New light on Lucretia

The Rape of Lucretia 

The historic tale of Lucretia,  who could be seen as Rome’s response to the Greek legend of Penelope, the wily spinner and weaver – and thus faithful wife of Odysseus, has inspired works by writers and artists, including Rembrandt and Lorenzo Lotto, in his portrait of a woman inspired by Lucretia,  for centuries.

Sadly for the reputation of Roman suitors, it is reported by writers as respected as Roman historian Livy (Livius) and Greek-Roman historian Dionysius of Halicarnassus , that Lucretia, the faithful wife of Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus, was violated when she was visited  by Tarquinius Sextus, son of the Etruscan King of Rome, who hearing of her virtuous reputation felt compelled to broke into her spinning circle,  and demand a bed for the night, although his own home was close by.

The laws of Roman Hospitality gave the Matron of the House no choice but to honour his request and during the night he confounded her servants, broke into her room and forced her to make love to him at the point of a sword.  Lucretia’s initial response was to declare that she would die to protect her honour and that of her beloved husband but the wily Tarquinius used her love for her husband to force her to yield to him. He explained that after he had killed her he would also kill her one of her male slaves and leave their bodies together. To ensure that she was fully disgraced and her husband ‘s honour also destroyed he would then claim he himself had killed them as an act of honour having caught her in the act of having adulterous sex.

Tarquinius and Lucretia (1610), byRubens (Hermitage Museum)

In the morning Lucretia bravely sent for her husband and father and made a full confession – and Lucius Tarquinius Collatinus, perhaps unusually for a Roman Soldier of the period , nobly and lovingly held her blameless and totally forgave her.

Sadly her own shame and remorse led her to a desperate act of fatally stabbing herself with a knife – providing a wonderful opportunity for artists throughout the ages to portray a naked lady in despair.

Owing to the exalted status of the Husband and the Violator what might have been no more that an extremely sad domestic incident in fact is usually accepted as the final desperate Act that spurred the revolution that toppled the Etruscan Monarchy and led to the formation of the Roman Republic.

 

The picture above was painted by Sandro Botticelli in 1500-1501 and shows the Roman Soldiers rising against the Etruscan Kings after the suicide of Lucretia.

Botticelli was using a non-religious subject to illustrate a political position in relation to Florence.

This was a brief period in Florentine history when the ruling Medici family were seen as ‘tyrants’ and banished from the City.  Following the burning at the stake of Fra Girolamo Savonarola  in the Piazza della Signoria in 1498 a real Republic was presided over by Piero Soderini, who was an elected ruler for a period of true democracy in Florence.

I suspect Botticelli was trying to remind the Florentine’s of the greatness of the Roman Republic that arose in BC509 after a rebellion of the people against a cruel ruler. Botticelli had fallen from favour after turning away from his original patrons, the Medici, to become a follower of  Girolamo Savonarola – under whose sway he is believed to have even thrown his own pagan works onto the infamous Bonfire of the Vanities . Fortunately for posterity Lorenzo the Magnificent had purchased La Primavera and The Birth of Venus for his family and they were displayed in Villas outside the City Centre.  After Savonarola‘s death he had few commissions and he perhaps hoped Piero Soderini who look on him kindly if her became a visible supporter of the new Republic.

In fact, Botticelli died in poverty in 1510 and his work was almost ignored until the 1850’s, when the Victorian British “discovered” him and brought his works back into favour.

The Vespucci family honoured his request to be buried at the feet of the beautiful Simonetta Vespucci in their chapel in the Church of Ognissanti in Florence – a lady who seems to have had a lot of admirers who is reputed to have been the inspiration for the model bodies of both Venus  and at least one of the three graces in Primavera.

 

Inspiration behind this Blog is that last month I went to Glyndebourne Opera , where we saw their latest production of Benjamin Britten’s Opera The Rape of Lucretia 

Stage and film star Fiona Shaw directs the latest Glyndebourne production, which has previously been part of Glyndebourne on tour. M.Shaw did add a slight twist on the tale that the lonely wife might have found herself attracted to the handsome Etruscan prince and that this added to her sense of shame when her husband forgave her so willingly?

At Glydbourne 2015 Lucretia is beautifully sung by mezzo-soprano Christine Rice.

In Ronald Duncan’s libretto, the action is introduced and commented upon throughout by two contemporary observers, a Male and Female Chorus, lending the story an urgent, contemporary air.

Kate Royal plays the Female Chorus, returning after her much-praised Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier in Festival 2014,

Allan Clayton, repeats his acclaimed portrayal of the Male Chorus.

Leo Hussain makes his Festival debut conducting the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

Sung in English with supertitles

Credits

Supported by Carol and Paul Collins through Glyndebourne Association America Inc.
By kind persmission of Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishers Ltd.

Another magical evening at Glyndebourne.