''Eduardo e Cristina'' () 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 ...

tic ''dramma'' in two acts by Gioachino Rossini to an Italian

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 ...

originally written by Giovanni Schmidt for ''Odoardo e Cristina'' (1810), an opera by Stefano Pavesi, and adapted for Rossini by Andrea Leone Tottola and Gherardo Bevilacqua-Aldobrandini. This pastiche work was composed in a great hurry for a first performance arranged less than a month after the premiere of '' Ermione''. Rossini borrowed "19 of the 26 musical numbers"Osborne, Charles 1994, p. 92 from his other works, including '' Adelaide di Borgogna'', '' Ricciardo e Zoraide'', as well as ''Ermione'' itself. The opera was first performed at the Teatro San Benedetto,

Venice Venice ( ; ; , formerly ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 islands that are separated by expanses of open water and by canals; portions of the city are li ...

, on 24 April 1819 and given 24 performances that season before being revived the following year at the more prestigious La Fenice.Osborne, Charles 1994, p. 93 Ironically, while ''Ermione'' was not particularly well received, "''Eduardo e Christina'' was a huge success". Apparently, the first performance was so well received that it took six hours, given the large number of encores.Gossett and Brauner 2001, p. 785

Performance history

The opera received productions elsewhere in Europe up to 1840, but after that they seem to have been very rare. It was given on 25 November 1834 in New York, Unlike most Neapolitan operas by Rossini, this one was "heavily altered from revival to revival". Among other productions, the opera was performed at the Rossini in Wildbad festival in 2017.

Roles

Synopsis

:Place: Sweden :Time: "The distant past" Eduardo, commander of the Swedish army, brings news of peace and is greeted triumphantly by King Carlo in Stockholm. That same day, the king announces that his daughter, Cristina, is to be married to Prince Giacomo of Scotland. Cristina, however, is already secretly Eduardo’s wife, and together they have a young son, Gustavo. Christina makes plans to escape, but during the wedding preparations little Gustavo is discovered. Cristina proclaims herself his mother, though she will not reveal the father’s name. When Eduardo appears, he reveals himself to be the boy’s father, and the illicit couple are led off to prison. Cristina continues to refuse a proposal of marriage to Giacomo, even though he has agreed to recognize Gustavo as his own son. Eventually Eduardo is freed by his friend and comrade in arms, Captain Atlei, and together they defeat a surprise attack by the Russians. After the battle, Eduardo hands his sword to King Carlo who, touched, forgives the couple and grants them his blessing.

Recordings

References

Notes Cited sources * Gossett, Philip; Brauner, Patricia (2001), "''Eduardo e Cristina''" in Holden, Amanda (ed.), ''The New Penguin Opera Guide'', New York: Penguin Putnam. * Osborne, Charles (1994), ''The Bel Canto Operas of Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini'', London: Methuen; Portland, Oregon: Amadeus Press. Other sources * *Osborne, Richard (1990), ''Rossini'', Ithaca, New York: Northeastern University Press. *Osborne, Richard (1998), "''Eduardo e Cristina''", in Stanley Sadie, (Ed.), '' The New Grove Dictionary of Opera'', Vol. Two, p. 20. London: Macmillan Publishers, Inc. ??

External links

Libretto in Italian
Retrieved 13 December 2012 {{Authority control Operas by Gioachino Rossini Italian-language operas Operas 1819 operas Operas set in Sweden Libretti by Andrea Leone Tottola Libretti by Giovanni Schmidt