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''Luisa Miller'' is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Salvadore Cammarano, based on the play ''Kabale und Liebe'' (''Intrigue and Love'') by the German dramatist Friedrich von Schiller. Verdi's initial idea for a new opera - for which he had a contract going back over several years - was rejected by the Teatro San Carlo in Naples. He attempted to negotiate his way out of this obligation and, when that failed, Cammarano came up with the idea of adapting the Schiller play with which Verdi was familiar. The process was set in motion, with Verdi still living and working on initial ideas from Paris, where he had been living for almost two years before moving back to his home town of Busseto in the summer of 1849. It was from there that he wrote the music and traveled to Naples for rehearsals; the first performance, was given on 8 December 1849. This was Verdi's 15th opera and it is regarded as beginning the composer's "middle period".〔Parker, p. 82: He refers to 19th century writer Basevi's description as this begins Verdi's "second manner".〕〔Chusid, (Ed.): Chusid notes that the eight operas of the "middle period" begin with this opera and end with ''Un ballo in maschera'' (1859).〕 ==Composition history== In August 1848, Verdi had written to the Naples opera house cancelling his contract of three years previous in which he had agreed to write an opera for them. However, the management held him to it by threatening his librettist for failing to provide a libretto and Verdi relented, encouraging Cammarano to develop "a brief drama with plenty of interest, action and above all feeling - which would make it easier to set to music"〔Verdi to Cammarano, 24 September 1848, in Budden, p. 419〕 In Verdi's mind, he had the perfect subject, to be based on the novel ''L'assedio di Firenze'' ("The Siege of Florence") by Francesco Domenico Guerrazzi which glorified the life of the 16th Century Florentine soldier Francesco Ferruccio. This new subject was also a patriotic piece: Verdi had taken to heart the admonitions of the poet Giuseppe Giusti, who had pleaded with him after ''Macbeth'' and after Milan's political turmoil of March 1848 and its aftermath to "do what you can to nourish the (of the Italian people ), to strengthen it, and direct it to its goal".〔Giusti to Verdi, date unknown, in Osborne, p. 189〕 Attempting to get a new libretto underway, Verdi approached Piave, found him engaged as a soldier for the new Venetian republic, and so contacted Cammarano in Naples with the idea of ''L'assedio''. But, as it turned out, Cammarano had to tell Verdi that the Naples censors had rejected the outline of a subject which had interested Verdi very much since the time he prepared his previous opera, ''La battaglia di Legnano''.〔Phillips-Matz, pp. 241–242〕 His inability to continue to develop the project came as a blow. While Budden notes that "next to ''Re Lear'' (''King Lear''), this was to be the most fascinating of Verdi unrealized subjects" and his biographer, Mary Jane Phillips-Matz, adds that she regards ''L'assedio di Firenze'' as "one of Verdi's most important uncomposed works."〔Phillips-Matz, p. 235〕 Cammarano advised the composer to avoid a story which had any sort of revolutionary tinge, and he came back with an idea which Verdi himself had once proposed in 1846 for adapting Schiller's ''Kabale und Liebe'' when he was recovering from his illness and in the company of Andrea Maffei (who was writing the libretto for ''I masnadieri'').〔 Therefore, he sent a synopsis of ''Luisa Miller'' (which he called ''Eloisa Miller'') to Verdi on 14 May 1849. Verdi's reply to Cammarano on 17 May outlines some of his concerns; these revolved around the shift of some elements (especially in act 2) and the addition of a duet for Walter and Wurm. As Budden notes, "the only one of these points on which Verdi got his way was the new duet" (because the librettist raised various objections regarding the conditions at the San Carlo and various others), but Budden emphasizes the "spirit of give and take" which prevailed through their relationship. One example regarded the ending of act 1 where Verdi emphasized that there should no stretta, and the librettist agreed provided that "the act did not end in slow tempo but should quicken towards an animated finish."〔Budden, pp. 421–422〕(See "Music" below). Having moved the action to a Tyrolean village (in the 17th century) from a princely court (in the 18th) and having shifted the characters away from their princely intrigues (which preoccupied Schiller), Cammarano moves the focus much more toward the "Liebe" (Love) and away from the "Kabale" (Intrigue) aspects of the play. With the idea of ''Luisa Miller'' agreed upon, from Paris Verdi approached the Naples management, trying to obtain a delay or, at least, to allow the new opera to be presented in his absence.〔Verdi to Flauto, letters of 1 June and 26 July 1849, in Budden, p. 423〕 When this approach was rejected, the composer made plans for both himself and Strepponi to leave Paris; Verdi went to Busseto, arriving about 10 August, and took up residence in the Palazzo Orlandi (also referred to as the Palazzo Cavalli, after its architect)〔Phillips-Matz, p. 250〕 which he had bought in 1845; Strepponi joined him there a month later, for what was to be a difficult period in both their lives.〔Phillips-Marz, pp. 249–253〕 It was from Busseto that Verdi then began work on the score of this opera, having received the libretto from Cammarano on 13 August. In October he left for Naples, accompanied by Antonio Barezzi, whom he continued to refer to as his "father-in-law". 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア(Wikipedia)』 ■ウィキペディアで「Luisa Miller」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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