''Maritana'' is a three-act opera including both spoken dialogue and some recitatives, composed by

William Vincent Wallace William Vincent Wallace (11 March 1812 – 12 October 1865) was an Irish composer and pianist. In his day, he was famous on three continents as a double virtuoso on violin and piano. Nowadays, he is mainly remembered as an opera composer of n ...

, with a libretto by

Edward Fitzball Edward Fitzball (20 March 179327 October 1873) was a popular English playwright, who specialised in melodrama. His real surname was Ball, and he was born at Burwell, Cambridgeshire. Fitzball was educated in Newmarket, was apprenticed to a Nor ...

(1792–1873). The opera is based on the 1844 French play ''Don César de Bazan'' by

Adolphe d'Ennery Adolphe Philippe d'Ennery or Dennery (17 June 181125 January 1899) was a French playwright and novelist. Life Born in Paris, his real surname was Philippe. He obtained his first success in collaboration with Charles Desnoyer in ''Émile, ou le ...

and Philippe François Pinel (

Dumanoir Philippe François Pinel, known as Dumanoir (31 July 1806 – 16 November 1865), was a French playwright and librettist. Biography Dumanoir was born in Capesterre-Belle-Eau, Guadeloupe. He was the son of Mrs. Pinel-Dumanoir, whose family plante ...

), which was also the source material for

Jules Massenet Jules Émile Frédéric Massenet (; 12 May 1842 – 13 August 1912) was a French composer of the Romantic era best known for his operas, of which he wrote more than thirty. The two most frequently staged are '' Manon'' (1884) and ''Werther' ...

opéra comique ''Opéra comique'' (; plural: ''opéras comiques'') is a genre of French opera that contains spoken dialogue and arias. It emerged from the popular '' opéras comiques en vaudevilles'' of the Fair Theatres of St Germain and St Laurent (and to a l ...

Don César de Bazan ''Don César de Bazan'' is an opéra comique in four acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Adolphe d'Ennery, Philippe-François Pinel "Dumanoir" and Jules Chantepie, based on the play by d'Ennery and Dumanoir, which was first perform ...

'' (the character of Don César de Bazan first appeared in

Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romantic writer and politician. During a literary career that spanned more than sixty years, he wrote in a variety of genres and forms. He is considered to be one of the great ...

's ''

Ruy Blas ''Ruy Blas'' is a tragic drama by Victor Hugo. It was the first play presented at the Théâtre de la Renaissance and opened on November 8, 1838. Though considered by many to be Hugo’s best drama, the play was initially met with only average ...

''). The opera premiered at the

Theatre Royal, Drury Lane The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto Dr ...

on 15 November 1845. The first of six operas by Wallace, the work is often cited as an inspiration for a plot device in

Gilbert and Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan was a Victorian era, Victorian-era theatrical partnership of the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836–1911) and the composer Arthur Sullivan (1842–1900), who jointly created fourteen comic operas between 1871 and 1896, of which ...

's comic opera ''

The Yeomen of the Guard ''The Yeomen of the Guard; or, The Merryman and His Maid'', is a Savoy Opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and libretto by W. S. Gilbert. It premiered at the Savoy Theatre on 3 October 1888 and ran for 423 performances. This was the eleventh ...

'' in which a man weds a woman while awaiting execution in prison, escapes and, while he is disguised, the couple fall in love.

Performance history

''Maritana'' was first produced at the

under

Alfred Bunn Alfred Bunn (April 8, 1796 in LondonDecember 20, 1860 in Boulogne-sur-Mer) was an English theatrical manager. He was married to Margaret Agnes (née Somerville) Bunn, a minor actress, in 1819. Biography Bunn was appointed stage manager of D ...

's management on 15 November 1845, conducted first by the composer and then by house conductor

Julius Benedict Sir Julius Benedict (27 November 1804 – 5 June 1885) was a German-born composer and conductor, resident in England for most of his career. Life and music Benedict was born in Stuttgart, the son of a Jewish banker, and in 1820 learnt compo ...

