 The
Mercadante revival of the 70's was short-lived, but performances or operas
including Elisa e Claudio, Il Giuramento, Il Bravo, Elena da Feltre, Il
Reggente and Le due illustri rivali gave us a glimpse of a composer of
undisputed merit who strongly influenced the course of Italian opera.
Perhaps the most important discovery was Opera Rara's 1975 performances of the opera that Florimo considered Mercadante's masterpiece, Orazi e Curiazi, set to one of Cammarano's most powered librettos. Of its first performance in Naples in 1846, he wrote: 'this sublime production will go down in the history of music. In this work, as grandiose and serious as its subject, Mercadante reveals himself as an artist of genius. It is spacious, immense, powerful in its finales and ensembles, robust and ardent in its choruses, affecting in its arias and duets ' .  The
role of Camilla, sister of Orazio and betrothed to Curiazio, the two warriors
chosen to represent Rome and Alba in battle, is passionate, full of deep
humanity and drama; 'a part,' Luciani wrote, 'to tempt a great singer,
a great actress - for such a woman the opera could be not only revived,
but could re-enter the repertoire.' |
Erminia Frezzolini,
Mercadante's first Camilla
Eugenia Tadolini,
Camilla, Milan 1847
Anna de la Grange
Camilla, Venice 1847
