# Mad Scenes for Mezzo/Contralto



## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

"Mad scenes" are typically considered a soprano phenomenon, but it's not too difficult to find mezzo and contralto roles which have their own mad scenes. Some examples include 
1) Condotta ell'era in Ceppi: Azucena's aria from Trovatore 
2) "Where Shall I Fly?" from Handel's Hercules 
3) Klytemnestra's dream scene in Elektra


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## ColdGenius (9 mo ago)

Final of Orlando furioso is a mad scene. 
Can Ulrika be considered mad or it's just a business? 
Dido's suicide in Purcell's and Berlioz'es operas.


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## ColdGenius (9 mo ago)

Mezzos usually suffer in sound mind and memory.


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

BalalaikaBoy said:


> "Mad scenes" are typically considered a soprano phenomenon, but it's not too difficult to find mezzo and contralto roles which have their own mad scenes. Some examples include
> 1) Condotta ell'era in Ceppi: Azucena's aria from Trovatore
> 2) "Where Shall I Fly?" from Handel's Hercules
> 3) Klytemnestra's dream scene in Elektra


Where Shall I Fly? is a splendid aria!


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

ColdGenius said:


> Can Ulrika be considered mad or it's just a business?


Just business, the prophecy is correct, isn't it.



> Dido's suicide in Purcell's and Berlioz'es operas.


At least in Purcell Dido's not mad. Maybe extremely sad but calm and composed.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Kreisler jr said:


> Just business, the prophecy is correct, isn't it.
> 
> 
> At least in Purcell Dido's not mad. Maybe extremely sad but calm and composed.


Berlioz's Didon is more emotional in hers. I suppose one could call it a Mad Scene.


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## ColdGenius (9 mo ago)

Dido experiences major depressive disorder. 
As for Ulrika, she is right finally. Her prototype was a modest woman, who collected gossip, was fond of spiritualism and assembled concerned guests.


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

ColdGenius said:


> Final of Orlando furioso is a mad scene.


I shall look into this one



> Can Ulrika be considered mad or it's just a business?


I was wondering the same thing. Does it only count if they are GOING crazy, or is it enough that they ARE kinda crazy from the get go. 



> Dido's suicide in Purcell's and Berlioz'es operas.


this was one my "didn't quite make it list". opera is fond enough of suicide that it gets its own category haha


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

I don't want to distract from the main topic but like Isolde, Dido in Purcell does not commit suicide. She just dies for love/grief, apparently without violence inflicted upon herself.


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## ColdGenius (9 mo ago)

Exactly. She just lies down and dies. But we remember the primary source and assume that she helps herself to die nevertheless. And she keeps on singing.


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## ColdGenius (9 mo ago)

Characters which sing when they are dying are not rare. I've remembered Madame de Croissy from Dialogues des carmelites. She is in agony, but not truly mad.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Semiramide by Rossini even has a mad scene for a bass!

N.


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## ColdGenius (9 mo ago)

The Conte said:


> Semiramide by Rossini even has a mad scene for a bass!
> 
> N.


Oh! Basses! Boris Godunov is first among them


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Is Kostelnitchka, who drowned her grandchild, considered mad?


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## ColdGenius (9 mo ago)

nina foresti said:


> Is Kostelnitchka, who drowned her grandchild, considered mad?


I think she is an object of complex medical and legal case. Her plan was consecutively formed in her head, she realized what she would achieve by drowning the baby. At the same time she's obviously insane.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Klytemnestra is one of my favorite scenes in opera if there is a good actress in the role. The music is so twisted. Varnay in the movie was incredible. Rysanek was also splendid.


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## ColdGenius (9 mo ago)

There are also very rare mad scenes for baritone. First of all it's Nabucco. Much less known is Prince Kurlyatev from Tchaikovsky's "The Sorceress".


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

It is out of character that tenors have no mad scenes as they tend to be a bit off, according to my opera singer sister LOL


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## BBSVK (10 mo ago)

Seattleoperafan said:


> It is out of character that tenors have no mad scenes as they tend to be a bit off, according to my opera singer sister LOL


@Mayerber Smith wrote about one by Donizetti:

Maria Padilla (1841) - Rivalry in mediaeval Spain, with a mad scene for tenor


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## ColdGenius (9 mo ago)

BBSVK said:


> @Mayerber Smith wrote about one by Donizetti:
> 
> Maria Padilla (1841) - Rivalry in mediaeval Spain, with a mad scene for tenor


Remembering who was Maria Padilla I can't imagine who could go mad. Can it be Pedro el Cruel?!


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## ColdGenius (9 mo ago)

Seattleoperafan said:


> It is out of character that tenors have no mad scenes as they tend to be a bit off, according to my opera singer sister LOL


I was afraid to begin writing about it. The most of tenor characters are slightly overweight romantic youths in their forties. They are not very clever and rarely go insane.


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## Monsalvat (11 mo ago)

_Peter Grimes_ comes to mind.


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