It's often said that life
imitates art but in Italy, art imitates life. Italians are a tremendously passionate
people. A walk around any city is likely to reveal similar images: a beautiful
young couple locked in a steamy embrace in the centre of a piazza, a frail and
old man bellowing obscenities at a television set as his beloved soccer team
frustrates him closer to an early grave, the Sicilian
chef, strutting confidently around his kitchen, creating the most artistic of
dishes from the simplest of ingredients.
This passion can also be
observed set to music in the most spectacular of settings in Italy's premier
opera houses. Perhaps the biggest reason Italian opera is still so popular today
is national pride. Italy was home to some of the best composers and their influence
inspired the construction of the finest opera houses. As a reasonably young
nation born out of a number of different states, the people were searching for
an identity and the harmony of opera perhaps echoed this need for brotherhood.
Opera's international reputation meant that wealthy Italians could increase
their own standing by association with the art, by attending and supporting
it. For the poorer classes, it was yet another place to be that was better than
being stuck in their cramped apartments. The sports stadium, the cafe, the theatre
– all far nicer places than their own homes. These willing crowds who have filled
theatres for years have ensured that opera has retained a special place in Italian
hearts and helped to define the soul of a nation.
HISTORY
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| Portrait
of Guiseppe Verdi1 |
|
The birth of opera is often
traced back to Florence
and the composer Jacopo Peri. A student of Florentine music master Cristofano
Malvezzi, Peri began his career as an instrumentalist and singer in the court
of the ruling Medici family. Peri was also influenced by a local patron of the
arts, Jacopo Corsi. Both held the view that modern art forms were failing to
live up to the classical standards achieved in the past by the Greeks and Romans.
In 1597, Peri composed the score for a musical production of the popular Greek
myth Dafne, in collaboration with a poet named Ottavio Rinuccini who provided
the lyrics. The score for Dafne broke ground by using monody, a form of solo
narrative singing, to bridge plot gaps between choruses and arias. Dafne had
its first public airing at the Palazzo
Pitti and was met with much acclaim. Having hit upon this winning combination
of music and lyrics, Peri took another text from Rinuccini and evolved monody
into a more refined style of musical commentary called recitative, which made
more use of the orchestra. The result was Euridice, now said to be the oldest
surviving opera. The plot follows the myth of Orfeo's descent into Hades to
rescue his beautiful wife Euridice who had died after being bitten by a serpent.
Some have speculated that this myth was chosen as an allegory for the resurrection
of Greek musical performances.
While Peri was the first
to experiment with this new art form, it was arguably Claudio Monteverdi who
was the first to perfect it. Born in Cremona
in 1567, Monteverdi spent some of his childhood studying musical arts under
the tutelage of Marc Antonio Ingegneri at the city's cathedral. Claudio had
several musical works published as a teenager and soon felt he had outgrown
his hometown. The ambitious composer headed to Mantova
in 1590 where he worked in the ducal court of ruler Vincenzo I. Monteverdi spent
the most illustrious part of his career, from about 1613, as musical director
of Saint
Mark's Basilica in Venice
and remained there until his death in 1643. It was here he wrote his famous
operas, the most noted being Orfeo, a musical dramatisation of the same myth
Peri had treated. Monteverdi was a deeply religious man and was actually ordained
as a Catholic priest. This devotion to God showed in his music, as well as producing
operas based on Roman and Greek myths, Monteverdi's most respected work was
The Vespers of the Blessed Virgin, which he composed in 1610.
The real heavyweight of
Italian Opera would not emerge until the early 19th century when an innkeeper's
son named Guiseppe Verdi was born. A native of Busseto,
Verdi lived from 1813 to 1901. He began learning the art of composition at an
early age, taking classes from local music master Ferdinando Provesi. A prolific
auteur, Verdi produced over 30 operas which were enthusiastically received by
the masses, but were not as well lauded by the critics, who found his pandering
to dramatics and accessibility lowbrow. But works such as Rigoletto, La Traviata
and Aida have more than stood the test of time. Verdi's first Opera, Oberto,
had it's debut at the Teatro
alla Scala in Milan.
