L'isola
disabitata (1831)
L'isola
disabitata (The Uninhabited
Island) was one of five
salon operas with piano accompaniment that comprised the very last
works composed by Manuel
García. The text, by Pietro Metastasio, had
originally been set by Giuseppe Bonno and premiered in Aranjuez, Spain,
on 31 May 1753. It was later set by other composers, including Haydn
(1779) and Paisiello (1799). Metastasio always considered L'isola
disabitata one of his favorite works: in 1768 he reflected, "L'isola
disabitata, in the future, will always be the most beloved of my
children, among all her many older or younger siblings." (Brunelli, Tutte le opere di
Pietro Metastasio, vol. 4
(Milan: A. Mondadori, 1954), p. 661; quoted in García, L'isola disabitata, ed. Teresa Radomski and James Radomski
(Middleton, Wisconsin: A-R Editions, 2006), p. xi).
The
story, a product of the
"Arcadian movement" of the early eighteenth century, obviously had
considerable appeal—and one can see why. It is simple, the characters
are attractive and the plot serves to display virtues honored in any
age: fidelity, constancy, and perseverance in the midst of life's
sorrows. And the setting, on a desert isle, offered the sort of
exoticism—such as found in Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe (1719)—that appealed to the
eighteenth-century fancy. There are only four characters (apart from
the silent roles of two sailors): the heroine, Costanza; her younger
sister Silvia; Gernando, the husband of Costanza; and his friend,
Enrico. The scene is an uninhabited island where, thirteen years
before, Gernando brought Costanza and Silvia ashore to take refuge from
a storm while the crew remained with the ship. As Costanza was
sleeping, and unbeknownst to her, pirates attacked and kidnapped
Gernando, leaving Costanza and Silvia alone on the island. Costanza,
convinced that she had been abandoned by Gernando, appears in the
opening scene carving, in stone, a memorial of her fate. She expresses
her sadness to Silvia, who is optimistic and content with life on the
island. Silvia later sees a ship approach and encounters Enrico, who
has come with Gernando to seek Costanza. Only an infant at the time of
Gernando's abduction, Silvia has no memory of ever having seen a man
and Costanza has taught her to fear ever seeing one. Nonetheless, she
is charmed by Enrico. Meanwhile, Gernando has found Costanza by the
rock she is carving, and she faints upon recognizing him. He goes for
water to revive her and it is Enrico, instead of Gernando, whom
Costanza sees upon waking. She rails against Gernando's supposed
infidelity, but Enrico explains to her what had actually happened years
ago and how much Gernando has suffered at the loss of Costanza. Thus,
they are finally happily reunited while Enrico asks Silvia for her hand
in marriage. The two couples sing a final chorus proclaiming the virtue
of "constancy," in a play of words on the name of the heroine. (from L'isola disabitata, ed. Teresa Radomski and James Radomski,
p. xi)
There is no record of a
performance of L'isola disabitata during García's lifetime. It was
premiered at Wake Forest University on 7 April 2005 with Mary
Mendenhall as Costanza, Amanda Castellone as Silvia, Ricardo
Gómez as Gernando and Christopher Magiera as Enrico. Stage
direction was by Jim Dodding and musical direction by Teresa Radomski.
Thomas Turnball was the pianist.
Mary Mendenhall and Amanda Castellone
Listen
to:
1. Duet, Scene IV,
"O desiato lido" (Gernando and Enrico) [8:37]
Sung by Ricardo Gómez and
Christopher Magiera.
GERNANDO
GERNANDO
O desiato lido
Oh deserted
shore
Dove il mio ben
perdei,
where I lost
my beloved.
Quest’ è il terren, oh
Dei,
This is the place, oh Gods,
Sì, me lo dice il cor.
yes, my heart tells me so.
ENRICO
ENRICO
Credi che il luogo
sia,
You believe that this must be the place,
E tu sicuro sei.
and you
are certain.
Sì amico lo
vorrei,
Yes, friend, I wish it,
Ma dubbito finor.
but yet I doubt it.
GERNANDO
GERNANDO
No, caro,
riconosco
No, dear friend, I recognize
Quel sasso, quello
speco
that rock, that cave
Dove fui dai pirati ferito con
orror.
where I was horribly
wounded by pirates.
