| A noite do castelo | |
| Type: | Opera seria |
| Composer: | Antônio Carlos Gomes |
| Image Upright: | 1.1 |
| Librettist: | Antônio José Fernandes dos Reis |
| Language: | Portuguese |
| Based On: | António Feliciano de Castilho's poem |
| Premiere Location: | Theatro Lyrico Fluminense in Rio de Janeiro |
A noite do castelo ("The Night of the Castle") is an opera seria in three acts by the Brazilian Romantic era composer, Antônio Carlos Gomes. The libretto in Portuguese by Antônio José Fernandes dos Reis was based on António Feliciano de Castilho's 1830 poem of the same name. The work premiered at the Theatro Lyrico Fluminense in Rio de Janeiro on September 4, 1861.
A noite do castelo was Gomes' first opera and composed during his student years in Rio de Janeiro. He was encouraged to have the opera performed by José Amat, the first administrator of the Imperial Academy of Music and Opera Lyrica Nacional. In 1860, Gomes wrote a letter from Rio de Janeiro to his father, inviting him to the opening night which would take place the following year:
"Meu bom pai. Escrevo esta só para não demorar uma boa notícia. Afinal tenho um libreto. Foi extraído do poema de Castilho - A Noite do Castelo. Hoje mesmo começo a trabalhar na composição da ópera, prepare-se portanto, para vir ao Rio de Janeiro em 1861. Saudades muitas às manas e aos manos, principalmente ao Juca, abençoe-me como a seu filho muito grato. Carlos"[1]
(Translation: "My good father. I write you this so that I do not delay any longer some good news to you. Finally, I have a libretto. It has been taken from a poem by Castilho - A Noite do Castelo. Today, I started working on the composition for the opera. Get yourself ready, then, to come to Rio de Janeiro in 1861. Send my longing love to my sisters and brothers, specially to Juca, bless me as your very thankful son, Carlos.")
The first performance of A noite do castelo by the Opera Lyrica Nacional at the Theatro Lyrico Fluminense on September 4, 1861, was loudly applauded, with contemporary accounts describing the audience as being "in delirium".[2] Gomes conducted the performance, which coincided with the wedding anniversary of Emperor Pedro II, to whom the work was dedicated. Gomes was made a Cavalier of the Imperial Order of the Rose on the stage that night with Pedro II himself pinning the medal on the composer.[3] [4]
A noite do castelo never entered the operatic repertory outside of Brazil and in modern times it is very rarely performed even there. However, there is a 1978 live recording of a performance by the Orquestra Sinfônica da Campinas, the Coral da Universidade Estadual de Campinas and the Coral da Universidade de São Paulo.[5]
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, September 4, 1861 (Conductor: Antônio Carlos Gomes) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leonor | soprano | Luiza Amat | |
| Fernando, Leonor's fiancé | baryton martin/low tenor | Luiz Marina | |
| Henrique, Leonor's husband, believed to be dead | tenor | Andrea Marchetti | |
| Count Orlando, Leonor's father | bass | Mr. L. Ribas | |
| Inêz, Leonor's lady-in-waiting | mezzo soprano | Mme. Guillemet | |
| Raimundo, Count Orlando's servant | baritone | Mr. H. Trindade | |
| A Page | tenor | Mr. Soares | |
| Roberto, Henrique's squire | silent role | unknown |
The story takes place during the first crusade. Henrique, Leonor´s husband and a Templar Knight, has been reported to have died in battle by a messanger named Fernando who is also in love with Leonor. After around a year of mourning, Leonor finally gives in to Fernando´s advances and the two are now set to be married. Leonor is very content with her new fiancé, who also loves her deeply, and all seems to be well. But things are not quite what they seem to be...
A large group of noblemen, maidens, and villagers have come to the castle to celebrate on the wedding of Leonor and Fernando. A enters page and announces to everyone that, Raimundo, a servant of the Count, will soon arrive with bad news. Everyone is curious, wondering what Raimundo will say. Raimundo enters and in his aria, "Era Alta Noite" (T´was Near Midnight), he tells the story of how, in one terrible night, while he was sitting at the porch of his house, alone, he suddenly heard a strange moan. When he raised his eyes, he almost died of fright; he saw the ghost of a knight, dressed all in black armor, gazing at the castle and whispering Leonor's name. When Orlando, Leonor's father, inquires about the identity of the strange knight, Raimundo explains that he is already very old, his eyesight is not quite what it used to be, but that he thinks it was the ghost of Orlando's nephew, Henrique, who apparently had died in the Battle of Mount Zion. Orlando comments that Leonor will not be able to marry anyone else, if Henrique returns alive. Raimundo says that on the other hand, if it really is Henrique's ghost, then a horrible disaster shall fall upon everyone tonight. Suddenly, a strange knight enters the hall, dressed in black armor. Orlando wants to know who this stranger is; whose face could be behind that helmet. The strange knight ends up cursing everyone, especially Leonor, whom he accuses of having broken the Promise of Eternal Love (aria "Nestes Sítios/Inside these walls"). As he swears revenge, Orlando concludes that this knight really is Henrique´s ghost and leaves hastily.
The scene changes to Leonor's chambers in the Castle, where she has retreated to with Fernando. Fernando tries to calm Leonor down, but she is completely distraught. She tells him that she has seen this very same knight in her dreams; in her aria, "Em Sono Plácido" (Placidly Asleep), she goes into great detail about these dreams. At first, everything is lovely; she and Fernando are enjoying their day together, when suddenly, everything turns into darkness and a demented looking knight appears with a macabre expression on his face and lunges at her. Fernando tries to convince her that it is just a bad dream, but she retreats in fear, seeing, somewhere in her room, the terrible apparition of her dreams. Fernando is able to calm her down, indicating that she was hallucinating. They then hear the guests singing outside the room, "Hooray to Leonor and the noble Fernando!". Leonor, finally at ease, declares her love for Fernando, who in turn swears to always be by her side. They then leave the room and return to the party downstairs (cabaletta "Sim, Meu Amor/Yes, My Beloved"; this number has more often been performed as "As Fagueiras Esperanças/The Sweet Sparks of Hope". This change in the text comes from a later edition of the score with alterations made by an unknown person).
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