![George Frideric Handel by Balthasar Denner](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/George_Frideric_Handel_by_Balthasar_Denner.jpg)
''Silla'' (full title ''Lucio Cornelio Silla'',
HWV 10) is an
opera seria
''Opera seria'' (; plural: ''opere serie''; usually called ''dramma per musica'' or ''melodramma serio'') is an Italian musical term which refers to the noble and "serious" style of Italian opera that predominated in Europe from the 1710s to abo ...
(referred to as a ''
dramma per musica
Dramma per musica (Italian, literally: ''drama for music'', plural: ''drammi per musica'') is a libretto. The term was used by dramatists in Italy and elsewhere between the mid-17th and mid-19th centuries. In modern times the same meaning of ''dra ...
'') in three acts by
George Frideric Handel
George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque music, Baroque composer well known for his opera#Baroque era, operas, oratorios, anthems, concerto grosso, concerti grossi, ...
. The Italian-language
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 by
Giacomo Rossi
Giacomo Rossi was an Italian poet, translator and librettist who settled in London early in the 18th century and wrote librettos for George Frideric Handel, between 1710 and 1729.
According to Rossi ''Rinaldo'' was written by Handel in a fortni ...
. The story concerns the Roman dictator
Lucius Cornelius Sulla
Lucius Cornelius Sulla Felix (; 138–78 BC), commonly known as Sulla, was a Roman general and statesman. He won the first large-scale civil war in Roman history and became the first man of the Republic to seize power through force.
Sulla had t ...
(138–78 BC) as recounted by
Plutarch
Plutarch (; grc-gre, Πλούταρχος, ''Ploútarchos''; ; – after AD 119) was a Greek Middle Platonist philosopher, historian, biographer, essayist, and priest at the Temple of Apollo in Delphi. He is known primarily for his ''P ...
.
The opera appears to have been a ''pièce d'occasion'', which may have been performed only once. The music was recycled in Handel's later opera ''
Amadigi di Gaula
''Amadigi di Gaula'' ( HWV 11) is a "magic" opera in three acts, with music by George Frideric Handel. It was the fifth Italian opera that Handel wrote for an English theatre and the second he wrote for Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington in ...
''.
Performance history
The first performance might have been on 2 June 1713. A dedication from the librettist, Rossi, to the French ambassador, the Duc d'Aumont, appears with that date in a printed copy of the libretto. There may have been a private performance at the
Queen's Theatre, London.
[ However according to the Amadeus Almanac, the performance took place at ]Burlington House
Burlington House is a building on Piccadilly in Mayfair, London. It was originally a private Neo-Palladian mansion owned by the Earls of Burlington and was expanded in the mid-19th century after being purchased by the British government. Toda ...
. The opera has been performed in modern times, for instance at the London Handel Festival in 2000 and at the Handel Festival, Halle
The Handel Festival (in German: Händel-Festspiele) in Halle an der Saale, Saxony-Anhalt, is an international music festival concentrating on the music of George Frideric Handel in the composer's birthplace. It was founded in 1922 and it grew into ...
in 2015.
Roles
Synopsis
Act 1
*Scene: Rome, at the time of the Republic
A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...
, about 81 B.C.
The military leader Silla returns victorious to Rome, having subdued both rebellious foreign populations and his own personal enemy, Mario (the historical Gaius Marius
Gaius Marius (; – 13 January 86 BC) was a Roman general and statesman. Victor of the Cimbric and Jugurthine wars, he held the office of consul an unprecedented seven times during his career. He was also noted for his important refor ...
) and his army. Silla passes through a specially constructed triumphal arch as trumpets sound and the populace acclaim him. When Silla announces that he is proclaiming himself dictator and sole law-giver for Rome, however, both his wife Metella and the tribune
Tribune () was the title of various elected officials in ancient Rome. The two most important were the tribunes of the plebs and the military tribunes. For most of Roman history, a college of ten tribunes of the plebs acted as a check on the ...
Lepido are appalled.
Flavia, Lepido's wife, tells him of bad dreams she has been having about dangers to Rome but Lepido dismisses this as superstition.
