''Signor Deluso'' is an

opera buffa ''Opera buffa'' (; "comic opera", plural: ''opere buffe'') is a genre of opera. It was first used as an informal description of Italian comic operas variously classified by their authors as ''commedia in musica'', ''commedia per musica'', ''dramm ...

in one act composed by

Thomas Pasatieri Thomas Pasatieri (born October 20, 1945) is an American opera composer. Life and career Pasatieri was born in New York City, United States. He began composing at age 10 and, as a teenager, studied with Nadia Boulanger. He entered the Juillia ...

. The English-language libretto, written by the composer, is loosely based on

Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (, ; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, , ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and world ...

's 1660 comedy ''Sganarelle, ou Le Cocu imaginaire'' ("Sganarelle, or The Imaginary Cuckold"). It premiered on 27 July 1974 at the

Madeira School The Madeira School (simply referred to as Madeira School or Madeira) is an elite, private, day and boarding college-preparatory school for girls in McLean, Virginia, United States. It was established in 1906 by Lucy Madeira Wing. History O ...

auditorium in

McLean, Virginia McLean ( ) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Fairfax County in Northern Virginia. McLean is home to many diplomats, military, members of Congress, and high-ranking government officials partially due to its proxi ...

performed by the

Wolf Trap Opera Company The Wolf Trap Opera Company (sometimes abbreviated WTOC) was founded in 1971 as part of the program of the Wolf Trap Foundation located near the Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts in Fairfax County, Virginia. The company is a residen ...

. It has been subsequently performed many times by various small opera companies in the United States and Europe. In a review of a 2008 revival in Washington, D.C.,

Anne Midgette Anne Midgette (born June 22, 1965) is an American music critic who was the first woman to write classical music criticism regularly for ''The New York Times''. She was the chief classical music critic of ''The Washington Post'' from 2008 to 2 ...

described it as "an exuberant sendup of over-the-top comic opera plots, filled with effusive lovers leaping with alacrity to wrong conclusions in floods of extreme vocalism."

Background and performance history

A commission from the

Juilliard School of Music The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most e ...

, the opera was composed when Pasatieri was 28. He chose the subject after reading Molière's ''Sganarelle, ou Le Cocu imaginaire''. He wrote the libretto himself and completed the score in two months. The opera had its world premiere on 27 July 1974 in a production by the

directed by David Bartholomew and conducted by John Moriarty. It was performed as a double bill with Pasatieri's one-act opera ''Calvary'' which had premiered in 1971. The New York premiere of ''Signor Deluso'' followed later that year performed by the

Manhattan Theatre Club Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC) is a theatre company located in New York City, affiliated with the League of Resident Theatres. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Lynne Meadow and Executive Producer Barry Grove, Manhattan Theatre Club has g ...

. The Juilliard School staged it in 1979. Griffel, Margaret Ross (2012)
''Operas in English: A Dictionary''
p. 451. Scarecrow Press The opera is scored for seven solo singers and a small orchestra (flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, piano, violin, viola, and cello). Its short running time (30 minutes) and

chamber opera Chamber opera is a designation for operas written to be performed with a chamber ensemble rather than a full orchestra. Early 20th-century operas of this type include Paul Hindemith's '' Cardillac'' (1926). Earlier small-scale operas such as Pergol ...

format have made it particularly popular with small opera companies and music schools. By 2006, ''Signor Deluso'' had received over 8000 performances and had been performed in the United States, Finland, Germany, Sweden, and Korea. A recording of the work performed by

Opera Company of Brooklyn The Opera Company of Brooklyn (OCB) is an opera company founded in 2000 which performs in a variety of venues in New York City. It is a non-profit organization operating under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. History Opera Company ...

was released by

Albany Records Albany Records is a record label that concentrates on unconventional contemporary classical music by American composers and musicians. It was established by Peter Kermani in 1987 and is based in Albany, New York. See also * List of record labe ...

in 2006.Driscoll, Paul (October 2006)
"Thomas Pasatieri: ''Divas of a Certain Age''; ''La Divina''; ''Signor Deluso''"
''

Opera News ''Opera News'' is an American classical music magazine. It has been published since 1936 by the Metropolitan Opera Guild, a non-profit organization located at Lincoln Center which was founded to engender the appreciation of opera and also supp ...

''. Retrieved 19 December 2014 via

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Roles

Synopsis

Gorgibus is forcing his daughter Célie to marry the wealthy Valère, but she is in love with Léon and he with her. However, A series of mistaken assumptions and quarrelling ensues after Célie faints in the town square and loses her locket with a portrait of Léon inside. Signor Deluso tries to revive her, leading his wife Clara to suspect they are lovers. When Signor Deluso finds Clara looking at the portrait in Célie's lost locket, he immediately assumes that the young man depicted is Clara's lover. In turn, Célie assumes that Léon has been unfaithful to her with Clara, and Léon assumes that Célie has been unfaithful to him with Signor Deluso. The maid Rosine arrives to sort everything out with the announcement that Valère has been secretly married to his maid for three months. Célie and Léon are now free to marry, and the various misunderstandings between the couples are cleared up. In the final lines of the opera, Signor Deluso addresses the audience:

Have you ever seen such confusion? It seems conclusive evidence can lead to very wrong conclusions. So go home now and remember: Don't believe everything you see!Cowin, Jasmin B. (2006)
Liner notes to ''Thomas Pasatieri: Divas''
. Albany Records (). Retrieved 19 December 2014.

Musical numbers

1. "No! No! Never! I will never marry Valère" (Célie, Gorgibus, Rosine, Signor Deluso, Clara) 2. "Oh, they will charm you at first and pledge eternal love" (Clara, Signor Deluso) 3."There is her house. Dare I enter?" (Léon) 4. "I've got it back. Now let me look at the face of my rival" (Signor Deluso, Léon, Clara, Town Magistrate) 5. "Your stay was much too brief" (Clara, Léon, Célie, Signor Deluso) 6. "Yes, father, I agree" (Célie, Gorgibus, Rosine, Léon, Signor Deluso, Clara) 7. Finale: "Now let me clear up this mess" (Rosine, Léon, Signor Deluso, Clara, Célie)

References

External links

Highlights from ''Signor Deluso''
performed by students of the Opera Studio at

Victoria Conservatory of Music Founded in 1964, the Victoria Conservatory of Music (VCM) is a music school in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The VCM has earned an outstanding reputation of quality in education, performance and music therapy. As a music school for the whol ...

(official YouTube channel) * Volland, John (24 November 1986
"Opera Review: UCLA Presents A Modern Double Bill"
''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...

'' {{Authority control 1974 operas Operas by Thomas Pasatieri English-language operas One-act operas Opera buffa Operas Operas based on plays Operas based on works by Molière