1.
Gaetano Donizetti
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Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti was an Italian composer. Along with Gioachino Rossini and Vincenzo Bellini, Donizetti was a composer of the bel canto opera style during the first half of the nineteenth century. Donizettis close association with the bel canto style was undoubtedly an influence on composers such as Giuseppe Verdi. Donizetti was born in Bergamo in Lombardy, there he received detailed training in the arts of fugue and counterpoint. Over the course of his career, Donizetti wrote almost 70 operas, in all, Naples presented 51 of Donizettis operas. Before 1830, success came primarily with his operas, the serious ones failing to attract significant audiences. However, his first notable success came with an opera seria, Zoraida di Granata, significant historical dramas did appear and became successful, they included Lucia di Lammermoor given in Naples in 1835, and one of the most successful Neapolitan operas, Roberto Devereux in 1837. Up to that point, all of his operas had been set to Italian libretti, Donizetti found himself increasingly chafing against the censorial limitations which existed in Italy. From about 1836, he interested in working in Paris. The first opera was a French version of the then-unperformed Poliuto which, two new operas were also given in Paris at that time. As the 1840s progressed, Donizetti moved regularly between Naples, Rome, Paris, and Vienna continuing to compose and stage his own operas as well as those of other composers, but from around 1843, severe illness began to take hold and to limit his activities. Eventually, by early 1846 he was obliged to be confined to an institution for the ill and, by late 1847, friends had him moved back to Bergamo. The youngest of three sons, Donizetti was born in 1797 in Bergamos Borgo Canale quarter located just outside the city walls and his family was very poor and had no tradition of music, his father Andrea being the caretaker of the town pawnshop. Simone Mayr, a German composer of internationally successful operas, had become maestro di cappella at Bergamos principal church in 1802, in 1807, Andrea Donizetti attempted to enroll both his sons, but the elder, Giuseppe, was considered too old. He remained there for nine years, until 1815, however, as Donizetti scholar William Ashbrook notes, in 1809 he was threatened with having to leave because his voice was changing. In 1810 he applied for and was accepted by the art school, the Academia Carrara. Then, in 1811, Mayr once again intervened, as Ashbrook states, this was nothing less than Mayrs argument that Donizetti be allowed to continue his musical studies. The piece was performed on 13 September 1811 and included the character stating the following, Ah, by Bacchus
2.
Luigi Lablache
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Luigi Lablache was an Italian opera singer of French and Irish heritage. He was most noted for his performances, possessing a powerful and agile bass voice, a wide range. Luigi Lablache was born in Naples, the son of Nicolas Lablache and he fled the Conservatorio five times in order to pursue an acting career, but each time he was brought back in disgrace. His voice was a contralto, and just before it broke he sang the solos in Mozarts Requiem on the death of Joseph Haydn in 1809. In 1812, when only eighteen, he was engaged at the Teatro di San Carlo, Naples, from 1812 to 1817 he sang at Palermo. In 1817, at La Scala in Milan, he took the part of Dandini in Rossinis La Cenerentola, the opera Elisa e Claudio was written for him in 1821 by Saverio Mercadante and his position was assured. From Milan he went to Turin, returned to Milan in 1822, then appeared at Venice, going back to Naples after an absence of twelve years, he created a great sensation as Assur in Rossinis Semiramide. In 1827 Franz Schubert wrote three songs in Italian for Lablache, marvellous exercises in Rossinian pastiche, they are among the last songs he ever wrote. A physically imposing man, his voice was at all times extraordinarily powerful, as an actor, he excelled equally in comic and tragic parts. His chief rôles were Leporello, Geronimo the Podestà in La gazza ladra, Dandini in La Prova d un Opera Seria, Henry VIII in Anna Bolena the Doge in Marino Faliero and he created the title role in Donizettis Don Pasquale in 1843. Towards the close of his career he played two new characters of different types with great success, Shakespeares Caliban and Gritzenko, the Kalmuck, in Scribes. At the funeral of Beethoven in 1827 he was one of the thirty-two torchbearers who surrounded the coffin and he sang the same Requiem at Chopins funeral in 1849. He was the soloist, singing a Lacrimosa, at Bellinis funeral in 1835, in 1836/37 he taught singing to Princess Victoria of the United Kingdom, the later Queen Victoria. Luigi Lablache died at Naples on 23 January 1858, and was buried at Maisons-Laffitte and he had married the singer Teresa Pinotti in 1813, and they had thirteen children, several of them, notably Frederick Lablache, were also singers. His eldest daughter, Francesca, married the pianist Sigismond Thalberg in 1843, the actor Stewart Granger was his great-great-grandson and the BBC TV Antiques Roadshow expert Bunny Campione is also a descendant. Notes Sources This article incorporates text from a now in the public domain, Lablache
3.
Giovanni Ruffini
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Giovanni Ruffini was an Italian poet of the early 19th century. He is chiefly known for having written the draft of the libretto of the opera Don Pasquale for its composer Gaetano Donizetti. Donizetti told him exactly what he required for his latest opera project, Don Pasquale, although Ruffini refused acknowledgement of his work for the libretto, Donizetti paid him 500 francs, which was competitive for both the length and the genre at the time. Ruffini also reportedly enjoyed working with Donizetti in the stages of their collaboration, though he wrote to family. Notes Sources Allitt, John Stewart, Donizetti, in the light of Romanticism, Ashbrook, William, Donizetti and His Operas, Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-23526-X Ashbrook, William, Donizetti, Gaetano in Stanley Sadie, The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, ISBN 0-333-73432-7 ISBN 1-56159-228-5 Ashbrook, William and Sarah Hibberd, in Holden, Amanda, The New Penguin Opera Guide, New York, Penguin Putnam. Osborne, Charles, The Bel Canto Operas of Rossini, Donizetti, ISBN 0-931340-84-5 Sadie, Stanley, John Tyrell, The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Weinstock, Herbert, Donizetti and the World of Opera in Italy, Paris, and Vienna in the First Half of the Nineteenth Century, New York, Pantheon Books
4.
