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Overview
Synopsis
Several prestigious guests have been staying at The Golden Lily Hotel and Spa on their way to the coronation of Charles X, in Reims. The day of the coronation has finally arrived, and the hotel is alive with the preparations for this grand journey. During their stay, the travellers have got to know each other’s particular quirks, and have formed new friendships and relationships. But all of this drama could not prepare them for some tragic news: there are no horses available to pull their coach to Reims. Their plans will have to be abandoned.
The company are quickly saved from despair by a letter from Paris, which informs them that the new King will be heading to Paris shortly after the coronation, so anyone who missed the great event can join in the festivities there. Overjoyed at this news, and with money to spare, the travellers decide to hold a grand banquet at the hotel instead. A travelling troupe of dancers are brought in to perform during the celebrations, and each traveller performs a toast from their homeland, in a celebration of grandeur, splendor, culture, and, of course, France.
Rossini’s rather underappreciated opera Il viaggio a Reims has some of the most challenging vocal writing of any of his operas which, combined with this sitcom-like farce offers a really entertaining show, on a par with many of his other more well-known operas, such as The Barber of Seville.
Show Information
- Music
- Gioachino Rossini
- Libretto
- Luigi Balocchi
- Category
- Opera
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 1
- First Produced
- 1825
- Genres
- Comedy, Farce, Historical/Biographical
- Settings
- Period, Unit/Single Set
- Time & Place
- Bourbon Restoration, 1825, Spa hotel, Coronation of Charles X of France
- Cast Size
- large
- Orchestra Size
- Large
- Dancing
- Some Dance
- Licensor
- None/royalty-free
- Ideal For
- Large Cast, Professional Opera, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Young Adult, Adult, Mature Adult, Elderly Characters
Context
In 1824, the famous Italian composer Rossini left Italy, and moved to Paris, France, where he already had an enormous following, and so could expect a generous salary. Before restaging any of his famous Italian works, he wrote his final opera in Italian: Il viaggio a Reims, which premiered at the Salle Louvois on 19th June 1825. Shortly before Rossini’s move, Louis XVIII of France died, and Charles X was to be crowned at Reims Cathedral on 29 May 1825. A royal funeral, and a coronation are
to read the context for Il viaggio a Reims and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
At the spa hotel The Golden Lily, the housekeeper Maddalena is chivvying the other servant and gardeners to hasten their preparations for their new arrivals (‘Presto, presto...su, coraggio!’). The day of the great journey (to the coronation of Charles X) has arrived, and there is a lot to do. The other servants make fun of Maddalena, who is notorious for getting angry at them over nothing. They wind her up until she is about to burst, when Don Prudenzio, the doctor at the spa, interrupts the
to read the plot for Il viaggio a Reims and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Baritone, Bass |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Bass |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Bass |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano, Contralto |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Ensemble |
Either Gender |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Tenor, Baritone, Bass, Contralto |
Songs
Scene One
No. 1 Introduction ‘Presto, presto...su, coraggio!’ - Maddalena, Chorus
Scene Two
[No. 1 cont.] ‘Benche, grazie al mio talento’ - Prudenzio, Antonio, Chorus
Scene Three
[No. 1 cont.] Aria ‘Di vaghi raggi adorno’ - Cortese, Maddalena, Prudenzio, Antonio, Chorus
