Raphael (opera)
Raphael (full title: Raphael: Musical Scenes from the Renaissance; Russian: Рафаэль: Музыкальные сцены из эпохи Возрождения; Italian: Raffaello), Op. 37, is an opera in one act by Anton Arensky. The libretto, by A. A. Kryukov, is based on the life of the Renaissance artist Raphael. The text was written in Russian and immediately translated into Italian by L. Egidi.
The opera was composed in 1894 for the First Congress of Russian Artists and dedicated to the Moscow Society of Lovers of the Arts. It premiered in Italian at the Moscow Conservatory on 6 May (old calendar: 26 April), with set-design by Leonid Pasternak; Yevgeniya Mravina took the role of Fornarina, Raphael's model and mistress.[1][2][3]
Arensky chose a work on non-Russian subject matter and distanced himself from the
Raphael was less well-received than its predecessor, Arensky's first opera Dream on the Volga.[3] The only fragment remaining popular till now is the Folk Singer's Song off-stage that is usual in the repertoire of Russian tenors. In 2018 its English translation (“My heart is trembling with passion and pleasure”) was published (see the link below).
Structure
- Introduction (Overture)
- I. Chorus of Apprentices
- II. Arioso of Raphael
- III. Duet of Raphael and Fornarina (includes Chorus of Romans and Folk Singer's Song off-stage[6])
- IV. Aria of the Cardinal
- V. Trio
- VI. Finale
Recordings
There is a recording with the
See also
- Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and The Five
- Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects
References
- ISBN 0-19-280028-0.
- ISBN 0-520-09564-2.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-19-517067-2.
- .
- ISBN 978-0-19-538253-2.
- ^ The author footnoted that melodies of the Chorus and the Song were taken from the collection of Italian folk songs "Eco di Napoli" (Echo of Naples).
- ^ "Arensky: Raffaello". Delos. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
