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Giacomo Meyerbeer: Margherita d'Anjou
Sinfonia Militare
Act I Scene 1: Coro: Quattro! Cinque! (Bellapunta, Orner, Chorus of Soldiers, A Soldier, Chorus of Provisioners, Carlo)
Act I Scene 2: Cavatina: Miei fedeli, queste prove (Margherita, Chorus, Carlo)
Act I Scene 2: Cabaletta: O speme d'un regno, mio solo sostegno (Margherita, Carlo)
Act I Scene 2: Coro: Ma qual suono da lunge si ascolta? (Soldiers and Provisioners, An Officer, Margherita, Chorus)
Act I Scene 2: Stretta: Il contento e il piacer di vittoria (Margherita, Chorus, Carlo)
Act I Scene 3: Recitative: Profittiam del tumulto … (Carlo, Voices, Michele) - Scene 4: Si signori … (Michele, Bellapunta)
Act I Scene 5: Scena: Alfin respiro! I voti miei son paghi (Isaura, Michele)
Act I Scene 5: Andante: Ah! Tu non sai com' io l'adoro (Isaura, Michele)
Act I Scene 5: Allegretto: Questa speme che mi avanza (Isaura, Michele)
Act I Scene 5: Recitative: Insomma, mia signora (Michele, Isaura)
Act I Scene 6: Coro: Fra gli applausi e lieti evviva (Chorus of Soldiers)
Act I Scene 6: Scena: Regina, al nostro, oprar (Lavarenne, Margherita)
Act I Scene 6: Cavatina: E riposta in questi accenti (Lavarenne)
Act I Scene 6: Andantino: Da cosi bell' impresa (Lavarenne, Isaura, Michele, Margherita, Chorus)
Act I Scene 6: Allegro moderato: Per noi di gloria gia splende un raggio … (Lavarenne, Margherita, Chorus, Isaura, Michele)
Act I Scene 6: Recitative: Maesta, due Francesi (Bellapunta, Isaura, Michele, Margherita, Lavarenne)
Act I Scene 7: Recitative: Non vi e riparo, e guinto alfine, e guinto (Lavarenne)
Act I Scene 7: Scena: Eccolo … o caro sposo (Isaura, Lavarenne)
Act I Scene 7: Andantino: Si mesto e pensoso (Isaura, Lavarenne)
Act I Scene 7: Allegro: Secondiam si dolce istinto (Lavarenne, Isaura) - Scene 8: Buono, buono davvero … (Michele)
Act I Scene 9: Recitaive: Regina, in questo istante (Lavarenne, Margherita, Carlo)
Act I Scene 9: Scena: Eccovi, o prodi … (Margherita)
Act I Scene 9: Coro: Fra gli applausi e I lieti viva (Chorus, Michele, Bellapunta)
Act I Scene 10: Recitative: E Carlo ancor non torna? (Gertrude, One of the Chorus, Another of the Chorus) - Scene 11: Carlo e con voi (Carlo, All, A Highlander) - Scene 12: Ho un bell cantare (Michele, Carlo)
Act I Scene 13: Finale Primo: Fra quest'ombre, e queste rupi (Isaura, Lavarenne, Michele) - Scene 14: Zitto, zitto … (The Highlanders)
Act I Scene 15: Finale Primo: Ciel m'assisti … (Margherita, The Highlanders) - Scene 16: Arreste … (Lavarenne, Michele, Carlo, Margherita)
Act I Scene 16: Quintetto: Crudel cimento! (Isaura, Margherita, Lavarenne, Carlo, Michele)
Act I Scene 16: Allegro con spirito: Fissami gli occhi in fronte (Carlo, Margherita, Lavarenne, Michele, Isaura, Chorus, The Highlanders, Bellapunta)
Act I Scene 16: Stretta: Ma piu d'appresso squilla la tromba (Everyone) - Act II Scene 1: Voliamo amici (Chorus, Glocester) - Scene 2: Carlo, io ti vedo alfin … (Glocester, Carlo) - Scene 3: Grazie, amica fortuna (Carlo)
Act II Scene 4: Coro campestre: Che bell'alba! (Chorus)
Act II Scene 5: Scena: Dolci alberghi di pace (Margherita)
Act II Scene 5: Aria: Che mai giova il serto? (Margherita, Chorus of Highlanders)
Act II Scene 5: Cabaletta: Incerto palpito (Margherita, Chorus of Highlanders)
Act II Scene 6: Recitative: Ritiratevi, amici, ognun di voi (Carlo, Michele, Isaura) - Scene 7: Regina! (Isaura, Margherita, Michele) - Scene 8: Tu per la mia salvezza (Margherita, Isaura)
Act II Scene 9: Recitative: Finche della tenzon l'ora s'appressa (Lavarenne, Bellapunta)
Act II Scene 9: Scena ed aria: Ah! Si. Pur troppo, io sono il piu infelice (Lavarenne)
Act II Scene 9: Andantino: Tu, che le vie segrete (Lavarenne)
