Francesca Caccini La Liberazione di Ruggiero dall’isola d’Alcina Translation © 2013 Anne Graf / Selene Mills FRANCESCA CACCINI music for women’s voices, for herself and her (1587 to post-1641) pupils, and contributed to many court entertainments, but this is her only surviving ‘La Liberazione di Ruggiero dall’isola opera. d’Alcina’ (1625): The opera: ‘La liberazione di Ruggiero Commedia in musica: Prologue and 4 Scenes dall’isola d’Alcina ’ was commissioned by Florence’s Regent Archduchess, Maria Introduction, Dramatis Personae & List of Magdalena of Austria (hence her honorific Scenes, Synopsis, and Translation mention in the opera’s concluding ballet stage (the last with much help from Selene Mills): directions). It was published under her auspices for the state occasion of the visit to Anne Graf 2010 / rev. 2013 Carnival by a Polish prince, Wladislas Sigismund. It celebrates his recent victory Sources over the Turks (symbolised in the opera by the Edition by Brian Clark 2006, pub. Prima la wicked sorceress Alcina). The first Musica! 3 Hamilton St, Arbroath, DD11 5JA performance was in Florence in the Villa (http://www.primalamusica.com), with Notes Poggia Imperiale on 3 February 1625, and it therein; and separate text of the Libretto by was revived in Warsaw in 1628. Ferdinand Saracinelli; -with additional information from the article The music: Francesca set the libretto as a on Francesca Caccini by Suzanne G. Cusick ‘Balletto in Musica ’, part opera, part ballet, in ‘The New Grove Dictionary of Music and lasting about 2 hours, with music, drama and Musicians’ ed. S. Sadie 1980, 2 nd edn.2001, dance, concluding with a grand ‘Cavalry vol.4 pp775-777; Ballet’on horseback ( balletto a cavallo ) such -and from the English translation of ‘ Orlando as was popular in Florence from the mid- Furioso ’ by Guido Waldmann 1974, Oxford 1610’s onwards. The opera is in the tradition World’s Classics, OUP 1974 & 1983, of the previous century’s ‘ Intermedii’ , with Introduction and Cantos 6-8. choruses, solo arias and recitative. The latter resembles Francesca’s father’s in style, while Another edition has been published in the arias mainly have tuneful melodies in triple America, ed.D.Silbert, 1945, Smith College time, in the new operatic style. ‘Seconda Music Archives vol.7, Northampton, Mass. prattica’ devices such as unprepared (not consulted). dissonances and chromaticism are employed, reliance being placed also on subtle phrasing I am most grateful to Selene Mills for her kind and ornamentation, and tonal planning. help in correcting my translation of the Italian. Francesca skilfully respects the Italian speech Any remaining errors are of course my own. rhythms and the spirit of the words, as she explores the relationship to power of the two INTRODUCTION main female sorceress characters and the hero knight Ruggiero. Alcina resorts to emotional The composer : Francesca Caccini (1587- appeals and outright threats, Melissa to reason post-1641) was the elder daughter of Giulio and morality. The once-besotted Ruggiero is Caccini (Romano) and was the first woman recalled by her influence to his senses, to his opera composer. She was a singer, a guitar, chivalric commitment to arms and to his harp and keyboard player, and a poet in Italian previous love. Melissa, the ‘good’ witch, has and Latin. She had earlier performed in her music in through-composed ‘ stile recitativo ’ father’s productions, and was then employed mainly in the ‘natural’ hexachord, though in her own right as their highest-paid musician notated in the ‘mollis’; whilst Alcina, her evil by the Medici in Florence, Tuscany from opponent, embarks on varying tonal excursions 1607-1627, returning 1633-1641.. Francesca to far points in both ‘durus’ and ‘mollis’ was married twice, and had a daughter and a hexachords. Francesca employs many genres, son by her first and second husbands such as canzonettas for 3 sopranos, respectively. She is described as ‘fierce and reminiscent of the ‘concerto delle donne’; restless’, ‘gracious and generous’, and ‘a rare ornamented strophic arias for the hero’s initial wit’, and is known to have opposed the court happiness, but serious unornamented recitative poet for his alleged seduction of young singers, after his liberation; and multi-part madrigals her pupils, to whom she taught singing, for the Chorus of Enchanted Plants. instrumental performance and composition. Francesca Caccini wrote much vocal chamber 2 INTRODUCTION contd: DRAMATIS PERSONAE & LIST OF Background to the story: The verse libretto SCENES of ‘ Ruggiero ’ by Ferdinand Saracinelli marks a shift away from the mythological subjects of Sinfonia : bars 1-40: Score pages 2-3 early Florentine opera, to themes from epic poetry. It is based on Cantos 6 to 8 of the epic Prologo : [At Sea]: p.4-11 : chivalric romance ‘ Orlando Furioso ’ by b.41-105: Neptune Ludovico Ariosto (1474-1533), a story also