❦  The Encyclopedia of Classic Opera
Opera·Almanac
Opera in the Repertoire · Early Modern

Amica

Music by Pietro Mascagni · libretto by Paul de Choudens · premiered 1905 · at Monte Carlo Casino

Amica is an opera in two acts by Pietro Mascagni, originally composed to a libretto by Paul Bérel (the pseudonym of Paul de Choudens). The only opera by Mascagni with a French libretto, it was an immediate success with both the audience and the critics on its opening night at the Théâtre du Casino in Monte-Carlo on 16 March 1905. Mascagni himself conducted the performance. The opera had its Italian premiere (with an Italian libretto by Mascagni's close collaborator, Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti) on 13 May 1905 at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome. However, like many of Mascagni's operas apart from Cavalleria rusticana, the work then fell into obscurity. The first modern recording was in 1995 with Katia Ricciarelli, conducted by Marco Pace. One of its few revivals in modern times was on 4 August 2007 at the Festival della Valle d'Itria, using the original French libretto. (It has been released on CD and DVD.) In October 2008, Opera di Roma used the Italian libretto for a new production of Amica in collaboration with Opéra de Monte-Carlo and the Teatro Carlo Goldoni in Livorno. Set in the mountains of Savoy around 1900, Amica is a classic verismo drama. It recounts a domestic tragedy involving two brothers (Giorgio and Renaldo) and the woman they both love (Amica).

Text from the Wikipedia article "Amica (opera)", licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

About the Composer

Pietro Mascagni is the composer of record for this opera.

Text from the Wikipedia article "Pietro Mascagni", licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Read the full biography →

Other Operas by Pietro Mascagni