In an almost direct contradiction
of opera's genesis as a reaction to the lack of inventiveness in the music scene
of the late 16th century, the art form has yet to evolve significantly from
the days of Verdi and his contemporary, Richard Wagner. Giacomo Puccini's works,
which include La Boheme and Madame Butterfly, were popular, as were compositions
by Strauss and Stravinsky. Perhaps the best example of a contemporary opera
which broke new ground and caused fierce debate was Richard Thomas's Jerry Springer:
The Opera. While only broadly conforming to the definition of the genre, the
desire of the producers to further push back the boundaries of musical drama
and invoke emotion through melody would likely have impressed Peri and his peers.
ITALY'S HISTORICAL OPERA
HOUSES
Almost any Italian city
or town of note will boast a theatre or opera house. Just as no two productions
of a popular opera will be the same, each opera house in Italy offers something
different to the visitor. Some are known for well-produced performances, others
have close links with composers and most are architecturally spectacular.
La Scala (Teatro alla
Scala) - Milan
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Milan's
La Scala theatre by night 2 |
Few modern performance venues
of any kind can match the grandeur and prestige of La
Scala. Built to replace Milan's Royal Ducal Theatre, which burnt to
the ground in 1776, the building takes its name from the church of Santa Maria
alla Scala, which once stood on the site. Located in Piazza Scala and completed
on Aug. 3, 1778, the Neo-Classical building, a creation of Giuseppe Piermarini,
overlooks a monument to the ubiquitous Leonardo da Vinci. The mid-18th century
Neo-Classical movement was heavily influenced by Greek and Roman architecture,
so it is somehow fitting that La Scala was designed in this style given that
Peri and Monteverdi were also motivated by the same desire to resurrect Classicism,
albeit through their operas. Piermarini's design for the exterior has two key
features of Neo-Classical construction. A grand portico, which is supported
by broad columns, dominates the front of the building. Tall windows are spaced
evenly along the facade, these are framed by Greco-Romanesque stucco columns.
Inside La Scala, the auditorium
is dominated by rows of seats, usually referred to as the stalls. Historically,
this area facing the stage would have been standing room only, much like the
Royal
Albert Hall in London
is today. The wealthy Milanese prefer to observe proceedings from the decadent
Loggia, private boxes, surrounding the stalls. Piermarini laid out the performance
area in the shape of a horseshoe. This gave the venue acoustic benefits. A high
surface area in the auditorium prevented excessive reverberation, and also gave
the residents of the Loggia a chance to see who else was in attendance. Above
the Loggia, on a terrace running along the top of the auditorium, is the Loggione.
This is the least prestigious place to watch an opera as the audience is some
way from the stage and there is no seating. Although admittance to this area
is still the least costly, it can be home to some of the most serious opera
aficionados.
The Phoenix (La Fenice)
- Venice
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| The
interior of La Fenice 3 |
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The legend of the Phoenix
(La Fenice), a mythical firebird who can re-incarnate itself from it's
own ashes, perfectly sums up the events that led to the creation of Venice's
most prestigious theatre. After losing a legal dispute with the owners of another
Venetian theatre, the opera production company who created La
Fenice suddenly found themselves homeless. Having been turned off the
idea of being tenants after the fall out with their previous landlords, the
company decided to build their own opera house and La Fenice was born. Perhaps
with the benefit of hindsight, they might have thought a little harder about
the name. Since it was first built in 1792, the prophetically-named theatre
has imitated the myth of its namesake having burned down and been rebuilt out
of its ashes on two separate occasions. The last flame induced refit was completed
in 2003 and received a mixed reception. From the outside, little had changed
from architect Gian Antonio Selva's original design, but some experts questioned
the acoustics and decor inside. The interior decoration was said to be gaudier
and a poor translation of classical tastes. Possibly because of the slightly
bulkier crafting, some said the hall wasn't as resonant as the old one. Other
parties were critical of the failure to reinvent the theatre, in an effort to
deliver a better audience experience by using modern technology. Nevertheless,
the theatre is an important landmark on the vista of opera. Verdi chose to debut
several of his best works here, and the in-house opera productions easily meet
the high Italian standards. The company specialises in performing productions
with local roots, such as I Quattro Rusteghi, the text of this comic opera is
in a Venetian dialect. A daytime tour of La Fenice is a superb way to be immersed
in the fascinating story of the creation and reconstructions of this fine opera
house.
