Garden with French doors at Gaudenzio's
Progetto ROS / Rossini Opera Stampa; a 'KAUS Urbino Project' related to the Rossini Opera Festival 2012.
When
drawing my Sofia and
Marianna; I could just see them
play the "l'emigrette" as was in fashion of and on
during their time, it might be an extra for counter-expression;
and where in Greek history the toys of childhood became home-alter
pieces when adulthood was reached this might well work as a hand
prop.
The somehow playful and honestly moving Ah Donate il Caro Sposo with the solo english horn seems to propose a great yo-yo play for 'my' Marianna in the background. Somehow I might even consider a graphical design-play here with the greatest of yo-yo / diabolo figures.
Sofia's womanhood
more of Gaudenzio's garden I seem to imagine
I would
imagine it something impossible to have singers actually move
as the arabesque of the periode would prescribe, in fact anyone
who's seen photographs of men and women (especially sportsmen
of the era) knows how different the actual built of people differed
from what we seem to see to day. The same applies of course to
singing. Judging on what was seen to be 'historically correct'
in the 19fifties and again in the 19eighties there must be something
correct in the remark that somehow we would always make a selfportrait;
and most importantly for an artist: we should somehow avoid that.
This now in our time seems the most difficult thing there is
in the world, as there seems to be nothing at all that is so
incredibly important as the fixation on 'our inner self' and
'identity'. Probably not the best way to appreciate an artwork
from a different age.
at Gaudenzio's? with prison in sight ?
FILS PAR HASARD,
OU
RUSE ET FOLIE,
PAR MM. CHAZET ET OURRY.
The book this theater play
is in gives the names and caracters, the actors, and their costumes
as:
and their 'Il Signor Bruschino'
(Rossini's 9th opera) counterparts in the 1813 première
are:
- Desroches, n´égociant; Chazelle;
Financier. Premier costume: robe de chambre et bonnet brodé
en or, Acte III Dexième costume: habit riche à
l'antique.
Gaudenzio, bass; Nicola Grecis
Follefille, amant de Sophie; Firmin;
jeune premier. Costume de voyage élégant. Bottes.
Florenville, tenor; Tomasso Berti
Brusquin père, marin, ami de M. Desroches: Dugrand.
Caractère. Habit d'uniforme de la marine, chapeau
à trois cornes à la financière.
(as this hat bears a clue to the view upon the man
please look for: ... an old cocked-hat like a three-cornered
spittoon ...)
Bruschino senior, bass; Luigi Raffanelli
Brusquin, fils; Clozel.
Second comique. Costume
coupé. Habit, veste et culotte d'un couleur différente.
L'habit écourté. Puodre à frimots. Une badine.
Bruschino junior tenor; Gaetano Dal Monte
Frontin, valet de Folleville: Armand.
Premier comique. Petite livrée; chapeau bordé.
culotte de peau, bottes.
not on the opera
Durillon, aubergiste; Roland
Second comique. Habit écarlate à l'antique, chapeau
pointu. Demi - carricature.
Filiberto; bass; Nicola Tacci
Un Commissaire; Walville.
Second comique. Robe, bonnet carré, perruque à
circonstances.
Police Commisioner; tenor; Gaetano Dal Monte.
Un Domestque; Henry
Accessoire. Livrée
Not in the opera
Sophie, fille de M. Desrobes; Mlles. Fleurey
Ingénuité, Parure simple, en blanc, coifée
en cheveux.
Sofia: soprano; Teodolina Pontiggia.
(this lady could in her time have
played with a 'bandalore' - something we know as a yo-yo; this
could also apply to the next lady; or indeed both)
Marine, sa suivante; Delisle.
Costume ordinaire de soubrette.
Marianna: soprano; Carolina Nagher
Plusieurs domestiques de M. Desroches, personages muets.
Possible others not mentioned in
the opera.
Joseph J. Visser, Composer, Visual Artist , Author/translator
& Lecturer.Jacques Offenbach, in admiration for Rossini's work, revised text and music for Paris (December, 1857); he invited Rossini for the event. The comment was in Rossini's typical irony: "I gave you permission to do as you wanted, but certainly do not intend to become your accomplice."
At the time Honoré de Balzac, who loved Rossini's work, would have been 58, whilst he was only 14 when the première of Rossini's opera was on stage.