Hidden treasures - Jacopo Foroni - Cristina, regina di Svezia (1850) - Selected highlights

History (based on materials from the Grove Dictionary of Music):
Italian-born Jacopo Foroni (1825-1858) whose short career was primarily based in Sweden joins a long line of obscure romantic composers, such as Costa, Paer and Mayr, who have only recently begun to be discovered thanks to the efforts of a small but dedicated group of enthusiasts. Foroni originally studied in Verona with his father, his first large-scale work, an opera ("Margherita"), favorably received in 1848. The Milanese political upheavals of 1848 cut short the Italian part of his career, forcing a move of Foroni to Stockholm where he became the conductor of the Vincenzo Galli Italian Opera Company and set out on composing the work in question - "Christina, Queen of Sweden" - a de facto introduction of the composer to the Swedish public. Foroni's success with the opera led him to be appointed court conductor which effectively led him away from composing, though he would become known as an advocate of as of then unfamiliar works by Schumann and Berlioz. He died from cholera in 1858, just a few months before the performance of his one and only opera in Swedish, "Advokaten Pathelin".

Narrative:
The plot of "Cristina" is based on real and extremely controversial events in Swedish history. The narrative details the possible reasons behind the sudden abdication in 1654 of Queen Christina (soprano) which results in the ultimate passage of the Swedish throne to her cousin Carlo (baritone) (1): in the framework of the drama, the queen is a victim of both an unrequited love for her court favorite Gabriele (tenor) who prefers a lady of the court, Maria (mezzo-soprano), and a (failed) murder plot by a slew of conspirators. As per rule in 19th century opera, the libretto lacks true refinement, serving as a tapestry over which the composer can develop his melodic gift.

(1): The real-life Queen eventually moved to Rome and converted to Roman Catholicism, leaving her fiercely Lutheran Protestant countrymen aghast.

Music:
Foroni does not disappoint in any way our expectations and throughout "Cristina" provides the listener with a series of attractive, rich melodies set to Germanic, frequently stunning orchestral accompaniments (2). Both qualities are already apparent in the opening off-stage barcarolle where an instantaneously memorable vocal line is further enriched by a wonderful string tremolo and a pointed three-note motive from the winds. In general, the dramatic aesthetics of Donizetti and Verdi prove to be the strongest influence for Foroni, and, in spite of its extreme obscurity, "Cristina" has nothing to fear from either "Anna Bolena" or "Attila" (though comparisons with "Maria di Rohan" or "Simon Boccanegra" are less favorable to Foroni's piece). There is a singular directness and honesty in Foroni's musical language which allows the composer to ideally respond to each dramatic situation, be it an ominous, darkly suggestive scene for the conspirators (5:26) or an unpretentious, charming love duet (8:18). If there are obvious weaknesses, i.e. the surprisingly trite strettas of all three finales, one would be hard-pressed not to admit that similar empty spaces can be found in any opera by the above-mentioned composers. Moreover, the many highlights, including a traditional but handsome baritone cantabile for Carlo with an extended horn line (9:33), an exceptional confrontation for Carlo and Cristina in Act 3 (3:46), a perfectly shocked concentrato for all the principles after Gabriele's affair with Maria is discovered (1:46) and a broad yet moving hymn with which the opera effectively opens (10:49), are of extremly high quality. All in all, a great but welcome surprise and a viable alternative to the more familiar middle-period romantic works.

(2): All too rarely found in the middle-period works of Verdi where music often seems quite broad, i.e. the orchestra-as-a-giant-guitar effect.

Score:
No sheet music of the opera can be found in open access at the present moment.

Recording:
The 2010 Sterling world premiere recording with the Goteborg Opera Orchestra & Chorus under the direction of Tobias Ringborg is, unlike so many renditions of unknown material, recommendable in every way as an independent operatic performance, boasting both expert orchestral playing and a talented young cast:
Cristina - Liine Carlsson,
Maria - Ann-Kristin Jones,
Axel Oxenstjerna, chancellor (baritone) - Kosma Ranuer,
Erik, his son (tenor) - Iwar Bergkwist,
Gabriele - Daniel Johansson,
Carlo - Fredrik Zetterström.

Hope you'll enjoy =).

Category:

Music

Tags:

• opera
• romantic
• classical
• classic
• foroni

[eclecticdufus]

The first part of the overture to this work uses exactly the same haunting tune Thomas later used in Ophelia's mad scene in his Hamlet.

[eclecticdufus]

Is this the same Queen Christine as the 1933 Garbo film?

[eclecticdufus]

@bruce108 Opera rara just released a very good recording of the original (Vienna) version and Gruberova has one of the later (a few months) Paris version. The third act of Rohan is terrifc.

[mxwhisper]

What a treat to the ears.

[bruce108]

Thank you again - I've put this on my sets wanted list. And you've sent me off to check out Maria di Rohan.

[aussiechickdiana]

This is beautiful...I've never heard it before. Thank you for this.

diana

[germolins]

Emocionante. Gracias.

[Teonareine]

Very beautiful work ! Thanks.