''Il proscritto'' (''The Proscribed Man'') is an 1842 opera by

Saverio Mercadante Giuseppe Saverio Raffaele Mercadante (baptised 17 September 179517 December 1870) was an Italian composer, particularly of operas. While Mercadante may not have retained the international celebrity of Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti or Gioa ...

to a

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 ...

Salvadore Cammarano Salvadore Cammarano (19 March 1801 – 17 July 1852) was an Italian librettist and playwright perhaps best known for writing the text of ''Lucia di Lammermoor'' (1835) for Gaetano Donizetti. For Donizetti he also contributed the libretti for ''L ...

based on the 1839 play ''Le proscrit'' by Frédéric Soulié. The premiere took place at the San Carlo Theatre in Naples on January 4, 1842. It was revived by

Opera Rara Opera Rara is a London-based opera company and recording label which specialises in recording and performing forgotten operatic repertoire from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Founded in 1970 by bel canto enthusiasts Patric Schmid and Don Whi ...

28 June 2022 at the

Barbican Hall The Barbican Centre is a performing arts centre in the Barbican Estate of the City of London, England, and the largest of its kind in Europe. The centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and ...

, London."Mercadante’s ''Il proscritto'', Britten Sinfonia/Opera Rara Tue 28 Jun 2022, 19:30, Barbican Hall"

Barbican Centre The Barbican Centre is a performing arts centre in the Barbican Estate of the City of London, England, and the largest of its kind in Europe. The centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings a ...

Plot

''Il proscritto'' concerns a lost love and political treachery in Scotland during the rule of

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English statesman, politician and soldier, widely regarded as one of the most important figures in British history. He came to prominence during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms, initially ...

in the middle of the 17th century. Before the opera begins, Malvina Douglas was married to Giorgio Argyll (a supporter of the Royalist cause); but he was caught up in a shipwreck and was believed dead. Malvina’s mother, Anna, and Anna’s son by an earlier marriage, Guglielmo Ruthven (a supporter of Cromwell), then encourage her to marry Arturo Murray (also a Cromwellian). The opera opens on the day of Malvina and Arturo’s planned wedding.

Roles

*Giorgio Argyll (

tenor A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...

) *Arturo Murray (tenor) *Anna Ruthven (

mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano (, ), or mezzo ( ), is a type of classical music, classical female singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A bel ...

) *William Ruthven, her son (

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...

) *Odoardo Douglas (mezzo-soprano) and Malvina Douglas (

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hertz, Hz to A5 in Choir, choral ...

), children of Anna Ruthven's second marriage *Clara, Malvina's handmaid (mezzo-soprano) *Osvaldo, first among the guards of the castle (bass) *One of Cromwell's officers (bass) *Dames and knights of the Murray and Ruthven families, outlaws, castle guards, archers

Recording

* 2022: Carlo Rizzi, conductor; Alessandro Fisher (tenor), Elizabeth DeShong (mezzo-soprano), Ivan Ayon-Rivas (tenor), Irene Roberts (mezzo-soprano), Goderdzi Janelidze (bass), Ramón Vargas (tenor), Niall Anderson (bass), Sally Matthews (soprano), Susana Gaspar (soprano);

Britten Sinfonia Britten Sinfonia is a chamber orchestra ensemble based in Cambridge, UK. It was created in 1992, following an initiative from Eastern Arts and a number of key figures including Nicholas Cleobury, who recognised the need for an orchestra in the ...

, Opera Rara Chorus.

, Catalogue Number: ORC62

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Proscritto, Il Operas 1842 operas Operas by Saverio Mercadante Operas based on plays Operas set in Scotland