Senza sangue
Senza sangue (Without blood) is one act opera and the fourth one composed[1] by Péter Eötvös. The opera libretto was written by Mari Mezei, and is sung in Italian. It is based on the second part of the 2002 novel of the same name by Alessandro Baricco and is intended to be performed jointly with Béla Bartók's one-act Bluebeard's Castle.[2] The concert première was given by the New York Philharmonic conducted by Alan Gilbert on 1 May 2015 at the Kölner Philharmonie.[3] The stage premiere was on 15 May 2016 at the Festival d'Avignon.[3] Anne Sofie von Otter, who sang in the New York première with the New York Philharmonic, said: "The piece is not at all easy for the two singers... [It's] hard to find the pitch; you have to work it into the voice, unless of course you happen to have perfect pitch, which I don't."[4]
| Senza sangue | |
|---|---|
| Opera by Péter Eötvös | |
 The composer | |
| Translation | Without blood |
| Librettist | Mari Mezei |
| Based on | Senza sangue (2002) by Alessandro Baricco |
| Premiere | |
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast, 1 May 2015, Cologne[3] Conductor: Alan Gilbert |
|---|---|---|
| La Donna (Nina) | mezzo-soprano | Anne Sofie von Otter |
| L'Uomo (Pedro) | lyric baritone | Russell Braun |
Synopsis
The opera is set in the time of a civil war in an unnamed country. A little girl called Nina experiences her family being killed in their home by fighters. Nina herself only survived because she was hiding. One of the murderers had traced her, but she was spared. The following years were spent in a kind of schizophrenic condition, while her saviour was gripped by the realization that the victim's daughter knows his face.
Over the years, Nina gradually took revenge on all murderers except for her saviour, who is confronted in a cafe by Nina. Instead of anger, however, they begin to talk. Nina and Tito (her saviour) recall the terrible events of their childhood, Nina revealing that she was forcibly married at 14, and reflect on the incomprehensibility of life. They eventually fall in love with each other and elope at the opera's end.[2]
Structure
The opera is broken up into seven scenes, replete with an orchestral introduction and epilogue. The introduction is dedicated to Henri Dutilleux who, at the time of composing, had recently passed at 96.
References
- Fonseca-Wollheim, Corinna da (2015-04-24). "Peter Eotvos Prepares the Opera Senza Sangue". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-11-17.
- "Eötvös' Senza Sangue: at last, a real partner for Bluebeard's Castle". Bachtrack. Retrieved 2016-11-17.
- Work details, Schott Music
- Walls, Seth Colter (2015-05-08). "Senza Sangue and the New York Philharmonic: 'It's a very intense piece'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2016-11-17.
External links
- "Vértelenül" [improper blood], by Anna Belinszky, 27 April 2015 (in Hungarian)