Fritzian opera fanfic
Nov. 15th, 2020 11:40 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mildred_of_midgard posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
rheinsbergAuthor: selenak
Original discussion: https://cahn.dreamwidth.org/170895.html?thread=2232463#cmt2232463
cahn's prompt: Clearly Verdi should have written an opera about these people
selenak: Clearly, though I guess none of them getting themselves assassinated deterred him. Though I suppose he could have written an opera about poor SD the older and Königsmarck the murdered lover? But then he'd have run into censorship problems again and would have had to transfer the whole action to the colonies.
"Giorgio, governor of Pennsylvania, is married to Sofia, who is in love with Filipo, a dashing officer. There is also Clara, mistress to Giorgio's father, and keen to regain the influence she'd lost through the later's death, but also former lover to Filipo.
Clara sets things in motion by proposing not just to resume relationships but marriage to Filipo, now that the old Duke governor is dead. Filipo rejects her. Some jealous duets and arias later, she discovers his love for Sofia and swears revenge. Cunningly, she arranges to become Sofia's confidante. Simultanously, Giorgio, who feels the hollowness of his marriage and can't connect to his children, yearns for a confidante, too, befriending Filipo. In the great climax, Clara has lead Giorgio to overhear a rendezvous between Filipo and Sofia. A heartrendering quartet ensues, at the end of which Filipo is dead, Sofia imprisoned for life, Clara banished into a nunnery (yes, in Pennsylviania, where there are surely lots of those, just as there are masque balls in Massachusetts) and Giorgio remaining alone on stage while a mournful chorus fades out."
Meanwhile, Fritz/Voltaire/Émilie as written by not Verdi, no, their composer is Rossini.
The cast: Francesco di Volterra - a writer (baritone)
Emilia - a lady of science (soprano)
Federico - a Duke of a nameless Italian town (tenor)
Supporting cast: Pietro Luigi Malaperto - a man of science, in love with Emilia, seeing Federico's favor and thus doubly a rival to Francesco di Volterra (basso)
Francesco Algarotti - a man about town
Donna Maria di Montagna - in love with Algarotti (alto)
Newly a Duke Federico invites Volterra to his dukedom, promising honor and love, but has forbidden the presence of Emilia. Being the spirited heroine of an opera buffa, Emilia naturally dresses up as a man and in this disguise follows Volterra, unknown to him, to check out the competition.
En route, she meets Algarotti, also on his way to the dukedom. Some flirting ensues while it is not clear whether or not Algarotti realises (or cares) that "Emilio" is really Emilia. Both, however are followed by Donna Maria, who intends to either sue Algarotti for breach of promise or claim him for her own.
As Volterra arrives in Federico's dukedom, he at first hits it off via witty duet with Federico but soon gets into an argument with Malaperto . Wounded by a cutting jest of Volterra's, Malaperto vows revenge. His opportunity arrives when he spots the new lad in town, Emiliio the scientist, whom he recognizes as Emilia. Malaperto leads Federico to "Emilio", intending to prove to him that Volterra has smuggled his mistress into town despite having vowed otherwise, but what Malaperto has not counted on is that before he can uncover Emilia's true identity, Federico has fallen in love with "Emilio".
This, in turn, is observed by Volterra, who feels cruelly betrayed by the people he loves best. He sings a fiery aria in public ridiculing Federico, who is incensed, feels betrayed as well and is about to order Volterra's arrest when simultanously Donna Maria has arrived in persuit of Algarotti. She accuses Algarotti of having betrayed her with Emilia, whom she identifies as a woman. This in turn horrifies Federico, who now orders the arrest of both Volterra and Emilia.