b.106-137: River Vistula later set to music by Vivaldi and Handel. b.138-189: Chorus of Water Deities b.190-235: Neptune, Chorus of Water Deities The plot: The heroic Saracen champion Ruggiero (Roger) is freed from the enchantments of the wicked sorceress Alcina Scene I : [At Sea]: p.12-14: through the power of Melissa, another enchantress, working on behalf of his beloved, b.236-255: Sinfonia the Christian warrior maiden Bradamante, a b.256-316: Melissa, on a Dolphin, approaches member of Charlemagne’s army. Melissa also the island of Alcina. liberates Alcina’s former lovers (with some of their formerly-beloved damsels), now turned Scene II: [On Alcina’s Island]: p.14-48: into plants and trees as she tired of them. These include Astolfo, another of b.317-569: Alcina & Ruggiero, with Chorus Charlemagne’s knights, who is an English of 6 Damsels prince, cousin to Bradamante and to Orlando b.570-660: [Libretto: While Alcina departs]: (Roland), eponymous hero of the epic. Damsels, Ruggiero b.661-766: A Shepherd & Ruggiero The legends: This rich medley of plots and b.767-853: A Siren & Ruggiero characters forms part of the legendary b.854-962: Melissa & Ruggiero narrative of the adventures of the knights of b.963-1115: Enchanted Plants, Ruggiero & Charlemagne against the Moors, in Spain and Melissa . in other, often mythical, parts of the world. In b.1116-1214: [Alcina returns].The Chorus of 778 AD Charlemagne was withdrawing across Damsels & Alcina. the Pyrenees when his rearguard, led by his b.1215-1314: Oreste (Messenger), Alcina & nephew Roland (Orlando), was ambushed as a Damsels result of treachery and cut to pieces at the Pass b.1315-1584: Alcina, Damsels & Ruggiero of Roncevalles. Stories and legends about b.1585-1630: Ruggiero & Melissa these lost heroes grew and circulated widely over the succeeding centuries, especially in Scene III: [On Alcina’s Island]: p.48-53: France and Italy, some eventually even involving the knights of King Arthur’s Round ‘Here the scene changes, the sea is on fire, and Table. Alcina comes in a monstrous boat woven of whalebones, with a Chorus of Monsters’. Ariosto became obsessed with these legends and worked on his own version for over 25 b.1631-1691: Alcina, Chorus of Monsters years, publishing it in 46 sections or ‘ cantos ’ b.1692-1750: Astolfo, Melissa & Alcina in 1532, the autumn before he died, with much witty parody of the medieval Romances and Scene IV: [On Alcina’s Island]: p.53-59: with a clear sense of the absurd. He was a cultivated poet, playwright and satirist, ‘Here Alcina in the boat, which turns into a sea employed in the service of the Este family at monster with wings, takes flight and flees, and their court in Ferrara in the Po valley, a centre the whole Scene transforms into rocky cliffs’. of Renaissance culture and learning. Ruggiero and Bradamante are portrayed by Ariosto as b.1751-1593: Melissa destined, once re-united, to become glorious b.1794-1869: A formerly-Enchanted Lady; founders of the Este dynasty, an elegant Melissa gesture of tribute to his patrons and employers. b.1870-1882: Chorus of newly-liberated Knights ooo000ooo b.1883-1917: Tutti. ooo000ooo 3 SYNOPSIS Alcina goes to attend to her kingdom, leaving Ruggiero to enjoy his surroundings until she Sinfonia: bars 1-40: Score pages 2-3 returns. b.661-766: A shepherd tells of his love. Prologo: bars 41-235; p.4-11: [At Sea] b.767-853: A Siren rises from the waves and also sings to Ruggiero of the delights of love. Neptune , god of the sea, summons other water Ruggiero falls asleep. deities to sing in praise of the visiting Polish b.854-962: Melissa , disguised as Atlas, royal guest, Prince Wladislas Sigismund. awakens Ruggiero , bids him feel ashamed of The Spirit of the River Vistula and a loving ‘a filthy sorceress’ [ sozza Maga ] and Chorus of Other Water Deities call on summons him to return to his warrior calling. Phoebus Apollo to help in this praise; then He resolves to go with her and leave Alcina. Neptune introduces the story of Ruggiero. b.963-1115: Chorus of Enchanted Plants entreat Ruggiero not to leave them to the Scene I: b. 236-316; p.12-14: [At Sea] tender mercies of an angry Alcina. Melissa promises to ensure their safety. They cringe as Melissa , an enchantress, riding on a dolphin, Alcina returns. approaches Alcina’s island. She has visited b.1116-1214: Chorus of Alcina’s Damsels, & Merlin to learn from him, and was informed by Alcina, who has forebodings of her doom. him of Bradamante and Ruggiero’s destiny to b.1215-1314: The lady Oreste, a Messenger, become founders of the Este dynasty. She describes seeing with Ruggiero a white-haired therefore resolved to help Bradamante in her old man, who is then revealed as the majestic quest to be re-united with her lover, and sets lady [ maestevol donna ] Melissa, and how off to rescue Ruggiero from Alcina’s Ruggiero now recalls his love for Bradamante enchantments.