Scene Four
Recitative ‘Partire io pur vorrei’ - Cortese, Folleville, Maddalena, Modestina
Scene Five
Recitative ‘Amabil Contessina’ - Luigino, Folleville
Scene Six
Recitative ‘Che accade?’ - Maddalena, Trombonok, Luigino, Folleville, Prudenzio
No. 2 Recitative ‘Ahime! Sta in gran pericolo’ - Folleville, Luigino, Trombonok, Prudenzio
Aria ‘Partir, oh ciel! Desio’ - Folleville, Maddalena, Luigino, Trombonok, Antonio, Prudenzio
Scene Seven
[No. 2 cont.] ‘Che miro! Ah! Qual sorpresa!’ - Folleville, Maddalena, Modestina, Luigino, Trombonok, Antonio, Prudenzio
Scene Eight
Recitative ‘Eh! Senti, mastro Antonio’ - Antonio, Trombonok
No. 3 Sextet ‘Si, di matti una gran gabbia’ - Trombonok
Scene Nine
[No. 3 cont.] ‘La mia quota a voi consegno’ - Profondo, Alvaro, Melibea
Scene Ten
[No. 3 cont.] ‘Donna ingrata, a stento in petto’ - Libenskof, Alvaro, Melibea, Trombonok
Scene Eleven
[No. 3 cont.] ‘Naturale è l’impazienza’ - Cortese, Libenskof, Melibea, Alvaro, Profondo, Trombonok
Aria ‘Arpa gentil che fida compagna ognor mi sei’ - Corinna, Cortese, Libenskof, Melibea, Alvaro, Profondo, Trombonok
Scene Twelve
Recitative ‘Zefirin non ritornia’ - Cortese
No. 4 Scene - ‘Ah! Perche la conobbi?’ - Sidney
Aria ‘Invan strappar dal core’ - Sidney, Chorus
Scene Thirteen
Recitative ‘Milord, una parola’ - Sidney, Profondo
Scene Fourteen
Recitative ‘Buon giorno, illustre amica!’ - Profondo, Corinna, Delia
Scene Fifteen
No. 5 Recitative ‘Sola ritrovo alfina la balla Dea’ - Corinna, Belfiore
Duet ‘Nel suo divin sembiante’ - Corinna, Belfiore, Profondo
Scene Sixteen
Recitative ‘Bravo il signor Ganimede!’ - Profondo
No. 6 Aria ‘Io! Medaglie incomparabili’ - Profondo
Scene Seventeen
Recitative ‘Vedeste il Cavaliere?’ - Folleville, Profondo
Scene Eighteen
Recitative ‘Amici, che si fa?’ - Alvaro, Libenskof, Profondo, Trombonok, Folleville
Scene Nineteen
Recitative ‘Ah! Melibea! Milord! Corinna! Oh ciel!’ - Trombonok, Zefirino
No. 7 Great Concert Piece of 14 voices ‘Ah! A tal colpo in aspettato’ - Folleville, Corinna, Melibea, Delia, Modestina, Libenskof, Belfiero, Zefirino, Trombonok, Alvaro, Sidney, Profondo, Prudenzio
Scene Twenty
[No. 7 cont.] ‘Signore, ecco una lettera’ - Cortese, Folleville, Corinna, Melibea, Delia, Modestina, Libenskof, Belfiero, Zefirino, Trombonok, Alvaro, Sidney, Profondo, Prudenzio
Scene Twenty-One
[No. 7 cont.] ‘Son qua, cosa comanda?’ - Antonio, Cortese, Gelsomino, Folleville, Corinna, Melibea, Delia, Modestina, Libenskof, Belfiero, Zefirino, Trombonok, Alvaro, Sidney, Profondo, Prudenzio
Scene Twenty-Two
[No. 7 cont.] ‘Tutto va ben, ma come voi sapete’ - Trombonok, Libenskof, Melibea
Scene Twenty-Three
No. 8 Scene ‘Di che son reo’ - Melibea, Libenskof
Duet ‘D’alma celeste, oh Dio!’ - Melibea Libenskof
Scene Twenty-Four
Recitative ‘Tutto e all’ordin’ - Maddalena, Gelsomino, Antonio
Scene Twenty-Five
No. 9 Finale
Ballet
Chorus ‘L’allegria e un sommo bene’ - Chorus
‘Ora secondo l’uso, i brindisi facciamo’ - Trombonok
German Anthem ‘Or che regna fra le genti’ - Trombonok, Chorus
Polish Anthem ‘Ai prodi guerrieri, seguaci di gloria’ - Meliba, Chorus
Russian Anthem ‘Onore, gloria ed alto omaggio’ - Libenskof, Chorus
Spanish song ‘Omaggio all’augusto duce’ - Alvaro, Chorus
English song ‘Dell’aurea pianta il germe amato’ - Sidney, Chorus
French song ‘Madre del nuovo Enrico’ - Folleville, Belfiore, Chorus
Tyrolean song ‘Piu vivace e piu fecondo’ - Cortese, Profondo, Chorus
Improvised verses ‘All’ombra amena del Giglio d’or’ - Corinna
Stretta ‘Viva il diletto augusto regnator’ - Cortese, Folleville, Corinna, Melibea, Delia, Modestina, Libenskof, Belfiore, Gelsomino, Trombonok, Sidney, Alvaro, Profondo, Chorus
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
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Guide Written By:
Wendy Silvester
Singer and vocal coach based in the UK.