Elisa Virginia Zeani

Carlotta Giovanna Fioroni

Silvia Maria Luisa Carboni

Claudio Agostino Lazzari

Marchese Domenico Trimarchi

Conte Arnoldo Ugo Trama

Celso Ennio Bosio

Luca Guido Malfatti

Coro and Orchestra of the Teatro San Carlo, Naples, Ugo Rapalo, cond.

Elisa e Claudio is probably the most successful Italian light opera (light operas being defined as either opere buffe or semi-serie) not by Rossini composed in the first thirty or so years of the nineteenth century. Of course, it never reached the towering heights of the most important light Rossini works (Il barbiere di Siviglia, La cenerentola, La gazza ladra, L'Italiana in Algeri, Mathilde di Shabran, etc.), but easily beat out lesser works such as Torvaldo e Dorliska, Adina, and La gazetta. It was the seventh of some sixty works composed by Mercadante, and his first great success, a success that he was not to fully match until Il giuramento, some 16 years later, although Caritea, regina di Spagna came close. It is classified as an opera semi-seria, which means that it stands midway stylistically between the buffo and seria works, with many characteristics of each. The plot is fairly simple, involving a secret marriage between the two title characters. Unfortunately, Conte Arnoldo, the tenor's father, has other plans for him (wanting him to marry Silvia, daughter of the marquis) and has the young man confined to his room when he refuses. The action opens with the arrival of the marquis. To complicate matters, the two lovers already have two children, who are abducted by a band of ruffians. Elisa mistakes the marquis for the count, and pleads for her children, then, realizing her mistake pleads with the count. After many complications, during which the marquis takes the side of the married couple, the count relents, and there is a happy ending. But, in the meantime, Elisa has had many opportunities to express her emotions.

The singing is generally wonderful, especially that of Virginia Zeani. On the negative side, the opera, especially the role of the tenor, is badly cut. I have not heard the Wexford performance, but suspect that it is probably complete. It is to be hoped that it has been taped, and that Marco Polo will eventually go back and record some of the material in their archives as well as the one performance a year that they now appear to be doing.

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