Suor Angelica Flower Aria Barbara Frittoli

Taken from Teatro Alla Scala's March 13th 2008 telecast of Giacomo Puccini's Suor Angelica we have the Flower aria.

Seems that a lot of people want to come here and debate me on whether the aria is or isn't in the opera; so I am going to put all this to rest once and for all:

1. You playing in the orchestra pit of this opera does not make you an expert on what is or isn't in the score; neither you singing a role in the opera.

2. Looking at the Schirmer score will not yield a definitive answer because Schirmer does NOT do critical editions. they just print operas in their traditionally performed versions. Schirmer is no authority on anything, they still notate the High C's in the Nozze di Figaro Act 1 trio as belonging to Susanna; and they were written for the Countess.

3. Looking at a Dover score or an old Ricordi score will not give you any edge either because the aria was CUT, and therefore it was not allowed in the score on either of those editions. Look at a CRITICAL edition in Riccordi, since they are the ones that own the rights for the performing and publishing of the score.

4 if ths aria was not in the score, why would someone also post it as being in the score?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMTqyEPDrrU

5. Lastly, William Ashbrook, in his book The operas of Puccini Page 193 writes:

"The autograph and the 1st printed edition of the opera -that of all 3 operas in a single volume- contain the so-called aria of the flowers, which followed directly after the intermezzo. In this aria Angelica greets the flowers as friends and asks them to yield the poison that will soothe her grief. The aria (andante) is 80 measures long, accompanied by repeated modal arpeggios.

The elimination of the aria went against the grain with Puccini. At the roman premiere the conductor Marinuzzi cut it at rehearsal. Puccini order it back, but Marinuzzi thought it slowed down the opera. Puccini compromised by altering the first 2 lines of the aria and by shortening the orchestral but not the vocal part. Apparently the last time the aria was sung in performance was at the LaScala premiere. It was cut in the repetitions that season and Puccini made the cut permanent."

You don't have to believe me, you can read it yourself here:
http://tiny.cc/Angelica784

Hopefully this settles this statement: This piece was cut by Puccini shortly after the premiere and it is seldomly performed.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Suor
• Angelica
• Flower
• Aria
• Barbara
• Frittoli

[rachanne78]

Why don't more sopranos today sing like this??? She is a great model for GREAT singing!

[tenore23]

@rachanne78 I do not agree with you 100% there, but in this specific clip, i would agree with you.

[TheEmmaDarling]

hi everyone

i cant find this in my score...oh dear!

any suggestions xx

[tenore23]

Oh dear.... I have no idea how to help you. The experts have stated that it never was....

[Esteban383]

In my orchestra, who i play the violin, are playing this opera, and this aria isn't in Suor Angelica

[tenore23]

You need to read the side bar before going any further. Playing the violin in an orchestra does not make you an expert on what was on a 1st edition, 1st printying of an opera that premiered nearly 100 years ago.

[LordMgls]

I didn't know this aria, and I confess it still sounds to me more like Debuccini than Puccini's. The sound is diverse and colourful, with a touch of darkness - perfectly suitable for the context. The problem is this music sounds so different from the rest of the opera... no wonder it was cut since Puccini's days.

Perfectly sung! Thank you very much for uploading, tenore23!

[rachanne78]

You don't have to agree 100%, but I think this style of singing needs to be the norm again and that is not exclusive to sopranos. There is some much intention in her voice, so much direction, and a beautiful technical foundation that has given her the freedom to create luscious lines!

[7inga7]

It' s a lovely aria and beautifully sung.

[TheEmmaDarling]

ah blimey, no wonder then...it's literally not in my ricordi score, i know cos i have read thru it twice now...thank you for your reply...its marvelous init? i am just learning it now...may be doing it in april...

[MMK9]

I don't doubt Puccini composed this, but how strange that he did! What an experimental, unusual sound for him. I can't think of anything else of his that sounds like this. I can understand why it was cut beecause audiences of 1918 may not have known what to make of it. But what an incredible find for the Puccini enthusiast! Anyone doubting its veracity: why would La Scala have added someone else's aria to Puccini's work? Listen-the notes at the vid cutoff are the start of "Addio buoni sorelle."

[MedievalFairy]

i sung in angelica too, without this aria, so what? thats not a reason not to believe its from this opera. To be honest, i didnt know it existed, but even before i read the info, the first thing i supposed is that it was cut.

Thanks for the rare video. how goes the libretto after the aria?

(oh god that vinny guy...what relation has Puccini's atheism -or not -to the matter)