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'La serva padrona' ('The Servant Mistress') is an opera buffa by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (January 4, 1710 – March 16, 1736) on a libretto by Gennaro Antonio Federico, after the play by Jacopo Angello Nelli.

Contents

Performance history

Synopsis

Recordings

Sources

External links

Performance history

It was originally an intermezzo paired with Pergolesi's opera seria ''Il prigioniero superbo'' (The Proud Prisoner). The two were premiered on 5 September 1733, the first performance after an earthquake in Naples had caused all theatres to br closed, and celebrated the birthday of the Empress of Habsburg.
''Il prigioniero'' was unsuccessful in its day and is not a recognized title in today’s opera repertoire. Eventually the two pieces were separated, and ''La serva padrona'' went on to enjoy fame throughout Europe for years after its premiere. The importance of this intermezzo can hardly be overlooked in the history of opera. With a new finaIe, the French version played a large part in the Querelle des Bouffons. It was appealing because of its presentation of characters that were relatable to any audience, namely the cunning maid and her aging master. ''La serva padrona'' is often seen as the quintessential piece that bridges the gap from the Baroque to the Classical period.

Synopsis

The story features Uberto Pandolphe, who is not sure if he wants to marry his maid, Serpina, or if he simply pities her. As a test, Serpina dresses up Vespone, Uberto's valet, as a soldier she plans to marry. The piece is for bass, soprano, and a "mute" actor.

Recordings

Among the sopranos who have recorded the work are Virginia Zeani (opposite her husband Nicola Rossi-Lemeni, 1959), Renata Scotto (c1960), Anna Moffo (1962) and Julianne Baird (1989).

Sources

★ ''The Oxford Dictionary of Opera'', by John Warrack and Ewan West (1992), 782 pages, ISBN 0-19-869164-5

External links

★ Libretto

★ A large pdf of the French version can be found at:
[1]

★ A complete score can be found in the Werner Icking Music Archive