Opera Scotland

Stradella Alessandro Stradella

Tours by decade

Tours by location

Music

Friedrich von Flotow (born Teutendorf, 27 April 1812; died Darmstadt, 24 January 1883)

Text

W Friedrich (Friedrich Wilhelm Riese)

Source

Comédie mêlée de chant Stradella (1837) by Paul Duport and Philippe Pittaud Deforges

 

Premieres

First Performance: Hamburg (Stadttheater), 30 December 1844.

First Performance in UK: London (Drury Lane), 6 June 1846.

First Performance in Scotland: Edinburgh (Theatre Royal), 26 November 1880.

Scottish Opera premiere: N/A.

 

Background

Alessandro Stradella (1642-82) was an Italian composer of some renown. His career allowed him to work variously in Venice, Florence, Vienna, Rome, Turin and Genoa. His private life was lively, and he was eventually murdered in that last city by the family of one of his mistresses. The drama from which Flotow's plot is derived selects an earlier episode, in which he has a lucky escape. It is treated in a light-hearted fashion, and it was the success of the work in a number of theatres that resulted in Martha being commissioned for Vienna.

 

Main Characters

Alessandro Stradella, a musician (tenor)

Leonora, his lover (soprano)

Bassi, Leonora's guardian (baritone)

Barbarino, an assassin (tenor)

Malvolino, an assassin (bass)

 

Plot Summary

Leonora loves, and is loved by, Stradella, but Bassi, her guardian, is not in favour. Stradella abducts her during the Venice Carnival, and they escape to Rome. Two of Bassi's henchmen, Malvolino and Barbarino, catch up with them, but not before they have married. Stradella's talents as a singer pacify the forces ranged against him, including Bassi, and all ends happily.