photo: Opera Australia Beatrice and Benedict Opera in two acts Music by Hector Berlioz Libretto adapted by the composer in French from Shakespeare’s Much Ado about Nothing English translation by Geoffrey Dunn as adapted from Shakespeare by Elijah Moshinsky Sung in English with supertitles October 30, November 2m, 8, 12 and 14, 2008
Act I The townspeople of Messina prepare to celebrate the arrival of Don Pedro, general of the Sicilian army, who is returning from victory in battle. He is to be received, along with some of his officers, at the residence of Leonato, governor of Messina. A messenger brings news that the soldiers are about to arrive and Leonato assures his daughter Hero that Claudio is among them. Beatrice inquires sarcastically about Benedict, so Leonato (her uncle) explains that there is a “merry war” between the two.
Hero is in love with Claudio and is overjoyed at his return while Beatrice and Benedict resume their disdainful sparring.
Benedict, who had assumed Claudio was a confirmed bachelor like himself, cannot believe that now he admits to being in love with Hero and plans to marry her. Don Pedro and Claudio tease Benedict by suggesting that he, too, should consider marriage. He ridicules the notion of wedded bliss, saying that if he is ever so weak as to succumb, they should put a sign on his house: “Here you may see Benedict, the married man.”
Don Pedro decides that he will contrive a way to turn the war between Beatrice and Benedict into a love match.
Somarone rehearses the nuptial song he has written for the bridal couple, prompting Benedict into an outburst of regret that Claudio has joined the company of lovers. He hides from Don Pedro and Claudio but they spot him, giving them the chance to have him overhear a conversation with Leonato in which they talk about Beatrice being fiercely in love with Benedict. These words, said in apparent sincerity, work their magic: Benedict declares to himself that he will requite Beatrice’s love.
Hero and Ursula, her lady in waiting, have played the same trick on Beatrice that the men played on Benedict. It is a beautiful night for Hero to reflect on her feelings of love. Act II The wedding festivities are in full swing, and Somarone improvises a song in honor of Sicilian wines. All are enjoying themselves except Beatrice, who is in a state of agitation; the trick has worked. She remembers that after Benedict left for battle she had nightmares about him coming to harm. She admits to herself that she loves him.
Hero and Ursula join Beatrice and all three share Hero’s joy on her wedding morning.
Benedict finds Beatrice and makes his feelings known to her, but she is unable to cope and the wedding celebration interrupts them. Claudio and Hero reveal love poems that Beatrice and Benedict have written about each other, so they both admit their love and agree to a truce—until tomorrow.
Beatrice Joyce DiDonato ‡ Benedict Norman Reinhardt ‡ Hero Ailish Tynan * Ursule Leann Sandel-Pantaleo * Don Pedro Ryan McKinny ‡ Claudio Liam Bonner ‡ Somarone Donald Maxwell * Leonato William Hardy
Hector Berlioz (1803–1869) was born and lived the first eighteen years of his life in Côte-Saint-André, Isère, in southeast France. His father, a doctor, provided early musical training but was determined his son would follow him in a medical career. Berlioz dutifully began medical study in Paris, but after two years he gave it up to pursue music. His highly successful Symphonie fantastique (1830) was an outpouring of love for an “unattainable” woman, Harriet Smithson, whom he later married. His operas were ahead of their time and were not always warmly received. Now considered Berlioz’s masterpiece, the two-part Les Troyens was composed from 1856 to 1858, but it was not until over a hundred years later that it was performed complete and uncut. Despite its length, it is now performed with some regularity. Other operatic works include Benvenuto Cellini (1838) and La Damnation de Faust (1846). Beatrice and Benedict (1862) was Berlioz’s final opera.
Beatrice and Benedict was first performed in Baden-Baden on August 9, 1862, with the composer conducting. It was an immense success at its premiere, but is not often performed these days.
Shakespeare’s play Much Ado About Nothing is the source for Beatrice and Benedict. To preserve the lightheartedness of the opera, Berlioz omitted Shakespeare’s dark character Don John and the subplot surrounding him. The character Somarone is Berlioz’s invention. Otherwise, the libretto follows Shakespeare’s storyline and takes much of its text from the play. This is not surprising, since Berlioz revered Shakespeare.
