Maria egiziaca

Ottorino Respighi
Operas La campana sommersa (1927) Maria egiziaca (1932) La fiamma (1934)
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Maria egiziaca (Saint Mary of Egypt) is an opera "in three episodes" by the Italian composer Ottorino Respighi. The libretto, by Claudio Guastallo, is based on a Medieval life of Saint Mary of Egypt by Domenico Cavalca. The work was originally intended as a concert piece although it has been fully staged in some revivals. It was first performed at Carnegie Hall, New York on 16 March 1932. Both the language of the libretto and the music employ archaism; Respighi's score contains stylistic echoes of Gregorian chant, Renaissance music and Monteverdi.

Roles

Role	Voice type	Premiere cast
Maria	soprano	Charlotte Börner
Abbate Zosimo (Abbot Zosimus)/Pilgrim	baritone	Nelson Eddy
Sailor	tenor	Alfredo Tedesco
The leper	bass
Second companion/Poor man	contralto	Myrtle Leonard
First companion/Blind woman/Voice of an angel	soprano	Helen Gleason

Synopsis

The prostitute Mary suddenly feels an overwhelming longing to travel to Jerusalem. Here she repents her sins and an angel tells her to go to the desert where she lives in prayer until old age. She is found dying by the saint, Zosimus, who digs her grave with the help of a lion.

Sources

• The Viking Opera Guide ed. Holden (Viking, 1993)
• Del Teatro (Italian)
• Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia, 16 Marzo 1932 from Amadeus Online (Italian)