Una cosa rara
| Vicente Martín y Soler |
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Operas
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Una cosa rara, ossia Bellezza ed onestà (A Rare Thing, or Beauty and Honesty) is an opera by the composer Vicente Martín y Soler. It takes the form of a dramma giocoso in two acts. The libretto, by Lorenzo da Ponte, is based on the play La luna de la sierra by Luis Vélez de Guevara. The opera was first performed at the Burgtheater, Vienna on 17 November 1786. It was a huge success. Mozart quotes the music to the ensemble O quanto in sì bel giubilo towards the end of Don Giovanni.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast 17 November 1786 |
|---|---|---|
| Queen Isabella | soprano | Luisa Laschi-Mombelli |
| Lilla | soprano | Nancy Storace |
| Prince Don Giovanni | tenor | Vincenzo Calvesi |
| Corrado | tenor | Michael Kelly |
| Ghitta | soprano | Dorotea Sardi-Bassani |
| Titta | bass | Francesco Benucci |
| Lubino | baritone | Stefano Mandini |
| Hoffmann | bass | Lisargo |
Synopsis
The town mayor and the Spanish prince Don Giovanni try to seduce the virtuous Lilla, who is engaged to Lubino. The queen finds out and resolves the state of affairs so Lilla is able to marry her beloved.
Sources
- The Viking Opera Guide ed. Holden (Viking, 1993)
- Del Teatro (in Italian)
- Amadeus Online