Angelo Anelli
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Angelo Anelli was an Italian poet and librettist who also wrote under the pseudonyms Marco Landi and Niccolò Liprandi. He was born in Desenzano del Garda and studied literature and poetry at a seminary in Verona, in 1793 he enrolled in the University of Padua, receiving a degree in Canon and Civil Law two years later. Active in the politics of the Cisalpine Republic in his youth and his 1789 sonnet on the vicissitudes of Italy under Austrian domination, La calamità dItalia, was for a long time incorrectly attributed to Ugo Foscolo. From 1799 to 1817, Anello was one of the house librettists at La Scala and he largely abandoned his literary career to return to the legal profession in 1817 when he was appointed professor of procedura giudiziaria at the University of Pavia. He died in Pavia at the age of 58
5.
Salle Ventadour
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When the Théâtre-Italien company went out of business in 1878, the theatre was converted to offices. The Opéra-Comique first performed at the Salle Ventadour on 20 April 1829, the opening night audience was a distinguished one and found the new theatre luxurious and comfortable. After 22 March 1832 the Opéra-Comique left the Salle Ventadour and moved to the Salle de la Bourse, the Salle Ventadour was reopened on 10 June 1834 as the Théâtre Nautique — nautique since some of the main attractions were works performed in a basin of water on the stage. The programs included the ballet-pantomime Les ondines, which was based on Fouqués novella Undine, about a water sprite who marries a knight in order to save her soul, and used music from E. T. A. These were interspersed with choruses by Carl Maria von Weber and others, the entracte was the overture to Webers opera Oberon. The reviews were not good, and the size of the audience decreased over time and he called the concoction La derniére heure dun condamné, and it used music by Cesare Pugni. The new piece was a pantomime, since Smithsons French was far from perfect, unfortunately, this new performance was not as favorably received. But apparently her performances were not enough to rescue the enterprise, the Salle Ventadour was used for a brief time by the Théâtre-Italien after the destruction of the companys previous home, the Salle Favart, by fire on 15 January 1838. Only one opera new to Paris was presented, Gaetano Donizettis Parisina, the company moved to the Odéon for three years before returning to the Salle Ventadour in 1841. Their aim was to bring together in one theatre the elitist, the new company opened on 8 November 1838 with the premiere of Hugos drama Ruy Blas with Frédérick Lemaître in the title role. Two new plays by Dumas were also presented, Bathilde and Lalchimiste, jolys venture was short-lived however, closing on 16 May 1841. After the Théâtre de la Renaissance closed in 1841 the theater was expanded to a capacity of 1,294 and was used by the Théâtre-Italien company from 2 October 1841 to 28 June 1878. Among the important singers appearing in Verdis operas were Giorgio Ronconi, Adelaide Borghi-Mamo, verdi is reported to have referred to the Salle Ventadour as his favorite opera house in Paris. Besides opera, the Salle Ventadour was also used for concerts. Giaocchino Rossinis Stabat Mater received its premiere there on 7 January 1842, Richard Wagner conducted three concerts devoted to his own music, including extracts from The Flying Dutchman, Tannhäuser, Tristan und Isolde, and Lohengrin, on 25 January,1 and 8 February 1860. Verdi conducted the Paris premiere of his Requiem on 30 May 1876, the name Théâtre de la Renaissance was revived for the use of Carvalhos venture, in order to distinguish it from the Théâtre-Italien. Carvalho had overextended himself, however, and soon went bankrupt, the Théâtre-Italien also shared the theater with the Paris Opéra from 19 January to December 1874. Companies sharing the theatre usually performed on alternate nights, the libretto follows Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet more closely than that of the opera by Gounod, but Richard dIvrys opera suffered in comparison
6.
Jules Janin
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Jules Gabriel Janin was a French writer and critic. Born in Saint-Étienne, Janins father was a lawyer, and he was educated first at St. Étienne, and then at the lycée Louis-le-Grand in Paris. He involved himself in journalism from a date, and worked on the Figaro. Long before, however, he had made a reputation for himself. La Confession followed, and then in Barnave, he attacked the Orléans family, from the day, however, when Janin became the theatrical critic of the Débats, though he continued to write books, he was most notable in France as a dramatic critic. Janin authored the text for the song Chant des chemins de fer by Hector Berlioz, after many years of feuilleton writing he collected some of his articles in the work called Histoire de la littérature dramatique en France. In 1865 he made his first attempt upon the Academy, but was not successful till five years later, meanwhile, he had not been content with his feuilletons, written persistently about all manner of things. No one was more in request with the Paris publishers for prefaces, letterpress to illustrated books and he was accused of taking bribes for favourable reviews, reputedly earning 6,000 to 8,000 francs from fearful playwrights on a premier. In the early part of his career he had many quarrels, notably one with Felix Pyat, for the most part his work was improvisation, noted for its light and vivid style. His Œuvres choisies were edited by Albert Patin de La Fizelière, a study on Janin with a bibliography was published by Auguste Piédagnel in 1874. See also Sainte-Beuve, Causeries du lundi, ii. and v. and Gustave Planche, the Dead Donkey and the Guillotined Woman This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain, Chisholm, Hugh, ed. article name needed. Works by Jules Janin at Project Gutenberg Works by or about Jules Janin at Internet Archive Works by Jules Janin at LibriVox
7.
