I/15

Elisabetta, regina d’Ighilterra
[Elizabeth, Queen of England]

Dramma per musica in two acts by
GIOVANNI SCHMIDT

First performance:
Naples – Teatro San Carlo
4 October1815

Critical Edition by
VINCENZO BORGHETTI

FONDAZIONE ROSSINI PESARO

CHARACTERS:
ELISABETTA, Queen of England, soprano
LEICESTER, general of the armies, tenor
MATILDE, his secret wife, daughter of Mary Stuart, soprano
ENRICO, her brother, contralto
NORFOLK, Lord of the realm, tenor
GUGLIELMO, captain of the royal guard, tenor
Mixed chorus of knights, courtiers, Scottish nobles, Leicester’s followers, pages, royal guards, soldiers, populace

The action takes place in London

Instrumentation: 2 Flutes/Piccolos, 2 Oboes/English Horns, 2 Clarinets, 2 Bassoons, 4 Horns, 2 Trumpets, 3 Trombones, Timpani, Bass Drum, Strings
Performance time: 2h 15m

For this first of ten operas written for Naples, Rossini had at his disposal the formidable forces of the royal theaters: the prima donna Isabella Colbran (Elisabetta), who later became the composer’s wife, and two first tenors, Andrea Nozzari and Manuel García, as well as a superb orchestra and a large mixed chorus. Yet in presenting himself to the Neapolitan audiences, Rossini included many pieces from his earlier operas (unlikely to be revived in Venice), integrating them into the fresh context and adapting them to the rich new orchestral possibilities. Elisabetta may perhaps be viewed as a conservative bridge between his works for Venice and Milan and the mature Neapolitan operas that explore the dramatic and musical possibilities of opera seria.

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