Mia Costanza dormiva,
My
Costanza was
sleeping,
E per l’ultima volta
and for the last time,
Lasciai l’anima mia
pierced with grief,
Traffito dal dolor
I left my soul
behind.
ENRICO
ENRICO
Sì, andiamo amico
caro,
Yes, let’s go, dear
friend,
Cerchiam per ogni
lato,
Let’s search
everywhere.
Cercala per quel
prato
You search for her in that meadow,
Per questo io
cercherò
I
will search in this one.
- GERNANDO
GERNANDO
- Sì, andiamo amico caro,
Yes,
let’s go dear friend,
- andiam ma io no spero affatto
let’s go, but I do not completely hope
- di ritrovarla intanto
to find her again; meanwhile
- sua tomba io troverò.
I will find her tomb.
- ENRICO
ENRICO
- Andiam, andiam, amico caro,
Let’s
go, let’s go dear friend,
- andiam, ma cerca per quel prato
let’s
go, but search in that meadow
- di ritrovarla; intanto
to find her again; meanwhile
- per questo io cercherò.
I will search here.
GERNANDO
GERNANDO
Questo è il terren, oh Dei,
This is the
place, oh Gods,
sì, me lo dice il cor.
yes, my heart tells me
so.
GERNANDO/ENRICO
GERNANDO/ENRICO
Andiam, andiamo amico caro, (etc.)
Let’s go,
let’s go dear friend, (etc.)
- GERNANDO
GERNANDO
- E la tomba di lei
And at her tomb
- la mia tomba farò.
will make my own grave.
- ENRICO
ENRICO
- Ah, se possiam trovarla
Ah, if we are
able to find her
- io felice si sarò.
I will
be so happy.
GERNANDO/ENRICO
GERNANDO/ENRICO
Andiam, andiamo amico caro, (etc.)
Let’s
go, let’s go dear friend, (etc.)
GERNANDO
GERNANDO
Questo è il terren, oh Dei,
This is the place,
oh Gods,
sì, me lo dice il cor.
yes, my heart tells
me so.
GERNANDO/ENRICO
GERNANDO/ENRICO
Andiam, andiamo amico caro, (etc.)
Let’s
go, let’s go dear friend, (etc.)
- GERNANDO
GERNANDO
- E la tomba di lei
And at her tomb
- la mia tomba farò.
will make my own grave.
- ENRICO
ENRICO
- Ah, se possiam trovarla
Ah, if we are
able to find her
- io felice si sarò.
I will
be so happy
Christopher
Magiera and Ricardo Gómez
Sung by Amanda
Castellone and Christopher Magiera.
ENRICO
ENRICO
Non mi fuggir così!
Do not flee from me like this!
Fermati per pietà!
Stop, for pity’s sake!
Dimmi perché sei qui;
Tell me
why you are here;
sento di te pietà.
I feel sorry for you.
SILVIA
SILVIA
Uomo pietà, sì, sì!
Sir, have
pity, yes, yes!
Non farmi nessun mal!
Don’t do
me any harm!
Guarda, ch’io pianga qui.
Behold, I’m crying
here.
Fallo, per carità!
Let me go,
please!
ENRICO
ENRICO
Che sembiante gentil!
What a
charming face!
Sorgi, sorgi, sorgi a pensa a calmar.
Get up, get up, get
up and calm
down.
SILVIA
SILVIA
Il cor mi dice a lui
My heart tells me:
tu ti potrai fidar.
“You can trust him.”
Sì,sì, il cor mi dice,
Yes, yes, my heart
tells me:
tu ti potrai fidar
“You can trust
him.”
ENRICO
ENRICO
Dimmi perché sei qui.
Tell me why
you’re here.
SILVIA
SILVIA
Non farmi nessun mal!
Don’t do me
any harm!
ENRICO
ENRICO
Sento di te pietà
I feel sorry
for you.
SILVIA
SILVIA
Fallo per carità, per carità, per
carità!
Let me go,
please, please, please!
Uomo, pietà, sì, sì!
Sir, have pity,
yes yes!
