Eliogabalo (Heliogabalus) is an opera by the Italian composer Francesco Cavalli based on the reign and assassination of the debauched teenage Roman emperor Heliogabalus. The author of the original libretto remained anonymous, but it was probably reworked by Aurelio Aureli. The opera was composed in 1667 and was intended to be premiered during the Venetian Carnival season of 1668. In fact, it was not staged in Cavalli's lifetimeEllen Rosand (ed), Readying Cavalli's Operas for the Stage: Manuscript, Edition, Production, Farnham/Burlington, Ashgate, 2013, p. 64, . and was replaced with a revised text by Aureli, in which Eliogabalo repents and lives, and with music by the much younger composer Giovanni Antonio Boretti,Mauro Calcagno, "Censoring Eliogabalo in Seventeenth-Century Venice", The Journal of Interdisciplinary History, vol. 36, no. 3 (Opera and Society: Part I, Winter, 2006), pp. 355–377. . perhaps because Cavalli's style was considered too old-fashioned or because the Jesuits, who were regaining power in Venice at the time, were thought likely to oppose putting a story about a regicide on stage.
Performance history
Eliogabalo received its world premiere on 27 November 1999,Kaspar Sanneman (4 December 2022), "", "Zürich: Eliogabalo, 04.12.2022", Oper Aktuell website. for the inauguration of the in Crema, Italy,Eliogabalo, Opéra Baroque website. the city in which Cavalli was born. Roberto Solci conducted the instrumental ensemble I Concertanti with countertenor Antonio Giovannini as Eliogabalo and soprano Paola Cigna as Flavia Gemmira. It was the very young Giovannini's debut role."Loriana Castellano and Antonio Giovannini in Catone in Utica at the Theater an der Wien under Federico Maria Sardelli", Stage Door website, 2011; Antonio Giovannini bio, Stage Door website, October 2023.
The opera was revived at Belgium's La Monnaie in May 2004 in a production by Vincent Boussard that was conducted by René Jacobs. Jacobs used a much larger orchestra than would have been employed in a Venetian theatre in 1668. It included two flutes, three trombones, two cornets, two violins, two violas, two violas da gamba and lirone, percussion, and continuo instruments including chamber organ, three harpsichords, dulcian, theorbo, harp, guitar, cello and double bass. According to John McCann, who reviewed the performance in the British magazine Opera: "Purists might complain, but the impact was certainly striking".John McCann, "Opera Around the World. Belgium. Brussels", Opera, August 2004, p. 942.
Its North American premiere took place in 2007 in the Wheeler Opera House at the Aspen Music Festival in Aspen, Colorado. The nine-member period-instrument ensemble was conducted from the harpsichord by Cavalli scholar Jane Glover. The pre-professional cast included mezzo-soprano Cecelia Hall as Eliogabalo, soprano Arianna Wyatt as Flavia Gemmira, soprano Christin Wissman as Alessandro, soprano Hannah Celeste Nelson as Eritea, tenor Alex Monsoori as Lenia and baritone Ted Huffman as Tiferne."Racy Eliogabalo gets new life" by Kyle MacMillan, The Denver Post, 22 August 2007George :Loomis, "Opera Around the World. United States. Aspen", Opera, December 2007, pp. 1476–1478.
Eliogabalo was given its UK premiere on 4 June 2009 by Grange Park Opera at The Grange. Christian Curnyn conducted players from the Early Opera Company, and mezzo-soprano Renata Pokupić sang Eliogabalo.George Hall, "Opera in Britain. Eliogabalo Grange Park Opera", Opera, August 2009, pp. 986–987.
The Dortmund Opera performed Eliogabalo, beginning on 9 October 2011, in a production by Katharina Thoma."F. Cavalli – Eliogabalo", Katharina Thoma website.
