Don Rodrigo
Music by Alberto Ginastera · libretto by Alejandro Casona · premiered 1964
Don Rodrigo is an opera in three acts by Alberto Ginastera, the composer's first opera, to an original Spanish libretto by Alejandro Casona.
Ginastera composed the opera on commission from the Municipality of the City of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The first performance was at the Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires, Argentina on 24 July 1964 with Carlo Cossutta in the title role. The production was directed by Jorge Petraglia and conducted by Bruno Bartoletti. On February 22, 1966, Plácido Domingo had his international breakthrough by singing the title role of this opera at the US premiere of the work by the New York City Opera. Other cast members included Jeannine Crader as Florinda, Spiro Malas as Teudiselo, the king's tutor, and David Clatworthy as Don Julian, Florinda's father. Julius Rudel conducted, and the opera received 9 performances at New York City Opera. In November 1967 the production was also given, still with Plácido Domingo, on tour at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles.
Ginastera prepared from the opera a concert work for soprano and orchestra, which received its own first performance in October 1964. Malena Kuss has published a detailed study of Ginastera's use of motives and of Argentine musical idioms in the opera.
Pola Suares Urtubey has published an analysis of the dramatic structure of the opera.
Text from the Wikipedia article "Don Rodrigo", licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
About the Composer
Alberto Evaristo Ginastera (Catalan pronunciation: [alˈβeɾto eβaˈɾisto dʒinaˈsteɾa]; April 11, 1916 – June 25, 1983) was an Argentine composer of classical music. He is considered to be one of the most important 20th-century classical composers of the Americas.
Text from the Wikipedia article "Alberto Ginastera", licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Other Operas by Alberto Ginastera
- Bomarzo (1962)
- Beatrix Cenci (1971)