''Bomarzo '' is an

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

in two acts by the Argentinian composer

Alberto Ginastera Alberto Evaristo Ginastera (; April 11, 1916June 25, 1983) was an Argentine composer of classical music. He is considered to be one of the most important 20th-century classical music, 20th-century classical composers of the Americas. Biography G ...

, his Opus 34. He set a Spanish

libretto A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to th ...

by Manuel Mujica Laínez, based on his 1962

novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...

about the 16th-century Italian eccentric Pier Francesco Orsini. The opera makes use of

twelve-tone technique The twelve-tone technique—also known as dodecaphony, twelve-tone serialism, and (in British usage) twelve-note composition—is a method of musical composition. The technique is a means of ensuring that all 12 notes of the chromatic scale ...

quarter tone A quarter tone is a pitch halfway between the usual notes of a chromatic scale or an interval about half as wide (orally, or logarithmically) as a semitone, which itself is half a whole tone. Quarter tones divide the octave by 50 cents each, a ...

s – primarily in the

harp The harp is a stringed musical instrument that has individual strings running at an angle to its soundboard; the strings are plucked with the fingers. Harps can be made and played in various ways, standing or sitting, and in orchestras or ...

parts – and controlled stochastic textures of non-synchronous repetitions of motifs and cells. Published by Boosey & Hawkes, New York, the work's two acts encompass a prelude and 15 scenes. Pola Suarez Urtubey has published an analysis of the opera with an outline of the dramatic structure.

Productions

The opera had its world premiere at the Opera Society of Washington, Washington D.C., on 19 May 1967. The same production was first given at

New York City Opera The New York City Opera (NYCO) is an American opera company located in Manhattan in New York City. The company has been active from 1943 through its 2013 bankruptcy, and again since 2016 when it was revived. The opera company, dubbed "the peopl ...

on 14 March 1968. The work had been scheduled for its first performance in Argentina on 4 August 1967 at the Teatro Colón, but the Argentine de facto president, Juan Carlos Onganía, had banned the production, objecting to the sexual content of the story. The first performance in

Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...

did not occur until 1972, with the composer in attendance. The first UK production was by the

English National Opera English National Opera (ENO) is a British opera company based in London, resident at the London Coliseum in St Martin's Lane. It is one of the two principal opera companies in London, along with The Royal Opera. ENO's productions are sung in E ...

on 3 November 1976, in an English translation by Lionel Salter. The first production in Spain was at the

Teatro Real The Teatro Real () is an opera house in Madrid, Spain. Located at the Plaza de Oriente, opposite the Royal Palace, and known colloquially as "''El Real''" (The Royal One). it is considered the top institution of the performing and musical arts ...

, Madrid, on 24 April 2017 with John Daszak in the title role, as a joint production by Pierre Audi with the

Dutch National Opera The Dutch National Opera (DNO; formerly De Nederlandse Opera, now De Nationale Opera in Dutch) is a Dutch opera company based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Its present home base is the Dutch National Opera & Ballet housed in the Stopera building, a m ...

Roles

* Pier Francesco Orsini, Duke of Bomarzo (tenor) * Girolamo, elder brother of Pier Francesco (baritone) * Maerbale, younger brother of Pier Francesco (baritone) * Bomarzo's father (bass) * Diana Orsini, Bomarzo's grandmother (contralto) * Pantasilea, courtesan of Florence (mezzo-soprano) * Julia Farnese, the Duke's wife (soprano) * Silvio de Narni, alchemist to the Duke (baritone) * Abul, slave to Bomarzo (silent role) * Nicolás, nephew to Bomarzo (tenor or alto) * A messenger (baritone) * A shepherd (boy soprano) * Pier Francesco, Girolamo and Maerbale as children (child speakers) * A skeleton (dancer)

Synopsis

Pier Francesco Orsini, the Duke of Bomarzo, a stunted hunchback, drinks what his astrologer Silvio de Narni claims to be a magic potion that will grant the Duke immortality. However, the drink turns out to be poisoned. After the poison starts to work, Bomarzo begins to recall his life in a series of flashbacks. His father drags the young Pier Francesco into a room where a large skeleton dances and haunts him. Later, his father falls in battle. In Florence, the young, virginal Pier Francesco goes to see to the courtesan Pantasilea. However, he sees his image in her room of mirrors, to his disturbance. Pier Francesco's brother Girolamo falls from a cliff and dies, and Pier Francesco becomes the new Duke of Bomarzo. He meets Julia Farnese, who prefers Bomarzo's brother Maerbale, to his anger. At a dance festival, the Duke experiences various dreams. While courting Julia, he spills a glass of red wine on her dress, which he interprets as a premonition of death. Bomarzo and Julia eventually marry, but Bomarzo then becomes impotent. As time passes, the Duke creates large stone sculptures on his estate, symbolic of his tortured feelings. He starts to think that Julia is betraying him with Maerbale. The Duke orders his slave Abul to kill his brother. The astrologer Silvio mixes the magic potion as Bomarzo's nephew Nicolás watches. Nicolás then poisons the drink. After he drinks the potion, the Duke dies.

Recording

* CBS 32 310006: Salvador Novoa, Isabel Penagos, Joanna Simon, Claramae Turner, Brent Ellis, Richard Torigi, Michael Devlin; Joaquin Romaguera; Chorus and Orchestra of the Washington Opera Society; Julius Rudel, conductor, 1967Lewis Foreman, "Ginastera: A Discography". ''Tempo'' (New Ser.), 118(18), 17-22 (1976).

References

External links

Boosey & Hawkes page on ''Bomarzo''

Opera America page on ''Bomarzo''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bomarzo (Opera) Operas by Alberto Ginastera Spanish-language operas Operas 1967 operas Operas set in Italy Operas based on novels Operas set in the 16th century