1) Gloria Staffieri, Un teatro tutto cantato. Introduzione all’opera italiana, Roma, Carocci, 2012, capp. 1, 4 (pp. 17-58; 123-175)
2) Fabrizio Della Seta, Italia e Francia nell’Ottocento (“Storia della Musica”, vol. 9), Torino, EdT, 1993, pp. 208-236.
3) Marco Beghelli, Morfologia dell’opera italiana da Rossini a Puccini, in Enciclopedia della musica, diretta da Jean-Jacques Nattiez, vol. 4, Storia della musica europea, Torino, Einaudi, 2004, pp. 895-921.
4) Emanuele Senici, L’opera italiana del primo Ottocento, in Musiche nella storia, a cura di A. Chegai, F. Piperno, A. Rostagno ed E. Senici, Roma, Carocci, 2017, pp. 453-493.
5) *La Bohème Libretto e guida all’opera, a cura di Michele Girardi, in La Bohème, programma di sala, Venezia, Teatro La Fenice, 2012, edizione cartacea (disponibile sulla piattaforma Moodle), pp. 51-112.
6) Julian Budden, Puccini, Roma, Carocci, 2007, pp. 149-197.
Un saggio a scelta tra i seguenti:
1) D. Goldin, Drammaturgia e linguaggio nella Bohème di Puccini, in La vera fenice. Librettisti e libretti tra sette e Ottocento, Torino, Einaudi, 1985 (o successive edizioni), pp. 335-374.
2) *M. Girardi, La poetica realtà della Bohème, in Giacomo Puccini. L’arte internazionale di un musicista italiano, revisione del cap. IV di ID., Giacomo Puccini. L’arte internazionale di un musicista italiano, Venezia, Marsilio, 19951, 20002, pp. 109-147.
3) *A. Gros, Tra realismo e nostalgia: il libretto di Bohème, in La Bohème, programma di sala, Cagliari, Teatro Lirico, 2009, pp. 41-99.
*=articles in PDF available on Moodle.
A thorough knowledge of the libretto and the vision of some of the opera scenes proposed during the course is required.
The students are also required to know the listenings proposed during the course (available on Moodle).
Learning Objectives
The course aims to offer the historical features, methods and critical tools for studying Italian opera in its essential components (music, libretto, staging) and reference to the production system in which it is inserted.
These elements will be deepened through the analysis of Mozart's Don Giovanni.
Knowledge and understanding: in-depth acquisition of the methodological tools of the discipline and the main lines of development of the history of Italian opera, with particular regard to the eighteenth century.
Applying knowledge and understanding: analysis of the librettos, of the morphology of the Italian opera and of the main questions concerning the relationship between opera and staging.
Making judgements: Acquisition of a relevant language and autonomy of judgement in evaluating and commenting on the audio-visual material proposed during the lessons.
Communication skills: awareness of the impact of history of opera in shaping cultural identities and capacity to select and to use manuscript and printed sources.
Learning skills: development of the ability to read, analyse and interpret the main formal and stylistic structures of the Italian opera.
Prerequisites
Basic knowledge of the main topics related to the history of music and history of theater from Seventeenth to Nineteenth century.
Teaching Methods
Lectures with power point presentation. The module includes audio and video examples.
Further information
During the lessons, students will have to have a copy of the libretto that will be provided by the teacher. The capacity to read music is not requested: some basic concepts of the musical language will be explained in the first part of the course.
To access course material, you must subscribe to the e E-learning Moodle platform. The password will be communicated during the first lessons.
Type of Assessment
Oral exam:
the exam will consist of an interview in which the student will have to demonstrate knowledge of: 1) the topics dealt with during lessons; 2) ALL the texts in the bibliography; 3) the listening offered during the lessons; 4) the audio-video material.
Course program
1. Introduction to musical dramaturgy; 2. Lineaments of Italian prosody aimed at understanding the librettist language; 3. Short historical profile of dramatic and musical structures; 4. Opera in the early Nineteenth century; 5. Analysis of some crucial points of the opera «La Boheme»: dramaturgy and staging.