Giulia Grisi
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Giulia Grisi was an Italian opera singer. She performed widely in Europe, the United States and South America and is considered to be one of the leading sopranos of the 19th century. Her second husband was Giovanni Matteo Mario de Candia, scion of a family of the Kingdom of Sardinia. She is buried at Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris and her grave is marked Juliette de Candia, using the de Candia name. Born in Milan, Giulia Grisi was the daughter of Gaetano Grisi, one of Napoleons Italian officers and she came from a musically-gifted family, her maternal aunt Giuseppina Grassini being a favourite opera singer both on the continent and in London. Her older sister, Giuditta and her cousin Carlotta were both artistes, the former as a singer and the latter as a ballet dancer, Giuditta was the creator of the pants role of Romeo in Bellinis I Capuleti e i Montecchi. Grisi was trained for a career, making her stage debut as Emma in Rossinis Zelmira in Bologna in 1828. Rossini and Bellini both took an interest in her, she was the first to play the part of Adalgisa in Bellinis Norma in Milan, in which the dramatic soprano Giuditta Pasta took the title role. In 1842, Donizetti wrote the parts of Norina and Ernesto in Don Pasquale for Grisi and Giovanni Matteo De Candia, usually known by his stage-name of Mario, who was to become the love of her life. Her voice was described as a dramatic soprano which, during her prime, was praised by critics for its exceptional beauty. Her career spanned 30 years in total and she was a noted actress, appearing regularly in London with such eminent singers as Luigi Lablache, Giovanni Battista Rubini and Antonio Tamburini, not to mention her husband, Mario. Indeed, the prickly press commentator Henry Chorley praised both her and Mario for their success in establishing Italian opera as an important component of the London music scene. In 1854, after they were married, Giulia and Mario undertook a tour of the United States of America. Grisi married Count Gérard de Melcy in 1836, the marriage was unhappy but he refused her a divorce for some years. In 1838, her husband discovered a letter written to her by Frederick Stewart, 4th Marquess of Londonderry, Lord Castlereagh was wounded in the wrist, the Count was uninjured. After the duel, Grisi left her husband and began an affair with Lord Castlereagh and their son, George Frederick Ormsby, was born in November 1838 and brought up by his father, who had no legitimate children by his wife. After Grisi and Lord Castlereaghs relationship ended, he brought their son to see her whenever she was in England, whilst living with Mario Count Giovanni de Candia before their marriage, Giulia and Mario kept homes in Paris and London. Eventually, Grisi obtained her divorce and married Mario, with whom she had six daughters, once married, they returned to Italy and lived at the Villa Salviati in Florence, a property Mario had purchased in 1849
8.
Antonio Tamburini
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Antonio Tamburini was an Italian operatic baritone. He went on to one of the finest baritones of his age. He had a beautiful, smooth and flexible voice the quality of which is indicated by the bel canto music written for him. Castil-Blaze described his voice in The Harmonicon of May 1833, His voice is a baritone, well defined, extending from A to F, occasionally reaching G#. I might have allotted to him the two full octaves without reserve, but I prefer to retrench the semitone, above and below, that I may give to his voice and tone the full praise it merits. It is round, rich, and clear, of wonderful flexibility, and such astonishing firmness and he has the neatness and precision of execution that Ber and Barizel have acquired on the clarionet or bassoon. The tone is equal in its extent, taking and holding F# with as much ease as a tenor voice would do. However, it is apparent from several comments in the English and Irish press that, certainly by 1847 and he was renowned also for his good looks and impressive stage presence, often working with the tenor Giovanni Battista Rubini and soprano Giulia Grisi. Tamburini is famous for his association with the operas of Bellini such as I Puritani, indeed, he was one of the so-called Puritani Quartet of leading international singers, along with Grisi, Rubini and the bass Luigi Lablache. The quartet was reunited on stage, albeit with Giovanni Mario replacing Rubini, a particular favourite with London and Paris audiences, Tamburini was married to the contralto Marietta Gioia-Tamburini. He died at Nice in 1876, aged 76, notes Sources Ashbrook, William, Donizetti and His Operas, Cambridge University Press,1983. A Biographical Notice of Tamburini, pp. 125–126. The Harmonicon Randel, Don Michael, Tamburini, Antonio, The Harvard Biographical Dictionary of Music, Harvard University Press,1996. ISBN 0-674-37299-9 Rosselli, John, Singers of Italian Opera, The History of a Profession, Cambridge University Press,1995, ISBN 0-521-42697-9 Works by or about Antonio Tamburini at Internet Archive
9.
Casa Ricordi
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Casa Ricordi is a publisher of primarily classical music and opera. Founded in Milan in 1808 as G. Ricordi & Co. by violinist Giovanni Ricordi, the Ricordi company became a totally family-run organization until 1919, four generations of Ricordis were at the helm of the company, Giovanni being succeeded in 1853 by his son Tito. He had also worked for his father, beginning full-time in 1863, finally Giulios son, also named Tito, replaced his father until 1919. They also established branches of the company within Italy — in 1864 it expanded to Naples and then to Florence, Rome and Palermo, as well as in London, with this expansion under the elder Tito, another of his accomplishments was in modernizing printing methods. With the acquisition of rival publishers, by 1886 Ricordi handled 40,000 editions as well as the Italian rights to Wagners operas. In the 20th century, the expansion continued with acquisitions and new branches, which included those in New York, São Paulo, Toronto, Sydney. However, these premises suffered severe damage from bombardment during World War II. Following reconstruction after the war, Ricordi was converted to a corporation by the family in 1952. With 135,500 editions by 1991, Ricordi was acquired in 1994 by BMG Music Publishing and it is now Italys largest music publisher. He entered into what became a partnership with Felice Festa, an engraver and music seller. The first work which the new company published in 1808 was a piece for guitar by Antonio Nava, and this was followed in 1814 by the first catalogue, which contained 143 items. Throughout these years he was aware of the limitations of copyright law. In Rome in the 1820s and a single Bellini opera, Beatrice di Tenda, published by Pittarrelli about 1833, in contrast, many of Ricordis competitors produced hackwork manuscripts in no way based on the composers autographs. However, although Ricordi began to publish full scores from the 1850s, they were never available for sale. With the nickname Jules Burgmein, Giulio Ricordi contributed a great deal to the prestige of the Casa Ricordi as it also produced several magazines. The Ricordi company was also publisher of the operas of Giuseppe Verdi. The revised Boccanegra was presented in March 1881, in alliance with Verdis wife and Verdis friend, the conductor Franco Faccio, Ricordis strategy was to lure the aging composer out of retirement to compose another opera. While this strategy took some years to achieve, it proved to be successful, as was the opera and it was followed by Falstaff in 1893, both set to libretti by Boito
10.
