Concert Rossini "Ermione" (opera in a concert) Tchaikovsky Concert Hall
Schedule for Rossini "Ermione" (opera in a concert) 2022
Orchestra: The Russian National Orchestra Composer: Gioacchino Rossini
Founder and artistic leader - Mikhail Pletnev. Russian National
Orchestra "They played with such captivating beauty that the audience
let out an involuntary sigh of pleasure." — Evening Standard,
London
"...as close to perfect as one could hope for." —
Trinity Mirror
"breathtakingly beautiful." — Classic CD
"[The RNO is] easily the greatest Russian orchestra of today." —
The Journal, Newcastle
"...an awe-inspiring experience. Should
human beings be able to play like this?" — Gramophone
The
Russian National Orchestra has been in demand throughout the music world ever
since its 1990 Moscow premiere. Of the orchestra`s 1996 debut at the BBC Proms
in London, the Evening Standard wrote, "They played with such captivating beauty
that the audience gave an involuntary sigh of pleasure." More recently, they
were described as "a living symbol of the best in Russian art" (Miami Herald)
and "as close to perfect as one could hope for" (Trinity Mirror).
The
first Russian orchestra to perform at the Vatican and in Israel, the RNO
maintains an active international tour schedule, appearing in Europe, Asia and
the Americas. Guest artists performing with the RNO on tour include conductors
Vladimir Jurowski, Nicola Luisotti, Antonio Pappano, Alan Gilbert, Carlo Ponti
and Patrick Summers, and soloists Martha Argerich, Yefim Bronfman, Lang Lang,
Pinchas Zukerman, Sir James Galway, Joshua Bell, Itzhak Perlman, Steven
Isserlis, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Simone Kermes and Renee Fleming, among many
others. Popular with radio audiences worldwide, RNO concerts are regularly aired
by National Public Radio in the United States and by the European Broadcasting
Union. Gramophone magazine called
the first RNO CD (1991) "an awe-inspiring experience; should human beings be
able to play like this?" and listed it as the best recording of Tchaikovsky`s
Pathetique in history. Since then, the orchestra has made more than 60
recordings for Deutsche Grammophon and PentaTone Classics, distinguishing the
RNO as the only Russian ensemble with long-standing relationships with these
prestigious labels, as well as additional discs with many other record
companies. Conductors represented in the RNO discography include Founder and
Music Director Mikhail Pletnev, Principal Guest Conductor Vladimir Jurowski,
Kent Nagano, Alexander Vedernikov and Paavo Berglund.
The RNO`s recording
of Prokofiev`s Peter and the Wolf and Beintus`s Wolf Tracks, conducted by Kent
Nagano and narrated by Sophia Loren, Bill Clinton and Mikhail Gorbachev,
received a 2004 Grammy Award, making the RNO the first Russian orchestra to win
the recording industry`s highest honor. A Spanish language version narrated by
Antonio Banderas was released in 2007, following a Russian version narrated by
actors Oleg Tabakov and Sergei Bezrukov, with Mandarin and other editions to
follow.
The orchestra`s Shostakovich cycle on PentaTone Classics is
widely acclaimed as “the most exciting cycle of the Shostakovich symphonies to
be put down on disc, and easily the best recorded.” (SACD.net)
A regular
visitor to the Schleswig-Holstein, Gstaad and Rheingau festivals, the RNO is
also the founding orchestra of Napa Valley Festival del Sole, Festival of the
Arts BOCA in Florida, and the Singapore Sun Festival, and resident orchestra for
multiple seasons of the Tuscan Sun Festival in Cortona, Italy. The RNO will
launch its own annual festival in 2009, which will be held at Moscow`s Bolshoi
Theater.
The RNO is unique among the principal Russian ensembles as a
private institution funded with the support of individuals, corporations and
foundations in Russia and throughout the world. In recognition of both its
artistry and path-breaking structure, the Russian Federation recently awarded
the RNO the first ever grant to a non-government orchestra.
Synopsis
Act 1
Scene 1: A dungeon in the palace
Astianatte sleeps while the prisoners continue their lament (Chorus: Troja! Qual fosti un di / "Troy! Once so great"). Andromaca arrives, escorted by Fenicio, Attalo and Cefisa, and embraces her son (Cavatina: Mia delizia! / "My only joy!"). Attalo reminds her that Astianatte will be released if she can forget Hector, her dead husband, and give in to Pirro's advances. Fenicio, fearing another outbreak of war, rebukes Attalo, and reluctantly tears Andromaca away from her son.
Scene 2: The gardens outside the palace
Cleone and some maidens invite Ermione to go hunting with them (Chorus: Dall'Oriente l'astro del giorno / "The sun is rising in the east"), but she is angry that Pirro has forsaken her and is courting Andromaca. Pirro arrives, expecting Andromaca, but she is not there. He sees Ermione and tries to escape, but she detains him and they quarrel (Duet: Non proseguir / "Say no more"). They are interrupted by a chorus of grandees, who announce the arrival of Oreste (Sul lido, di Agamennone il figlio, Oreste, è giunto / "On our shores Agamemnon's son Oreste has landed"), to Pirro's alarm and Ermione's delight. Pirro recovers and leaves to arrange Oreste's reception; meanwhile, Ermione fears that Oreste's arrival will only lead to the marriage of Pirro and Andromaca.
