Pavanelli: Vanna

[mikehopf]

Just out on Bongiovanni: Vanna  a 1910 opera by Pavanelli.

Lamberto Pavanelli was born in Ferrara in 1890, but he established himself in Imola at a young age, graduating in piano and composition from the local conservatory. There is nothing known about his debut as a musician, but he must have been noticed not far on since, when he was just a bit older than twenty, he drew upon himself the attention of Casa Ricordi, which strove to represent his Vanna in the Teatro Dal Verme, a prestigious theater in Milan at that time. The opera was performed on November 23, 1910. Vanna is an exquisite score that transfigures a typical Realist libretto, with an orchestration having, at times, an almost Ravel-like touch. The overture is an introductory piece that already encloses within it the first signs of an impending drama, with the death knell, which resounds again at the end of the opera. The characters are well-constructed: the main character, since her first appearance, is presented to us as a young girl who is in love and who is indifferent to everything else. Exemplary, in this sense, is the beautiful romance, 'Anima mia di neve, ricordi?', perhaps the most significant page of the entire score.