BELLINI : LA SONNAMBULA

Radio New Zealand Concert network
Sunday 27th of April 2014 at 6.03 - 9.05 pm
Sunday 6th of December 2009 at 3 -5.25 pm
Sunday 26th of April 2009 at 3 pm
Sunday 15th of July 2007 at 3 pm

INTRODUCTION
SYNOPSIS
REVIEW (NYT)
LIBRETTO
SCORE

BELLINI: La Sonnambula, an opera in two acts
Amina, who is betrothed to Elvino, walks in her sleep, and she accidentally ends up in the bedroom of Count Rodolfo; the consequences are alarming. (This production has it as a rehearsal of the opera in modern dress!)
2014
Amina............................... Diana Damrau
Elvino............................... Javier Camarena
Lisa................................... Rachelle Durkin
Count Rodolfo.................. Michele Pertusi
Teresa............................... Elizabeth Bishop
Alessio............................. Jordan Bisch
Notary.............................. Bernard Fitch
Metropolitan Opera Chorus & Orch/Marco Armiliato

Vincenzo BELLINI (1801-1835)
La Sonnambula (1831), The Sleepwalker,
an opera in two acts 2 hours 20 minutesIn Switzerland, Amina is an orphan who has been fostered by Teresa, the owner of a mill. Amina is loved by Elvino, a farmer, though she has a rival in Lisa, an innkeeper. The lovers are signing (and singing) their pre-nuptial contract in public. Count Rodolfo arrives, stays at the inn, and has Lisa in his room for a flirty fling; she drops her hanky and leaves when a ghostly figure appears (Joan Sutherland in another nightdress, but this one is not bloodied like Lucia's). The count clears out when Lisa brings Elvino and the populace to gawk. In his jealousy Elvino denounces Amina and links up with Lisa.

In Act 2 Elvino is about to marry Lisa, but the count tells them all that Amina is an innocent sleepwalker (the somnambulist of the title). The tell-tale hanky (or scarf or veil) is produced by Teresa the miller (it is particularly hard to see on the radio, but didn't you notice her picking it up when everybody was milling around the maid of the mill in the bedroom?), and Amina arrives in her sleep, walking on a rickety plank (Gasp!), but she awakens to joy and bliss, as all is forgiven and the original couple is reunited.

I have a soft spot for this one, having seen it in Melbourne 1n 1965, when Bonynge and Sutherland brought a whole season of operas to town. As you may know, we were too poor to pay to see "our Joan", so it was the half-price versions I frequented (4 guineas versus 10). Margreta Elkins was little orphan Amina, the maid of the mill (she sings the role of Teresa, Amina's foster-mother, in the commercial recording). I bought the highlights recording (57 shillings and 6 pence). The one disappointment with it was that my crystal pick-up could not negotiate Sutherland's top notes, and did some damage; but I still treasure that disc.

Eventually I acquired a box-set (1957, mono, substantially cut), with Maria Callas; some wobbles can be expected from her in the later stages of her career, but not in this bel canto performance. A jury of British critics has voted her as the top soprano (BBC music magazine, April 2007).

Here is the list of twenty greatest sopranos: Callas, Sutherland, De Los Angeles, Price, Nilsson, Caballé, Popp, Price, Flagstad, Kirkby, Schwarzkopf, Crespin, Vishnevskaya, Janowitz, Mattila, Schumann, Brewer, Tebaldi, Ponselle, Ameling. (Christine Brewer and Karita Mattila made it [both born in 1960], but not Gheorghiu, Fleming, Netrebko, nor Eva Turner [1892-1990].)
Notice you get two Prices for the price of ... (Leontyne and Margaret, I presume, in that order).

In the 19th century it was Malibran, Pasta, and Jenny Lind who were turning on the pyrotechnics and bringing tears to the listening onlookers' eyes. These days it is Anna Netrebko, and Natalie Dessay (yet again this year, but who is complaining or counting?). And now (2014) Diana Damrau is having a go.


PERFORMERS
2009
Amina........................... Natalie Dessay
Rodolfo......................... Carlo Colombara
Elvino............................ Francesco Meli
Teresa........................... Sara Mingardo
Lisa............................... Jaël Azzaretti
Alessio.......................... Paul Gay
Notary.......................... Gordon Gietz
Lyon Opera Chorus & Orch
Evelino Pidò (Virgin 3 95138)
2009
Amina........................... Natalie Dessay
Elvino............................ Juan Diego Flórez
Rodolfo......................... Michele Pertusi
Metropolitan Opera Chorus & Orch/Evelino Pidò

2007
Count Rodolfo.............. Michele Pertusi
Amina........................... Anna Netrebko
Elvino............................ Antonio Siragusa
Lisa............................... Simina Ivan
Alessio.......................... Marcus Pelz
Teresa........................... Janina Baechle
Notary.......................... Johann Reinprecht
Vienna State Opera Chorus & Orch/Pier Giorgio Morandi
(recorded at the Vienna State Opera House, 19 November 2006 by Austrian Radio)
Obsolete links:
COMPOSER
CHARACTERSBACKGROUND
UNDERGROUND
ANALYSIS
SYNOPSIS
STORYLINE
LIBRETTO (Italian, by Felice Romani)