Le Cinesi
(The Chinese Ladies)
Vue d'un jardin chinois
François Boucher (1703-1770)
Besançon (France),
Musée des Beaux-Arts et d'Archéologie
(Photo Charles Choffet)
One of the last works of Manuel
del Pópulo Vicente García (1775-1832), 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.
The minimal plot concerns three
Chinese ladies—Lisinga, Sivene, and Tangìa—who 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 wanton 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:
Finale
(danzano li 3 che
non cantano) (The three dance who
are not singing.)
LISINGA
LISINGA
Voli il piede in lieti giri:
Let one foot fly in happy spins,
S'apra l'altro in dolce accenti:
Let the other open in sweet
accents.
E si lasci in preda ai venti
And let any dark thought
ogni torbido pensier.
Be cast to the
winds.
(mentre cantano
non ballano)
(not dancing while singing)
TUTTI
TUTTI
E si lasci in preda ai venti
And let any dark thought
ogni torbido pensier.
Be cast to the
winds.
(danza)
(they dance)
SIVENE
SIVENE
Il piacere conduca il coro:
Let
pleasure lead the chorus,
L'innocenza il canto inspiri:
let innocence
inspire the song.
E s'abbraccino fra loro
And may innocence and pleasure
l'innocenza ed il piacer.
embrace each other.
TUTTI
TUTTI
E s'abbraccino fra loro
And may innocence and pleasure
l'innocenza ed il piacer.
embrace each other.
As with L'isola disabitata, Le cinesi displays a mature
compositional technique and reveals García's experienced
theatrical sense. It also provides a priceless glimpse of the musical
demands he made upon the students of his Academy early in the
nineteenth century.
A new CD world-premiere recording of García's Le
cinesi was released in
October 2010, with sopranos Stacey
Fraser (Lisinga), Teresa
Radomski (Sivene), and Jammie
Hampton (Tangìa), tenor Andrew
Crane (Silango), and pianist Joshua
Tuburan.
Listen to an excerpt from Le Cinesi:
Quartet, Ubbidisco
a tuoi
desiri
Tangìa
Tangìa
Sì io vado a
incominciar.
Yes,
I will begin.
Lisinga/Sivene/Silango
Lisinga/Sivene/Silango
In fine
comincerai.
At
last you will begin.
Tangìa
Tangìa
Attenzion, attenzion.
Attention,
attention.
Già verbigrazia. Suponete,
If
you please! Imagine. . .
Ma saria, meglio che Lisinga
But
don't you think it would be better
incominciasse in vece
mia.
if
Lisinga went first instead of me?
Lisinga/Sivene/Silango
Lisinga/Sivene/Silango
Ma questa è una gran
seccata
But this is a nuisance!
l'aspettavo in fede mia.
We were waiting in good faith.
È una vergogna
Tangìa
This is a disgrace, Tangìa,
e ti devi
vergognar.
and
you should be ashamed of yourself!
Sì! È una vergogna
Tangìa
Yes! This is a disgrace,
Tangìa,
e ti devi
vergognar.
and
you should be ashamed of yourself!
Tangìa
Tangìa
Son semplicetta
vergognosetta.
I'm
just a simple little thing, and so shy.
Lisinga/Sivene/Silango
Lisinga/Sivene/Silango
La semplicetta
vergognosetta.
She's
just so simple and shy.
Tangìa
Tangìa
Non ho talento per
imitar.
I
have no talent for acting.
Lisinga/Sivene/Silango
Lisinga/Sivene/Silango
Non ha talento per imitar.
She
has no talent for acting.
Tangìa
Tangìa
Son timorosa, non capricciosa.
I'm timid,
not
capricious.
Lisinga/Sivene/Silango
Lisinga/Sivene/Silango
È timorosa e capricciosa.
She's both timid
and capricious.
Tangìa
Tangìa
Non potrò mai
rappresentar.
I'll
never be able to perform.
Lisinga/Sivene/Silango
Lisinga/Sivene/Silango
Non vorrà mai
rappresentar.
She'll
never want to perform.
Click
to
purchase CD at amazon.com:
Download:
Le Cinesi libretto and English
translation
Le Cinesi libreto y
traducción española
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