Other Composers
Ricordanze di un opera sepolta
La Savoiarda
Op. 127, PP.141.15
In reading the title of this transcription of his own opera La Savoiarda (later Lina), one must appreciate the bitter resignation that Ponchielli must have experienced having successfully weathered the first year of his position in Cremona. With a salary more than twice that of his best soloists, he must have experienced satisfaction tinged with the regret of still not having achieved fame after composing (alone and with colleagues) several operas that had only modest successes. He was successful, just not wildly. Thus the sepulchral "sepolta - buried" in the title.
Ponchielli succeeds in avoiding "Verdi-like" gestures while he abounds with gestures from almost every other composer of the previous generation. Rossini seems to have been the inspiration behind this opera. As yet no autograph score of the opera has come to light. The Harvard Library has an autograph of the first act only of this opera, though they originally had thought it was complete.
Its performances were few and far between. Identified initially as "Reminisences," it was subsequently identified only as "La Savoiarda di Ponchielli" in both reports to the oversight committee and postings in the biweekly newspaper, Corriere cremonese. The transcription of the overture in 1870 all but ended its career.
Date on score: Sunday, December 9, 1866
Performances: Sunday, November 8, 1868, Piazza Garibaldi; Sunday, December 5, Piazza Cavour; Sunday, December 19, 1870,Piazza Cavour; Thursday, May 19, 1870, Piazza Cavour; Thursday, September 8, 1870, Piazza Garibaldi; Sunday, December 4, 1870, Piazza Garibaldi; Sunday, September 8, 1872,Piazza Cavour.