. It was produced the following year in Dublin and Philadelphia, and soon afterwards in Vienna, with further performances in New York (1848, 1854, 1857, 1865 and 1868).''The Victor Book of the Opera''
(1912; third ed. 1915), p. 291, Victor Talking Machine Company In 1873, ''Maritana'' became the first opera produced in England by the

Carl Rosa Opera Company The Carl Rosa Opera Company was founded in 1873 by Carl Rosa, a German-born musical impresario, and his wife, British operatic soprano Euphrosyne Parepa-Rosa to present opera in English in London and the British provinces. The company premiere ...

at Manchester. It was revived in Dublin in 1877, and in London at

Her Majesty's Theatre Her Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Haymarket, London, Haymarket in the City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, ...

in 1880, in an Italian version by Mattei. A performace in

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

, Colorado, in 1881, inaugurated the

Tabor Grand Opera House The Tabor Grand Opera House, not to be confused with the Tabor Opera House of Leadville, was a Denver opera house and theatre built and subsidized by the silver magnate Horace Tabor and his first wife Augusta Tabor. Description Located on Denver ...

. A 1902 production was seen at

Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist si ...

. It was produced again at the

London Lyceum The Lyceum Theatre ( ) is a West End theatre located in the City of Westminster, on Wellington Street, just off the Strand in central London. It has a seating capacity of 2,100. The origins of the theatre date to 1765. Managed by Samuel Arnold, ...

in 1925 and at

Sadler's Wells Sadler's Wells Theatre is a performing arts venue in Clerkenwell, London, England located on Rosebery Avenue next to New River Head. The present-day theatre is the sixth on the site since 1683. It consists of two performance spaces: a 1,500-sea ...

in 1931, remaining popular until the middle of the 20th century. The

Royal Dublin Society The Royal Dublin Society (RDS) ( ga, Cumann Ríoga Bhaile Átha Cliath) is an Irish philanthropic organisation and members club which was founded as the 'Dublin Society' on 25 June 1731 with the aim to see Ireland thrive culturally and economi ...

revived the work in concert form in 2006, with an orchestra conducted by Proinnsías Ó Duinn and singers led by Mairead Buicke and Robin Tritschler. The abiding Irish interest in the work is reflected in the works of

James Joyce James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist, poet, and literary critic. He contributed to the modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influential and important writers of ...

, in his novel ''

Ulysses Ulysses is one form of the Roman name for Odysseus, a hero in ancient Greek literature. Ulysses may also refer to: People * Ulysses (given name), including a list of people with this name Places in the United States * Ulysses, Kansas * Ulysse ...

'', and his stories " The Dead" and "A Mother" (in ''

Dubliners ''Dubliners'' is a collection of fifteen short stories by James Joyce, first published in 1914. It presents a naturalistic depiction of Irish middle class life in and around Dublin in the early years of the 20th century. The stories were writt ...

''). Silent film versions of the opera were released in 1922, adapted by

Frank Miller Frank Miller (born January 27, 1957) is an American comic book writer, penciller and inker, novelist, screenwriter, film director, and producer known for his comic book stories and graphic novels such as his run on Daredevil (Marvel Comics ser ...

and directed by George Wynn, and 1927, directed by H. B. Parkinson.

Roles

Synopsis

Act 1

Maritana is a gypsy street singer in

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

. Charles II, the young king of Spain, lurking in the public square in disguise, is taken with her beauty. His devious minister, Don José, sees this and encourages his affections, hoping that the King will compromise himself. José intends to reveal the King's infidelity to further his own favour with the Queen. José also fills Maritana's head with visions of a wealthy life. Don Cæsar de Bazan is a down-on-his-luck but jovial nobleman who is arrested and sentenced to death by public hanging for

duel A duel is an arranged engagement in combat between two people, with matched weapons, in accordance with agreed-upon Code duello, rules. During the 17th and 18th centuries (and earlier), duels were mostly single combats fought with swords (the r ...

ling during

Holy Week Holy Week ( la, Hebdomada Sancta or , ; grc, Ἁγία καὶ Μεγάλη Ἑβδομάς, translit=Hagia kai Megale Hebdomas, lit=Holy and Great Week) is the most sacred week in the liturgical year in Christianity. In Eastern Churches, w ...

. Maritana admires the dashing Don Cæsar, who had fought to defend a poor apprentice boy named Lazarillo from mistreatment by his master. Maritana - Nov 22 1845 Illustrated London News