San Carlo Theatre (Teatro
San Carlo) - Naples
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The best of the
quill-dippers
While Italy can rightly claim some of the best composers and theatres
in the world of opera, the contribution of the rest of Europe should not
be ignored.
Frenchman Georges Bizet wrote the extremely popular Carmen and German
language opera evolved the art form in many ways. Richard Wagner is credited
with the exposition of the Leitmotif, a theme in an opera's score than
introduces recurring characters and plot fragments. Wagner's best work
is the four opera cycle known as the Ring of the Nibelung.
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Bourbon ruler Charles III
of Spain became a well-known patron of the arts while living in Parma.
During the War of the Polish Succession (1733-1738), Charles Spanish forces
conquered Naples and Sicily,
ousting the ruling Austrians without too much trouble. Soon after establishing
his new Neapolitan home, Charles built the Teatro
San Carlo to impressive specifications. Taking inspiration from both
the Baroque and Neo-Classical schools, Antonio Niccolini's design seated 1,444
people, which was a considerable amount for its time. The stage was huge, 112
ft (34 m) deep and surrounded by an arch 108 ft (33 m) wide and 98 ft (30 m)
high. The quality of the build is demonstrated by the fact it's now the oldest
working theatre in Europe, trumping La Scala by over 40 years. In true Italian
opera house style, the theatre endured one fire in 1816. The Neapolitans managed
to fix up the San Carlo in just 10 months and it remains largely the same, aside
from some minor cosmetic changes. The theatre even staged productions during
the Second World War for the benefit of the occupying British forces.
Regal Theatre Parma (Teatro
Regio Parma)
Composer Guiseppe Verdi
is honoured every year by a series of concerts produced by the Teatro
Regio opera company, and the Neo-classical edifice is a fitting stage
for the composer's works. Although the theatre doesn't enjoy the international
reputation of others in Italy, Verdi was said to have enjoyed productions at
the Teatro Regio which is high praise as the master was famous for being critical
of venues. He was sometimes unhappy with the orchestral productions of his operas
at La Scala, and influenced changes to the orchestra's pit at the San Carlo.
The compact Teatro Regio had an auditorium that was slightly more rounded than
other opera houses, which produced a more intimate sound. Regular operagoers
in Parma are knowledgeable, most of them are brought up on a diet of Verdi,
meaning if a performer is not doing his or her best, they soon know about it
thanks to the round of derisory whistles, known as fischi, from the Loggione.
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Venue
|
Date
of Completion |
Capacity |
| La
Scala |
3
August 1778 |
2200 |
| La
Fenice |
16
May 1792 |
1280 |
| San
Carlo |
4
November 1737 |
1500 |
| Regio
Parma |
16
May 1829 |
1440 |
| Comunale
Bologna |
14
May 1763 |
1034 |
| Verona
Arena |
Built
30 AD, first used for opera in 1913 |
22,000 |
|
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Italian
Opera Houses
Year of Completion and Capacity |
Parma has always been closely
associated with Italian opera because of it's links with Verdi. The city and
the Teatro Regio are the closest urban centre and major theatre to Busseto,
Verdi's birthplace. Located halfway between Piacenza
and Parma, Busseto is an interesting side trip for those interested in Verdi's
early life.
