External links

*
Score
University Library, Goethe University Frankfurt
About Étienne de Jouy who wrote ''La vestale''
* ,

* ,

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vestale, La 1807 operas Works set in the 3rd century BC Operas set in ancient Rome Operas by Gaspare Spontini French-language operas Operas Vesta (mythology)