Rita (opera)
- Rita, innkeeper (soprano )
- Beppe, her second husband (Tenor)
- Gasparo, her first husband (baritone )
Rita ( Rita ou Le Mari detail battu, dt Rita or The battered husband) is a one-act comic opera by Gaetano Donizetti. In it, try the same woman two husbands, get rid of this by gambling and cunning on the other two men. The original French libretto was written by Gustave Vaëz.
Formation
In March 1841 Donizetti went to Paris to negotiate there because of a new opera for the Opéra -Comique, where he enjoyed increasing popularity. After it did not appeal to a proposal by its librettist Eugène Scribe, he dealt with casual and French translations of earlier operas. Because this work but did not complete it, he asked the librettist Gustave Vaëz (pseudonym for Jean- Nicholas - Gustave van Niewenhuysen, 1812-1862 ), who had already worked with him on the French version of Lucia di Lammermoor and La favorite, a libretto. Vaëz worked then and taking in the history of the two men who play with the opposite sign around their common wife. This is probably an own idea Vaëz ', at least not literary model of the substance is known. The Revue et gazette of théatres reported about this period:
Vaëz himself confirmed this report, which gives an insight into Donizetti's racing operation.
Since neither a prospect of immediate performance of Rita still insisted on more contracts in Paris, Donizetti left for Milan and Rita disappeared in the drawer. On September 8, 1846 was Andrea Donizetti, a nephew of the composer, his sick uncle in the mental hospital in Ivry- sur -Seine, near Paris, and led back to the baggage Rita.
Although already completed in 1841, the work was posthumously on May 7, 1860 So premiered twelve years after Donizetti's death, at the Opéra -Comique with Caroline Lefebvre Faure in the title role. To listening to most recordings Italian version comes from Enrico Colosimo, a transfer in German language concerned Joachim Popelka. The autograph is in the library of the Conservatoire at Naples.
Action
Rita enters and makes her thriving small inn before ( Arie Van la casa el'albergo ). In a spoken monologue, she reports that she is married in second marriage with the weak Beppe after her first husband, who had beaten her, is missing since a shipwreck. In order to avoid a repetition of this Ehejoches, they now regularly beats her Beppe. Beppe appears and has something on his mind. Rita initially encouraged him with flattering words to speak out ( duet Ah tu is qui ). But when he confesses that he has broken accidentally in the kitchen a cup, it is the domestic peace quickly, and Beppe gets again his ration beating.
A guest appears and asks for room and board. He quickly grasped the situation and explains Beppe that in a good marriage, the man wears the trousers and the right to beat his wife, not vice versa ( aria La mia casa by modello ). In the following dialog, the guest said that he was a sailor, who had found a new home in Canada after a shipwreck and now wanted to get married there for the second time. For this he needs the death certificate of his first wife, who is believed to have died in a fire. At passport control Beppe recognizes that it is at the guest to Gasparo, Rita's first husband. As this becomes clear that Rita is still alive, he wants to leave quickly, but Beppe holds him back, because he sees his chance to get rid of their first husband Rita again. The two men decide to play Rita: Who will win, lost, namely because it has to take Rita ( duet Per me chi perde vince ). They play Mora, one in Mediterranean countries widespread variation of rock, paper, scissors. But the mutual fraud can be quickly a dispute arise, so that eventually the decision must be brought about by straw Drag: Gasparo pulls the shorter and Rita must take back. Beppe is in high spirits and pack a suitcase ( Air Allegro io son ).
Rita arrives and recognizes her first husband Gasparo. This, which drives both Beppe and with Rita foul play would now get to the only surviving copy of his marriage certificate with Rita to destroy them and then sell back to Canada. To this end, he flatters Rita with false words and promises her that she will never be beat when it takes it back ( duet Cara gioia, moglie mia ). Rita does not believe him and refuses indignantly from. Gasparo then accesses a trick: He can be challenged to a duel to the appearance of Beppe to confess only to be told that he could not duel because his right hand was paralyzed for a raid. This changes the situation completely, and Rita is inclined under these circumstances, to take back Gasparo, since he can no longer fail with the paralyzed hand ( trio È moncherin ). As a sign of their trust she gives him the marriage certificate, after Gasparo drops his mask and declares that he would leave immediately and destroy the document. He thrashed Beppe until he promises to keep Rita. Rita praised her Beppe for all future peace and harmony if he withdraws. In the final Beppe can be of Gasparo a few more tips for giving a good marriage ( trio Ma tu la mia ricetta déi ).
Music
Donizetti has spread with a light hand a wealth most glorious bel canto melodies. The distribution is extremely fair: Each character has a solo aria, any combination of two of a duet, plus two trios. The numbers are through-composed and created to increase, partially divided by short accompagnato recitatives. The highlight is Beppe's joy Air Allegro io son, a perfect vehicle for a Tenorbuffo.