Commedia dell'arte
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Commedia dellarte translates to theatre of the professional and is known as the first form of professional theatre. Commedia dellarte also is considered commedia alla maschera, commedia improvviso, a commedia, such as The Tooth Puller, is both scripted and improvised. Characters entrances and exits are scripted, a special characteristic of commedia dellarte are the lazzi. A lazzo is a joke or something foolish or witty, another characteristic of commedia dellarte is pantomime, which is mostly used by the character Arlecchino. The characters of the commedia usually represent fixed social types, stock characters, such as old men, devious servants. The main categories of characters include servants, old men, lovers. The characters are exaggerated real characters, such as a know it all doctor called Il Dottore, many troupes were formed to perform commedia dellarte, including I Gelosi, Confidenti Troupe, Desioi Troupe, and Fedeli Troupe. Commedia dellarte was often performed outside on platforms or in areas such as a piazza. The form of theatre originated in Italy, but travelled throughout Europe, the commedia genesis may be related to carnival in Venice, where by 1570 the author/actor Andrea Calmo had created the character Il Magnifico, the precursor to the vecchio Pantalone. In the Flaminio Scala scenario for example, Il Magnifico persists and is interchangeable with Pantalone, while Calmos characters were not masked, it is uncertain at what point the characters donned the mask. However, the connection to carnival would suggest that masking was a convention of carnival and was applied at some point, the tradition in Northern Italy is centered in Mantua, Florence, and Venice, where the major companies came under the aegis of the various dukes. Concomitantly, a Neapolitan tradition emerged in the south and featured the prominent stage figure Pulcinella, Pulcinella has been long associated with Naples, and derived into various types elsewhere—the most famous as the puppet character Punch in England. Although commedia dellarte flourished in Italy during the Mannerist period, there has been a tradition of trying to establish historical antecedents in antiquity. While we can detect formal similarities between the commedia dellarte and earlier theatrical traditions, there is no way to establish certainty of origin, some date the origins to the period of the Roman Republic or the Empire. The Atellan Farces of the Roman Empire featured crude types wearing masks with grossly exaggerated features, some historians argue that Atellan stock characters, Pappus, Maccus+Buccus, and Manducus, are the primitive versions of the Commedia characters Pantalone, Pulcinella, and il Capitano. More recent accounts establish links to the medieval jongleurs, and prototypes from medieval moralities, the first recorded commedia dellarte performances came from Rome as early as 1551. This view may be somewhat romanticized since records describe the Gelosi performing Tassos Aminta, for example, by the mid-16th century, specific troupes of commedia performers began to coalesce, and by 1568 the Gelosi became a distinct company. In keeping with the tradition of the Italian Academies, I Gelosi adapted as their impress the two-faced Roman god Janus, Janus symbolized both the comings and goings of this traveling troupe, and the dual nature of the actor who impersonates the other
11.
Pantalone
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Pantalone, spelled Pantaloon in English, is one of the most important principal characters found in commedia dellarte. With his exceptional greed and status at the top of the social order and his full name, including family name, is Pantalon de Bisognosi, Italian for Pantalone of the Needy. Pantalone originated as part of a master/servant duo and was the original il Magnifico stock character, goldoni, in his memoirs, named Pantalone as one of the four primary Commedia dellArte characters. Among other things, Pantalone is a character of Venetians, one theory of where his name derives from Saint Pantaleon, the other theory of where his name derives is from Ventian merchants who were called Piantaleoni. While the theories of the St Pantaleone and the lion of St Mark are common, the name Pantaloon generally means old fool or dotard. The role of Pantalone is usually entirely in the Venetian dialect. The character of Pantalone is entirely based on currency and ego, for he has the highest regards for his intelligence, with little else to occupy his thoughts after a life as a tradesman or merchant, Pantalone is the metaphorical representation of money in the commedia world. While the social standing of merchants may have changed throughout the centuries, Pantalone is usually the father to one of the innamorati, another stock character found in commedia. He is driven to keep his child and their respective lover apart, Pantalone is presented either as a widower or bachelor, and despite his age, makes numerous passes at the women within the commedia world, though he is always rejected. Pantalone never forgets a deal and his merit is based on actions and he is also described as being petty, and he never forgets or forgives even the smallest things. Pantalone is characterized as loving his money and having emotional extremes, with his sinister and often inhumane treatment towards his fellows, Pantalone is perceived to be a pivotal part of commedia. His importance is represented in almost every production, often placing him at the beginning of the comedy. In a commedia comedy, many zanni or lazzi routines will begin by an action delivered by Pantalone himself, Pantalone is described as being too self-absorbed to notice and interact much with the audience, but he is so obvious that it serves the same purpose. The traditional Pantalone stance is that of a old man. While it would generally be assumed the position may be one of an elderly old man. He walks with his hips forward, allowing him to make larger strides when he walks, the hunched shape restricts his legs, which are bent and turned out at the knees. The feet have the heels together with the toes facing apart and his hands and feet move quickly, though his body is stiff, and his head is constantly moving. When he walks, his feet should be picked up more than would occur naturally, Pantalone is slow moving, and he has bouts of agility when there is high emotion, but it is followed by asthmatic breathing and panting
12.
