''Lohengrin'' ''(Azione invisibile per solista, strumenti e voci)'' is an operatic

monodrama A monodrama is a theatrical or operatic piece played by a single actor or singer, usually portraying one character. In opera In opera, a monodrama was originally a melodrama with one role such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau's '' Pygmalion'', which w ...

by the Italian composer

Salvatore Sciarrino Salvatore Sciarrino (born 4 April 1947) is an Italian composer of contemporary classical music. Described as "the best-known and most performed Italian composer" of the present day, his works include ''Quaderno di strada'' (2003) and ''La porta d ...

. Premiered in 1982 in

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

the work was later revised by Sciarrino and the new version was premiered in on 9 September 1984 in

Catanzaro Catanzaro (, or ; scn, label= Catanzarese, Catanzaru ; , or , ''Katastaríoi Lokrói''; ; la, Catacium), also known as the "City of the two Seas", is an Italian city of 86,183 inhabitants (2020), the capital of the Calabria region and of its p ...

.Sciarrino, Salvatore
phonoarchive.org (Retrieved 26 March 2008) The opera, which is less than an hour long, is loosely based on

Jules Laforgue Jules Laforgue (; 16 August 1860 – 20 August 1887) was a Franco-Uruguayan poet, often referred to as a Symbolist poet. Critics and commentators have also pointed to Impressionism as a direct influence and his poetry has been called "part-symbol ...

's 1887 parody of Wagner's opera of the same name, published as part of his Moralites Legendaires.

Roles

* Soprano *

Tenor A tenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The low extreme for tenors is wide ...

* Baritone * Bass *Male chorus *Speakers

Plot

The story of Sciarrino's ''Lohengrin'' is seen from the point of view of Elsa, a

Vestal Virgin In ancient Rome, the Vestal Virgins or Vestals ( la, Vestālēs, singular ) were priestesses of Vesta, virgin goddess of Rome's sacred hearth and its flame. The Vestals were unlike any other public priesthood. They were chosen before puberty ...

who is accused of fornication. Lohengrin marries Elsa, but on their wedding night, despite Elsa's attempts to seduce him, he refuses to consummate the marriage. Eventually one of the pillows changes into a swan and Lohengrin returns to the moon on its back. The opera ends with the revelation that Elsa is actually a patient in a

psychiatric ward Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental health hospitals, behavioral health hospitals, are hospitals or wards specializing in the treatment of severe mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, dissociative ...

."Sciarrino: ''Lohengrin'', Lumini/ Gruppa Strumentale Musica d'Oggi"
''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' (Retrieved 26 March 2008)

Recording

Sciarrino: ''Lohengrin'' – Gruppo Strumentale Musica d'Oggi * Conductor: Salvatore Sciarrino * Principal singers:

Daisy Lumini Desy Lumini, best known as Daisy Lumini (18 August 1936 - 18 August 1993), was an Italian composer, singer and stage actress. Born in Florence, at young age Lumini graduated in piano and composition, and began her career as a composer of soundtr ...

* Release date: March 11, 2008 * Label: Stradivarius (CD) Sciarrino: ''Lohengrin'' – Ensemble Risognanze * Conductor: Tito Ceccherini * Principal singers: Marianne Pousseur * Release date: August 18, 2005 * Label: Collegno (CD)

References

External links

* {{portal bar, Classical music, Opera, Music 1984 operas Arthurian operas Operas by Salvatore Sciarrino Italian-language operas Operas