Scenic Conceptions in the Seventeenth Century and Today

1. Calisto: Scenic Conceptions in the Seventeenth Century and Today Jonathan Glixon University of Kentucky Gresham College, London September 22, 2008

2. Torelli: Courtyard sets from Bellerofonte and Venere gelosa

3. Tessin: drawing showing decreasing size of flats

4. Krumlov Theatre (1766): Garden Scene

5. Krumlov Theatre (1766): Hall Scene

6. Teatro SS. Giovanni e Paolo, detail of plan (1691-93)

7. Teatro SS. Giovanni e Paolo, detail of plan (1691-93)

8. Torelli, Set for Bellerofonte, Act I, Scene 1

9. Torelli, Set for Bellerofonte, Act III, Scene 8

10. Krumlov Theatre (1766): Sets and slots in stage

11. Fano Theatre (18th century): Cross-section with flats and trolleys

12. Krumlov Theatre: Trolleys on tracks

13. Krumlov Theatre: Scene-changing mechanism

15. LIBRETTO The Grotto of Eternity Arid Wilderness Forest The Peak of Mount Liceo The Plain of Erimanto The Fountains of Ladone The Empyrean Scenery for Calisto

16. LIBRETTO The Grotto of Eternity Arid Wilderness Forest The Peak of Mount Liceo The Plain of Erimanto The Fountains of Ladone The Empyrean ACCOUNT BOOK the grotto of eternity the arid wilderness with the fountain, the peaks of Mt. Liceo, the plain of Erimanto the fountains of Ladone Scenery for Calisto

17. LIBRETTO The Grotto of Eternity Arid Wilderness Forest The Peak of Mount Liceo The Plain of Erimanto The Fountains of Ladone The Empyrean ACCOUNT BOOK the grotto of eternity, with a backdrop the arid wilderness with the fountain, with backdrop the peaks of Mt. Liceo, with backdrop the plain of Erimanto the fountains of Ladone with open backdrop Scenery for Calisto

18. LIBRETTO The Grotto of Eternity Arid Wilderness Forest The Peak of Mount Liceo The Plain of Erimanto The Fountains of Ladone The Empyrean ACCOUNT BOOK the grotto of eternity, with a backdrop the arid wilderness with the fountain, with backdrop the peaks of Mt. Liceo, with backdrop the plain of Erimanto without backdrop the fountains of Ladone with open backdrop Scenery for Calisto

19. LIBRETTO The Grotto of Eternity Arid Wilderness Forest The Peak of Mount Liceo The Plain of Erimanto The Fountains of Ladone The Empyrean ACCOUNT BOOK the grotto of eternity, with a backdrop the arid wilderness with the fountain, with backdrop, andwithout backdrop the peaks of Mt. Liceo, with backdropand without backdrop the plain of Erimanto without backdrop the fountains of Ladone with open backdrop Scenery for Calisto

20. LIBRETTO The Grotto of Eternity Arid Wilderness Forest The Peak of Mount Liceo The Plain of Erimanto The Fountains of Ladone The Empyrean ACCOUNT BOOK the grotto of eternity, with a backdrop the arid wilderness with the fountain, with backdrop, and without backdrop the peaks of Mt. Liceo, with backdrop and without backdrop the plain of Erimanto without backdrop the fountains of Ladone with open backdrop The Empyrean, of clouds above and below Scenery for Calisto

21. Apotheosis from Germanico sul Reno (1676)

24. The “meraviglioso” was a central concept in Baroque poetry and theatre

25. «opere musicali con meravigliose mutationi di scena, comparse maestose e ricchissime, machine e voli mirabilis; vedendosi per ordinario risplendenti cieli, citadi, mari, reggie, palazzi, boscaglie, foreste ed altre vaghe e dilettevoli apparenze»¹ • (“Musical works with marvellous changes of scene, majestic and sumptuous vehicles, wonderful machines and flights; splendid skies, towns, seas, kingdoms, palaces, woods, forests and various other delightful apparitions presented as everyday sights”).[1] • [1]Francesco Sansovino, Venetia Città Nobilissima et Singolare, Venice 1663, p. 397.

26. do modern stagings of Seicento operas and of baroque operas in general still retain that dimension of the “meraviglioso”?

27. Example 1 • Busenello-Cavalli’s Didone • Venice, La Fenice theatre • September 2006 • The production was conducted by Fabio Biondi and staged by the Design Department of Venice University [IUAV].

28. Design for Juno in Didone Venice, La Fenice Theatre, 13 September 2005

29. Sketches for the character of Dido in Didone Venice, La Fenice Theatre, 13 September 2005

30. Didone, Act 1, scene 3 Venice, La Fenice Theatre, 13 September 2005

31. Didone, Act 2, scene 9

32. Didone, Act 2, scene 9 Didone, Act 3, scene 7 The gods have informed Enea that he must leave Dido

33. static images vs. images in motion • painting vs. cinema • Slow vs. fast

34. Example 2 • Gli amori di Apollo e Dafne • Fano, Teatro della Fortuna • Festival barocco 1998 • Director: Pier Luigi Pizzi • Conductor: Alessandro de Marchi

35. Gli amori di Apollo e Dafne

36. The transformation of Daphne into a bay tree Fano, La Fortuna Theatre, 1998

37. Gianlorenzo Bernini • Apollo e Dafne Fano, La Fortuna Theatre, 1998

40. Example 3 • Calisto by Giovanni Faustini and Francesco Cavalli • Brussels, Theatre La Monnaie • 1996 • Director: Herbert Wernicke • Conductor: René Jacobs

42. Example 4 • La favola d’Orfeo by Claudio Monteverdi • Kent Opera • 1976 • Director: Jonathan Miller

43. From Jonathan Miller, Subsequent performances. 1986

44. From Jonathan Miller, Subsequent performances. 1986

45. From Jonathan Miller, Subsequent performances. 1986

46. From Jonathan Miller, Subsequent performances. 1986

47. Barcelona, Liceu, Deflo/Savall

48. Example 4 • Giulio Cesare by Handel • Bologna, Comunale Theatre • 2003 • Director: Luca Ronconi • Conductor: Rinaldo Alessandrini

49. Elizabeth Taylor at the opera

50. Centrality of the words versus pantomime acting