Musicale esoterica vivace: una favola in musica

by Antonio Vivaldi Rossini Cortese

World Premiere, Friday, 23 July 1999

Riseholme

Characters

(listed in order of appearance)

       La Musica, Spirit of Music, Soprano

       Amenhotpe IV, also known as Akhenaton, an Egyptian pharaoh, Tenor

       Nefertiti, his wife, Mezzo-Soprano

       Hatshepsut, an Egyptian Queen, Soprano

       Tutankamun, an Egyptian pharaoh, Baritone

       Isis, an Egyptian Goddess, Mezzo-Soprano

       Osiris, Lord of the Underworld, her husband, Baritone

       Members of Royal Court

       Chorus

       Nubian slaves, nymphs, shepherds

       Animals and Pets of the World

Setting

Egypt, the 19th Dynasty (1450 BC.)

Musical highlights

Toccata:

Overture in the style of Monteverdi, repeated three times.

       Prologo: "Dal mio Egitto amato" (La Musica)

Atto Primo: Nel Giardino Segreto

       recitative, Akhenaton

       "Lamento di Akhenaton" (Akhenaton)

       recitative, Nefertiti

       "O Akhenaton! O gioia! O mio ben!" (Nefertiti)

       recitative, Akhenaton, Nefertiti

       "Insieme sempre" (Nefertiti, Akhenaton)

Atto Secondo: Nella sua Casa

       recitative, Akhenaton

       "Hatshepsut! Hatshepsut! Hatshepsut! Grazie di tutto!" (Akhenaton)

       recitative, Hatshepsut

       "Regina di balla sono io" (Hatshepsut)

       recitative, Akhenaton, Nefertiti, Hatshepsut

       choral procession

Atto Terzo: Nel Giardino Segreto

       "Alla gloria di Egitto!"(Coro)

       Balletto religioso

       Triumphal march

       Parade of the animals

       Reprise, "Dancing Queen"

       Madrigals with mariachi accompaniment

       Invocation of Spirits

Atto Quarto: Una Salla Nella Casa di Akhenaton

       Recitative, Hatshepsut

       "Dove sono" (Isis)

       Recitative, Isis, Osiris

       "A bracetto! Bacio! bacio! bacio! Non temer" (Isis, Osiris)

       "Fugi! Tutti! Mai piu!" (Akhenaton, Nefertiti)

Atto Quinto: Nel Giardino Segreto

       Recitative, Nefertiti

       "Sola nel giardino segreto" (Nefertiti)

       Recitative, Akhenaton

       "O mia bambina cara!" (Akhenaton)

       Recitative, Tutankamun

       "A domani! Il sol! La gloria!" (Tutankamun)

       Recitative, Akhenaton, Nefertiti

       Finale, principals, Nubian slaves

Toccata        End of Opera

Synopsis of Opera

The Opera begins with an overture in the style of Monteverdi, a toccata played three times.

La Musica, the spirit of Music appears to introduce the Opera, telling the audience of the action to come. She relates the history and glory of what was Egypt: A culture of the ancient world whose influence is still felt today.

The first act takes place in the secret garden of King Akhenaton and His Queen Nefertiti.

After a brief recitative in the bel canto style, Akhenaton sings a Lament in which he sings of the aching of his soul for the glory that once was Egypt. Nefertiti overhears his anguish and tells him of her love for him in the aria "O Akhenaton! O joy! O my beloved!" Nefertiti succeeds in washing away his melancholy and they sing of their love in the duet "Together forever! Never to part" which brings the curtain down on Act I.

As act two opens, we are in a room in Akhenaton's house on Temple mount. He sleeps and dreams. In his aria "Hatshepsut! Hatshepsut! Hatshepsut! Grazie di tutto!" he sings of Queen Hatshepsut's role in history. She appears before him in the lively tour de force featuring her famous aria "Dancing Queen!" This sequence invokes for many, memories of the Ziegfield Follies and includes a show stopping number nicely done by nubile Nubian slaves. A huge set becomes the backdrop against which the cast dances. A pastorale featuring shepherds is also included. The choral procession brings the act to a close.

Act three opens with the Triumphal march reminiscent of Verdi's Aida. The ballet sequence ensues. It is called a religious ballet as it honours the past and future glory of Egypt. The ballet is in five parts: triumphal march, Parade of the animals, a reprise of the dance sequence "Dancing Queen" from act two, Madrigals with mariachi accompaniment, and the Invocation of Spirits. The stage is full of activity and always thrills audiences with its feverish paced action.

The fourth act begins with a recitative by Hatshepsut. She calls to Isis, goddess, and wife of Osiris, God of the Underworld. Isis appears and sings her aria "Dove sono." Osiris is called forth, and together they sing their duet "Arm in arm. A kiss, a kiss, a kiss, do not fret." The act closes with Akhenaton and Nefertiti's duet "Fly all! Never more!"

Act five, the last act takes place in the secret garden. Nefertiti appears and her recitative ends in the famous aria "Alone in the secret garden." Akhenaton comes forth, and sings his tender love song "O my dear child!" This usually brings the house down. From the future, the Pharaoh Tutankamun appears to bring solace and hope to Akhenaton in his aria "Tomorrow the Sun will come out! Glory!" All the Royal Court, Nubian slaves, shepherds and all cast members come to join Akhenaton and Nefertiti in the opera's finale. The opera closes as it began with a toccata.

Thoughts of Maestro Cortese on the World Premiere of his new Opera

The inspiration for my new work comes from my love of many musical forms. In fact, I subtitled the opera "Musicale esoterica vivace" or lively esoteric musical. It features many musical styles, all of which seem to work very well. They can stand as independent pieces, or as a sum total musical experience.

I wanted to pay homage to Egypt, a country whose civilisation I have long admired. I wanted to incorporate characters holding a magical allure for me. I tried to emulate Berlioz in "Les Troyens" where the opera ends as Cassandra realises "Italia" will be the next civilisation to dominate the world. As an Italian, this is of profound interest to me. However, I find the origins of opera of great interest, and find the work of Monteverdi highly inspirational. I have used "Orfeo" as the model not only for the subtitle "una favola" for my opera, but I've used the toccata both to open and close my work, and the pivotal role of La Musica to introduce the action to come. I have long been fascinated by his Madrigals. I wanted to juxtapose these works with the Mariachi band. I think the result is something highly unforgettable and never to be seen again.

Queen Hatshepsut became regent for her nephew Thutmosis II after his father died. She seized full power for herself before he came of age. She constructed an imposing funerary temple in Deir el Bahari next to the mortuary temple of Nebhepetra Mentuhotpe. The son of Amenhotpe III, Amenhotpe IV changed his name to Akhenaton and built a new capital city called "Horizon of the Aton" (the god Aton whom he worshipped, the power of the sundisk) and who was interested primarily in religious doctrine. His father enjoyed the riches of the Egyptian Empire at a luxurious court.

I have combined elements of the Underworld and the psychic arts with elements of contemporary musical styles. I am very much a devotee of good musical theatre and dance and greatly admire musical groups of past decades. The dance chorus and highly imaginative settings used in the Ziegfield Follies are repeated here to reinforce the significant role of the Chorus line. Dancing girls come from both sides of the stage, and from the back evoke images of 42nd Street, a wonderful creation in itself.

I wrote the role of Queen Hatshepsut specifically for my good friend, Olga Bracely, whose many talents are put to great use. For me, she will always be the eternal Dancing Queen.

I hope in my small way that my new work will invoke a greater appreciation of the history of the world, and for music which always inspires me, and brings me contentment.