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La Wally

FORM: Opera in four acts; in Italian

COMPOSER: Alfredo Catalani (1854–93)

LIBRETTO: Luigi Illica; after W. von Hillem’s story

FIRST PERFORMANCE: Milan, 20 June 1892

Principal Characters

Wally Soprano

Stromminger, her father and a rich landowner Bass

Hagenbach Tenor

Gellner Baritone

Afra, proprietress of the inn Contralto

Walter, a wandering player Soprano

Synopsis of the Plot

Setting: The Swiss Tyrol; 1800

ACT I Wally has fallen in love with Hagenbach, the son of her father’s old enemy, although her feelings are not reciprocated. Gellner, who wants to marry Wally, warns Stromminger of his daughter’s feelings towards Hagenbach, and Stromminger’s response is to order Wally to marry Gellner within the month or leave his house. Wally leaves to live on the mountain.

ACT II Some time has passed, during which Stromminger has died and Wally has inherited his fortune. She returns to the village for a festival and, believing that Afra is now engaged to her beloved Hagenbach, insults her. Hagenbach, hearing of this, decides to avenge Afra. He dances with Wally, kisses her and swears undying love, and she is enraptured – until the mocking laughter of the onlookers alerts her to the truth. Furious and humiliated, she promises to marry Gellner if he kills Hagenbach.

ACT III Wally goes home and, reflecting more calmly on the situation, realises that she must stop Gellner from harming Hagenbach. But before she can act he bursts in, telling her he has pushed Hagenbach into a ravine. Wally, spurred on by guilt and remorse, goes down a rope into the ravine and rescues Hagenbach. Wally gives him into Afra’s care and leaves.

ACT IV Living alone and isolated on the mountainside, Wally resigns herself to her fate. Suddenly Hagenbach, fully recovered, appears and says he has come to tell her he loves her. Wally confesses her part in his accident’ but he reassures her of his love. As they make their way down to the village the sound of an approaching avalanche is heard. Hagenbach is swept away by the snow and, distraught, Wally throws herself after him.

Music

Set in the Swiss Alps, La Wally is notable for its incursions into local colour, including Tyrolean dances in Act II. But at the end of the day this is Italian opera, looking forward to the kind of through-composed verismo writing of Puccini (whose Manon Lescaut appeared the following year) and quite well characterised. Its weakness is a story which, for all its momentous happenings, makes less than powerful theatre.

Highlight

Wally’s poignant farewell at the end of Act I, ‘Ebben? Ne andrò lontana’, is the most celebrated item in all Catalani’s output and a tune made still more famous by extensive use in the 1981 film Diva.

Did You Know?

This opera became known largely through the efforts of the conductor Toscanini; he saddled his daughter with the heroine’s name.

Recommended Recording

Renata Tebaldi, Mario del Monaco, Monte Carlo Opera/Fausto Cleva. Decca 425 417-2. A finer cast than it probably deserves.