Celia, daughter of a high-ranking statesman who also opposed Silla's enemy Mario, is in love with the senator Claudio and he with her but she cannot bring herself to accept him as he is a supporter of Mario.
Claudio confronts Silla and accuses him of destroying Roman liberty. Silla is furious and refuses to hear it, but, left alone, Claudio vows to continue to struggle against tyranny.
Act 2
Silla is discovered by his wife Metella attempting to seduce the lovely Celia. Metella puts a stop to this, for the moment.
Silla next attempts the virtue of Lepido's wife Flavia, at her home. Lepido discovers him and intervenes, whereupon Silla accuses Lepido of conspiring with others to overthrow him and orders both Lepido and his wife to be imprisoned, awaiting execution. Husband and wife tearfully bid farewell.
Celia has overcome her scruples about accepting a supporter of her father's enemy, Mario, and has admitted she loves Claudio. The couple are basking in their happiness when Claudio is placed under arrest for conspiring against Silla and also sentenced to death. Metella learns of her husband's cruel and tyrannical orders from her servant Scabro and vows to prevent them from being carried out.
In the tower where he is imprisoned, Claudio can see the arena where he has been condemned to be torn apart by wild beasts and says farewell to life.
Metella takes a garment she has soaked with animal blood and tells her servant Scabro to take it to Silla and tell him it is Lepido's, shed when he was executed. Silla is pleased but still wants to see Claudio torn by beasts. News is brought to Silla that the supporters of Mario are staging a new rebellion and Silla rushes off to quell it. Metella orders both Claudio and Lepido released from prison.
Act 3
Lepido thanks Metella for rescuing him and announces his intention to assassinate Silla in order to restore Roman freedom. Metella refuses to have anything to do with such a plot against her husband. They receive word that Silla is leaving Rome. While Metella regrets that she has not been able to say good-bye to him, she seizes the opportunity to tell her servant Scabro to take Lepido to his wife Flavia in her prison cell and help her to escape.
Silla regrets the necessity of leaving Rome without satisfying his desires towards either Celia or Flavia. He attempts to seduce Celia again, but she repulses him and he informs her that her beloved Claudio has been torn alive by wild beasts and leaves her. Celia laments her lover's death and hears an echo of her words - it is Claudio himself, who has been listening. At first she thinks it must be a ghost, but she is then overjoyed to be re-united with the living Claudio.
More or less the same scenario then occurs in Flavia's prison cell where she awaits death. Silla appears with the bloodstained garment, telling her it is what her husband was wearing when he was shot by arrows, and threatens her with the same fate unless she will yield herself to his lust. She refuses, whereupon Silla storms out. Lepido appears to his wife and at first she too believes she is seeing a ghost, but he reassures her and they express their delight.
At the port where Silla is embarking to leave Rome, his wife Metella appears to bid him farewell. He expresses his regret at his treatment of her and the couple hope one day they will again be able to be together. Metella watches from the shore as the ship Silla is on flounders in a storm and sinks. Silla escapes the wreck and swims to a nearby island, Metella gets into a little boat, rows out to him and rescues her husband.
Lepido and Claudio are at the Capitol rallying their supporters for a revolt against Silla's monstrous tyranny when the god Mars appears on a cloud and announces Rome's salvation. Metella leads in her repentant husband, who extends apologies to all for his behaviour and announces his retirement to a small estate where he will live quietly with his wife. Claudio and Celia will now marry. All rejoice in the fortunate outcome of events.
Context and analysis
The German-born Handel, after spending some of his early career composing operas and other pieces in Italy, settled in London, where in 1711 he had brought Italian opera for the first time with his opera ''Rinaldo
Rinaldo may refer to:
*Renaud de Montauban (also spelled Renaut, Renault, Italian: Rinaldo di Montalbano, Dutch: Reinout van Montalbaen, German: Reinhold von Montalban), a legendary knight in the medieval Matter of France
* Rinaldo (''Jerusalem Lib ...
''. A tremendous success, ''Rinaldo'' created a craze in London for Italian opera seria, a form focused overwhelmingly on solo arias for the star virtuoso singers. ''Rinaldo'', a "magic" opera featuring enchantments, sorceresses and scenic ingenuity, was followed by ''Il Pastor Fido
''Il pastor fido'' (''The Faithfull Shepherd'' in Richard Fanshawe's 1647 English translation) is a pastoral tragicomedy set in Arcadia by Giovanni Battista Guarini, first published in 1590 in Venice.
