The composer who fled from marital abuse
OperaThis weekend in Stuttgart you can see the long-delayed world premiere of the opera ‘L’Ercole Amante’ by Antonia Bembo, or hear it live on German radio.
Bembo (c.1640-1720) fled a violent husband in Venice and found shelter in the court of Louis XIV in Versailles.
What was it like for Antonia to leave her children and abandon her known life, to settle in a foreign country, where she was obliged to learn a new language, a new set of social conventions, and a new style of music, ultimately creating her own passionate style of music? A few hints emerge from the music itself, which speaks of resilience, a desire for salvation, and a need to create. The resistant girl who sang, the student of Cavalli, became the penitent woman who composed in her own mixed French-Italian style: for herself, her peers, and now us.
You can read more about Antonia here and listen to the opera broadcast here.
The World Premiere of this Opera was indeed given in Stuttgart May 26 this year in the Mozartsaal of the Liederhalle, conducted by Jörg Halubek. There will be a CD release. NL’s link leads to a concert performance in Herne with the same forces from Stuttgart!
I don’t care about how many obstacles she overcame in life, I care about how good a composer she is. Mozart died a pauper at 35, that’s not the reason we listen to him, or Schubert at 31 from syphilis.
BTW, she lived until 80 at Versailles in the king’s court, ok?
Zayin, we are here to promote gender equality, not quality #sarcasm
Why do you not care?
Oh, didn’t you know? People were mean to Mozart at the end of his life, and that’s why we listen to him!
I wonder if she ever reconnected with the kids she left behind.
No, she never reconnected.
Well whatever happened, don’t anyone dare blame her for it!
Let’s have some diversity here, guys. I think it’s time we had a performance of Guntram by Richard Strauss to recognise the abuse he suffered from his domineering and controlling wife. She had a leading role in that opera’s first performance. And just to make it even more diverse, the role should be given to a male singer.
Herbie: good one. Actually Richard and Pauline married exactly four months after the Guntram premiere. If anything, I would suggest his Intermezzo.
Even in what used to be ‘culture’ we have to hear about gender equality. So inane!
Clara Schumann was an excellent composer, Pianist, & so was Robert Schumann
Gender Equality, What A Novel Concept, Equal Rights Movement, ERA, Great Music, Great Composers♀️️️
Yes. but is the work any good?
Well, now we finally have the opportunity to judge it.
(press play and move to minute 4)
https://www1.wdr.de/radio/wdr3/programm/sendungen/wdr3-konzert/konzertplayer-tage-alter-musik-in-herne-102.html
until i saw the picture i assumed the post referred to the composer as richard strauss and the abusive spouse as pauline
Women just up-and-walking-out of a marriage is not unheard of today and I presume it’s not a new development.
I’ll take her word for it that it was all her husband’s fault but the disappearing wife or mother is a recurring character in advice columns today.