Edgar | Giacomo Puccini
Edgar is many firsts. It marks the first time Puccini tackled a libretto of broad scope, following the smaller-scale debut of Le Villi. It is also the first time he set to music a subject in a medieval setting, with a chivalric and military tone that would remain unique in his output. And it is the first time he assigned a woman the role of an antagonistic virago, with the formidable (already from her name) Tigrana: a soprano of similar ferocity would only appear again with Turandot, at the end of his artistic journey.
Sensitive to the verismo style then in vogue, the young Puccini experiments with the chorus, explores new paths with the orchestra, and tests his unfailing instinct for creating those distinctive, breathtaking melodies, as can be heard in many pages of this work, which remains to this day the least performed in his catalogue. First staged in 1889, Edgar was later revised by its composer into a definitive version, which is the one most commonly performed. The Regio, however, presents the original version, in a new production directed by Nicola Raab and already acclaimed at the Opéra de Nice, here reset at the beginning of the twentieth century. Under the baton of Carlo Rizzi, the singers Luciano Ganci and Elmira Hasan perform the roles of Edgar and Tigrana respectively. In the role of the angelic Fidelia, Barno Ismatullaeva returns to the Regio following her success as the protagonist of Francesca da Rimini. An unmissable title both for Puccini enthusiasts and for those wishing to discover him.
Lecture-Concert: Wednesday 20 January at 6 pm - Foyer Toro
Lyric drama in four acts
Characters and cast
Giorgi Sturua
Luciano Ganci
Ekaterina Sannikova
Barno Ismatullaeva
Valentina Boi
Elmina Hasan
Gustavo Castillo
Gabriele Viviani
Marco Spotti
Performances
Synopsis
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A village in Flanders. It is dawn, and the villagers are setting out for work. The gentle Fidelia gives Edgar a flower, and he returns her gesture with affectionate words. The two move away. Tigrana arrives, watching Edgar’s movements, and withdraws when she sees him retrace his steps. As Edgar tenderly contemplates the flower he received from Fidelia, Tigrana approaches him, mocking him: how can he delight in such a pure love, he who is always craving pleasure? And as the people head to church for the morning service, she sarcastically invites him to attend Mass, alluding to their past. Edgar withdraws into his house, while Tigrana heads to the tavern, singing boisterously. Frank, Fidelia’s brother, confronts her, reproaching her for not showing up to a meeting the previous evening. But Tigrana is bored by his courtship and leaves him abruptly. Frank bitterly reflects on his situation: he would never have thought that the cause of his unhappiness would be the girl abandoned in the village by gypsies many years before, and then—like a viper in the bosom—adopted and raised by the community. He knows very well that he should forget the woman who mocks his passion, but his senses are irreparably enslaved by her.
As the peasants leave the church thanking the Lord for the simple joys that reward their humble lives, Tigrana resumes her blasphemous song. The crowd turns against her, as her behavior dishonors the community. Seeing herself menacingly surrounded, Tigrana retreats to Edgar’s house, seizes the knocker, and knocks. Unexpectedly, Edgar comes to her defense, and to the astonishment of those present declares that he can no longer endure village life. He is seized by an exalted fury: despite the villagers’ attempts to stop him, he sets fire to his family home and invites Tigrana to flee with him and set his life ablaze with the fire of passion. But Frank blocks their way: he will not accept Tigrana leaving with Edgar. The two young men confront each other with daggers drawn, when Fidelia arrives, accompanied by her father Gualtiero. He urges the two men to abandon their violent intentions, and Tigrana mocks them, pointing out that the trembling voice of an old man is enough to curb their ardor. But when Edgar takes her by the hand to lead her away, Frank once again bars their path, brandishing his dagger. The peasants rush in to disarm the contenders: in the scuffle, Frank is wounded and collapses into his father’s arms. Fidelia comes to his aid. As Edgar and Tigrana depart, pursued by the crowd’s curse, the fire rages relentlessly, destroying Edgar’s house.