Act II Scene 9: Allegretto: D'un tal piacer la piena (Lavarenne)
Act II Scene 10: Recitative: Eccomi di chirungo e di dottore (Michele, Carlo, Glocester)
Act II Scene 10: Terzetto: Pensa e guarda, amico, all'erta! (Carlo, Glocester, Michele)
Act II Scene 11: Sestetto: Ecco, Alterzza, a voi davanti (Carlo, Glocester, Margherita, Michele) - Scene 12: Ferma il passo! (Lavarenne, Margherita, Carlo, Michelle)
Act II Scene 12: Andante sostenuto: Oh! Rabbia! Oh furore! (Lavarenne, Isaura, Margherita, Carlo, Glocester) - Scene 13: T'arresta; ove vai? (The Highlanders, Michele, Carlo, Glocester)
Act II Scene 13: Allegro alla breve: Piomba il fulmine del cielo (Margherita, Isaura, Lavarenne, Carlo, Michele, Glocester, Chorus)
Act II Scene 14: Recitative: Bravi, bravi, amiconi! (Bellapunta) - Scene 15: Che diamine, signora? (Michele, Isaura)
Act II Scene 16: Scena: O ciel! Qual mai contrasto (Isaura)
Act II Scene 16: Aria: Mio pianto rasciuga (Isaura, Chorus, Michele, Margherita, Lavarenne)
Act II Scene 16: Rondo: Ah! Sposo adorabile (Isaura, Chorus)
Appendix: Act II: Aria: Perche mai sedurmi amore (Margherita, Chorus of Highlanders)
Appendix: Act II: Cabaletta: Incerto palpito (Margherita, Chorus of Highlanders)
2010
“Margaret of Anjou, the widow of Henry VI, is more familiar to us as the embittered old crone in Shakespeare's Richard III. In the opera she's relatively young and beautiful, and loved by the tenor, a married man. The action takes place in Scotland where Margaret's forces are being pursued by Richard's. The tenor's dilemma is whether to follow his strong inclination to remain the Queen's lover or to return to his loving wife, Isaura, who, unknown to him, has followed him to Scotland in disguise. The opera is called a melodramma semiseria, which is appropriate partly because from the very first bars of the Overture it's clear that we can't be expected to take it seriously, and partly because another principal role is that of the comical army surgeon, Michele, who in the nick of time summons a doughty troop of Highlanders to thwart Richard, who at that point has the rest of the cast at his mercy. The first notes – 'diddly-diddly um-pom-pom' – may well deter the listener from going further, especially as the fatuous motif is heard six times more, plus twice in the minor and several times Opera Meyerbeer 748 referentially in crescendo. But that would be a pity. The singing and orchestration are good, and the semiseria element stimulates invention and interest: Isaura's plaintive aria and hopeful cabaletta are combined with a buffo subtext for Michele, and in the cottage scene of Act 2 the tension of Richard's unsocial visit is partly diffused, partly increased, by Michele's prevarications, a surreal situation along the lines of Richard III-meets- Benny Hill. Margherita has a gentle and rather beautiful solo. Particularly charming are the choruses that come just before, slightly suggestive of the villagers in Cavalleria rusticana. Daniela Barcellona as Isaura has a rich contralto that takes flight in the final solo, surprisingly snatched from the eponymous soprano. She, Annick Massis, is a great find, pure and warm in tone, and accomplished in technique. Bruce Ford gives special pleasure in his cantabile aria 'Tu, che le vie segrete'. Fabio Previati plays Michele effectively, singing well and keeping the patter on its toes without too much clowning. Alastair Miles's Carlo, potentially the most interesting character, is admirably fluent in passagework but rather lacking in colour and bite. Chorus and orchestra are in good form, David Parry helping to bring out the best in them, as in Meyerbeer, too.”
Sinfonia Militare