Maritana - Nov 22 1845 Illustrated London News

Act 2

On the day of Don Cæsar's execution, a pardon arrives from the King, but it is maliciously intercepted by Don José. José offers Cæsar a soldier's death (shooting instead of public hanging) if he agrees to marry a veiled lady before his execution; Cæsar agrees. José brings the heavily veiled Maritana to marry Cæsar before the execution, with the intention of making her a nobleman's widow; he tells her that she is marrying the King. While Don Cæsar and his executioners participate in the wedding feast, Lazarillo removes the lead shot from all the weapons. The execution is carried out, Cæsar feigns death, and he later escapes and goes to a ball at the Montefiori villa, seeking his new wife. Don José brings Maritana to see the Marquis and Marchioness de Montefiori at the ball, asking them to pretend that she is the Marquis's niece. José brings her to meet the King, but Maritana is surprised and disappointed to find that Charles is not the dashing man that she had married. Meanwhile, Don Cæsar arrives at the luxurious villa and demands his bride. José brings the old Marchioness to present to him. Since Cæsar did not see his bride, he believes José's story that this is she. He is so disappointed that he agrees to sign a paper relinquishing her. Just as he is about to do this, he hears Maritana's voice in the background. He recognizes her as his bride and tries to claim her, but she is quickly spirited away to the royal palace at

Aranjuez Aranjuez () is a city and municipality of Spain, part of the Community of Madrid. Located in the southern end of the region, the main urban nucleus lies on the left bank of Tagus, a bit upstream the discharge of the Jarama. , the municipality h ...

, and he is arrested.

Act 3

Now imprisoned in the royal palace, Maritana wonders what will become of her; she realises that she was the victim of José's plot and, in her purity, repulses the King's advances. Don Cæsar arrives to finally discover from the King that he has been pardoned. He demands his bride, but José insists on his arrest as an escaped prisoner. Before explanations can be made, the King is summoned by the Queen to the Palace. Cæsar and Maritana meet and find out that their love is mutual; they decide to appeal to the Queen. While waiting in the palace gardens, Cæsar overhears José telling the Queen that the King has a rendezvous with Maritana that evening. Cæsar appears, denounces José as a traitor, and slays him. When the King hears of Cæsar's loyalty, in his gratitude he repents of his designs on Maritana and gives her to Cæsar, whom he makes Governor of

Valencia Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, Valencia and the Municipalities of Spain, third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is ...

Musical numbers

Act 1 *"Sing pretty maiden" – Chorus *"It was a Knight" – Maritana *"'Tis the harp in the air" – Maritana *"Angels that around us hover" – Chorus *"Of fairy wand had I the power" – Maritana and Don José *"All the world over" – Don Cæsar *"See the culprit! Quick, arrest him" – Quartet, Chorus *"Pretty Gitana, tell us what the fates decree" – Chorus *Finale "Farewell, my gallant Captain" – Don Cæsar, ensemble Act 2 *"Alas! those chimes so sweetly stealing" – Lazarillo *"Hither as I came" – Don Cæsar *"Turn on, old Time" – Trio Don Cæsar, Lazarillo, Don José *"Yes, let me like a soldier fall" – Don Cæsar *"In happy moments, day by day" – Don José *"Health to the Lady" – Quartet and Chorus *"Oh! what pleasure" – Chorus * Waltz – Orchestra *"Hear me, gentle Maritana" – The King *"There is a flow'r that bloometh" – Don Cæsar *"Ah! confusion! What delusion!" – Quartet incl. Don Cæsar *Finale – "That voice! 'tis hers" – Don Cæsar, ensemble Act 3 *Intro. and Recit. "How dreary to my heart" – Maritana *"Scenes that are the brightest" – Maritana *"This heart by woe o'ertaken" – Don José *"I am King of Spain" – Duet Don Cæsar and the King *"Oh, Maritana! wild woodflow'r" – Duet Don Cæsar and Maritana *"Sainted Mother, guide his footsteps" – Duet Maritana and Lazarillo *"Remorse and Dishonour" – Trio Maritana, Don Cæsar and the King *Rondo-Finale "With rapture glowing" – Maritana, Chorus

Reception

The opera's initial reception at Drury Lane was enthusiastic, with the critic of ''The Musical World'' generally commenting favorably on the composer, librettist, melodies and instrumentation.J. W. D., "Mr. Wallace's New Opera", ''The Musical World'', Vol. XX, Issue No. 47, 20 November 1845
pp. 553–555
/ref> In a later assessment, George P. Upton in ''The Standard Operas: their plots, their music, and their composers'' (1910) judged that ''Maritana'' "is one of the sprightliest and brightest of all the English operas. ... "I hear it again" ... is one of the sweetest and most delicate songs in any of the lighter operas. ... e of the most admired of all English songs s"Scenes that are the brightest". ... The freshness, brightness, and gracefulness of the music of this little opera, combined with the unusual interest and delicate humor of the story, have always commended it to popular admiration." ''The Victor Book of the Opera'', in 1915, called the opera "beloved for its tunefulness and its sentimental music. The ideal of opera fifty years ago was that of quiet, unaffected sweetness, and the composer in his ''Maritana'' achieved that quality to perfection."

