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ACT TWO - Cassandra
Luigi Illica and Cassandra workshop
After the degree in law, Vittorio Gnecchi conceived the opera that was going to leave a mark, in good and in evil, on his future: Cassandra, thought up as a musical drama, according to Wagner method.
Gnecchi wrote the story, starting from Eschilo’s Agamemnon, and entrusted the writing up of the libretto with Luigi Illica, no less, with whom he started a relation that, even if it was sometimes marked by conflicts, was for Gnecchi a real life’s training ground from a compositional and musical point of view.
Strong from his experience and culture, Illica lead the young and often ingenuous Gnecchi by the hand in the production/staging of an impressive opera, which will show all the musical talent of his young composer.
The rich correspondence between the two, precious testimony remained unpublished, depicts not only the slow and suffered planning of the libretto and of the score(that will be accomplished in 1904), but also Illica commitment in trying to promote Cassadra in different Italian theatres, certain of the immense musical value of the opera.
Toscanini and Cassandra first night
Upon advice of his friend Tullio Serafin, and supported by the tireless Illica, Gnecchi presented the opera to Arturo Toscanini, who, it seems, was enthusiast about it, so much so that on the 5th December 1905 he conducted the first night at the “Teatro Comunale di Bologna” ( Bologna Municipal Theatre ), calling exceptional protagonists: the baritone F.Federici (the Prologue), the tenor G.Borgatti (Agamemnon) , the soprano S.Krusceniski (Clytemnestra), the mezzo-soprano E. Bruno(Cassandra) and the baritone T.Quercia (Egisto).
The performance was at the height of the protagonists.
Unfortunately, during the rehearsals , Gnecchi little experience on theatrical matters, caused many problems to Toscanini; disagreements which added themselves to gossips, which affected the maestro from the beginning, so much so that after Bologna experience he did not want to hear anymore of Cassandra, which he had so much appreciated, and of Gnecchi.
Tebaldini and the Strauss “case”
Three years later, precisely on the 25th January 1909, the first night of Elektra, Richard Strauss new Opera, was staged at Dresden Opera.
Those who knew Cassandra immediately noticed the surprising analogies that linked the two operas. The musicologist Giovanni Tebaldini, even though not exposing himself with accusations of plagiarism, spoke about a common inspiration, a kind of “musical telepathy” ( actual title of the essay published in the “Rivista Musicale Italiana”) , which had moved the two composers.
Unfortunately others will talk of plagiarism and the denials of both shall be of no avail.
The “case” had irreparably broken out, but the damages were to be borne only by Gnecchi. It is sufficient to remember the attitude of the artistic director of the Theatre alla Scala at the time, Vittorio Mingardi, who, in reply to the request of the duke Visconti di Modrone (chairman of the Committee authorized to plan the Scala theatrical season) to include Cassandra in the theatre program, stopped the initiative to don’t displease Strauss “pour ne pas depalire a Strauss” – as he wrote to Visconti. And so it shall always be.
Cassandra destiny
It is still strange today to see how the ostracism suffered by Gnecchi proved to be a typical Italian phenomenon, since abroad his name lived often and with pride on the theatrical programmes.
In Italy, his music was entrusted mainly with foreign hands which supported it with force and enthusiasm – just to mention one worth for all: ‘Willem Mengelberg,(sul sito sembrava ‘Illelm anch’io perplessa nopn so e nome sia Willem) who conducted in 1910 Cassandra prologue at Milan Conservatory, achieving a great personal success for the author.
Also the new integral performance of Cassandra , staged at the Dal Verme Theatre in Milan in 1913, conducted by Ettore Panizza, achieved a very good success, both of public and critics, and its echo even reached the United States of America, where on the 26th of February 1914, Cassandra was performed at Philadelphia Opera Theatre, conducted by Cleofonte Campanini.
But here the accusation of plagiarism of Strauss opera made against Gnecchi same by the American journalists who ignored the antecedence of Cassandra as regards Elektra, calmed down the enthusiasms, sealing an already poisoned destiny. .