Gotham Chamber Opera performed it in 2013 in a Manhattan nightclub in Chrystie Street, Richard Kimmel's The Box, directed by James Marvel."Shock Tactics" by Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 8 April 2013"An Emperor in Drag and Other Decadencies" by Anthony Tommasini, The New York Times, 19 March 2013
In April 2016, the opera troupe Lyric & Co performed the work at the Grand Théâtre of Calais. The baroque ensemble Hemiolia played under the musical direction of Claire Lamquet and François Grenier. The singers were Alice Habellion (Eliogabalo), Xavier de Lignerolles (Alessandro), Nicolas Zielinski (Giuliano), Marie Cubaynes (Flavia Gemmira), Ekaterina Levental ("Une spéciale"), Stephanie Gouilly (Atilia), Yves Vandenbussche (Zotico), Christophe Crapez (Lenia) and Cyril Costanzo (Nerbulone and Tiferne)."Eliogabalo de Cavalli", archive copy (14 July 2018) of the original web page at the Lyric and Co website.
In a co-production with the Dutch National Opera, the Paris Opera opened its 2016/17 season in the Palais Garnier with Eliogabalo under the baton of Leonardo García Alarcón and with Franco Fagioli in the title role, Paul Groves as Alessandro, Nadine Sierra as Flavia, Valer Barna-Sabadus as Giuliano, Elin Rombo as Eritrea.Eliogabalo, 2016 performance details, Paris Opera In 2017 the production was performed in Amsterdam, again conducted by Alarcón.
The San Francisco East Bay company West Edge Opera performed Eliogabalo in July and August 2021 in a post-COVID pandemic production at the outdoor Bruns Amphitheater in Orinda. The title role was sung by countertenor Randall Scotting; tenor Derek Chester sang Alessandro, and soprano Nikki Einfeld was Gemmira.Nicholas Jones (3 August 2021), "Sex, Corruption, and Song at West Edge Opera’s Eliogabalo", SF Classical Voice website.
The Zurich Opera gave the Swiss premiere in December 2022 with 35 members of the period-instrument ensemble La Scintilla conducted by Dmitry Sinkovsky in a modern production by Calixto Bieito.Nicolas Blanmont, "Opera Around the World. Switzerland. Zurich.", Opera, April 2023, pp. 434–435.
Roles +RoleVoice typePremiere cast, 27 November 1999Conductor: Roberto SolciEliogabalo, emperor of RomesopranoAntonio GiovanniniAlessandro Cesare, cousin of Eliogabalo and his designated successor, fiancé of Flavia GemmirasopranoAnna SimboliFlavia Gemmira, Roman noble, sister of Giuliano Gordio, fiancée of AlessandrosopranoPaola CignaGiuliano Gordio, brother of Flavia Gemmira, commander of the imperial guardsopranoGiovanna CaravaggioAnicia Eritea, Roman noble, mistress of GiulianosopranoMarina MorelliAtilia Macrina, Roman aristocrat, in love with AlessandrosopranoBarbara LavarianZotico, confidant and lover of EliogabaloaltoAndrea ArrivabeneLenia, Eliogabalo's nannytenorAlessandro CarmignaniNerbulone, servant of EliogabalobassAlessandro CalamaiTiferne, first gladiator of the Circus Maximus, slave of ZoticobassAlessandro CalamaiFirst consulaltoLucia CirilloSecond consulsopranoDaniela Guerini Rocco
Synopsis Place: Rome Time: 222 AD
Background Elagabalo considers himself a god who is above all laws. He lives exclusively for his pleasure, without caring about the feelings of his fellow human beings. His servants Zotico and Lenia help him in his misdeeds. Eliogabalo's cousin Alessandro is his designated successor as Caesar. Although he too suffers from the emperor's actions, he remains loyal. Alessandro loves Gemmira, the sister of Praetorian Prefect Giuliano, who in turn is engaged to the noble Roman woman Eritea. The emperor desires both women. He has already raped Eritea and then appeased her with a promise of marriage, which he has no intention of keeping. Further complications arise from the fact that the young Roman woman Atilia is in love with Alessandro and keeps trying to win him over. The servant Nerbulone causes several comical situations
Act 1
A small square
Scene 1. After Alessandro has crushed a revolt by the Praetorian Guard, the soldiers and their prefect Giuliano beg the emperor for mercy. Eliogabalo is merciful. At the moment, his thoughts are only with Giuliano's fiancée Eritea, whom he tries to calm down with flattering words after the rape. Eritea reminds him of his promise, because only marriage can restore her honor. Giuliano is horrified to hear that the emperor confirms his word and then orders him to take Eritea to his chambers.
