Adelaide Melanotte
Adelaide Melanotte-Montrésor | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Adelaide Melanotte January 7, 1785 Verona |
| Died | December 31, 1832 (aged 47) Lago di Garda |
| Occupation | opera singer |
| Years active | 1806 – 1832 |
| Spouse(s) | Giacomo Montrésor |
| Partner(s) | Luigi Lechi |
| Children | Giovanni Battista (* 1802) and Antonio *1803 |
| Parents |
|
Adelaide Melanotte (24 January 1705 – 16 September 1752) was an opera singer. Famously, she was Gioacchino Rossini's first Tancredi. The male role associated with a powerful high voice can be seen as a legacy from the age of the castrati.
She was born as the youngest and last of nine children to the family of a foundry manager in Verona. She married young, with sixteen, to a French official, Giacomo Montrésor. Her talent already was obvious while she was very young. "As a young girl she learned music for pleasure, and was heard by the great Paisiello, who considered her capable of all progress"(Lechi, quoted in Treccani[1])
Though initially well-off, in 1806, her family encountered financial hardships, which motivated her to try a career as an opera singer.[1] She was instantly successful, and her career led her from Verona to Brescia to Bergamo and continued from there.
A milestone in her life was the meeting with Gioacchino Rossini who modelled the role of the hero Tancredi to her contralto voice.
Her big artistic success was a stain on her relationship, and soon the couple went separate ways. The first version of Tancredi (with a happy ending fitting the opera seria tradition) by Gaetano Rossi was changed to a tragic ending by poet and count of Brescia Luigi Lechi. Melanotte and Lechi fell in love and began a life-long relationship.
In 1823, the Austrian government accused Lechi of subversive activity, and he spent 16 months in prison. For Melanotte, the enduring relationship with a politically compromised man made her a controversial figure. "Superb figure, she sings wonderfully with perfect intonation and very fine taste; but her voice sounds too much like an English horn. If it weren't for this unpleasant singularity, Malanotte would figure with honour among artists of the first order. However, she is accused of habits unbecoming a lady, such as abusing tobacco and brandy." (L. Hérold, cited in Radiciotti, I, p. 100).[1]
During the late 1820s, Melanotte began to suffer from an unspecified brain disease. She died of a heart attack on Lake Garda in 1832. [1]
Adelaide Melanotte in Philippe Jaroussky's discography, filmography and performance history
Solo Albums/Recital albums
| Year | Album |
|---|---|
| 2021 | À sa guitare (Album) |
Videos
| Year | Production | Blu-Ray, DVD etc. |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Jean-Christophe Spinosi and Philippe Jaroussky with the Berliner Philharmoniker | On-demand stream[2] |
Concert programs
Complete list of musical numbers originally sung by Adelaide Melanotte
This listing only contains the musical pieces performed and/or recorded by Philippe Jaroussky.
| Year published or performed | title | Album, Video or Concert Program | Year first published/performed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Di tanti palpiti | Jean-Christophe Spinosi and Philippe Jaroussky with the Berliner Philharmoniker (On-demand video)[2] | 1813 |
| 2021 | Di tanti palpiti | À sa guitare (Album) | 1813 |
| 2021 ‐ 2022 | Di tanti palpiti | À sa guitare (Concert program) | 1813 |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "MALANOTTE, Adelaide". Treccani. Archived from the original on September 16, 2021. Retrieved September 16, 2021.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Philippe Jaroussky, Thibaut Garcia". Digital Concert Hall. Archived from the original on 4 October 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2021.
Further Reading
- "Tancredi". Wikipedia. Archived from the original on October 1, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
- "Adelaide_Malanotte". Wikipedia. Archived from the original on September 16, 2021. Retrieved September 16, 2021.
- "MALANOTTE, Adelaide". Treccani. Archived from the original on September 16, 2021. Retrieved September 16, 2021.</ref>
<ref name="BerlinPhil">"Philippe Jaroussky, Thibaut Garcia". Digital Concert Hall. Archived from the original on 4 October 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2021.