Vanessa


General Information


GenreOpera .  LanguageEnglishYear of the Premiere1958Acts3

Synopsis


The story spins around Vanessa, waiting for her -20 years ago once- lover: Anatol. Since he left, Vanessa has been confine to her house, with her niece Erika and her mother, the Baroness –who doesn´t speak to her because her old indiscretion – as only company. Vanessa hears about the death of her lover thanks to the arrival of his son, who is also called Anatol. History repeats itself when the young boy seduces Erika, to then resist to married her. Vanessa is also seduced by the young men and abandons the house with him, leaving Erika by her own, with the Baroness as only company, whom now doesn’t speak to her either. 


Roles


VanessaSoprano

A lady of great beauty
ErikaMezzo-soprano

Vanessa's niece, a young girl of twenty
Old BaronessContralto

Vanessa's mother and Erika's grandmother
AnatolTenor

A handsome young man in his early twenties
Old DoctorBaritone

Friend of the family
NicholasBass

The Major-domo
FootmanBass

A footman



Sources