Organization

Conductor

Gianandrea Gavezzeni

Stage director

Lamberto Puggelli

Set designer

Luisa Spinatelli

Costume designer

Singer

Soprano

Mirella Freni

Principessa Fedora Romazoff

Tenor

Plácido Domingo

Conte Loris Ipanov

Adelina Scarabelli

Contessa Olga Sukarev

Aldo Bottion

Il barone Rouvel

Baritone

Alessandro Corbelli

De Siriex

Bass

Alfredo Giacomotti

Grech

Silent

Arnold Bosman

Boleslao Lazinski

Ernesto Gavazzi

Desiré

Ernesto Panariello

Lorek

Luigi Roni

Cirillo

Child vocalist

Monica Minarelli

Un piccolo savoiardo

Silvestro Sammaritano

Boroff

Contralto

Silvia Mazzoni

Dimitri

Teatro alla Scala

Fedora

Milan

Italy

The playwright Victorien Sardou (1831-1908) dominated French theaters at the end of the 19th century alongside Émile Augier and Alexandre Dumas (son). His success was not least due to the great actress Sarah Bernhardt, who appeared in many of the leading roles in his plays. Today his name is only known through the opera stage: Puccini's opera "Tosca" is based on Sardou's play of the same name, and Umberto Giordano's "Fedora" also goes back to Sardou. In Italy none other than Eleonora Duse starred. Umberto Giordano was enthusiastic about the play and after the success of his "Andrea Chenier" (1896) received Sardou's permission to turn the stage work into an opera. The premiere in Milan in 1898 was a great success,

The play is about the Russian Countess Fedora Romazoff, whose bridegroom is shot dead by Count Loris Ipanoff on the eve of the wedding in St. Petersburg. Fedora and Loris meet in Paris. Loris explains that the murdered man was his wife's lover and that he acted in self-defense. Fedora and Loris become a couple and spend a few happy days in the Bernese Oberland. When Loris learns that Fedora denounced him in St. Petersburg, he swears revenge; Fedora sees no other way out than to poison herself.

"It really is Sardou's Russian spy, whipped by love and vengeance, in a young Italian musical sensation toilet. The old Sardou and young Italy have not come together here - see 'Tosca'. You have to say first what drives the musicians to Sardou They seek an effect that irritates the nerves... The closing scenes are among the most exciting ever set to music. Finally Fedora dies in her lover's arms. Outside, however, the savoyard sings his melancholic little song in uniformly drawn intervals: 'The companion who left with me will never return.' Plus an accordion and triangle. An effect of exquisite sophistication that will give you chills" (Julius Korngold, The Romanic Opera of the Present, 1922).

Fedora Giordano

Public

Approved

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