Pierrot
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Performing unmasked, with a whitened face, he wears a loose white blouse with large buttons and wide white pantaloons. Sometimes he appears with a frilled collaret and a hat, usually with a crown and wide round brim. But most frequently, since his reincarnation under Jean-Gaspard Deburau, he wears neither collar nor hat, the defining characteristic of Pierrot is his naïveté, he is seen as a fool, often the butt of pranks, yet nonetheless trusting. It was a generally buffoonish Pierrot that held the European stage for the first two centuries of his history. For Jules Janin and Théophile Gautier, Pierrot was not a fool but an avatar of the post-Revolutionary People, struggling, sometimes tragically, in short, Pierrot became an alter-ego of the artist, specifically of the famously alienated artist of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Much of that mythic quality still adheres to the sad clown of the postmodern era and he is sometimes said to be a French variant of the sixteenth-century Italian Pedrolino, but the two types have little but their names and social stations in common. Both are comic servants, but Pedrolino, as a so-called first zanni, often acts with cunning and daring and his origins among the Italian players in France are most unambiguously traced to Molières character, the lovelorn peasant Pierrot, in Don Juan, or The Stone Guest. In 1673, probably inspired by Molières success, the Comédie-Italienne made its own contribution to the Don Juan legend with an Addendum to The Stone Guest and he acquires there a very distinctive personality. He seems an anomaly among the busy social creatures that surround him, he is isolated, Columbine laughs at his advances, his masters who are in pursuit of pretty young wives brush off his warnings to act their age. His is a voice, and his estrangement, however comic. But the character seems to have regarded as unimportant by this company. His real life in the theater in the century is to be found on the lesser stages of the capital. Sometimes he spoke gibberish, sometimes the audience itself sang his lines and this holds true even when sophisticated playwrights, such as Alain-René Lesage and his collaborators, Dorneval and Fuzelier, began to contribute more regular plays to the Foires. The broad satirical streak in Lesage often rendered him indifferent to Pierrots character, and sometimes the most opposed to his personality. Besides making him a valet, a roasting specialist, a chef, a hash-house cook, in not a few of the early Foire plays, Pierrots character is therefore quite badly defined. In the main, Pierrots inaugural years at the Foires were rather degenerate ones, an important factor that probably hastened his degeneration was the multiplicity of his fairground interpreters. Not only actors but also acrobats and dancers were quick to seize on his role, but in the 1720s, Pierrot at last came into his own. It was also in the 1720s that Alexis Piron loaned his talents to the Foires, the retirement of Hamoche in 1733, writes Barberet, was fatal to Pierrot
13.
Columbina
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Columbina is a stock character in the Commedia dellArte. She is Harlequins mistress, a comic servant playing the tricky slave type, rudlin and Crick use the Italian spelling Colombina in Commedia dellarte, A Handbook for Troupes. The role of the serviette was originally that of a entracte dancer, women were not allowed to be part of the story that was being played out on stage, but they were allowed to have a dance in-between the action. Eventually these women became the buxom and gossipy servants of characters that were allowed on stage. Eventually they became the counterparts to the Zanni characters and she was very down to earth and could always see the situation for what it actually was. She was very infrequently without something to say to or about someone and she is dressed in a ragged and patched dress, appropriate to a hired servant. These characters were usually played unmasked, but with bonnets and she was also known to wear heavy makeup around her eyes and carry a tambourine, which she could use to fend off the amorous advances of Pantalone. There is record of Colombina using numerous disguises to trick Arlecchino, where most other characters are content with one disguise, Gheraldis Colombian has several different disguises to confuse Arlecchino and to keep the audience on their toes. She was often the only functional intellect on the stage, columbina aided her mistress, the innamorata, to gain the affections of her one true love. She is sometimes the lover of Harlequin, but not always and she may be a flirtatious and impudent character, indeed a soubrette. Colombian became the most common used to describe the sobretta character especially as Colombine in France. Some of the people made this character famous were Silvia Roncagli was the first women recorded doing a seretta role named Francheschina in c1570. Caterina Biancolelli was one of the most famous serettas whose name was Colombina, there is record of the famous playwright Molière having attended many performances of la comédie italienne, or comedian dellarte. He is even referenced in a performance by Angelo Costantini of his show Une Vie de Scaramouche he references the writer and poet. This might suggest that the servant character in many of Molières plays such as Dorine in his play Tartuffe, Pierrot Harlequinade Caterina Bianconelli Media related to Colombina at Wikimedia Commons Media related to Columbine at Wikimedia Commons Chisholm, Hugh, ed. Columbine
14.
