Vanessa (opera)

• Vanessa (soprano )
• Erika (mezzo- soprano)
• Anatol (tenor )
• The Doctor ( baritone)

Vanessa is an opera in four or three ( revised version, premiere 1964) acts by Samuel Barber. It was premiered on January 15, 1958 in the New York Metropolitan Opera. The English libretto by the composer Gian Carlo Menotti.

Action

Vanessa waits longingly at her lover Anatol. Her niece Erika keep her company. The relationship with Anatol 's been many years ago, long years of waiting ( " Must the winter come so soon" ). In all the time Vanessa has her loneliness and fear surrendered in front of aging, all mirrors and paintings of the house are imposed.

At last a carriage drives up, which is to bring those anticipated. Of the Beloved, however, his son, whose name also appears Anatol. Vanessa but initially does not notice that it is not to her lover and tells of the suffering of waiting ( "Do not utter a word" ).

Vanessa eventually falls in love with the younger likeness of the deceased Anatol. However, the young Anatol sought the young Erika and makes her to marry him. Erika rejects, however, because they doubted the sincerity of the request.

Vanessa but intensified their affinity for the young Anatoly, who gets involved with the game. Finally, the familiar family doctor on a ball night, the early marriage of the two post. Erika and the mother of Vanessa do not want to take part in the ball, therefore, finally Erika still appears, but is powerless when the doctor announces the glad tidings.

Erika ran to the lake and wants to kill himself, but ends up unhappy in a small ravine, where it is found. In an interview with the grandmother, it turns out that she was pregnant by Anatol, but the pregnancy is over. Vanessa becomes suspicious and can be of Anatol and Erika swear that nothing went between the two. Eventually they moved Anatol to leave the country and live in Paris. The house now belongs to Erika, she now imposed all mirrors and paintings - and mourning as it had done previously Vanessa.

Awards

The opera was awarded in 1958 the Pulitzer Prize for Music.