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Edgar and Tigrana’s castle. A splendid feast is underway, but Edgar withdraws, seized by unease. What troubles him is not remorse for the dissolute life he has embraced, but the memory of Fidelia’s gentle image and of the flower received as a pledge of love. His reflections are interrupted by the guests, who exalt intoxication as a remedy for the fear of death. Tigrana confronts him, asking the reason for his gloom: when she reproaches him for no longer loving her, Edgar urges her not to profane the word “love.” But Tigrana reminds him that he has obtained from her what he desired—wealth and sensual passion. She humiliates him by declaring that she now considers him her property: one day she might abandon him to his fate, but she will never allow him to leave her. Their argument is interrupted by the sound of trumpets from outside. It is a troop of soldiers heading to the battlefield. Edgar invites them in for a toast. Celebrated by the guests, the soldiers praise the war against the French. In a sudden impulse, Edgar asks to join them, but when the captain removes his helmet, revealing himself to be Frank, he recoils in shock. He declares himself unworthy of his homeland—he who destroyed his ancestral home—and unable to accompany into battle the man whose blood he once shed. But Frank replies that that wound cured him of a reckless passion. Reassured, Edgar declares his intention to fight for Flanders against Philip of France. Tigrana’s flattery and threats fail to hold him back: Edgar departs with the patriots, while Tigrana swears revenge.
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A camp near Courtray. The day after the victorious battle, the people mournfully comment on the news of Edgar’s heroic death. Fidelia joins the crowd’s prayers: now devoid of hope, she longs only to be reunited with him in heaven. While everyone, beginning with Frank, recalls the deeds of the deceased, a mysterious friar steps forward, reminding them of Edgar’s sins: the burning of his family home, the wounding of Frank, his flight with Tigrana, and his dissolute life as the kept lover of a courtesan. Fidelia is shaken, and Gualtiero would lead her away, but when the crowd, stirred by the friar’s words, shows the intention of desecrating Edgar’s coffin, Fidelia places herself in front of the catafalque. She urges the friar to speak words of forgiveness rather than condemnation, and recalls her youth and the image of her beloved with such tenderness that she moves those present. While the friar gathers in prayer beside the coffin, Gualtiero leads Fidelia away. When everyone, except the friar and Frank, has departed, Tigrana approaches, ostentatiously displaying her grief as a widow. Her feelings are insincere: she would like to bask in her lover’s glory, and—if he were still alive and acclaimed by all as a hero—she might still desire him. But Edgar is dead, and before her youth completely fades, she intends to abandon herself once more to a life of luxury and pleasure. Seeing the friar and Frank approach, she resumes her emphatic lament for the deceased. To expose her hypocrisy, the friar offers her jewels in exchange for false testimony and, summoning the soldiers, induces her to declare that Edgar had intended to betray his homeland. Enraged, the soldiers open the coffin, but find only an empty suit of armor. The friar then casts off his habit, revealing himself to be Edgar: he drives Tigrana away with words of contempt and withdraws from the soldiers as well, condemning the vanity of pleasure and glory.
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Gualtiero’s house. After spending a sleepless night at the thought that she will never see Edgar again, Fidelia, finally overcome by exhaustion, falls asleep. Worried, Gualtiero prays for her life and invites the group of friends who have come to visit her to join him. Awakening, Fidelia is seized by gloomy forebodings: in a dream, Edgar has invited her to join him in the afterlife. She feels that she will die before the end of the day and asks to be buried with the veil and ornaments prepared for the wedding that never took place. At sunrise, Fidelia goes to the window to see once more the roses jeweled with dew: as she looks out, she faints. Gualtiero comes to her aid; then, looking out himself, he is astonished to see Edgar approaching, accompanied by Frank. Fidelia revives. Edgar reassures her: he has returned to spend his life with her and intends to marry her that very day. Gualtiero, Frank, and all those present underscore with their comments the happiness finally regained. Left alone with Fidelia, Edgar explains the reasons for his deception: disillusioned by the emptiness of pleasure and the vanity of glory, he was searching for a reason to live. Had he not received proof of her love, he might as well have lain forever in the grave. Fidelia, in turn, speaks to him with great tenderness: despite the past vicissitudes, in her memory there remains only the joy glimpsed on a distant April morning. Reaffirming once more their mutual promises of eternal love, the two take their leave. Taking advantage of the fact that Fidelia has been left alone, Tigrana slips into the room, surprises her, and stabs her; but the voices of the peasants arriving to escort the bride to the ceremony make her realize she cannot escape, so she hides in the alcove. The wedding procession bursts joyfully into the room, but the celebration turns to tragedy at the sight of the dying Fidelia. After indicating the assassin’s hiding place with a gesture, Fidelia expires in her beloved’s arms. Tigrana is dragged out of the alcove and disarmed by Frank. Edgar moves to seize Tigrana’s dagger to take revenge, but Frank restrains him: the gypsy woman will be led to the scaffold. As some of the peasants lead Tigrana away, Edgar and Gualtiero fall weeping at Fidelia’s feet.