Gioachino Rossini
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Gioachino Antonio Rossini was an Italian composer who wrote operas, as well as some sacred music, songs, chamber music and piano pieces. A precocious composer of operas, he made his debut at the age of eighteen. His best-known operas include the Italian comedies Il barbiere di Siviglia, Litaliana in Algeri and he also wrote a string of serious operas in Italian, including works such as Tancredi, Otello and Semiramide. The semi-serious opera La Gazza Ladra has one of Rossinis most celebrated overtures, after moving to Paris in 1824, he eventually started to write in French. His last opera, the epic Guillaume Tell, replete with its iconic overture, after composing thirty-nine significant operas in nineteen years Rossini retired from the theatre in 1829. Later, he was affected by physical and mental illnesses and for decades wrote relatively little apart from a setting of the Stabat Mater. A return to Paris from Italy in 1855 was followed by better health, during these, he presented salon music in the form of songs, piano pieces and small chamber ensembles that he called Sins of Old Age. He considered the last of these Sins to be the unusually scored Petite messe solennelle that he wrote in 1863, Rossini had been the most popular opera composer in history, and he was one of the most renowned public figures of his time. A rapid and prolific composer, he was quoted as joking, Give me the laundress bill, a tendency for inspired, song-like melodies is evident throughout his scores, earning him the nickname The Italian Mozart. Use of a build up of orchestral sound over a repeated phrase—commonly known as a Rossini crescendo—also prompted the nickname Signor Crescendo. Gioachino Antonio Rossini was born into a family of musicians in Pesaro and his father, Giuseppe, was a horn player and inspector of slaughterhouses. His mother, Anna, was a singer and a bakers daughter, Rossinis father was sympathetic to the French Revolution and welcomed Napoleons troops when they arrived in northern Italy. When Austria restored the old regime, Rossinis father was sent to prison in 1799, Rossinis mother took him to Bologna, making a living as leading singer at various theatres of the Romagna region. Her husband would ultimately join her in Bologna, during this time, Rossini was frequently left in the care of his aging grandmother, who had difficulty supervising the boy. He remained at Bologna in the care of a pork butcher while his father played the horn in the orchestras of the theatres at which his wife sang and these qualities made him a subject for ridicule in the eyes of the young Rossini. He was eventually taken from Prinetti and apprenticed to a blacksmith, in Angelo Tesei, he found a congenial music master, and learned to sight-read, play accompaniments on the piano and sing well enough to take solo parts in the church when he was ten years of age. Important products of this period are six sonate a quattro, or string sonatas, the original scores, dating from 1804 when the composer was twelve, were found in the Library of Congress in Washington D. C. In 1805, he appeared at the theatre of the Commune in Ferdinando Paers Camilla and he was also a capable horn player, treading in the footsteps of his father
15.
The Barber of Seville
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The Barber of Seville, or The Futile Precaution is an opera buffa in two acts by Gioachino Rossini with an Italian libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was based on Pierre Beaumarchaiss French comedy Le Barbier de Séville, the première of Rossinis opera took place on 20 February 1816 at the Teatro Argentina, Rome. Rossinis Barber has proven to be one of the greatest masterpieces of comedy within music, even after two hundred years, it remains a popular work. Rossinis opera recounts the events of the first of the three plays by French playwright Pierre Beaumarchais that revolve around the clever and enterprising character named Figaro. Mozarts opera Le nozze di Figaro, composed 30 years earlier in 1786, is based on the part of the Beaumarchais trilogy. The first Beaumarchais play was conceived as an opéra comique. The play as it is now known was premiered in 1775 by the Comédie-Française at the Théâtre des Tuileries in Paris, other operas based on the first play were composed by Giovanni Paisiello, by Nicolas Isouard in 1796, and then by Francesco Morlacchi in 1816. Though the work of Paisiello triumphed for a time, only Rossinis version has stood the test of time and continues to be a mainstay of operatic repertoire. On 11 November 1868, two days before Rossinis death, the composer Costantino DallArgine premiered an opera based on the libretto as Rossinis work. The premiere was not a failure, but critics condemned the audacity of the young composer, Rossini was well known for being remarkably productive, completing an average of two operas per year for 19 years, and in some years writing as many as four. The premiere of Rossinis opera at the Teatro Argentina in Rome was a failure, the audience hissed and jeered throughout. Furthermore, many of the audience were supporters of one of Rossinis rivals, Giovanni Paisiello, Paisiello had already composed The Barber of Seville and took Rossinis new version to be an affront to his version. In particular, Paisiello and his followers were opposed to the use of basso buffo, the second performance met with quite a different fate, becoming a roaring success. The original French play, Le Barbier de Séville, endured a similar story, poorly received at first and it was first performed in America on 3 May 1819 in English at the Park Theatre in New York. The cast of eight had three members of his family, including the 17-year-old Maria-Felicia, later known as Maria Malibran. The role of Rosina was originally written for a contralto, according to music critic Richard Osborne, writing in The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, it is important to record the degree to which singers have sometimes distorted Rossini’s intentions. The most serious distortion has been the upward transposition of the role of Rosina,1820 at the Théâtre-Italien in Paris, where it was published. The singing lesson in act 2 has often turned into a show-stopping cabaret
16.
L'elisir d'amore
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Lelisir damore is a comic opera in two acts by the Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. Felice Romani wrote the Italian libretto, after Eugène Scribes libretto for Daniel Aubers Le philtre, the opera premiered on 12 May 1832 at the Teatro della Canobbiana in Milan. Written in haste in a period, Lelisir damore was the most often performed opera in Italy between 1838 and 1848 and it has remained continually in the international opera repertory. There are a number of recordings. It contains the popular tenor aria Una furtiva lagrima, a romanza that has a performance history in the concert hall. Donizetti insisted on a number of changes from the original Scribe libretto, the best known of these was the insertion of Una furtiva lagrima and the duet between Adina and Nemorino in the first act, Chiedi allaura lusinghiera. The melody to the duet Io son ricco e tu sei bella in Act 2, in general, under Donizettis hands, the subject became more romantic than in the Auber version, Lelisir damore features three big duets between the tenor and soprano. There is also history in this opera. Donizettis military service was bought by a woman, so that. The premiere of Lelisir damore took place at the Teatro della Canobbiana, today, the opera is part of the standard repertory. Place, A small village in the Basque Country Time, The end of the 18th century Nemorino, a peasant, is in love with Adina, a beautiful landowner. When Nemorino hears Adina reading to her workers the story of Tristan and Isolde, the self-important Sergeant Belcore appears with his regiment and immediately sets about courting Adina in front of everyone. Nemorino becomes anxious and, alone with Adina, reveals his love for her, yet Adina rebuffs him, saying she wants a different lover every day and following her example would do Nemorino better. Nemorino declares that his feelings will never change, the travelling quack doctor, Dulcamara, arrives, selling his bottled cure-all to the townspeople. Nemorino innocently asks Dulcamara if he has any of Isoldes love potion, to make a safe escape, Dulcamara tells Nemorino the potion needs 24 hours to take effect — by which time, the doctor will be long gone. Nemorino drinks the potion in a haste in order to watch the effect tomorrow, emboldened by the elixir, Nemorino feigns indifference when he encounters Adina, as he expects that the elixir will facilitate his conquest of Adina the following day. She becomes increasingly annoyed, perhaps she has feelings for Nemorino after all, Belcore returns and proposes marriage to Adina. Still riled by Nemorino and wishing to give him a lesson, yet Nemorino only laughs in response, such confidence is sustained in the belief in the magic potion
17.
