BORGIA INFAMI, Two-Act Grand Opera After Klabund, Hugo

Harold Blumenfeld

About this work:
BORGIA INFAMI, Grand Opera in Two Acts, dealing with Rodrigo Borgia (POPE ALEXANDER VI), daughter LUCREZIA, son CESARE, clan's nemesis, SAVONAROLA, NARCISO, Lucrezia's secret son. Composed 1998-2002. Core of ACT ONE performed by New York City Opera, 7 May 2003, George Manahan conducting.Libretto Charles Kondek, after Klabund and Victor Hugo. >>former Pub MMB Music now closed. COMPOSER is now publisher: blumenf@wustl.edu Orch score: $220. Vocal score: $110. Libretto: $4.95. Action derived from two sources - historical writings of Borgia court recorder as reported in Klabund's novel, "Borgia - Geschichte einer Familie"; and hyperoperatic, fictional extremes imagined in Hugo's play, "Lucrece Borgia". Limited professional access to New York City Opera's restricted recording of Act One arranged through composer: >blumenf@wustl.edu ON THE OPERA: Passions, crimes, achievements of notorious Borgias. Focused on licentious RODRIGO, crowned Pope Alexander VI 1492 in Rome; his beauteous daughter LUCREZIA, poisoner of clan's enemies; son CESARE, youthful general of papal armies; and fanatical Dominican priest SAVONAROLA, who fulminates against Borgias from his pulpit in Florence. Action unfolds on dual levels, alternating between historical fact and hyperoperatic fictional extremes. Opens on brilliant coronation of RODRIGO as POPE ALEXANDER VI. In course of action, a gory auto da fe in which his nemesis SAVONAROLA is excommunicated, burned alive; a Venetian canal-side conspiracy with Offenbachian overtones, offstage gondoliers; death of POPE; poison-laced feast interrupted by hideous skeletal casket-bearing monks. There is NARCISO, incestuously born to LUCREZIA in Vatican, spirited away in infancy anonymously, far from Rome. NARCISO has matured into virtuous young Venetian officer ready to enlist in any anti-Borgia cause, and obsessed with finding his mother. LUCREZIA watches over him from afar, sending letters of maternal love, warning of dangers forcing her to remain nameless and apart. As events unfold, NARCISO comes unintentionally to be poisoned by Lucrezia along with his Venetian Borgia-hating Comrades, her intended targets - for whom she had arranged the frightening casket delivery at height of feast. Towards end of opera, a double suicide. As NARCISO lies poisoned in death agony, LUCREZIA reveals she is his mother, seizes his sword, stabs herself. Together they die. This Hugolean scene is contrasted with the historical LUCREZIA, in convent in her last days, singing wistful old Spanish lute song and writing to new pope for absolution. Opera closes with quiet, mysterious Borgia APOTHEOSIS. Violence and mayhem alleviated throughout by obscene antics of Roman street urchins. Fusing Narciso with modern Vatican Museum Guide, librettist Kondek connects past with present. DRAMATIS PERSONAE:... Principal roles: RODRIGO BORGIA, Pope Alexander VI:bar. CESARE, his son: bass. LUCREZIA, daughter: dramatic mezzo. NARCISO, her son, and Tourist Guide:ten. SAVONAROLA, fanatic: nasal ten. SUPPORTING ROLES: Narciso's Comrades in Arms: tenor, 2 bt, bass....American Women Tourists: 2 sop, 1 mezzo, others [also serving as part of womens offstage choral groups]....Roman Street Urchins: 2 boy sop, 2 boy mezzo [or Hosenrollen] with 2 teen tenors {all also serving as Acolytes). CHORAL GROUPS: (usually offstage) Cardinals, Clergy, Priests; Monks; Acolytes; Gondoliers. Tourist group. THUMBNAIL SCENARIO: ACT ONE:(1)1492 Vatican: Rodrigo Borgia crowned Pope Alexander VI. (2) Rodrigo makes son Cesare Cardinal. (3) Modern Museum Guide leads Tourists through Vatican.(4)1497, Venice. Narciso and four Venetian Comrades disparagingly discuss Borgias. (5) Apparition. Lucrezia image threatens Borgia-hostile Comrades. (6) Vatican. Rodrigo makes Cesare general of Papal armies. (7) Street urchins obscenely parody papal goings-on. (8) Vatican Museum, the present. Guide transforms into Narciso, unknowing son of Lucrezia. (9) Orchestral interlude. (10) Rodrigo receives hostile priest Savonarola. Acrimony. (11) 1498. Rodrigo orders Savonarola burned at stake. (12) The present. Museum Guide explains mythological Borgia origins to Tourists. (13) Vatican, 1503. Death of Rodrigo Borgia. (14) Rodrigo, Cesare, Lucrezia mystically appear, asserting Borgia superiority. ACT TWO. (1) Ferrara 1518. Convent. Historical Lucrezia in her final days. (2) Narciso's Comrades accuse fictional Lucrezia of poisoning relatives. (3) Modern Guide contrasts Borgia venality and achievements for Tourists. (4) Ferrara: Banquet. A vengeful Lucrezia has Comrades poisoned. To her shock, son Narciso partakes. (5) Street urchins parody Cesare's death. (6) Guide recounts circumstances of Cesare's death. (7) Ferrara 1518. Historical Lucrezia petitions new pope for absolution. Across centuries, Museum Guide looks on, singing with her. (8) Ferrara: Banquet concludes. Narciso, dying, refuses Lucrezia's antidote. Admitting she is his long-sought mother, Lucrezia stabs herself, dying with him. (9) Quiet Apotheosis of the Borgias. Choral music - mostly in Latin - designed to be sung by small offstage groups. Opening Coronation mens chorus, however, most effective onstage. Standard orchestra. Duration 110" (60' + 50'). Opera is in English. Contains numerous passages in Latin; also in old Spanish. BORGIA INFAMI is singers' opera. Arias, duets, trios, an agitated sextet. Scenes of maternal devotion, filial love. Scenes of violence, mayhem, torture. Moments of wistful, transparent simplicity: Lucrezia in convent, with Bingen-like womens chant in background. On opening , vast fresco of papal coronation comes alive, opera is launched. At opera's close, Borgias reappear in mist...an apotheosis.
Year composed: 2002
Duration: 01:50:40
Ensemble type: Opera/Theater:Opera, More than One Act, with Chorus
Instrumentation: 3 Flute, 2 Oboe, 2 Clarinet, 2 Bassoon, 1 Contrabassoon, 4 Horn in F, 3 Trumpet, 3 Trombone, 1 Tuba, 1 Timpani, 2 Percussion (General), 1 Piano, 14 Violin, 6 Viola, 5 Cello, 3 Double bass, 1 Harp, ,2 Soprano soloist(s), ,1 Mezzo-Soprano soloist(s), ,1 Alto soloist(s), ,3 Tenor soloist(s), ,3 Baritone soloist(s), ,2 Bass soloist(s), 4 S, 4 A, 6 T, 6 B, 1 Prerecorded Sound (Tape/CD/Other)
Instrumentation notes: Standard Orchestra. Tapist required for church bells tape. Two acts, 60' - 50'. Opening Coronation excepted, all choral music - for mixed chorus, mens chorus, boys choral group, womens convent group conceived for offstage singing. Street Urchins call for boy sopranos and mezzos. Some may be substituted with young women in Hosenrollen. They will form part of offstage Acolytes in choral moments calling for boys' voices. American Tourist Women onstage also part of small womens group singing offstage in Lucrezia convent scene and elsewhere.

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