Verdi: La Forza Del Destino

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Cat No: 8110038-40

Release Date: 12 January 1999

Label: Naxos - Historical / Naxos Historical

Packaging Type: Jewel Case

No of Units: 3

Barcode: 636943103821

Genres: Classical

Composer/Series: VERDI

Release Date: 04 January 2002

Label: Naxos - Historical / Naxos Historical

Packaging Type: Jewel Case

No of Units: 2

Barcode: 636943120620

Genres: Classical

Composer/Series: VERDI

Description
GIUSEPPE VERDI (1813-1901)La Forza del Destino‘We believe that La forza del destino is the most complete of all Verdi’s works, in the richness and inspiration of its melodies, as in its development and orchestration’. Le journal de Saint-Pétersbourg, November 1862 It is difficult to imagine Verdi, that most musically energetic of nineteenth century Italian composers, retiring to his country estate and taking enthusiastically to agriculture; but after the success of Un ballo in maschera in 1859 he went into temporary retirement and seemed to relish a quieter life. For a while, none of the offers that he received from European opera houses appealed to him and he was content to wait for a really challenging commission; it was not until December 1860 that the right approach was made. Enrico Tamberlik, a tenor who had already sung with great success throughout Europe in several of Verdi’s earlier operas, wrote from St Petersburg urging the composer to consider a new work for the Imperial Theatre there. This was the invitation that Verdi had been waiting for and he was soon offering suggestions for suitable subjects. In due course the theatre management accepted an adaptation of Angel Saavedra’s play Don Alvaro, o la fuerza del sino of 1835 and, even though it may not have been explicit, Tamberlik expected a splendid part for himself in the new opera — and got it. Once the matter was decided, Verdi composed energetically and in September 1862 he and his wife, Giuseppina Strepponi, made their way to St Petersburg to take charge of rehearsals. For all the initial enthusiasm with which La forza del destino was greeted, it proved not to be one of Verdi’s greatest successes and he realised that revisions were necessary. He eventually undertook them, ready for a new production at La Scala, Milan, in 1869, though, prior to that, performances of the earlier version had already been given in London, Rome, Madrid and New York. It was not so much the opera’s length that caused concern - of the whole of Verdi’s œuvre it is the second longest, next only to Don Carlos — but principally that the composer was keen to alter sections of the third act and the horrifyingly tragic fourth act, at the close of which the three protagonists all meet their deaths. In the revised version Don Alvaro survives, having killed Carlo, who, in turn, fatally stabs his sister Leonora — only a little less grim than the original. One other improvement was Verdi’s replacement of the short prelude with a new dramatic overture, which is now equally familiar as a concert piece. The revisions brought the success for which Verdi strove and La forza del destino has since been given many memorable productions, even if its popularity has never rivaled that of some of his more tightly constructed and melodic operas. It was first performed at the Metropolitan Opera, New York, in 1918 with Rosa Ponselle, Enrico Caruso and
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Tracklisting