Satyricon

Satyricon is a chamber opera by Bruno Maderna with a libretto adapted by Ian Strasfogel and the composer from Petronius. It was written during Maderna's last illness in 1973 and premièred as part of the Holland Festival on 16 March 1976, in Scheveningen, The Netherlands. The work consists of 16 unordered numbers and the collage effect extends to the music, which relies heavily on pastiche. There are four singers, employing respectively English & ... more

Satyricon is a chamber opera by Bruno Maderna with a libretto adapted by Ian Strasfogel and the composer from Petronius. It was written during Maderna's last illness in 1973 and premièred as part of the Holland Festival on 16 March 1976, in Scheveningen, The Netherlands. The work consists of 16 unordered numbers and the collage effect extends to the music, which relies heavily on pastiche. There are four singers, employing respectively English & German, French, wordless vocalise, and Latin: the host Trimalchio (tenor, doubling as the merchant Habinnas), his wife Fortunata (mezzo-soprano), Criside (Soprano), and Eumolpus (Bass). It is suggested that tape music may be used between scenes; the 2004 revival in Darmstadt included dialogue and a number of additional spoken roles. less