Pia de' Tolomei

"Pia de' Tolomei" is a "tragedia lirica", or tragic opera, in two acts by Gaetano Donizetti. Salvatore Cammarano wrote the Italian libretto after Bartolomeo Sestini's novella, in its turn after Dante's narrative poem "The Divine Comedy" part 2: "Purgatorio". It premiered on February 18 1837 at the Teatro Apollo in Venice.

Pia de' Tolomei is a tragic figure encountered by Dante in his journey through Purgatory. ["Purgatorio" V, 130-136; [http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pia_de'_Tolomei Italian Wikipedia: "Pia de' Tolomei"] ] Her story was so well known to Dante's readers that an understated allusion was enough to call it to mind:

"Deh, quando tu sarai tornato al mondo,
e riposato de la lunga via",
seguitò 'l terzo spirito al secondo,
"Ricorditi di me, che son la Pia;
Siena mi fé, disfecemi Maremma:
salsi colui che 'nnanellata pria
disposando m'avea con la sua gemma".

("Ah, when you have returned to the world,
and rested from the long journey,"
followed the third spirit after the second,
"remember me, the one who is Pia;
Siena made me, Maremma undid me:
he knows it, the one who first encircled
my finger with his jewel, when he married me").

Roles

Synopsis

Ghino has fallen in love for Pia, wife of his cousin Nello, a Ghibelline lord. When she refuses his love, as a revenge Ghino informs Nello that he has discovered a secret message (found by the mischievous servant Ubaldo) proving that Pia has an adulterous relation. Ghino goes to the place of the meeting alluded to in the message, and finds Pia with a man. Ghino does not know that the man is not her lover but her brother Rodrigo, a Guelph, that she is helping to escape from Nello's prison. While Rodrigo manages to escape, Pia is discovered and imprisoned.

Ghino again offers her his love, promising to give her freedom in exchange; but the woman still refuses. Impressed by Pia's virtue and informed of the true identity of her alleged lover, Ghino repents and, mortally wound in battle, reveals the truth to Nello. Meanwhile, Nello had already given to Ubaldo the order to kill Pia by poison. Nello rushes to stop the servant, but it is too late: he finds his wife is dying. On her deathbed, Pia forgives her husband, and obtains a reconciliation between him and Rodrigo.

Selected recordings

*"Pia de’ Tolomei" (Majella Cullagh, Manuela Custer, Bruce Ford, Roberto Servile, Mark Wilde, Mirco Palazzi, Patrizia Biccire; Geoffrey Mitchell Choir; London Philharmonic Orchestra; Conductor: David Parry) Performed in the Critical Edition prepared by Giorgio Pagannone for the Donizetti Foundation, Bergamo. Opera Rara ORC30 CD
*"Pia de’ Tolomei" (Patrizia Ciofi,, Laura Polverelli, Dario Schmunck, Andrew Schroeder, Francesco Meli, Daniel Borowski, Clara Polito; Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro La Fenice; Conductor: Paolo Arrivabeni). Performed in the Critical Edition prepared by Giorgio Pagannone for the Donizetti Foundation, Bergamo. Dynamic 33488 DVD

Notes

External links

* [http://www.karadar.com/Librettos/donizetti_pia.html Libretto] (Italian)
* [http://www.teatrolafenice.it/public/libretti/23_3603piacompl.pdf Programme] for the 2005 production of "Pia de' Tolomei" at the Teatro La Fenice with essays and illustrations (Italian)