Opera at the cutting edge
Tasso’s text, Monteverdi’s music, Agrippa’s action
An intimate evening of renaissance violence.
Dr Tobias Capwell (Wallace Collection)
BBC Radio 3 “In tune” (May 2012)
Tre ationi ... in una imitatione unita.
Genere non più visto ne udito.
Claudio Monteverdi (1638)
In genere rappresentativo
Favola in musica
‘Opera’
Musica recitativa
Rappresentatione
Azione armoniche
Muovere gli
Spettacolo
Ballo
affetti
The Wallace Collection
Claudio Monteverdi
Il Combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda.
Text from Torquato Tasso
La Gierusalemme Liberata (1581).
First performed in 1624, published in
Madrigali guerrieri et amorosi
con alcuni opuscoli in genere rappresentativo,
che saranno per brevi episodi
fra i canti senza gesto (Book VIII, 1638)
Non morì già, che sue virtuti accolse
tutte in quel punto e in guardia al cor le mise,
e premendo il suo affanno a dar si volse
vita con l'acqua a chi col ferro uccise.
«S’apre il ciel: io vado .... in pace.»
Problematic vocabulary
Recitative = boring?
Expressive = rubato?
Redefining Recitative
• ‘The boring bit between the nice tunes’
• Declamation over a static bass
• Conductor, free rhythm, ornamentation
???
Redefining Recitative
Acting, Story-Telling, Show-style, Action
Anon Il Corago (c1630)
• Recitare, recitante
• Musica recitativa
• Favola in musica
• Rappresentatione
• Spettacolo
• Azioni armoniche
Tactus
Tactus directs a Song according to Measure
Dowland (1609)
Ha, ha, keep time! How sour sweet music is
When time is broke and no proportion kept!
Shakespeare Richard II Act V scene v
Above all things keep the equality of measure.
For to sing without law and measure,
is an offence to God himself…
Dowland (1609)
Redefining Recitative
Acting, Story-Telling, Show-style, Action
•
•
•
•
Cavalieri
Caccini
Peri
Monteverdi
Anima e Corpo (1600)
Le Nuove Musiche (1601)
Euridice (1600)
Combattimento (1624)
Text, Rhythm, ornamentation
Redefining Continuo
Text, Rhythm, ornamentation
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Peri
Viadana
Kapsberger
Agazzari
Bianciardi
Banchieri
Il Corago
1600
1602
1604
1607
1607
1611
c1630
‘Early
Music’
Circa 1600
Audience
Big Horse
Visions
Action
Performance ~ Delivery
Pronuntiatio
Muovere gli affetti
Quintilian (1st cent.)
Three Secrets
Astronomy ~ Swordfighting ~ Dance
• Astronomy
number, space & time
• Swordfighting number, space & time
• Dance
number, space & time
• Music
number & time
Action
>
‘Baroque
Gesture’
Pneuma
‘mystic breath’
Breath of Creation
Spirits of
Passion
Flow of Body
Energy
Pneuma
Spirits of
Passion
instrumentalis
Breath of Creation
Musica
mondana
Flow of Body
Energy
humana
L’incredible
accrescimento
della
botta lunga
1. You find his sword
2. He attacks by cavatione
3. You parry and riposte
in a single tempo,
driving your sword
through his left eye
Non deve mai parare,
are,
se non risponde col ferire
Schivar – parar - ritrarse
1. Deceive the blade
2. Parry
3. Step back
“Slow motion”
Ma ecco omai l'ora fatal è giunta
che'l viver di Clorinda al suo fin deve.
Spinge egli il ferro nel bel sen di punta
che vi s'immerge e'l sangue avido beve;
e la veste che d'or vago trapunta
le mammelle stringea tenere e lieve,
l'empiè d'un caldo fiume.
Ella già sente
morirsi, e'l piè le manca egro e languente.
Segue egli la vittoria, e la trafitta
vergine minacciando incalza e preme.
Ella, mentre cadea, la voce afflitta
movendo, disse le parole estreme:
L’ora fatal
Guy Windsor, School of European Swordsmanship, Helsinki
Ilkka Hartikainen
Espoo Historical Sword Society
Rotella
Dave Rawlings
London Longsword Academy
Emotions
• ‘Expressed’
•
•
•
•
Enacted
Embodied
Experienced
Exchanged
(19th/20th cent)
(historical Action)
(audience can identify with performers)
(performers and audience, perhaps alike?)
(in both directions, and amongst audience)
Training
Emotions
Io vado in pace
[La Nobilita] restò mossa dal’ affetto di
copassione in maniera che quasi fù per
gettar lacrime: & ne diede applauso…
[The audience] were so moved by the
emotion of shared passion [empathy]
that they were almost bursting into tears.
And they gave applause …
Opera at the cutting edge
Tasso’s text, Monteverdi’s music, Agrippa’s action
Andrew Lawrence-King
Guildhall School of Music & Drama
Australian Research Council
Centre of Excellence
for the History of Emotions
Video & Still Photography: Katerina Antonenko