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Celebrations at the Osservanza (9 May 2004)
Homage to Stefano Gobatti (1852-1913)
With the collaboration of the Comune of Bergantino and
the State Music Conservatoire “A.Buzzolla” of Adria

Around 1870, Stefano Gobatti had a period of great popularity, when his first opera I Goti, prémièred in Bologna in December 1873, met with such enthusiastic success that it was recorded by historians as one of the most resounding successes of the whole history of serious opera. Gobatti was awarded the Bolognese honorary citizenship when he was only 21, but after I Goti had been staged successfully in the most important Italian theatres, his following operas, Luce (1875) and Cordelia (1881) were less successful, while his last work Massias was never staged. Gobatti spent the final period of his life as a guest at the Osservanza Convent in Bologna. He is buried at the Certosa of Bologna. Today we can listen to Gobatti’s music with a new attitude, without prejudice, and appreciate its value in full: rediscovering the music by Gobatti, a musician who marked a period of the Bolognese and Italian musical life of the second half of the 1800s, is a remarkably valuable cultural initiative.

Stefano Gobatti wrote the Massias from 1905 and 1912, after his intimate need to express his inner world through the artistic language of music, which suited him particularly, also attracted by the tender story of the troubadour Massias, who lived around the half of 12th century. Many influential people were interested in staging Gobatti’s new opera, which had already been orchestrated, but had to face the maestro’s reluctance, as he had been living too isolated to reenter the tumultuous life of theatre. The few people who could listen to the music of Massias privately reported that it was really good ant that it was certainly the maestro’s spiritual will.
Today the score of Massias is held at the Fondo Gobtti of the Biblioteca Comunale of Bergantino (Rovigo, Italy). Some relevant pages of the opera, after the critical revision by Luigi Verdi, are presented to the public for the first time, in the version for string orchestra.

Massias (1905-1912) Selected pages
Transcription and revision by Luigi Verdi
Soprano: Luisa Giannini
Tenore: Daniele Gaspari
ORCHESTRA D’ARCHI CITTA’ DI ADRIA
DIRETTORE:  Luigi Verdi
Live recording effected on 9 May 2004 in the Church of the Osservanza of Bologna. Sound Engineer: Giampaolo Foresti. IL BAULE DEI SUONI

From I act
1. Preludio
2. Interludio e Aria “Mi piace la perla” (soprano)
3. Duetto “Resto qui per saper se di Castiglia”  (soprano e tenore)
From II act
4. Aria “Al bel Massias” (soprano)
Duetto “O fior di paradiso” (soprano e tenore)
From III act
5. Aria “A cagion di mie rime” (tenore)
Duetto “Ritraggiti in te stesso” (soprano e tenore)
From IV act
6. Aria “La mia gioia assai breve e’ durata” (tenore)
7. Finale “(tenore)  

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