Pelagio is an opera (tragedia lirica) in four acts by Saverio Mercadante. The Italian-language libretto was by Marco D'Arienzo. It premiered on 12 February 1857 at the Teatro San Carlo, Naples, to great success.
The opera had further successful performances in Milan and Lisbon.
In modern times, Pelagio was performed in 2005 in Gijón, Spain, and in 2008 at the Festival della Valle d'Itria.
Pelagio is an opera with "roots in the bel canto tradition that shows the influence of Verdi", and the work has been described as rich in "excellent music", with "at least one aria (for Bianca in act 4) of an almost Verdian intensity and pathos".Rose, in Grove 1998, p. 336
Roles
+RoleVoice typePremiere cast, 12 February 1857Conductor: Antonio FarelliPelagius(Italian: Pelagio)baritoneFilippo ColettiAbdel-Aor, governor of GijóntenorLodovico GrazianiBianca, daughter of PelagiussopranoFortunata TedescoGiralda, Bianca's confidantecontraltoSchiaviAsan, captain of the MoorsbassMarco AratiAliatar, a guard in Abdel-Aor's apartmentsbassNicola MontiMendo de Quexada, Spanish noblemanbassMichele BenedettiAn inhabitant of GijóntenorA. LauriArabian soldiers, Arabian men and maidens, Spanish warriors, Spanish men and maidens
Synopsis Place: Gijón and Asturias Time: 8th century
The main character is the Asturian king who founded the Kingdom of Asturias and fought against the Moors. It is supposed that his daughter Bianca, brought up by Giralda because Pelagio was believed to be dead, falls in love with the Moor Abdel-Aor, governor of the city of Gijón. Bianca is thus cursed by Pelagius. The opera ends with the death of Bianca, killed by the same Abdel-Aor because he realizes that the love with Bianca has become impossible and is convinced that Bianca is betraying him to help her father.
Recordings 2008: Mariano Rivas; Orchestra Internazionale d'Italia, Bratislava Chamber Choir(Live recording at the Festival della Valle d'Itria); CD: Dynamic CDS 636/1-2Pelagio: Costantino Finucci Abdel-Aor: Danilo Formaggia Bianca: Clara Polito Giralda: Paola Francesca NataleAsan: Vladimir Mebonia Aliatar: Giovanni Coletta Mendo de Quexada: Cristian Camilo Navarro Díaz Inhabitant of Gijón: Vincenzo Maria Sarinelli
References Notes
Sources Rose, Michael (1998), "Mercadante, (Giuseppe) Saverio (Raffaele)" in Stanley Sadie, (ed.), The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, Vol. Three, pp. 334–339. London: Macmillan Publishers, Inc.
External links
Première libretto, from the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek