''La Loca'' ''(The Madwoman)'', also known as ''Juana la Loca'' ''(Crazy Joanna),'' is an
opera
Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...
by
Gian Carlo Menotti
Gian Carlo Menotti (, ; July 7, 1911 – February 1, 2007) was an Italian composer, librettist, director, and playwright who is primarily known for his output of 25 operas. Although he often referred to himself as an American composer, he kept h ...
, composed in 1979. It is a romantic drama about the life of
Joanna of Castile
Joanna (6 November 1479 – 12 April 1555), historically known as Joanna the Mad ( es, link=no, Juana la Loca), was the nominal Queen of Castile from 1504 and Queen of Aragon from 1516 to her death in 1555. She was married by arrangement to Phi ...
(1479–1555). It was written as a vehicle for soprano
Beverly Sills
Beverly Sills (May 25, 1929July 2, 2007) was an American operatic soprano whose peak career was between the 1950s and 1970s.
Although she sang a repertoire from Handel and Mozart to Puccini, Massenet and Verdi, she was especially renowned for ...
and received its premiere on June 3, 1979, at the
San Diego Opera The San Diego Opera Association (SDO) is a professional opera company located in the city of San Diego, California. It incorporated in 1965, presenting operas under the name of the San Diego Opera.[New York City Opera
The New York City Opera (NYCO) is an American opera company located in Manhattan in New York City. The company has been active from 1943 through 2013 (when it filed for bankruptcy), and again since 2016 when it was revived.
The opera company, du ...]
.
Critical response was largely negative, so Menotti completely reworked it. The revised version premiered in 1982 at the
Festival of Two Worlds
The ''Festival dei Due Mondi'' (Festival of the Two Worlds) is an annual summer music and opera festival held each June to early July in Spoleto, Italy, since its founding by composer Gian Carlo Menotti in 1958. It features a vast array of conce ...
in
Spoleto
Spoleto (, also , , ; la, Spoletum) is an ancient city in the Italian province of Perugia in east-central Umbria on a foothill of the Apennines. It is S. of Trevi, N. of Terni, SE of Perugia; SE of Florence; and N of Rome.
History
Spolet ...
, Italy. The American premiere of the revised version took place at the
Spoleto Festival USA
Spoleto Festival USA in Charleston, South Carolina, is one of America's major performing arts festivals. It was founded in 1977 by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Gian Carlo Menotti, who sought to establish a counterpart to the Festival dei Due ...
in
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...
, on June 1, 1984.
Composition history
''La Loca'' was Menotti's tenth opera. He wrote the libretto as well as the music, as was his custom.
It was written in English, like most of Menotti's work. It consists of three acts with seven scenes.
The opera was barely completed in time for the premiere, with revisions being made as late as the dress rehearsal; "pages with handwritten notes would be rushed from (Menotti's) hotel suite to the theater with the ink still wet on the pages."
The opera was written in honor of Sills' 50th birthday.
It was the first work written specifically for her and was her last new role, as she retired the following year. It was commissioned by two
West Coast West Coast or west coast may refer to:
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* Western Australia
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* West Coast, Tasmania
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Canada
* Britis ...
opera lovers,
Cyril Magnin and Lawrence P. Deutsch, at the urging of then-San Diego Opera director
Tito Capobianco
Tito Capobianco (28 August 1931 – 8 September 2018) was an Argentine American stage director and general manager of several opera companies.
Early life
Capobianco was born in La Plata, Argentina. His parents had fled from Fascist Italy in 1928 ...
.
Capobianco directed the production and the designer was Mario Vanarelli.
The role of Juana is a soprano, written for and premiered by Sills. Juana's three male counterparts – her husband Philip, father Fernando, and son Carlos – are all sung by the same baritone.
Historical background
Juana, born November 6, 1479, was the daughter of
Isabella I of Castile
Isabella I ( es, Isabel I; 22 April 1451 – 26 November 1504), also called Isabella the Catholic (Spanish: ''la Católica''), was Queen of Castile from 1474 until her death in 1504, as well as List of Aragonese royal consorts, Queen consort ...
and
Ferdinand II of Aragon
Ferdinand II ( an, Ferrando; ca, Ferran; eu, Errando; it, Ferdinando; la, Ferdinandus; es, Fernando; 10 March 1452 – 23 January 1516), also called Ferdinand the Catholic (Spanish: ''el Católico''), was King of Aragon and Sardinia from ...
. On October 20, 1496, at the age of 16, she married
Philip
Philip, also Phillip, is a male given name, derived from the Greek (''Philippos'', lit. "horse-loving" or "fond of horses"), from a compound of (''philos'', "dear", "loved", "loving") and (''hippos'', "horse"). Prominent Philips who popularize ...
, son of
Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian I (22 March 1459 – 12 January 1519) was King of the Romans from 1486 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1508 until his death. He was never crowned by the pope, as the journey to Rome was blocked by the Venetians. He proclaimed himself El ...
. He was known as Philip the Handsome or Philip the Fair. In their nine years of marriage she gave birth to six children. Due to deaths in the family she became the heiress to the two Spanish kingdoms. When her mother died in 1504 she became Queen of Castile and Philip became King
Philip I of Castile
Philip the Handsome, es, Felipe, french: Philippe, nl, Filips (22 July 1478 – 25 September 1506), also called the Fair, was ruler of the Burgundian Netherlands and titular ruler, titular Duke of Burgundy from 1482 to 1506, as well as the fir ...
. Her father Ferdinand of Aragon, attempting to keep control of Castile, argued that Juana was mentally unstable and was named her guardian. Her husband Philip resisted Ferdinand's maneuvering. In 1506 Philip and Ferdinand formally agreed that Juana should be excluded from government. A few months later Philip died of
typhoid fever
Typhoid fever, also known as typhoid, is a disease caused by '' Salmonella'' serotype Typhi bacteria. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over several ...
. She attempted to retain power as Queen of Castile but was unable to secure her position, and power was handed over to her father Ferdinand. She refused to sign the abdication papers, so she remained as the titular queen, but was confined to a
nunnery
A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican C ...
. All authority was exercised in her name by her father, and after his death, by her son and heir Charles, who later became
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V, french: Charles Quint, it, Carlo V, nl, Karel V, ca, Carles V, la, Carolus V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain (Crown of Castile, Castil ...
. She was kept in confinement at the Convent of Santa Clara at
Tordesillas
Tordesillas () is a town and municipality in the province of Valladolid, Castile and León, central Spain. It is located southwest of the provincial capital, Valladolid at an elevation of . The population was c. 9,000 .
The town is located ...
, where she died at the age of 75.
Synopsis
Act 1
Juana and Philip, entering into their arranged marriage, dismiss their attendants and sing a love duet. Years later Juana is still passionately in love with Philip, but he engages in numerous infidelities and tries to get her to sign her claim to the Spanish throne over to him. However, Philip dies.
Act 2
While taking Philip's body back to Spain, Juana opens the coffin and sings to him. When she arrives in Spain, her father Fernando attempts to get her to sign over the kingdom. When she refuses, he confines her to a convent and takes away all her children except her daughter Catalina.
Act 3
Juana's father has died, and now her son Carlos is demanding that she sign abdication papers. When she refuses, he takes Catalina away and orders that the window of her cell be boarded up. In the final scene she is dying after 46 years of confinement. The priest Miguel, who had once been a knight in attendance on her, assures her that God is a faithful bridegroom.
Roles
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Loca, La
1979 operas
English-language operas
Operas by Gian Carlo Menotti
Operas set in the 15th century
Operas based on real people
Operas set in Spain
Operas