FULL Donde hay violencia, no hay culpa (José de Nebra) Madrid 2023 Manuela Velasco, María Hinojosa, Carol García, Marina Monzó
Information on the Performance
- Work Title: Donde hay violencia, no hay culpa
- Composer: de Nebra José
- Libretto: Nicolás González Martínez Libretto Text, Libretto Index
- Venue & Opera Company: Teatro de la Zarzuela, Madrid, Spain
- Recorded: March 30, 2023
- Type: Staged Opera Live
- Singers: Manuela Velasco, María Hinojosa, Carol García, Marina Monzó, Judit Subirana, Borja Luna
- Conductor: Alberto Miguélez Rouco
- Orchestra: ENSEMBLE LOS ELEMENTOS
- Stage Director: Rafael Rodríguez Villalobos
- Stage Designer: Emanuele Sinisi
- Costume Designer:
- Lighting Designer: Felipe Ramos
Information about the Recording
- Published by: Ensemble Los Elementos
- Date Published: 2024
- Format: Streaming
- Quality Video: 4 Audio:4
- Subtitles: yessubs, essubs
- Video Recording from: YouTube FULL VIDEO
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS PERFORMANCE
Donde hay violencia, no hay culpa or Where there is violence, there is no guilt is a two-act zarzuela composed by the Aragonese José de Nebra (1702-1768) in 1744, although the exact date has not yet been discovered, along with other renowned works such as Vendado es amor, no es ciego and No todo señal es verdad . The score can be found in the archive of the Cathedrals of Zaragoza and the libretto, written by the comedy censor Nicolás González Martínez , in the National Library of Spain .
José de Nebra became a very important composer in this period for the city of Madrid thanks to his ability to adapt to musical tastes and to incorporate traditional and, at the same time, innovative elements in his works. This is why he achieved great prestige in such a short time.
The handwritten libretto preserved in the BNE confirms that it was performed in the palace of the Duke of Medinaceli in 1744. 1 At this time, nobles had the custom of performing in their private theatres the works they commissioned in order to celebrate an event or to enjoy a family gathering.
For this work, librettist Nicolás González Martínez had in mind the legendary origins of Roman history . In this way, the zarzuela narrates the episode of the crime committed by Sextus Tarquinius , the king’s son, on Lucretia , the Roman matron, causing her dishonor and her final suicide.
Sextus, blinded by his desire for Lucretia, rapes the matron, who ends up committing suicide. This death triggers the search for revenge by her husband Collatinus . Aided, then, by impeccable Roman patricians, he fights against the Tarquins and frees Rome from its imperfections. Meanwhile, the pact between Romans and Rutulians and matrimonial alliances take place, where the secondary characters (the king, Laelius, Silvia, Valerio, Octavia and Tullia) and the comedians (Laureta and Corbin) enter the scene, giving full meaning to the drama.
ACT I
The play begins with the celebration of the Roman victory and with the first scene in which Sextus tries to seduce Lucretia. The plot begins to become more complicated with the appearance of the characters Collatinus, Valerius, Lelio and Octavia. The first one realizes Lucretia’s suffering although he does not know the causes.
At the same time, the kings of Rome and the Rutuli arrange marriages of convenience in which Lelio must marry Silvia, the daughter of the king, and Sextus must marry Octavia in order to sign peace between the nations. This fact constitutes the typical love problem of zarzuelas or operas in general: Tulia, who has broken up with Sextus, feels rejected and Octavia, in turn, who loves Valerio, has to act against her feelings by fulfilling the arranged marriage. The only successful lovers are Silvia and Lelio.
It is a first day that helps us to get into the thoughts and concerns of each character, developing their personality and how they are purely human characters. Lucretia, despite Sextus’ threats, violently rejects his claims. Meanwhile, Tullia feels a desire for revenge for Sextus’ constant rejection and Collatinus seeks to confront the king’s son, although first he has to give an account of his loyalty to the crown and his honor.
ACT II
The wedding is being prepared. At that moment the protagonists are walking through the garden where Sextus reiterates his attempts on Lucretia and Collatinus is already looking for a confrontation with him. Also, Tullia and Octavia suffer from the contempt and deceit on the part of Sextus, which is why they hold a grudge against him.
All these repeated attempts lead to the true tragedy of the drama: Lucretia is raped by Sextus . Faced with this catastrophe, Lucretia feels ashamed in the eyes of Collatinus and takes her own life . She does not die explicitly, on stage, but it is recounted by one of the comic characters. Laureta narrates what happened in a burlesque way, perhaps trying to take away dramatic weight from the story.
Desiring revenge, Collatinus fights against the tyrants. A conspiracy is prepared between the senate and the plebs, who will attack the latter during the wedding ceremony. However, during the course of the ceremony, the temple is attacked and the Tarquins manage to escape. The zarzuela ends with the three marriages taking place as a happy ending, typical of musical performances of this period.