The Taming of the Shrew (Giannini)
The Taming of the Shrew is an opera in three acts by composer Vittorio Giannini. The work uses an English language libretto by Dorothy Fee and the composer which is based on William Shakespeare's play of the same name. The opera premiered at the Cincinnati Music Hall on January 31, 1953 in a concert performance starring Dorothy Short as Katharina, Robert Kircher as Petruchio, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, and conductor Thor Johnson.[1] Considered Giannini's most popular work, it was one of three finalists named for the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1953.[2][3]
Composition and later performances
Giannini began composing The Taming of the Shrew in 1938 while finishing work on his earlier opera, The Scarlet Letter. He worked sporadically on the opera over the next 12 years; often interrupted by a variety of other music projects and distractions related to World War II that took his attention away from the project. He completed The Taming of the Shrew in 1950.[4]
In 1954 the
In 1958 the
Roles
Role | Voice type | New York City Opera Cast, 13 April 1958[6] (Conductor: Peter Herman Adler) |
---|---|---|
Katharina | soprano | Phyllis Curtin |
Petruchio | baritone | Walter Cassel |
Baptista | bass | Chester Watson |
Bianca | soprano | Sonia Stolin |
Lucentio | tenor | John Alexander |
Hortensio | baritone | Walter Farrell |
Gremio | baritone | Grant Williams |
Gromio | tenor | Keith Kaldenberg |
Vincentio | baritone | Arthur Newman |
Tranio | baritone | Paul Ukena |
Biondello | baritone | John Gillaspy |
Curtis | bass | George Del Monte |
A pedant | tenor | Jack De Lon |
A tailor | baritone | John Wheeler |
Recordings
- Vittorio Giannini: The Taming of the Shrew; Lyric Opera of Kansas City Orchestra and Chorus, conductor Russell Patterson; Mary Jennings (Katharina), Adair McGowen (Petruchio), J. B. Davis (Baptista), Lowell Harris (Lucentio), Walter Hook (Hortensio), Catherine Christensen (Bianca); (New World Records, 1971)[7]
References
- ^ ISBN 9780810882720.
- ISBN 9783631596081.
- ^ *Walter G. Simmons. "Giannini, Vittorio", Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed October 15, 2015), (subscription access) Archived 2008-05-16 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ ISBN 9781461621195.
- ^ Olin Downes (March 21, 1954). "' The Taming of the Shrew' Proves to Be One of Most Effective American Works" (PDF). The New York Times.
- ^ a b Howard Taubman (April 14, 1958). "Opera: Giannini's 'Taming of the Shrew' at Center" (PDF). The New York Times. p. 22.
- ^ a b "CRI 272; Vittorio Giannini; The Taming of the Shrew" (PDF).