''Mateo Falcone'' () is a one-act

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 ...

composed by

César Cui César Antonovich Cui ( rus, Це́зарь Анто́нович Кюи́, , ˈt͡sjezərʲ ɐnˈtonəvʲɪt͡ɕ kʲʊˈi, links=no, Ru-Tsezar-Antonovich-Kyui.ogg; french: Cesarius Benjaminus Cui, links=no, italic=no; 13 March 1918) was a Ru ...

during 1906–1907. (Actually, Cui designated the genre of this work as "dramatic scene.") The

libretto A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the t ...

was adapted by the

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

from Prosper Mérimée's like-named story from 1829 and Vasily Zhukovsky's verse rendering thereof. It was premiered on 14 December 1907 ( Old Style), at the

Bolshoi Theatre The Bolshoi Theatre ( rus, Большо́й теа́тр, r=Bol'shoy teatr, literally "Big Theater", p=bɐlʲˈʂoj tʲɪˈatər) is a historic theatre in Moscow, Russia, originally designed by architect Joseph Bové, which holds ballet and ope ...

in Moscow (the work was given along with the composer's early one-act comic opera, '' The Mandarin's Son''). The premiere production of ''Mateo'' was a failure; the work never became part of the standard operatic repertoire in Russia, and seems never to have been performed again.

Background

This opera constitutes the last of three short serious operas by this composer, the other two being ''

A Feast in Time of Plague ''A Feast in Time of Plague'' (russian: «Пир во время чумы», Pir vo vremya chumy) is an 1830 play by Aleksandr Pushkin. The plot concerns a banquet in which the central figure taunts death with a toast "And so, O Plague, we hail t ...

'' and '' Mademoiselle Fifi''. The musical setting of the text of ''Mateo Falcone'' has a declamatory-melodic character, in keeping with the composer's veneration, if not slavish emulation, of

Alexander Dargomyzhsky Alexander Sergeyevich Dargomyzhsky ( rus, link=no, Александр Сергеевич Даргомыжский, Aleksandr Sergeyevich Dargomyzhskiy., ɐlʲɪkˈsandr sʲɪrˈɡʲe(j)ɪvʲɪdʑ dərɡɐˈmɨʂskʲɪj, Ru-Aleksandr-Sergeevich- ...

's method of "melodic recitative," which had been most thoroughly demonstrated in '' The Stone Guest''. There are no extractable "numbers" from this opera to speak of, although highlights include the orchestral passages that suggest the rustic scenery with a kind of barcarolle, and the intimate Latin prayer near the end (a setting of "

Ave Maria The Hail Mary ( la, Ave Maria) is a traditional Christian prayer addressing Mary, the mother of Jesus. The prayer is based on two biblical passages featured in the Gospel of Luke: the Angel Gabriel's visit to Mary (the Annunciation) and Mary's s ...

"), which is reminiscent of the composer's

art song An art song is a Western vocal music composition, usually written for one voice with piano accompaniment, and usually in the classical art music tradition. By extension, the term "art song" is used to refer to the collective genre of such songs ...

Characters and setting

*Mateo Falcone: ''

baritone A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice-types. The term originates from the Greek (), meaning "heavy sounding". Composers typically write music for this voice in the r ...

'' *Giuseppa, his wife: ''

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...

'' *Fredrick, a Corsican carpenter

*Fortunato, their son: ''

alto The musical term alto, meaning "high" in Italian (Latin: ''altus''), historically refers to the contrapuntal part higher than the tenor and its associated vocal range. In 4-part voice leading alto is the second-highest part, sung in choruses by ...

'' *Sanpiero, a smuggler: ''

tenor A tenor is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, 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 lo ...

'' *Gamba, a

sergeant Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...

: ''

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

'' *A few soldiers gendarmes">Gendarmerie.html" ;"title=".e., Gendarmerie">gendarmes ''tenors and basses'' Setting: Corsica, 1800s

Synopsis

The boy Fortunato is outside of his family's house, playing a French horn, horn while his parents are away. Shots ring out in the distance, and Sanpiero runs in, wounded. Fleeing the police, he asks Fortunato to hide him. Fortunato asks for and gets some money in return, and hides Sanpiero, the smuggler. The police arrive, led by Gamba, who is a distant cousin of Mateo. They search the house and try to get information out of Fortunato, who resists with juvenile evasions until Gamba tempts the boy with an enamel-encased watch. Fortunato takes the bribe and reveals Sanpiero. Mateo and his wife return. After Gamba tells them of their son's help in capturing Sanpiero, the wounded man curses the Falcone household for betrayal as he is carried away. Mateo has only one thing to do to preserve the honor of his family: he takes his son away from the house, says prayers with him, and kills him with a single gunshot.

Bibliography

. ''Матео Фальконе'': драматическая сцена (по Меримэ и Жуковского). Фортепианное переложение с пением. 'Mateo Falcone'': dramatic scene (after Mérimée and Zhukovsky). Piano-vocal score. Москва: П. Юргенсон, 1907.

External links

Piano-vocal score atIMSLP

{{Authority control Operas by César Cui Russian-language operas 1907 operas Operas One-act operas Operas based on works by Prosper Mérimée