Scene 2. As soon as Eliogabalo is alone with his confidants Zotico and Lenia, he reveals that promises have no meaning for him. He orders Lenia to provide him with further pleasures and to bring him, at her own choice, either Atilia or Gemmira, whose beauty he has already heard about.
Square in Rome with a temple
Scene 3. Lenia confesses her love to Nerbulone. But since money is more important to him than anything else, she promises him great riches and gives him a valuable ring.
Scene 4. Nerbulone is triumphant. He prefers a generous old woman to a young beauty who is difficult to win over.
Scene 5. In front of the temple, Gemmira complains to the gods about her feelings of jealousy, which torment her despite her loyalty to Alessandro.
Scene 6. Alessandro, on the other hand, is overjoyed about his love for Gemmira. Gemmira does not trust Eliogabalo. She fears that he wants to get rid of Alessandro because of his popularity with the people and the Senate. Alessandro reassures her about this. After all, he has just put down the uprising. He wants to announce their wedding to the emperor today.
Scene 7. When Alessandro wants to talk to Eliogabalo about Gemmira, the emperor becomes attentive. He gets Zotico and Lenia to confirm Gemmira's beauty and then decides to win her for himself. He pretends to give his consent to her marriage to Alessandro and asks Alessandro to fetch her. When Alessandro is gone, the servants mock his gullibility.
Scene 8. Because Eliogabalo wants seduce Gemmira at any cost, he comes up with an insidious plan together with Zotico and Lenia: he conceives the idea of a senate consisting the most beautiful women, inviting Gemmira to join it, and showering her with honors. This will give him an opportunity to rape her. In order to allay any concerns her fiancé Alessandro may have, he is to bring another woman, Atilia Macrina, with him.
Scene 9. After Giuliano sees Eritea with Eliogabalo, he increasingly doubts her loyalty. Nerbulone comments on this with a remark about the unfortunate lovers.
Scene 10. Atilia swears her love to Alessandro with passionate words. He gently rejects her and reminds her of his engagement to Gemmira. They set off together for the women's senate as ordered by the emperor.
Scene 11. Gemmira sees Alessandro with Atilia and immediately becomes jealous. Lenia reinforces this by claiming that Alessandro is in love with Atilia, because men are fickle. Gemmira can console herself, however, because she is loved by the emperor and could even become empress herself. In any case, she should behave dismissively towards Alessandro.
Scene 12. When Alessandro arrives, Gemmira follows Lenia's advice and tells him about the emperor's invitation. She explains that Eliogabalo wants to see her alone and forbids Alessandro to accompany her.
Scene 13. Alessandro feels betrayed by Gemmira.
Senate Hall
Scene 14. As chairman of the women's senate, Eliogabalo is also wearing women's clothes. Zotico, Lenia and Atilia and the other ladies have already arrived.
Scene 15. As Gemmira enters, Eliogabalo sings a hymn to the beauty of women. Lenia suggests a game in which the blindfolded ladies have to guess who is hugging them. The emperor is delighted and takes the opportunity to approach Gemmira inappropriately.
Scene 16. At this moment, Eritea appears and sees the emperor in Gemmira's embrace. She is outraged - after all, he has promised to marry her. Lenia defuses the situation by persuading Eliogabalo to reaffirm his promise to make Eritea empress.
Scene 17. Nerbulone finds the women's senate outrageous, but Lenia thinks he can benefit from it.
Act 2
Court
Scene 1. Once again, Alessandro rejects Atilia's declarations of love.
Scene 2. After this disappointment, Atilia swears revenge, but quickly changes her mind. She does not want to give up hope yet.