I gioielli della Madonna

I gioielli della Madonna (English: The Jewels of the Madonna) is an opera in three acts by Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari to an Italian libretto by Carlo Zangarini and Enrico Golisciani, based on news accounts of a real event.

It was first performed at the Kurfürstenoper in Berlin on 23 December 1911 under the title Der Schmuck der Madonna. That performance was in German, but now it is usually given in Italian. (Wolf-Ferrari stated that his operas were often first given in German simply because he had a German publisher.) The opera was given in Budapest in 1913, conducted by Fritz Reiner, who also conducted the first Dresden performance the following year [Ref: Philip Hart, Fritz Reiner, Evanston Illinois, 1994, pages 7 & 9]

Its controversial themes include love between a brother and his adopted sister, implied criticism of the Catholic Church, and an on-stage orgy. There is an extant recording of the opera, made in 1967, featuring Pauline Tinsley, Andre Turp and Peter Glossop, conducted by Alberto Erede. It was issued on CD - Bella Voce #107242. A new recording was released in 2016 on the Naxos label.

The opera was given its Italian premiere in 1953. I gioielli della Madonna is not often performed today though it remains in the repertory. The third act intermezzo was for many years a popular concert piece. It was performed by Teatro Grattacielo in New York City in 2010. In 2013 it was performed in London at Opera Holland Park. The complete opera was revived May 2015 at the Slovak National Theatre, Bratislava, and recorded for Naxos.

[According to Kutsch & Riemens Grosser Sangerlexicon, Berne and Stuttgart, 1987, page 3193, the role of Raffaele was sung in the 1911 Berlin premiere by Hermann Wiedemann (a baritone, 1879-1944). No tenor named Hermann Wiedermann is listed there.]

A square in Naples by the sea

...
Wikipedia