 
|
 |
La sonnambula
Melodramma by Vincenzo Bellini
Amina, the woman at the centre of this “Melodramma“ belongs to the strong, paradigmatic female characters of opera history. The crisis that “innocence“ has to suffer, reminds one of Heinrich von Kleist´s protagonists, “Alkmene“: how can Nature, that has no speech, defend herself? It is only possible at the utmost peril, but with a happy ending, is the response to this question in Vincenzo Bellini´s LA SONNAMBULA.
When Amina is betrothed to Elvino, society and nature celebrate together with the couple.
You can either have everybody on your side, or against you.
Together with Rodolfo, who was once master over this domain, now incognito as a visitor to this idyllic scene, a disturbance of the natural balance occurs. Amina starts walking in her sleep and steps into Rodolfo´s bedchamber at night.
He shows himself shocked and does not touch her. This, however does not prevent the village society, who “have seen it all“, or Elvino from banishing Amina. The idyll, brought to an extreme.
Rodolfo´s lecture on somnambulism fails to convince.
It is Amina herself who has to become the object matter of proof ,by means of her unfortunate nature: in front of everyone, she has to balance on a narrow ridge, and mourn and beg for lost Elvino in her sleep.
Rodolfo joins the hands of the sleeping Amina and the wide-awake Elvino.
And Reality is happily integrated in the fragile Dream.
Bellini´s art of melodious continuity which was very consciously appriciated by Wagner evokes “Nature“ artfully, in an elegiac Echo.
Dates:
| |
