Opera Books

THE OPERA

EDITED BY
ALBERT HILLERY BERGH

VOLUME III.

1909

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Mancinelli.

     Luigi Mancinelli was born on February 5, 1848, at Orvieto, in the Papal States, Italy. It was intended to have him follow a commercial career, but when he was six years old his father began to teach him to play the piano. By the time that he was twelve, his love of music had ‘developed to such an extent that he went to Florence to study. When fifteen he became third violoncellist at the Pergola Theatre at Florence, and for the following eight years supported himself by teaching, playing and composing songs. In 1875 he became conductor of the Apollo Theatre at Rome.
     In 1881 Mancinelli’s wanderings took him to Bologna, where under his direction the Conservatory of that city was very much improved. In 1884 he produced his first opera, Isora di Provenza, which was a moderate success. In 1886 the conductor and composer made a visit to London, and was asked by Sir Augustus Harris to conduct grand opera at the old Drury Lane. Two years later Mancinelli conducted the orchestra of the Convent Garden Theatre, where grand opera was produced on an important scale, and with great success.
     From 1888 to 1895 Mancinelli conducted at the Royal Theatre in Madrid, returning every year to London for the opera season. He also officiated at various times as conductor of the Metropolitan Opera House, {306} New York. His dramatic compositions include, besides Isora di Provenza, the opera, Ero e Leandro, and he has also written an ‘oratorio, several orchestral suites, and masses. Signor Mancinelli was in the conductor’s chair when Ero e Leandro had its first American performance at the Metropolitan Opera House on March 10, 1899.

Ero e Leandro.
(Hero and Leander.)

     Opera in three acts by Mancinelli. Libretto by Arrigo Boïto.
     Characters: Prologo; Ero (Hero); Leandro; Ariopharnes.
     Place, Greece. Time, Legendary. First produced at Madrid in 1897.
     The first act takes place in the Temple of Venus, at Abydos. The chorus worships, and Ariopharnes, the high-priest, arrives, accompanied by Hero, Leander and others. Leander has just achieved a triumph in the Aphrodisia, and Ariopharnes commands Hero to crown him. Leander, like a true poet, announces that he will respond in song. He strikes the lyre and declaims the first ode of Anacreon. It will be remembered by lovers of Anacreon that Cupid came to call on the amatory old poet, and sent a dart into his heart. Leander sings these words to the assembly, thereby letting the audience into the secret of his love for Hero. After the stage has been cleared of all the persons of the drama except Ariopharnes and Hero, the priest proceeds to reveal the theme of the opera by asking Hero if {307} she has made her choice between his love and life-long devotion to the goddess. Hero declares for the goddess, and Ariopharnes vows vengeance.
     Hero, left alone, communes with a sea shell, and hears in its murmurings a prophecy of the fate which is in store for her lover. Leander shortly afterwards comes to visit Hero in the temple at a forbidden hour, and is surprised by Ariopharnes, who dissembles and pretends to overlook the transgression. He leaves the two lovers alone, and they sing a duet. At the end of the duet Hero, becoming distrustful of the situation, appeals to the statue of Apollo to reveal her fate, and Ariopharnes, who has hidden himself behind the statue, says “death!”
     In the second act Ariopharnes, in the Aphrodisium, announces that he has revived an old custom. A virgin, who has renounced all earthly love, is to watch at a lonely tower near the sea and to cairn its fury by her smile or her sigh. Hero is to be that virgin. She must first, however, swear to renounce all earthly love. Leander, enraged at this proposition, attacks Ariopharnes, and is overpowered by the guards. Hero swears the fatal oath and Leander is dragged off by the guards.
     The third act takes place in the tower of the virgin, in which Hero is keeping her vigil. Not unlike Isolde, she sets a torch in the window, and in a short time young Leander enters, having swum the Hellespont in accordance with the old story. The lovers have a brief duet, which is interrupted by a storm. To this they unfortunately pay too little attention. Hero forgets her duty of stilling the waves, and the crafty Ariopharnes {308} comes to find out what she is doing. To save her Leander leaps into the still raging sea, and presently the back of the tower falls out and shows the unhappy lover lying drowned upon a rock.

Last updated March 14, 2007