La Scala
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La Scala is an opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was known as the Nuovo Regio Ducale Teatro alla Scala. The premiere performance was Antonio Salieris Europa riconosciuta, most of Italys greatest operatic artists, and many of the finest singers from around the world, have appeared at La Scala during the past 200 years. The theatre is regarded as one of the opera and ballet theatres in the world and is home to the La Scala Theatre Chorus, La Scala Theatre Ballet. The theatre also has a school, known as the La Scala Theatre Academy. La Scalas season traditionally opens on 7 December, Saint Ambroses Day, all performances must end before midnight, and long operas start earlier in the evening when necessary. La Scala also hosts the Accademia dArti e Mestieri dello Spettacolo and its goal is to train a new generation of young musicians, technical staff, and dancers. A fire destroyed the theatre, the Teatro Regio Ducale, on 25 February 1776. The neoclassical architect Giuseppe Piermarini produced a design but it was rejected by Count Firmian. A second plan was accepted in 1776 by Empress Maria Theresa, the new theatre was built on the former location of the church of Santa Maria alla Scala, from which the theatre gets its name. The church was deconsecrated and demolished, and over a period of two years the theatre was completed by Pietro Marliani, Pietro Nosetti and Antonio and Giuseppe Fe. The theatre had a total of 3,000 or so seats organized into 678 pit-stalls and its stage is one of the largest in Italy. Building expenses were covered by the sale of palchi, which were decorated by their owners. La Scala soon became the preeminent meeting place for noble and wealthy Milanese people, in the tradition of the times, the platea had no chairs and spectators watched the shows standing up. The orchestra was in sight, as the golfo mistico had not yet been built. Above the boxes, La Scala has a gallery—called the loggione—where the less wealthy can watch the performances, the gallery is typically crowded with the most critical opera aficionados, known as the loggionisti, who can be ecstatic or merciless towards singers perceived successes or failures. As with most of the theatres at that time, La Scala was also a casino, conditions in the auditorium, too, could be frustrating for the opera lover, as Mary Shelley discovered in September 1840, At the Opera they were giving Otto Nicolais Templario. La Scala was originally illuminated with 84 oil lamps mounted on the palcoscenico, to prevent the risks of fire, several rooms were filled with hundreds of water buckets
18.
Milan
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Milan is a city in Italy, capital of the Lombardy region, and the most populous metropolitan area and the second most populous comune in Italy. The population of the city proper is 1,351,000, Milan has a population of about 8,500,000 people. It is the industrial and financial centre of Italy and one of global significance. In terms of GDP, it has the largest economy among European non-capital cities, Milan is considered part of the Blue Banana and lies at the heart of one of the Four Motors for Europe. Milan is an Alpha leading global city, with strengths in the arts, commerce, design, education, entertainment, fashion, finance, healthcare, media, services, research, and tourism. Its business district hosts Italys Stock Exchange and the headquarters of the largest national and international banks, the city is a major world fashion and design capital, well known for several international events and fairs, including Milan Fashion Week and the Milan Furniture Fair. The city hosts numerous cultural institutions, academies and universities, with 11% of the national total enrolled students, Milans museums, theatres and landmarks attract over 9 million visitors annually. Milan – after Naples – is the second Italian city with the highest number of accredited stars from the Michelin Guide, the city hosted the Universal Exposition in 1906 and 2015. Milan is home to two of Europes major football teams, A. C. Milan and F. C. Internazionale, the etymology of Milan is uncertain. One theory holds that the Latin name Mediolanum comes from the Latin words medio, however, some scholars believe lanum comes from the Celtic root lan, meaning an enclosure or demarcated territory in which Celtic communities used to build shrines. Hence, Mediolanum could signify the central town or sanctuary of a Celtic tribe, indeed, the name Mediolanum is borne by about sixty Gallo-Roman sites in France, e. g. Saintes and Évreux. Alciato credits Ambrose for his account, around 400 BC, the Celtic Insubres settled Milan and the surrounding region. In 222 BC, the Romans conquered the settlement, renaming it Mediolanum, Milan was eventually declared the capital of the Western Roman Empire by Emperor Diocletian in 286 AD. Diocletian chose to stay in the Eastern Roman Empire and his colleague Maximianus ruled the Western one, immediately Maximian built several monuments, such as a large circus 470 m ×85 m, the Thermae Herculeae, a large complex of imperial palaces and several other buildings. With the Edict of Milan of 313, Emperor Constantine I guaranteed freedom of religion for Christians, after the city was besieged by the Visigoths in 402, the imperial residence was moved to Ravenna. In 452, the Huns overran the city, in 539, the Ostrogoths conquered and destroyed Milan during the Gothic War against Byzantine Emperor Justinian I. In the summer of 569, a Teutonic tribe, the Lombards, conquered Milan, some Roman structures remained in use in Milan under Lombard rule. Milan surrendered to the Franks in 774 when Charlemagne took the title of King of the Lombards, the Iron Crown of Lombardy dates from this period
19.