Other associations

A beach resort in

St. Pete Beach, Florida St. Pete Beach (formerly called St. Petersburg Beach) is a coastal city in Pinellas County, Florida. Known as a tourist destination, St. Pete Beach was formed from the towns of Pass-a-Grille, Belle Vista, St. Petersburg Beach and unincorporated ...

, the

Don Cesar The Don CeSar is a hotel located in St. Pete Beach, Florida. Developed by Thomas Rowe and opened in 1928, it gained renown as the Gulf playground for America's pampered rich at the height of the Jazz Age. The hotel was designed by Henry H. Dup ...

, is named for the character Don Cæsar, and the restaurant there is named Maritana.

Recordings

;Columbia DB613-618 (1932; 6 records 10" 78 rpm) *Principal singers:

Miriam Licette Miriam Licette (9 September 188511 August 1969) was an English operatic soprano whose career spanned 35 years, from the mid-1910s to after World War II. She was also a singing teacher, and created the Miriam Licette Scholarship. Career She was ...

as Maritana, Clara Serena as Lazarello,

Heddle Nash William Heddle Nash (14 June 189414 August 1961) was an English lyric tenor who appeared in opera and oratorio. He made numerous recordings that are still available on CD reissues. Nash's voice was of the light tenor class known as "tenore di g ...

as Don Caesar,

Dennis Noble Dennis Noble (25 September 189814 March 1966) was a noted British baritone and teacher. He appeared in opera, oratorio, musical comedy and song, from the First World War through to the late 1950s. He was renowned for his enunciation and dicti ...

as Don José *Conductor:

Clarence Raybould Robert Clarence Raybould (28 June 1886 – 27 March 1972) was an English conductor, pianist and composer who conducted works ranging from musical comedy and operetta, Gilbert and Sullivan to the standard classical repertoire. He also cham ...

, with Grand Opera Company and orchestra." Wallace* / Conducted By Clarence Raybould – Maritana"
Discogs.com, accessed 13 December 2016 ;Marco Polo 8.223406-7, double-CD (1996) *Principal singers: Majella Cullagh (soprano) as Maritana, Lynda Lee (mezzo) as Lazarello, Paul Charles Clarke (tenor) as Don Cæsar de Bazan, Ian Caddy (baritone) as Don José de Santarem, Damien Smith (baritone) as Captain of the Guard, Quentin Hayes (bass) as the King of Spain *Conductor: Proinnsías Ó Duinn, with RTÉ Philharmonic Choir and

RTÉ Concert Orchestra The RTÉ Concert Orchestra is one of the two full-time professional radio orchestras in Ireland that are part of RTÉ, the national broadcasting station. Since its formation as the Radio Éireann Light Orchestra in 1948, the RTÉ Concert Orchestr ...

*Recording date: 19 and 20 September 1995 *Re-issued: Naxos 8.660308-9, double-CD (2011)

References

*Burton, Nigel (1992), 'Maritana' in ''

The New Grove Dictionary of Opera ''The New Grove Dictionary of Opera'' is an encyclopedia of opera, considered to be one of the best general reference sources on the subject. It is the largest work on opera in English, and in its printed form, amounts to 5,448 pages in four volu ...

'', ed.

Stanley Sadie Stanley John Sadie (; 30 October 1930 – 21 March 2005) was an influential and prolific British musicologist, music critic, and editor. He was editor of the sixth edition of the '' Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' (1980), which was publ ...

(London)
Description of the opera, including characters and plot synopsis
* Flood, W. H. Grattan. "William Vincent Wallace. A Centenary Notice" in ''

The Musical Times ''The Musical Times'' is an academic journal of classical music edited and produced in the United Kingdom and currently the oldest such journal still being published in the country. It was originally created by Joseph Mainzer in 1842 as ''Mainze ...

'', Vol. 53, No. 833 (1 July 1912), pp. 448–449. *Upton, George Putnam ''The Standard Operas, Their Plots and Their Music'' (1914) A. C. McClurg & Co.
pp. 383–87

External links

Libretto of ''Maritana''

* * ttps://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9E04E1D6123CE433A25751C2A9659C94699ED7CF ''New York Times'' article describing a number of revivals
"There is a flower that bloometh"
sung by John MacCormack {{Authority control English-language operas 1845 operas Operas by William Vincent Wallace Operas Operas set in Spain Operas based on plays