Verdi Forum

Number 12 Article 2

1-1-1984 'lnfin che un brando vindice': from Emani to Oberto Roger Parker Cornell University

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Recommended Citation Parker, Roger (1984) "'lnfin che un brando vindice': from Emani to Oberto," Verdi Forum: No. 12, Article 2. Available at: http://scholarship.richmond.edu/vf/vol1/iss12/2

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Keywords Giuseppe Verdi, Ernani, Oberto

This article is available in Verdi Forum: http://scholarship.richmond.edu/vf/vol1/iss12/2 "lnfin che un brando vindice": from Ernani to Oberto by Roger Parker, Cornell University

In their work on the young Verdi's "non­ Verdi," with a seemingly deliberate avoid­ definitive revisions," David Lawton and ance of the more usual "composta per il David Rosen remain doubtful about Silva's Sig. Marini dal maestro Verdi "; and the cabaletta in Act I of Emani, " Infin che un Ricordi catalogue of 1855 continues the brando vindice."' As they point out, the ambiguity by listing the piece as " cabaletta piece was introduced into a revival of eseguita da Marini," again with no men­ Emani at La Scala in September 1844 by tion of the composer. On the other hand, the famous bass Ignazio Marini, creator of music from " Infin" turns up in two other Oberto and, later, of Attila. It was pub­ Verdi operas: Nabucco's Act IV cabaletta lished separately a month later, and began has an almost identical coda, and Roger's to appear in vocal scores only in the 1850s. cabaletta in Act I of Jerusalem, "Ah! viens Productions which boast a " star" bass may demon esprit du ma! ," is strikingly similar (like the recent Metropolitan version) in­ in melodic contour. While the first instance clude the aria, but no autograph has been of "self-borrowing" was ambiguous, found , and there was no direct evidence Likely to support either case, the second that it was by Verdi. Evidence for and seemed unequivocal: as Lawton and Rosen against authenticity was advanced both by say, " It is hard to believe that Verdi would Lawton and Rosen, and by Julian Budden.2 have snatched a tune from a piece com­ On the one hand, the publication an­ posed by someone else and illicitly inserted nouncement of October 1844 describes the into his opera Emani. " cabaletta as " introdotta dal Sig. Marini However, thanks in part to the magnifi­ nell 'opera Ernani del maestro Giuseppe cent microfilm holdings of the American

'David Lawton and David Rosen, "Verdi's verdiani (Parma, 1974) , 198-200 and 230-31. Non-Definitive Revisions: The Early Operas," 2Julian Budden, The Operas of Verdi, I (London, in Atti del 1// 0 congresso internazionale di studi 1973), 167-69.

5 Institute for Verdi Studies, new evidence ticolarmente per la mancanza del tenore has now come to light. The authenticity of Lonati da un mese gravemente amma­ the aria is no longer in much doubt; but it lato. Alcuni pezzi pero furono ap­ belongs not to Ernani, but to Verdi's first plauditi, massime la cavatina del basso opera, Oberto, conte di San Bonifacio. Marini, espressamente scritta dallo The matter hinges on a little-known re­ stesso maestro Verdi. II suddetto Marini vival of Oberto. This opera had a limited ebbe in questa circonstanza onori d'ogni sequence of productions in the years fol­ sorta, regali , corone di fiori, ec. ec. An­ lowing its Fall 1839 Scala premiere, being che la Gariboldi ed ii Gomez riscossero seen only in Turin (Carnival 1840), Milan applausi. (Fall 1840: after the one-day fiasco of Un giorno di regno) , Genoa (Carnival 1841), (BARCELONA-For the benefit eve­ Naples (1841), and Barcelona (1841). In ning of Ignazio Marini, maestro Verdi's all these performances, a system of opera entitled fl Conte di San Bonifacio "singer patronage" seems to have oper­ was given. The performance was only ated. In Turin, Milan, Genoa, and Naples, average, perhaps because several artists Antonietta Rainieri-Marini, the creator of were indisposed, in particular the tenor Leonora at the premiere, again appeared in Lonati, who has been gravely ill for a that role. Verdi had obviously gone to some month. However, some pieces were ap­ trouble to suit the vocal style of Leonora to plauded, especially the cavatina of the her rather unusual voice, and it seems as bass Marini, expressly written for him though his efforts were rewarded; Marini by the aforementioned maestro Verdi. was using the work as an opera di baule, a The said Marini had in this respect hon­ piece created for her in which she was as­ ors of every sort, gifts, crowns of flow­ sured of some vocal success. It is hard to ers, etc., etc. La Gariboldi and Gomez imagine that she was not the moving force also aroused some applause.) behind each occasion she re-created the role .3 The review 's suggestion that we may But it is the final revival, in Barcelona, find a further "non-definitive revision" that concerns us here. We can guess that was intriguing. Clearly the next stage was " singer-patronage" was again involved, as to consult the libretto of this performance, this time Ignazio Marini, the husband of something made possible by the decision of Rainieri-Marini , repeated his interpretation the AIVS to collect on microfilm all avail­ of Oberto. The very existence of the able nineteenth-century libretti of Verdi's revival-almost certainly the first time operas. 4 The title page, unspecific as to Verdi was performed outside Italy (and season and theatre, runs as follows: not, to my knowledge, ever mentioned in the Verdi literature)-was drawn to my at­ OBERTO/CONTE DIS. BONIFACIO./ tention by a review in the Gazette privile­ DRAMMA IN DUE ATTl/DA RAPRE­ giata di Milano, the official daily newspa­ SENTARSl/nel teatro dell'eccellentis­ per of Milan. In a general round-up of sima cittaldi/Barcellona./Barcellona:/ recent theatrical events, on 19 February TIPOGRAFIA DI A. BRUSl./-/1841 1842, we learn that: The list of singers in part confirms the BARCELLONA-Per la beneficiata Gazzetta privilegiata di Milano review: d'Ignazio Marini diedesi l'opera del CUNIZA Sig.• Garibaldi maestro Verdi , intitolato fl Conte di San Rosalia. Bonifacio. L'esito fu medio, forse per RICCARDO Sig. Lonati Catone. l'indisposizione di qualche artista, e par- OBERTO Sig. Marini Ignazio.