Scene 3: The throne room in the palace
Oreste, overwrought, appears with Pilade, who tries to calm him. He declares his unrequited love for Ermione, but Pilade tells him that he must do his duty (Cavatina and duet: Che sorda al mesto pianto ... Ah! come nascondere la fiamma vorace / "She is deaf to my tears ... Ah, how can I hide this voracious flame"). A march announces the arrival of Pirro and Ermione, attended by Fenicio, Attalo, the grandees and guards. Andromaca also enters, but stays at the back of the stage. Oreste tells Pirro that he represents all the kings of Greece, who are agreed that Astianatte must die before he is able to avenge the death of Hector, his father. Pirro defies Oreste, saying that he will do as he wishes, and that Astianatte may even share the throne with him (Aria: Balena in man del figlio l'asta di Achille ... Deh serena i mesti rai ... Non pavento: quest'alma ti sprezza / "Achilles' spear flashes in his son's hand" ... "Brighten your gloomy gaze" ... "You cannot frighten me: my soul despises you"). Andromaca and Ermione are aghast, Oreste warns Pirro that the Greeks will be angry with him, and Pilade vows that he will save Oreste from Pirro's anger.
Scene 4: The gardens outside the palace
Ermione tells Cleone that her love for Pirro has turned to hate. Oreste declares his love for Ermione, but she rejects him (Duet: Amarti? / "I? Love you?"). Pirro arrives with the grandees and his retinue, who announce that he has changed his mind and will return to Ermione (Chorus: Alfin l'Eroe da forte / "At last, the resolute hero"). Pirro then tells Oreste, to the astonishment of everyone, that he will, after all, hand over Astianatte to him. (Ermione, then the others and Pirro: Sperar, poss'io? ... A me Astianatte / "Should I, can I, hope?" ... "Bring Astianatte here") As the guards prepare to do so, Andromaca pleads with Pirro to give her time to think. Ermione is furious, and Pirro again rejects her. Andromaca vows to commit suicide if she is compelled to marry Pirro, while Pilade urges Oreste to leave with him. The Act ends in general consternation.
Act 2
The palace's entrance hall
Andromaca arrives to tell Pirro that she will marry him. Overjoyed, he sends Attalo away to release Astianatte and make preparations for the wedding. Andromaca, unhappy, swears to herself that she will not be unfaithful to her dead husband, and while Pirro urges her to make her vows at the altar, she again resolves to kill herself (Duet: Ombra del caro sposo ... Vieni a giurar / "Ghost of my dear husband ... Come and swear at the altar").
Pirro leaves. Andromaca decides that, before she dies, she will make Pirro swear that Astianatte will be spared. Ermione, accompanied by Fenicio and Cleone, appears and insults Andromaca, who forgives her and departs. She asks Fenicio to tell Pirro that she still loves him, even if he is planning to desert her (Aria: Di, che vedesti piangere / "Tell him that you have seen my tears"). He leaves, and Cleone tells Ermione that Pirro is not worthy of her. Ermione contemplates suicide (Aria: Amata, l'amai / "I was loved and loved him").
Pirro appears in the gallery to the sound of a festive march, and he and the wedding procession pass by (Chorus: Premia, o Amore, sì bella costanza / "God of love, reward this touching constancy"). Ermione swoons, but when her maidens and friends try to comfort her, she demands revenge. Oreste enters and tells her that he still loves her. She hands him a dagger and, trembling, he leaves to avenge her. She asks the gods to strengthen his arm, while Cleone and the chorus comment on her anguish (Chorus and duet: Il tuo dolor ci affretta a consolarti ...Se l'amor mio ti è caro ... Incerto, palpitante ... Se a me nemiche stelle / "We come to console you ... If my love is dear to you" ... "Uncertain, palpitating" ... "Unless, o gods, you are my enemies"). She rushes out in a fury, followed by the others.
Fenicio and Pilade meet, predicting Pirro's downfall if he goes ahead with his marriage to Andromaca (Duettino: A così triste immagine / "Such sad imaginings"). They leave in opposite directions.
Ermione returns, extremely agitated. She does not know whether she loves or hates Pirro, and regrets ordering Oreste to kill him (Aria: Parmi, che a ogn'istante de' suoi rimorsi al grido / "I imagine that at any time he may utter a cry of remorse). Oreste appears, wild-eyed, stumbling and holding out the bloodstained dagger. He tells Ermione that she is avenged, (Duet: Sei vendicata / "You are avenged") and describes how Pirro spared Astianatte and swore to make him his heir. Surrounded by angry soldiers drawing their swords, Pirro was attacked and killed, but not by Oreste, who says that he had given the dagger to another man and then reclaimed it. Ermione accuses Oreste of murder, and he realises that she was still in love with Pirro. She asks the Eumenides to destroy Oreste.
Pilade and his sailors arrive, telling Oreste to flee with them. At first he refuses, but as Ermione tells him that she hopes that he will drown, she faints. He asks thunderbolts and death to do their worst as Pilade and the men half-carry him to their ship (Finale: Ah! Ti rinvenni / "Ah! I have found you").
Schedule for Rossini "Ermione" (opera in a concert) 2022
|