Danger thus throws the quarelling lovers back together again as they escape the Dukedom after having somehow managed to trick Malaperto and Donna Maria into wearing their cloaks, getting them arrested instead. Algarotti promises Donna Maria to clear up the misunderstanding if she prromises to let any claims she has on him go as well. She does so, and leaves with Malaperto. Algarotti ends up consoling Federico, and thus all three couples sing a final glorious ensemble piece, bel canto' ing about the miracles and misunderstandings of old and new love.
selenakOriginal discussion: https://cahn.dreamwidth.org/170895.html?thread=2232463#cmt2232463
cahn's prompt: Clearly Verdi should have written an opera about these peopleselenak: Clearly, though I guess none of them getting themselves assassinated deterred him. Though I suppose he could have written an opera about poor SD the older and Königsmarck the murdered lover? But then he'd have run into censorship problems again and would have had to transfer the whole action to the colonies."Giorgio, governor of Pennsylvania, is married to Sofia, who is in love with Filipo, a dashing officer. There is also Clara, mistress to Giorgio's father, and keen to regain the influence she'd lost through the later's death, but also former lover to Filipo.
Clara sets things in motion by proposing not just to resume relationships but marriage to Filipo, now that the old Duke governor is dead. Filipo rejects her. Some jealous duets and arias later, she discovers his love for Sofia and swears revenge. Cunningly, she arranges to become Sofia's confidante. Simultanously, Giorgio, who feels the hollowness of his marriage and can't connect to his children, yearns for a confidante, too, befriending Filipo. In the great climax, Clara has lead Giorgio to overhear a rendezvous between Filipo and Sofia. A heartrendering quartet ensues, at the end of which Filipo is dead, Sofia imprisoned for life, Clara banished into a nunnery (yes, in Pennsylviania, where there are surely lots of those, just as there are masque balls in Massachusetts) and Giorgio remaining alone on stage while a mournful chorus fades out."
Meanwhile, Fritz/Voltaire/Émilie as written by not Verdi, no, their composer is Rossini.
The cast: Francesco di Volterra - a writer (baritone)
Emilia - a lady of science (soprano)
Federico - a Duke of a nameless Italian town (tenor)
Supporting cast: Pietro Luigi Malaperto - a man of science, in love with Emilia, seeing Federico's favor and thus doubly a rival to Francesco di Volterra (basso)
Francesco Algarotti - a man about town
Donna Maria di Montagna - in love with Algarotti (alto)
Newly a Duke Federico invites Volterra to his dukedom, promising honor and love, but has forbidden the presence of Emilia. Being the spirited heroine of an opera buffa, Emilia naturally dresses up as a man and in this disguise follows Volterra, unknown to him, to check out the competition.
En route, she meets Algarotti, also on his way to the dukedom. Some flirting ensues while it is not clear whether or not Algarotti realises (or cares) that "Emilio" is really Emilia. Both, however are followed by Donna Maria, who intends to either sue Algarotti for breach of promise or claim him for her own.
As Volterra arrives in Federico's dukedom, he at first hits it off via witty duet with Federico but soon gets into an argument with Malaperto . Wounded by a cutting jest of Volterra's, Malaperto vows revenge. His opportunity arrives when he spots the new lad in town, Emiliio the scientist, whom he recognizes as Emilia. Malaperto leads Federico to "Emilio", intending to prove to him that Volterra has smuggled his mistress into town despite having vowed otherwise, but what Malaperto has not counted on is that before he can uncover Emilia's true identity, Federico has fallen in love with "Emilio".
This, in turn, is observed by Volterra, who feels cruelly betrayed by the people he loves best. He sings a fiery aria in public ridiculing Federico, who is incensed, feels betrayed as well and is about to order Volterra's arrest when simultanously Donna Maria has arrived in persuit of Algarotti. She accuses Algarotti of having betrayed her with Emilia, whom she identifies as a woman. This in turn horrifies Federico, who now orders the arrest of both Volterra and Emilia.
Danger thus throws the quarelling lovers back together again as they escape the Dukedom after having somehow managed to trick Malaperto and Donna Maria into wearing their cloaks, getting them arrested instead. Algarotti promises Donna Maria to clear up the misunderstanding if she prromises to let any claims she has on him go as well. She does so, and leaves with Malaperto. Algarotti ends up consoling Federico, and thus all three couples sing a final glorious ensemble piece, bel canto' ing about the miracles and misunderstandings of old and new love.
