Giovanni Paisiello - Nina - title page of the libretto - Naples 1789

''Nina, o sia La pazza per amore'' (''Nina, or Madly in Love'') 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 ...

, described in 1790 as a ''commedia in prosa ed in verso per musica'', in two acts by

Giovanni Paisiello Giovanni Paisiello (or Paesiello; 9 May 1740 – 5 June 1816) was an Italian composer of the Classical era, and was the most popular opera composer of the late 1700s. His operatic style influenced Mozart and Rossini. Life Paisiello was born in T ...

to an Italian

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 ...

Giovanni Battista Lorenzi Giovanni Battista Lorenzi (or ''Giambattista''; 1721–1807) was an Italian librettist. He was born in Puglia and died in Naples and was a friend of Giovanni Paisiello, with whom he collaborated on numerous operas. Libretti *''Fra i due ...

after Giuseppe Carpani's translation of

Benoît-Joseph Marsollier Benoît-Joseph Marsollier (also known as Benoît-Joseph Marsollier des Vivetières, (Paris, 1750 – Versailles, 22 April 1817) was a French playwright and librettist. He is particularly noted for his work in opéra comique. In 1780 he also led ...

's '' Nina, ou La folle par amour'', set by

Nicolas Dalayrac Nicolas-Marie d'Alayrac (; bapt. 13 June 175326 November 1809), nicknamed the Musician poet, more commonly Nicolas Dalayrac, was a French composer of the Classical period. Intended for a military career, he made the acquaintance of many mu ...

in 1786. The work is a sentimental comedy with set numbers,

recitative Recitative (, also known by its Italian name "''recitativo''" ()) is a style of delivery (much used in operas, oratorios, and cantatas) in which a singer is allowed to adopt the rhythms and delivery of ordinary speech. Recitative does not repea ...

and spoken dialog. It is set in Italy in the 18th century. ''Nina'' was first performed in a one-act version at the Teatro del Reale Sito di Belvedere in

Caserta Caserta () is the capital of the province of Caserta in the Campania region of Italy. It is an important agricultural, commercial, and industrial ''comune'' and city. Caserta is located on the edge of the Campanian plain at the foot of the Camp ...

San Leucio San Leucio is a ''frazione'' of the ''comune'' of Caserta, in the region of Campania in southern Italy. It is most notable for a resort developed around an old silk factory, named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. It is located 3.5 km n ...

on 25 June 1789. The revised and familiar two-act work was presented at the

Teatro dei Fiorentini Theatres for diverse musical and dramatic presentations began to open in Naples, Italy, in the mid-16th century as part of the general Spanish cultural and political expansion into the kingdom of Naples, which had just become a vicerealm of Spain. ...

in Naples in the autumn of 1790.

Roles

*Nina (

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 ...

) *Lindoro, her lover/Un Pastore (

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 ...

) *The Count, her father ( bass) *Susanna, her companion (

mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano or mezzo (; ; meaning "half soprano") is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A below middle C ...

) *Giorgio, the Count's valet (bass) *A musician (tenor) *Second musician *Chorus (staff and patients at the sanatorium)

Synopsis

Act I As the opera opens, Nina, the Count’s daughter, has gone mad due to a broken heart. We learn that she was to marry Lindoro, with her father’s approval, but on their wedding day a richer and more powerful suitor turned up, and the Count broke his word. Lindoro challenged his rival to a duel, and was killed. Now she wanders around the village doing good deeds for the people, who all adore her. The Count is tortured by remorse. Nina goes to the crossroads at the same hour every day to wait for her lover. The villagers come to comfort her, and sing her favourite song. Nina sings in anticipation of meeting Lindoro, but when he fails to appear, Nina leaves flowers at the waiting place and returns to the village. Act II The Count's valet appears with good news: it turns out Lindoro is still alive. Giorgio tells his master that Lindor is at the castle gates hoping to see his darling. The Count greets Lindoro with tears of joy. Lindoro tells him that he was seriously wounded and nursed back to health by a friend. He has stayed away until now, believing Nina married his rival. He is aghast to hear that his beloved has lost her mind. The lovers are reunited, and Nina is restored to sanity.

Discography

Arts Music
Hans Ludwig Hirsch, 1998
Nuova Era

Richard Bonynge Richard Alan Bonynge ( ) (born 29 September 1930) is an Australian conductor and pianist. He is the widower of Australian dramatic coloratura soprano Dame Joan Sutherland. Bonynge conducted virtually all of Sutherland's operatic performances ...

, 2003 *, Ádám Fischer, 2002 (

Zürich Opera Zürich Opera (Oper Zürich) is a Swiss opera company based in Zürich. The company gives performances in the Zürich Opera House. History The first performance at the current theatre occurred on 30 September 1891, with a production of Wagner's ' ...

)
Archipel
, 2007

In popular culture

The opera's aria, ''Il mio ben quando verrà'' (''When my beloved comes''), is prominently featured in Episode 5, Season 4 of the science fiction series

Stranger Things ''Stranger Things'' is an American science fiction horror drama television series created by the Duffer Brothers, who also serve as showrunners and are executive producers along with Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen. Produced by Monkey Massacre Prod ...

, an episode entitled "The Nina Project." However, the dialogue of the episode explicitly references Nicolas Dalayrac's French language opera of the same name, year, and subject.

References

External links

*
Synopsis and essays
Operas by Giovanni Paisiello Italian-language operas 1789 operas Operas Operas set in Italy {{italian-opera-stub