LE NOZZE DI FIGARO-- Cherubino's part?
Brian Newhouse
In article <01bc7631$66c828c0$117a74cb@default>, "Eduardo Abello"
<EAb...@msn.com> wrote:
> Hi all.
>
> Can anyone tell me if there are any recordings of Mozart's LE NOZZE DI
> FIGARO where a boy actually plays the part of Cherubino? I've looked all
> over and haven't found any. The part is written for treble...
>
No it isn't. The part was written for Dorothea Bussani, a young,
genetically female [mezzo]-soprano who specialized in comic roles (she
also created Despina and Fidalma in Cimarosa's _Matrimonio segreto_)
--
Brian Newhouse
newh...@mail.crisp.net
Hans C Hoff
Eduardo Abello wrote:
>
> Hi all.
>
> Can anyone tell me if there are any recordings of Mozart's LE NOZZE DI
> FIGARO where a boy actually plays the part of Cherubino? I've looked
> all over and haven't found any. The part is written for treble...
Where have you seen that ? There is no mention of this in any of my
books, and I believe you must be mistaken. I'm aware that countertenors
have in modern times now and then been cast as Cherubino, but the part
is definitely written for soprano and has always been taken by sopranos
(so also at the first performance) or sometimes mezzos, and it is
frankly hard to imagine Cherubino as anything else.
Sallymezzo
The part of Cherubino was specifically written for a
"young and very pretty woman" in the Beaumarchais
play!! There have recently been countertenors
who have attempted it (some even have gotten
good reviews), but this is contrary to the intentions
of the playwright and the composer IMHO.
Sally Mouzon
Mike Richter
Eduardo Abello wrote:
>
> Hi all.
>
> Can anyone tell me if there are any recordings of Mozart's LE NOZZE DI
> FIGARO where a boy actually plays the part of Cherubino? I've looked all
> over and haven't found any. The part is written for treble...
>
Fortunately, there is not. It is interesting to listen to Jeritza and
Lehmann discuss on a Met intermission the possibilities of a male singer
for Cherubino and Octavian.
Incidentally, it is extremely unlikely that a boy would ever be cast in
either role. A countertenor or even a very high tenor (perhaps a
successor to Karl Erb?) might violate the intentions of the authors, but
this is not music for a youth.
Mike
--
mric...@mindspring.com
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David K
Eduardo Abello wrote:
>
> Hi all.
>
> Can anyone tell me if there are any recordings of Mozart's LE NOZZE DI
> FIGARO where a boy actually plays the part of Cherubino? I've looked all
> over and haven't found any. The part is written for treble...
>
> EA
Beaumarchais wrote that he only wanted the rôle of Cherubino played by a
womon. Only a womon could capture the life he wanted toe rôle to be
performed with, he said.
David K
--
David K
mailto:kaye...@pilot.msu.edu
http://www.msu.edu/user/kayedavi/