The Evolution of Italian Melodrama: from Donizetti to Verdi

"This study presents the evolution of the Italian melodrama of the nineteenth century, having as a major composer exponents such as Gaetano Donizetti and Giuseppe Verdi. The rich culture of the Italian Romantic space, as well as the socio-political events of the 19th century, influenced the mentality and style of opera composers. Thus, titles such as “La donna del lago” (1819), “Wilhelm Tell” (1829) – G. Rossini, “I Capuleti e i Montecchi” (1830) – V. Bellini, foreshadow the new directions of Italian romantic opera. The maturation process of Italian romantic opera is crowned by Gaetano Donizetti and Giuseppe Verdi, who, through melodrama, achieve important stylistic synthesis. Keywords: Italian, melodrama, evolution, Donizetti, Verdi"

Gothic Imaginations in Primo Ottocento Opera

<p>Connections between the Gothic and opera remain a subsidiary concern to most writers on the Gothic and on opera, if they are even addressed at all. In this study I wish to illuminate how the Gothic is presented both musically and visually on stage through the setting and thematic traits in select nineteenth-century Italian operas. A number of ideas are central to this aim. Firstly, that the ‘Gothic’ dimension of ‘Gothic opera’ is overtly represented through staging. The settings of many ‘Gothic operas’ in Scotland and England reveal the continental European fascination with northern Europe and its history. This stemmed from the influx of English and Scottish literature, most prominently the Ossian poems and the works of Walter Scott and Shakespeare. Consequently, Gothic scenes such as ruined medieval castles and rugged cliffs, masked by darkness or mist are enmeshed with a northern landscape. Tartan costuming also visually situates the Gothic scenes in Northern Europe. Furthermore, the use of musical mannerisms of Scotland and England, particularly in chorus scenes, reinforces this parallel between the Gothic and the north, linking music to the visible Gothic setting. Secondly, I will explore the way in which Gothic imaginings of both immaterial and physical incarnations of the supernatural move between the latent subconscious and conscious realisation. This is evident through the interplay between voice, orchestra and the singer’s corporeality and draws upon recent operatic studies concerning representation of ‘others’, dramatisation, and theatrical spaces. This second section positions women at the heart of the Gothic in opera, as the soprano is most often the character susceptible to other-worldly encounters and madness. The fundamental figure in this study is Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848). A number of his operas from the 1830s, especially Lucia di Lammermoor, emphasise how the Gothic may be revealed in opera. However, I conclude with a chapter on Macbeth, the ‘Gothic opera’ of Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901), for this work demonstrates how the configuration of the Gothic is developed in musical and dramatic terms and presents a case where the supernatural influence becomes all-empowered.</p>

Gothic Imaginations in Primo Ottocento Opera

<p>Connections between the Gothic and opera remain a subsidiary concern to most writers on the Gothic and on opera, if they are even addressed at all. In this study I wish to illuminate how the Gothic is presented both musically and visually on stage through the setting and thematic traits in select nineteenth-century Italian operas. A number of ideas are central to this aim. Firstly, that the ‘Gothic’ dimension of ‘Gothic opera’ is overtly represented through staging. The settings of many ‘Gothic operas’ in Scotland and England reveal the continental European fascination with northern Europe and its history. This stemmed from the influx of English and Scottish literature, most prominently the Ossian poems and the works of Walter Scott and Shakespeare. Consequently, Gothic scenes such as ruined medieval castles and rugged cliffs, masked by darkness or mist are enmeshed with a northern landscape. Tartan costuming also visually situates the Gothic scenes in Northern Europe. Furthermore, the use of musical mannerisms of Scotland and England, particularly in chorus scenes, reinforces this parallel between the Gothic and the north, linking music to the visible Gothic setting. Secondly, I will explore the way in which Gothic imaginings of both immaterial and physical incarnations of the supernatural move between the latent subconscious and conscious realisation. This is evident through the interplay between voice, orchestra and the singer’s corporeality and draws upon recent operatic studies concerning representation of ‘others’, dramatisation, and theatrical spaces. This second section positions women at the heart of the Gothic in opera, as the soprano is most often the character susceptible to other-worldly encounters and madness. The fundamental figure in this study is Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848). A number of his operas from the 1830s, especially Lucia di Lammermoor, emphasise how the Gothic may be revealed in opera. However, I conclude with a chapter on Macbeth, the ‘Gothic opera’ of Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901), for this work demonstrates how the configuration of the Gothic is developed in musical and dramatic terms and presents a case where the supernatural influence becomes all-empowered.</p>

Accounting and music: The role of Giuseppe Verdi in shaping the 19th century culture industry

The aim of this research is to investigate the contribution of Giuseppe Verdi and Casa Ricordi in shaping the 19th century music culture industry by adopting a new perspective on accounting and history. In 19th century Italy, opera represented an important phenomenon, both artistically and socially, playing a fundamental role of intermediary between society and the political sphere. The complex relationships between the composer (artist) and the publisher (cultural intermediary) are analysed in the specific field of opera music, outlining the evolution and interweaving of artistic, social, and economic aspects. The study embraces the period 1839–1893 and examines the economic and private relations between Giuseppe Verdi and Casa Ricordi and their impacts on the culture industry to this day. This paper’s novelty is to adopt a historical perspective to broaden accounting into the field of high music offering possibilities for further studies.

Accounting and music: The role of Giuseppe Verdi in shaping the nineteenth-century culture industry

The aim of this research is to investigate the contribution of Giuseppe Verdi and Casa Ricordi in shaping the nineteenth-century music culture industry by adopting a new perspective on accounting and history. In nineteenth-century Italy, opera represented an important phenomenon, both artistically and socially, playing a fundamental role of intermediary between society and the political sphere. The complex relationships between the composer (artist) and the publisher (cultural intermediary) are analysed in the specific field of opera music, outlining the evolution and interweaving of artistic, social and economic aspects. The study embraces the period 1839–1893 and examines the economic and private relations between Giuseppe Verdi and Casa Ricordi and their impacts on the culture industry to this day. This article’s novelty is to adopt a historical perspective to broaden accounting into the field of high music offering possibilities for further studies.

Structure of the Vocal Discourse of the Character Leonora From the Opera "Il trovatore" by Giuseppe Verdi

"The opera ""Il Trovatore"" crowns the famous Verdi trilogy (”Rigoletto”, ”Il Trovatore”, ”La Traviata”) leaving as a legacy in the history of lyrical theatre vocal archetypes relevant to the Italian romantic opera. This research aims at the formal and stylistic analysis of the vocal discourse of the character Leonora, considering the solo moments and outstanding overall moments, attributed to the role. In carrying out this approach we will highlight the vocal peculiarities of the character, as well as relevant technical and interpretive aspects. In essence, the research represents a correlation between the structure of the moments that make up the vocal discourse and the nature of the character’s Verdi vocality, Leonora’s role summing up various technical and interpretive requirements. Keywords: Verdi, Il Trovatore, Leonora, Structure, Discourse, Vocality "

Giulio Cesare que Verdi nunca compuso.

El artículo hace referencia a una conversación ficticia entre Giuseppe Verdi y Arrigo Boito respecto de la pieza Shakesperiana de Julio César con miras a la preparación de la trama argumental, para una supuesta ópera que el compositor posteriormente llevaría al pentagrama. El diálogo transcurre en la Villa del maestro y se centra fundamentalmente en la tipología de los personajes centrales, Julio César, Bruto y Casio.