Un giorno di regno

"Un giorno di regno, ossia il finto Stanislao" ("A One-Day Reign, or The False Stanislaus") is an operatic "melodramma giocoso" in two acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Felice Romani, based on the play "Le faux Stanislas" by Alexandre Vincent Pineu-Duval. "Un giorno di regno" was Verdi's first attempt at comic opera. The title is often translated into English as "King for a Day"

The first performance was at Teatro alla Scala, Milan, September 5, 1840. The premiere was a failure, and the composer was actually seated in the orchestra pit during the first performance, and thus heard the audience reaction directly. Verdi himself and the critics acknowledged that the failure was partly due to the composer's own personal circumstances, as his first wife Margherita Barezzi died during its composition. La Scala cancelled the remaining scheduled performances, and would not revive the work until 2001. Other productions during Verdi's lifetime in Italy were in Venice in 1845, in Rome in 1846, and Naples in 1859. [cite journal | url=http://oq.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/19/1/3?ck=nck |last=Martin |first=George | title=Verdi Onstage in the United States: "Un giorno di regno" | journal=The Opera Quarterly | volume=19 | issue=1 | pages=3–15 | date=2003 | accessdate=2007-09-03 | doi=10.1093/oq/19.1.3] Verdi would not attempt another operatic comedy until the end of his career with "Falstaff".

Roles

Synopsis

Act 1

"Scene 1: xx"
* "Compagnoni di Parigi...Verrà purtroppo il giorno" - Cavaliere di Belfiore
* "Grave a core innamorato...Se dee cader la vedova" - Marchesa del Poggio

"Scene 2: xx"
* "Non san quant'io nel petto...Non vo' quel vecchio" - Giulietta di Kelbar

Act 2

"Scene 1: xx"
* "Pietoso al lungo pianto...Deh lasciate a un alma amante" - Edoardo

"Scene 2: xx"
* "Si mostri a chi l'adora...Si, scordar saprò l'infido" - Marchesa del Poggio

The story tells the tale of the Polish monarch, King Stanisław Leszczyński, who is in hiding because of a War of Succession. In order to regain his rightful throne, he sends a French officer, Cavaliere di Belfiore, as a decoy to the castle of the Barone di Kelbar, the usurper. The Baron recently has arranged a political alliance by betrothing off his daughter, Giuletta, to the La Rocca, the Brittany treasurer, but Giuletta prefers La Rocca's nephew, Edoardo. Another upcoming undesired marriage involves the Baron's niece, the Marchesa del Poggio, a young widow who is in love with Belfiore, but has become engaged to another because Belfiore has been unable to commit himself to marrying her, in spite of the fact that he does love her. On the day the real king is maneuvering to regain his throne, the false king moves to block the arranged marriage of Giuletta. However, in the course of this, he is surprised to see the Marchesa in Brittany, and she is likewise surprised. She recognizes him, but pretends not to, and he, to maintain his disguise, feigns ignorance of her identity. They engage in a battle of wits and plotting as the tangle of relationships is resolved.

elected recordings

Note: "Cat:" is short for catalogue number by the label company; "ASIN" is amazon.com product reference number.

References

External links

* [http://www.giuseppeverdi.it/Inglese/page.asp?IDCategoria=162&IDSezione=580&ID=19739 Brief synopsis in English]
* [http://www.aria-database.com/cgi-bin/aria-search.pl?opera=Un+Giorno+di+Regno&a Aria database]