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Season 2016/17
Opera Shows for Family & Schools Belcanto Festival

Le cinesi

Manuel del Pópulo Vicente García

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Posto Unico 20 €
One of the last works of Manuel del Pópulo Vicente García, Le cinesi (The Chinese Ladies) was originally written by Pietro Metastasio (1698-1782) and set to music by Antonio Caldara (c.1671-1736) in 1735 as an entertainment (azione teatrale) for the Imperial Court in Vienna. The libretto was also later set to music by Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714-1787) and performed for the Austrian royal family at the Vienna Schlosshof in 1754.  García wrote his version in 1831 for the students of his Academy in Paris. The libretto, with its theme of social liberation versus tradition, would have appealed to García and also to his audience in post-Revolution France. He streamlined the libretto (at times converting lengthy sections of recitative into compact ensembles) and added new text for a few of the musical numbers.

Le cinesi
Azione teatrale in one act
Libretto by Pietro Metastasio
Music by Manuel del Pópulo Vicente García

First Italian representation

In cooperation with Festival Rossini in Wildbad,
Concertante Barcelona Academia Internacionale de Música
and Accademia del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino

Artists

Director
Jochen Schönleber

Piano
Michele D’Elia
Lisinga
Francesca Longari

Sivene
Giada Frasconi

Tangia
Ana Victoria Pitts

Silango
Patrick Kabongo Mubenga
Three Chinese ladies - Lisinga, Sivene, and Tangìa - are idling away their time at the home of Lisinga. Lisinga's brother, Silango, recently returned from a trip to Europe, enters the scene, horrifying the women by his violation of court rules, which prohibit men from entering the women's quarters. Silango scoffs at the foolish tradition and sings an aria proclaiming the freedom of women in France. Lisinga, however, is not impressed and reprimands Silango for his upstart behavior that seeks to overthrow their customs.

After their initial protests, the women decide that Silango might just as well remain until dark, when it will be easier for him to leave unnoticed. Silango thereupon proposes an amusement for the afternoon: each one will act out a scene of his or her own creation. Tangìa is the first to go, but backs out (to the reprimands of the others), claiming shyness and inexperience. It falls to Lisinga, then, to start the show. She takes the role of Andromache (the widow of Hector) and sings a tragic aria that expresses the dilemma she faces in confronting the ultimatum presented by Achilles' son, Pyrrhus: he demands either her love or the life of her son, Astyanax.

Sivene chooses to portray the simple shepherdess, Licori, and Silango, who has already expressed interest in Sivene, offers to play the role of the shepherd, Tirsi. In her pastoral aria, however, Sivene lets Silango know that he needs to learn to calm his passions.

Finally, Tangìa, who is jealous of Sivene and annoyed at Silango, presents a comic skit in which she mocks a Parisian dandy—thereby putting Silango in his place. After applause for Tangìa's performance, the four debate about which of the scenes was the best. The argument becomes so heated that Lisinga asks if they want to bring it all to a close. Silango suggests that they end with a dance. Led by Lisinga and Sivene, the four bring the opera to a close with the final chorus.
Dates

Sat 15 October, ore 16:30
Sun 16 October, ore 16:30
Tue 18 October, ore 10:00
Thu 13 October, ore 20:00

Prices
One seating area € 20
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