' For a more detailed discussion of Ranieri­ (1983), pp. 48-52. Marini 's influence on Verdi's first two operas, 4The libretto holdings of the Institute are listed in see my " Un giomo di regno: From Romani's Nos. 9110 of the Verdi Newsletter (November Libretto to Verdi's Opera," Studi verdiani 2 1981 -82).

6 LEONORA Sig." Palazzesi but, although it may well have turned up in Matilde. altered form in some later opera. But "Ma IMELDA Sig." Zambelli fin che un brando vindice," as we know, Marietta. had an eventful career. Verdi first used though we find that the tenor Lonati, "da some of it in Nabucco, something that un mese gravemente ammalato," has re­ should come as no surprise, as the aria was placed Gomez. of course unknown in Italy, and Oberto What then of the cavatina for Oberto seemed unlikely to be revived. Then, two "espressamente scritta dal . .. maestro years later, Ignazio Marini sings Silva in Verdi " ? Sure enough, in Act I Scene 3, Ernani. He would like a cabaletta to go Oberto's opening recitative (" Oh patria with "Infelice, e tuo credevi" ; Verdi had terra ") does not lead directly to the duet written a cabaletta especially for him some with Leonora, but is interrupted by a full­ years before, one in which he had made a length double aria. The complete text, to­ great effect; and, most fortunately, its sen­ gether with two lines of recitative to show timents of revenge fitted perfectly into the the place of insertion, is: new dramatic context. The opening line is altered slightly (" Ma fin" becomes "In­ Trovar ti deggio, o figlia ingrata! fin "), and two over-specific lines are re­ 10fremo ... placed (" Verro quel spettro orribile/Nella Forse al padre segnasti ii giorno fatal dimora" becomes " Me fa tremante ii estremo! subito/sdegno che mi divora" ), though not Ah! se ii capo mio canuto without a certain loss, because the rising Si servaba al disonor, chromatic line here is presumably an illus­ Perche mai non son caduto tration of the ' ' spettro orribile. '' Sudden) y, La sui campi del valor? the piece " belongs" to Emani. Its appear­ Pria che amar, ferire ii petto, ance in vocal scores seals the transaction. Figlia mea, dovevi a me; Of course, there remain unanswered Sia quel giorno maledetto questions: Did Marini have Verdi's ap­ Che la vita io diedi a te. proval for the insertion of "Infin" into Ma fin che un brando vindice Emani ? Did Verdi perhaps even make the Resta al vegliardo ancora necessary alterations (in text, linking bars, Sapra l'infamia tergere, and the addition of the chorus) that 0 vinto al suol cadra. changed " Ma fin" to " Infin"? Without Verro quel spettro orribile firm answers, we cannot entirely oust the Nella fatal dimora; cabaletta from Emani, even though most Cercando ii sen del perfido commentators agree that it damages the La man non tremera. dramatic pacing of the opera and should not be included in live performance. Nor, Scene 4 then begins with Leonora's " Al in spite of the new evidence, should future cader della notte." producers of Oberto (if there are any) re­ The new text neatly encapsulates Ober­ gard the cabaletta as a useful addition to the to 's two driving passions: his sense of score. Verdi's first opera already staggers shame at his daughter's dishonor ("Ah! se under the weight of its dramatic conven­ ii capo mio canuto"); and his desire for re­ tionality, and without the music to "Ah! se venge ("Ma fin che un brando vindice"). ii capo mio canuto, " 5 there is in any case It is a conventional enough insert aria, as no musical opening for the piece. As with so often happens building up one singer's so many of Verdi's "non-definitive revi­ role at the expense of overall dramatic sions," "Infin/Ma fin che un brando vin­ shape: the Barcelona version has three dice" is more honored on the shelf than in double arias back-to-back (Riccardo, the performance. Leonora, Oberto) at the beginning of the opera. Of " Ah! se ii capo mio canuto" we 5Inquiries at Barcelona and elsewhere are at hear nothing more after its Barcelona de- present under way .

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