Un re in ascolto
| Un re in ascolto | |
|---|---|
| Opera by Luciano Berio | |
The composer in the 1970s | |
| Translation | A King Listens |
| Librettist | Berio |
| Language | Italian |
| Based on | Under the Jaguar Sun by Italo Calvino |
| Premiere | 7 August 1984 Kleines Festspielhaus, Salzburg |
Un re in ascolto (A King Listens) is an opera by Luciano Berio, who also wrote the Italian libretto. It is based on a short story from the collection Under the Jaguar Sun by Italo Calvino, but incorporates excerpts from Friedrich Einsiedel's 1778 libretto (as reworked by Friedrich Wilhelm Gotter between 1790 and 1791) for an opera based on Shakespeare's The Tempest. This became Die Geisterinsel in 1798, set to music written by Friedrich Fleischmann.[a][1] In addition, W. H. Auden's The Sea and the Mirror: A Commentary on Shakespeare's The Tempest was a source.
Berio himself described the work as an azione musicale (musical action) rather than an opera. It falls into 19 sections grouped into two parts. The work was written from 1981 to 1983 and it received its premiere at the Kleines Festspielhaus in Salzburg on 7 August 1984, conducted by Lorin Maazel, directed by Götz Friedrich, with set designs by Günther Schneider-Siemssen.[2] The London premiere took place on 9 February 1989 at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.[3][4][5] The American premiere was at Lyric Opera of Chicago on 9 November 1996, conducted by Dennis Russell Davies.[6][7]
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast, 7 August 1984 Conductor: Lorin Maazel |
|---|---|---|
| Prospero, an impresario and the title character | bass-baritone | Theo Adam |
| Regista (stage director) | tenor | Heinz Zednik |
| Protagonista | coloratura-soprano | Patricia Wise |
| soprano I | Karan Armstrong | |
| soprano II | Sylvia Greenberg | |
| Venerdì,[b] a stand-in for Caliban | speaking role | Helmuth Lohner |
| Ariel | mime | Samy Molcho |
| nurse | mezzo-soprano | Gabriela Sima |
| wife | mezzo-soprano | Anna Gonda |
Synopsis
The opera does not have a conventional linear narrative.[2]
A king of a mythical kingdom lives detached from his realm where his only contact with his kingdom is through overhearing conversations. A traveling theatrical troupe arrives to stage a performance of The Tempest. As the king overhears the auditions and the rehearsals, he begins to imagine himself as Prospero from the play and he begins to equate these with the happenings in his kingdom, blurring the two worlds. Eventually, he undergoes a psychological collapse, the rehearsed production of The Tempest never occurs, and the theatrical troupe departs. The king has a vision of the future as he moves towards his own death.
Publications
Recording
- Berio, Luciano (1997). Un re in ascolto (1981–1983); azione musicale in due parti [A King Listening (1981–1983); musical action in two parts] (in Italian). Theo Adam, Prospero. Heinz Zednik, Regista. Helmuth Lohner, Venerdi. Patricia Wise, Protagonista. Karan Armstrong, Sopran I. Sylvia Greenberg, Sopran II. Rohangiz Yachmi, Mezzosopran. Thomas Moser, Tenor. Georg Tichy, Bariton. Alfred Muff, Baß. Samy Molcho, Mime. Gabriele Sima, Infermiera. Anna Gonda, Moglie. Helmut Wildhaber, Dottore. George Ionescu, Avvocato. Vienna Philharmonic. Lorin Maazel, conductor. Munich: Col-Legno Musikprod. OCLC 1069119146.
Libretto
- Berio, Luciano; Calvino, Italo (8 August 1984). Un re in ascolto: azione musicale in due parti (PDF) (libretto) (in Italian). Milano: Universal Edition. OCLC 553462036. Archived (PDF) from the original on 24 February 2025.
Musical score
- Berio, Luciano; Calvino, Italo (1983). Un re in ascolto : azione musicale in due parti (1983). Parte prima (in Italian). Vienna: Universal Edition. OCLC 1231569172.
Notes
- ^ "Mozart was powerfully attracted by it in 1791."[1] However, Mozart died in December of that year.
- ^ Venerdì is Italian for Friday, and refers here to Friday (Robinson Crusoe).
References
- ^ a b Wilson, Sternfeld & White 2022, (iii) Operas and related music.
- ^ a b Loveland, Kenneth (October 1984), "Reports: Salzburg", The Musical Times, 125 (1700): p. 588.
- ^ Vogt, Matthias Theodor (translated by Stewart Spencer), "Listening as a Letter of Uriah: A Note on Berio's Un re in ascolto(1984) on the Occasion of the Opera's First Performance in London (9 February 1989)", (July 1990) Cambridge Opera Journal, 2 (2): pp. 173–185.
- ^ Belinfante, David, "Luciano Berio's Un re in ascolto (February 1989), The Musical Times, 130 (1752): pp. 70–71.
- ^ Northcott, Bayan, "Notes on Auden: 2. Life after Britten?" (February 1993). The Musical Times, 134 (1800): pp. 68–72.
- ^ "1990|1991 – 1999|2000 Seasons | Lyric Opera of Chicago".
- ^ "American Premiere of Luciano Berio's Puzzling 'Un Re in Ascolto'". Associated Press.
Sources
- Wilson, Christopher R.; Sternfeld, F. W.; White, Eric Walter (2022). "Shakespeare, William". Grove Music Online (8th ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.25567. ISBN 978-1-56159-263-0. (subscription, Wikilibrary access, or UK public library membership required) (subscription required)
Further reading
- Holden, Amanda, ed. (2001). "Un re in ascolto: A King Listens". The New Penguin Opera Guide. London: Penguin Books. pp. 67–68. ISBN 978-0-14-029312-8. OCLC 1150041108 – via Internet Archive.
- Osmond-Smith, David (2002). "Re in ascolto, Un ('A Listening King')". Grove Music Online (8th ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.O904301. ISBN 978-1-56159-263-0. (subscription, Wikilibrary access, or UK public library membership required) (subscription required)
External links
- "Luciano Berio – Un re in ascolto". Universal Edition. Archived from the original on 25 February 2012. Retrieved 24 November 2025.