Eroii de la Rovine ("The Heroes of Rovine") is a one-act opera composed by Nicolae Bretan.Gagelmann, Hartmut. Nicolae Bretan: His Life—His Music. Translated by Beaumont Glass. Pendragon Press, Hillsdale, New York, 2000. pp. 121–123. The libretto is by Bretan, based on the poem "Scrisoarea III" (Letter III) by Mihai Eminescu,Cosma, Viorel. "Nicolae Bretan" (in Romanian). Muzicieni din România. Lexicon, vol. 1, 1989. Reproduced by Uniunea Compozitor și Muzicologilor din România. http://www.ucmr.org.ro/bio-biblio.asp?CodP=2277 Accessed July 15, 2020.Gagelmann, p. 290. inspired by the Battle of Rovine between Wallachia and the Ottoman Empire.Rojnoveanu, Angela and Svetlana Badrajan. "Creatia de Opera Compozitorului Nicolae Bretan" (in Romanian). Anuar stiintific: Muzica, teatru, arte plastice, [Academy of Music, Theater and Fine Arts], 2006. Accessed July 16, 2020. The piece received its world premiere on 24 January 1935 at the Romanian Opera, Cluj,Eroii de la Rovine, Opera & Oratorio Premieres, Stanford University Libraries. Accessed July 15, 2020. where it was revived in 1987.Gagelmann, p. 187 Roles + Role Voice type Premiere cast, 24 January, 1935Conductor: Miklós Bródy Mircea the Old tenor Octav Arbore Mihail, his son baritone N. Demetrescu Sultan Baiazid bass-baritone Vladimir Siomin Narrator heldenbaritone C. Huhulescu Instrumentation The opera is scored as follows: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons 4 horns, 2 trombones, tuba percussion harp strings Synopsis Mircea the Old's rule over Moldavia is threatened by the Ottoman sultan Baiazid. Peace negotiations are fruitless: the sultan demands total surrender and Mircea vows to fight to the death. In the next scene, the chorus describes the ensuing battle, Mircea's victory, and the heroism of Mihail, Mircea's son. The opera ends as Mihail writes a letter to his wife, detailing the army's triumph and promising to return home.
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