Plot summary
To redress an ancient wrong ...
'', a shorter and simpler opera, which was not a success with London audiences at its first performances. The occasion for which ''Silla'' was written is not known and the presence of a part for a non-singing actor (Scabro) in a Handel opera is a unique feature of ''Silla'' for which the reason is again unknown.[
The work is scored for strings, two recorders, two ]oboe
The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range.
A ...
s, bassoon
The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuo ...
, trumpet
The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...
, and continuo instruments.
Recordings
Handel: ''Silla'' – London Handel Orchestra
*Conductor: Denys Darlow
*Principal singers: James Bowman (Silla), Joanne Lunn
Joanne Lunn is an English classical soprano in opera and concert.
Career
Joanne Lunn studied at Royal College of Music, where she graduated and received the Tagore Gold Medal.
Lunn performed in Monteverdi's ''L'incoronazione di Poppea'', Gluck ...
(Lepido), Simon Baker (Claudio), Rachel Nicholls
Rachel Nicholls is an English soprano in opera and concert.
Career
Born in Bedford, England, Nicholls studied French at the University of York, and from 1998 voice at the Royal College of Music with Kathleen Livingstone. In 2001, she won se ...
(Metella), Natasha Marsh (Flavia), Elizabeth Cragg (Celia), Christopher Dixon (The god)
*Recording date: 11 April 2000
*Label: SOMM Recordings – 227-8 (CD)
Handel: ''Silla'' – Europa Galante
Europa Galante is an Italian period-instrument Baroque orchestra founded by violinist Fabio Biondi in 1990 and directed by him.
The ensemble has been invited to play at festivals and in concert halls such as La Scala in Milan, the Accademia di ...
*Conductor: Fabio Biondi
Fabio Biondi (born 15 March 1961) is an Italian violinist and conductor. He is a specialist in Baroque and early music.
Biography
Born in Palermo, Sicily, Biondi had a late start, having never even held a violin till age 11, but by the follo ...
*Principal singers: Sonia Prina
Sonia Prina (born 30 November 1975) is an Italian operatic contralto who has had an active career in concerts and operas since the mid-1990s. She is particularly known for her appearances in Baroque operas and for her performances of the Baroque c ...
(Silla), Vivica Genaux
Vivica Genaux (; born July 10, 1969) is an American coloratura mezzo-soprano. She was born in Fairbanks, Alaska. She has sung in major operas such as ''The Barber of Seville'' at the Metropolitan Opera, ''L'italiana in Algeri'' at Opéra National ...
(Lepido), Martina Belli (Claudio), Sunhae Im
Sunhae Im (; Hanja: 任善惠; born in 1976) is a South Korean soprano. She has been described as a bright and versatile lyric soprano with lightness and coloratura. She first gained her reputation in the field of early music and now performs a ...
(Metella), Roberta Invernizzi (Flavia), Francesca Lombardi Mazzulli (Celia), Luca Tittoto (Il Dio)
*Recording date: 28–30 January 2017
*Label: Glossa Music Glossa is a classical music record label based in Spain. The label was founded in 1992 by brothers José Miguel Moreno, a lutenist, and Emilio Moreno a violinist. The label is Spain's first independent classical label.Billboard - 18 Jul 1998 - Page ...
References
Sources
* Hicks, Anthony (1998), "''Silla''", 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: Macmillan.
*
External links
Score
Händel-Werkausgabe vol. 61, Deutsche Händelgesellschaft, ed. Friedrich Chrysander
Karl Franz Friedrich Chrysander (8 July 1826 – 3 September 1901) was a German music historian, critic and publisher, whose edition of the works of George Frideric Handel and authoritative writings on many other composers established him as a pion ...
, Leipzig 1875
Libretto
{{Authority control
Operas by George Frideric Handel
Italian-language operas
1713 operas
Operas set in ancient Rome
Cultural depictions of Sulla
Operas based on real people
Operas
Adaptations of works by Plutarch