La zingara

Donizetti operas

"La zingara" (The Gypsy Girl) is an opera semiseria in two acts (1822) by Gaetano Donizetti, set to the libretto by Andrea Leone Tottola, after “La petite bohémienne” (The Little Gypsy) by Louis-Charles Caigniez, which was itself imitated from a work of August von Kotzebue.

It was Donizetti's first opera written for Naples.

The first performance took place at the Teatro Nuovo, Naples, on May 12, 1822. The soprano aria “Fra l'erbe cosparse” (Sprinkled over the grass) was especially popular.

Roles

ynopsis

Don Ranuccio is the villain of the opera: he has imprisoned Don Sebastiano in his castle and he also wants to kill the Duke of Alziras, his political rival. Ranuccio's daughter Ines is in love with Fernando, but her father wants her to marry Antonio who is Don Sebastiano's nephew.

Argilla, the gypsy girl of the title, brings together the lovers Ferrando and Ines, saves the life of the Duke, whom she brings together again with his brother and frees Don Sebastiano, who turns out to be her father. Comedy is provided by the servant Pappacione, fooled into searching for gold in an old cistern. All ends happily.

The first lines of the libretto

CORO: :Dell'ospite illustre:l'arrivo si onori.:Più in là quei festoni...

Critical reaction

"Despite its moronic libretto, the opera was an enormous success at its premiere in Naples in 1822, and even Bellini wrote nice things about the second-act septet. Donizetti mixes buffo and serious characters, as well as Neapolitan dialect (there are no recitatives; numbers are separated by spoken dialogue) with "pure" Italian, and the absurd plot is (sort of) held together by the clever Argilla, who under the guise of telling fortunes gains entry to people's feelings as well as to every area of the castle. Is it a masterpiece? Even close? No, but there are niceties galore--rhythmic arias and ensembles, good (if typical) characterizations, and good tunes." " [Robert Levine, recording review on Classicstoday.com]

elected recordings

*Donizetti: La Zingara / Bosman, Custer, Colaianni, et al CD:Label Dynamic CDS396/1-2(CD) [2 discs] :Recorded 2002, Stereo:Performers: :Domenico Colaianni (baritone):Ines: Rosita Ramini (soprano):Sara Allegretta (soprano):Antonio: Giacomo Rocchetti (Baritone):Massimiliano Chiarolla:Gypsy girl Argilla: Manuela Custer (mezzo-soprano):Fernando: Massimiliano Barbolini (tenor):Don Sebastiano: Piero Terranova (baritone):Alziras: Cataldo Gallone (tenor):Roberta Zaccaria:Giulia Petruzzi:Don Ranuccio: Filippo Morace (bass-baritone):Bratislava Chamber Chorus :Conductor: Arnold Bosman

References

External links

* [http://www.classicstoday.com/review.asp?ReviewNum=5434 Robert Levine, review of 2002 recording on classicstoday.com]
* [http://www.italianopera.org/donizetti/opere04.html Information and synopsis (Italian)]
* [http://www.karadar.com/Librettos/donizetti_zingara.html#ATTO%20PRIMO Libretto]
* [http://www.naxos.com/NewDesign/fintro.files/bintro.files/operas/Zingara_La(The_Gypsy_Girl).htm Naxos]