Pierantonio Tasca (1858-1934) A Santa Lucia

[Mark Thomas]

Thanks to BerlinExpat for posting a recording of the unknown opera A Santa Lucia by the equally unknown (to me at least) Pierantonio Tasca. It's a luscious little early verismo gem, appears to be very well performed here by the Anhaltisches Theater, Dessau and absolutely oozes the same sort of atmosphere we're used to from early Mascagni and Leoncavallo. I searched in vain for a synopsis of the action, though. All I can find out is that it's set in Naples. Has anyone any idea what's going on? Musically, though, I can thoroughly recommend it if you like your operas colourful, dramatic, lyrical and short.

[Mark Thomas]

Ah... I've found a (very) short synopsis: "The plot of A Santa Lucia is about two women, Rosella (soprano) and Maria (mezzo-soprano), in love with the fisherman Ciccillo (tenor). Rosella commits suicide to prove her faithfulness to the man who loves her [Ciccillo] after a slander by her rival convinces him thats she is about to marry his father". Pretty standard verismo fare, then.

[Alan Howe]

Further details about the composer here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierantonio_Tasca
The opera apparently dates from 1892, the same year as the premiere of I Pagliacci.

[mikehopf]

Thanks for that, Colin. Lovely stuff!
Keep'em coming

[Aragion]

Thanks for the recording!
I thing, it is good also to post the recording of "Cavalleria rusticana" from the same performance.

[Alan Howe]

Unfortunately Cav is not unsung...

[BerlinExpat]

Unfortunately Cav is not unsung.

That's why I didn't record it. I still love my Renata Tebaldi recording.

The two operas are being repeated on Deutschlandradio Kultur on 22 April at 19:05 CET (Cav comes first)

There's a libretto in Italian online at:

https://archive.org/details/santaluciamelodr00tasc

I've just listened more properly and it seems Mr Wade mixed up his operas at the end. Instead of singing "Rosella!" he sings "Santuzza!"

Next weekend I'm going to see the two and will have a programme. If there's a more detailed synopsis than that which Mark has posted I will also do so if anyone wishes it.

[Mark Thomas]

Well I'd certainly be interested, Colin, but don't go to too much trouble.

[BerlinExpat]

I've now uploaded a synopsis to the download file:

https://www.mediafire.com/folder/9y1t7bczzd9ak/Tasca_-_A_Santa_Lucia

Even in the performance I attended Mr Wade sang "Santuzza!" instead of "Rosella!". I guess it was supposed to be some kind of production gag in view of the same basic set was used for both operas.

The second broadcast was cancelled in favour of a concert performance Rattle's interpretation of Tosca.

[Alan Howe]

The recording's now forthcoming from cpo:
https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/cpo/detail/-/art/pierantonio-tasca-a-santa-lucia/hnum/7971827

[Alan Howe]

Here'a teaser/trailer (from 1:10):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odZ2Qx8if9g

Not sure about the singing, though. Provincial German theatres have good orchestras, but casting remains an insuperable problem, it seems.

[Mark Thomas]

It's a very attractive work (I have a poor recording of another performance), owing a huge debt to Cavalleria Rusticana of course.

[Alan Howe]

The singing's pretty poor, (a very wobbly soprano lead, for example, and not one juicy Italianate voice within earshot). An attractive work, I'll grant - but there's another problem: where are the tunes? No wonder this sank without trace.

One for verismo completists only. Having said which, a better sung performance might have rescued it.

My advice: buy this if you must; but then go and listen to Cavalleria Rusticana for the real thing...

[Alan Howe]

The identical radio recording has now been removed from our downloads board. Thanks.

[Master Jacques]

Many may be interested to know that cpo have now issued the Dessau performance of A Santa Lucia on CD, with complete libretto and a (sort of) English translation. Although it's certainly a verismo libretto (and was written to order for the soprano who created Santuzza) the music doesn't sound remotely as up to date and simply direct as Mascagni's masterpiece or Leoncavallo's second-rate imitation in Pagliacci. It's more like stuffy Ponchielli in style. Good to hear once, though!