Visitors who travel to Busseto
will find a small 300-seat theatre
in Verdi's name and the great composer's house
and birthplace.
Verdi returned to Busseto
to become the town's music master after he was refused admission to Milan's
Conservatory
of Music. Thanks to the nurturing of the local community, Verdi was
able to produce his first opera Oberto here, and finally gain Milanese recognition.
The composer's second work, Un Giorno di Regno, was no masterpiece, mostly due
to the death of his wife and two children during its composition. Verdi descended
into despair and depression, and he came close to quitting the opera scene for
good. It took the persuasion of Bartolomeo Merelli, who had contracted him for
one more opera for La Scala, to convince him to have another try. The result
was Nabucco, an opera based on the suffering inflicted on the Jews by Nebuchadneezar.
It was a smash hit, immensely popular with the theatregoing public, and even
escaped the typical scathing reviews from most of the critics.
Bologna Municipal Theatre
(Teatro Comunale Bologna)
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| Bologna's
Teatro Comunale merges Baroque and Neo-classical styles
4 |
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Another long-standing theatre,
the Teatro
Comunale Bologna
opened up with a performance of Christoph Gluck's Il Trionfo di Clelia in 1763.
It was designed by Antonio Galli Bibiena from the Galli family of renowned architects
and theatre set designers. Progenitor Giovanni Galli was born near Florence
in Bibiena, and the family adopted the town as their last name. Giovanni impressed
his Baroque principles upon his two sons, Ferdinando and Francesco. Ferdinando
orchestrated the construction of Mantova's main theatre, while Francesco masterminded
theatres in Verona (Teatro
Filarmonico) and Rome (Teatro
Alibert). Antonio, a third generation Galli Bibiena and Ferdinando's son, leans
toward neo-classicism in his design for the Teatro Comunale. The theatre appears
to be almost completely surrounded by a portico, yet does retain some Baroque
elements by using internal sculpture and a frescoed ceiling.
OUTDOOR VENUES
Verona
Arena
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Crowds
of opera buffs fill the terraces of the Verona Arena every summer 5 |
While not originally built
to host dramatic performances, these two outdoor venues offer a very different
experience from traditional opera houses. Located in the northern city of Verona,
made famous by Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, the Verona
Arena is an amphitheatre built by the Romans in 30 AD. It would have
been much bigger, but an earthquake in the 12th century destroyed a good portion
of the outer ring of buildings. What's left is an excellent example of the architecture
of the time, columns and arches crafted out of white and pink limestone. Operatic
performances are held here during the summer months, the natural bowl of the
amphitheatre offers great acoustics and the chance to watch from the stone terraces
as gladiators of the arts lock horns is an experience not to be missed.
The
Baths of Caracalla
A ruinous complex of buildings
outside Rome, the Baths
of Caracalla were something of a Roman leisure centre. Three large baths
of different temperatures were complimented by two gymnasiums and two libraries,
meaning Romans could easily entertain themselves here for a whole day. The ruins
still impose upon the visitor and give a great sense of what the scale of the
baths must have been. After standing for a number of years as a chance to wonder
at the architectual achievements of early Rome, the producers of the Opera Theatre
of Rome (Teatro dell'Opera di Roma) decided to use the atmosphere and aura of
Caracalla to enhance their outdoor operas in the summer. Perhaps the biggest
event held here was the inaugral performance of the Three Tenors on the eve
of the 1990 World Cup final.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF:
- Portrait of Verdi by Giovanni Boldini, 1886
- Ottmar Liebert; La Scala by night; Milan, Lombardy, Italy
- Pavel Krok; Interior of La Fenice; Venice, Veneto, Italy
- Primo Gnani; c/o Teatro Comunale Bologna; The auditorium
at the Teatro Comunale; Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
- Roman Reisenberger; Crowds at the Verona Arena; Verona, Veneto,
Italy