ENRICO
ENRICO
Non mi fuggir così!
Do not flee from me like this!
SILVIA
SILVIA
Non farmi nessun mal!
Don’t do me any harm!
ENRICO
ENRICO
Fermati, per pietà!
Stop, for pity’s sake!
SILVIA
SILVIA
Guarda ch’io piango qui.
Behold, I’m
crying here.
Fallo per carità!
Let me go, please!
Uomo pietà, sì, sì ... (ecc.)
Sir, have
pity, yes, yes!
... (etc.)
ENRICO
ENRICO
Dimmi perché sei qui,
Tell me why
you’re here;
sì sento di te pietà.
yes, I feel sorry for you.
Non mi fuggir così ... (repeated text)
Do not flee from me
like this ... (repeated
text)
SILVIA
SILVIA
Il cor mi dice a lui
My heart tells me
tu ti potrai fidar, sì,
“You can trust him, yes,
tu ti potrai fidar, sì, sì ... (repeated
text) you can trust him,
yes, yes” ...
(repeated text)
ENRICO
ENRICO
Che sembiante gentil!
What a
charming face!
Di me ti poi fidar,
You can trust me,
di me ti poi fidar, sì, sì ... (repeated
text) you can trust me, yes, yes
... (repeated
text)
3. Aria, Scene
XI, "Ah, che in van" (Costanza) [9:19]
Sung by Mary Mendenhall.
COSTANZA
COSTANZA
Ah, che in van per me pietoso
Ah, vainly for
me does time
fugge il tempo e affretta il passo:
mercifully
flee and hasten its steps.
cede agli anni il tronco, il sasso;
The
trees and rocks give way to the years,
non invecchia il mio martir.
but my agony does not grow
old.
Non è vita una tal sorte;
Such a fate is
not life;
ma sì lunga è questa morte,
but so prolonged is
this
death,
ch’io son stanca di morir.
that I am tired
of dying.
(translation from
L'isola disabitata,
ed. Teresa Radomski and James Radomski)
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L'isola disabitata Libretto
1:
Overtura
2:
Scena prima. Recitativo
(Costanza) "Qual contrasto non vince"
3:
Scena seconda. Aria (Silvia)
"Che piacere, che contento"
4:
Recitativo (Silvia, Costanza)
"Ah germana! Ah Costanza!"
5:
Duetto (Costanza, Silvia) "Ah
tu del ben, che ignori"
6:
Scena terza. Recitativo
(Silvia) "Che ostinato dolor!"
7:
Scena quarta. Duetto
(Gernando, Enrico) "O desiato lido"
8:
Scena quinta. Recitativo
(Silvia, Enrico) "Nulla intender poss'io"
9:
Recitativo (Silvia) "Che fu
mai ch'io vidi!"
10:
Aria (Silvia) "Fra un dolce
deliro"
11:
Scena sesta. Recitativo
(Gernando, Enrico) "Ah! Presaga fu l'alma"
12:
Aria (Gernando) "Parti amico"
13:
Scena settima. Recitativo
(Enrico) "Non s'irrìti fra' primi impeti"
14:
Scena ottava. Recitativo
(Silvia, Enrico) "Dov'è Costanza?"
15:
Duetto (Enrico, Silvia) "Non
mi fuggir così"
16:
Recitativo (Enrico, Silvia)
"Dì, se cortesi sei"
17:
Scena nona. Aria (Costanza)
"Ah che in van per me pietoso"
18:
Scena decima. Recitativo
(Costanza) "Giacché da me lontana"
Recitativo (Gernando, Costanza)
"Giacché il pietoso amico"
Recitativo (Enrico,
Costanza) "Ignora il caro amico"
19:
Final (Enrico, Costanza) "Tu
non sogni è non sognasti" (Silvia, Costanza, Enrico, Gernando)
"Costanza il tuo Gernando"
20:
Quartetto (Costanza, Gernando,
Sivia, Enrico) "Ed è vero?"
21:
(Silvia, Enrico, Costanza, Gernando) "Guarda Enrico a Gernando"
Coro (Costanza, Silvia, Gernando,
Enrico) "Allor che il ciel s'imbruna"