Achille De Bassini
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Achille De Bassini was an Italian baritone, particularly noted for his performances in Verdis operas. He created the roles of Francesco Foscari in I due Foscari, Pasha Seid in Il corsaro, Miller in Luisa Miller, Bassini was born and studied in Milan, and is thought to have made his début at Voghera in 1837 in the title role of Donizettis Belisario. Although he had a talent for portraying noble, suffering characters, Verdi also recognized his capacity for humorous roles and he sang throughout Italy and from 1852–1863 in St. Petersburg as well. He made his London debut in Covent Garden in 1859, De Bassini was married to the soprano Rita Gabussi. Their son, Alberto De Bassini, was also an singer, first as a tenor. Achille died, aged 62, at Cava de Tirreni, J. Warrack and E. West, De Bassini, Achille, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Opera, 2nd Edition, Oxford University Press,1992. Francesco Regli, Dizionario biografico dei più celebri poeti ed artisti melodrammatici, E. Dalmazzo,1860, pp. 151–152
20.
L'ange de Nisida
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Lange de Nisida is an opera semiseria in four acts by Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti, from a libretto by Alphonse Royer and Gustave Vaëz. Donizetti worked on the opera in late 1839—its final page is dated 27 December 1839, because the subject matter involved the mistress of a Neapolitan king, and may thus have caused difficulties with the Italian censors, Donizetti decided that the opera should be presented in France. The theater company Donizetti contracted went bankrupt, Lange was never performed and was reworked as La favorite in September 1840 and this libretto contained elements from the 1790 Parisian play Les Amants malheureux, ou le comte de Comminges by François-Thomas-Marie de Baculard dArnaud. Donizetti is believed to have taken the manuscript for Adelaide to Paris in 1838, additionally, in September 1839, the French press had announced La Fiancée du Tyrol, a translation of Donizettis 1833 opera Il furioso allisola di San Domingo. In October 1839, he wrote to a friend in Naples, La Fiancée du Tyrol will be Il furioso amplified, Donizetti began work on Lange shortly thereafter, La Fiancée du Tyrol never materialized. Donizetti completed Lange de Nisida on 27 December 1839, the date on the page of the autograph score. He had been working on Le duc dAlbe, but postponed work on the score in favor of Lange. Regardless, Donizettis letter has caused confusion among journalists and scholars. For example, The Musical Times journalist Winton Dean wrote of the Italian version of La favorite in 1979, t was expanded from an unperformed three-act French opera, Ashbrook speculates that Donizetti may have considered the first two acts as one. Théâtre de la Renaissance chose Lange over Richard Wagners Das Liebesverbot, Jolys company had premiered the French version of Donizettis Lucia di Lammermoor the previous year, and Lange was meant to be its successor. The contract contains nothing about Donizettis compensation, therefore, it is possible that another contract existed, Lange was set to begin rehearsal on 1 February 1840. Donizetti had two operas in various stages of preparation at other theaters during this time, Les martyrs. Later in January, Joly terminated all opera productions of the Théâtre de la Renaissance company due to hardship, despite a reported 5. Joly tried to keep the operation afloat by staging ballets, and he filed for bankruptcy and therefore avoided paying Donizetti the large fee owed for backing out of the production. Writing for the Cambridge Opera Journal, Mark Everist referred to Lange as one of the most spectacular casualties of the collapse of music drama at the Théâtre de la Renaissance. Donizetti managed to retrieve the score of Lange de Nisida from Jolys company, to circumvent the Italian censors Donizetti agreed to plot modifications, La favorite is about a medieval King of Castile. The final page of Lange was used as the page of La favorite, therefore. Donizettis contract for La favorite demanded a 1 December 1840 premiere, in his 1965 biography Donizetti, Ashbrook surmises that this tight deadline gave rise to the legend that Donizetti actually composed the last act of La favorite in a single night
21.
Her Majesty's Theatre
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Her Majestys Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Haymarket in the City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, M. Synge, Noël Coward and J. B. Since the First World War, the stage has made the theatre suitable for large-scale musical productions. The theatre was established by architect and playwright John Vanbrugh, in 1705, legitimate drama unaccompanied by music was prohibited by law in all but the two London patent theatres, and so this theatre quickly became an opera house. Between 1711 and 1739, more than 25 operas by George Frideric Handel premiered here and it also hosted the Ballet of her Majestys Theatre in the mid-19th century, before returning to hosting the London premieres of such operas as Bizets Carmen and Wagners Ring Cycle. The name of the changes with the sex of the monarch. It first became the Kings Theatre in 1714 on the accession of George I and it was renamed Her Majestys Theatre in 1837. Most recently, the theatre was known as His Majestys Theatre from 1901 to 1952, the theatres capacity is 1,216 seats, and the building was Grade II* listed by English Heritage in 1970. Really Useful Theatres has owned the building since 2000, the land beneath it is on a long-term lease from the Crown Estate. In the new business, he hoped to improve the share of profits that would go to playwrights, —John Vanbrughs notice of subscription for the new theatre He was joined in the enterprise by his principal associate and manager William Congreve and an actors co-operative led by Thomas Betterton. The theatre provided the first alternative to the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, built in 1663, the theatres site is the second oldest such site in London that remains in use. These three post-interregnum theatres defined the shape and use of modern theatres, the land for the theatre was held on a lease renewable in 1740 and was ultimately owned, as it is today, by the Crown Estate. Building was delayed by the necessity of acquiring the street frontage, colley Cibber described the audience fittings as lavish but the facilities for playing poor. This was the first Italian opera performed in London, the opera failed, and the season struggled on through May, with revivals of plays and operas. The first new play performed was The Conquest of Spain by Mary Pix, the theatre proved too large for actors voices to carry across the auditorium, and the first season was a failure. Congreve departed, Vanbrugh bought out his partners, and the actors reopened the Lincolns Inn Fields theatre in the summer. On 7 May 1707, experiencing mounting losses and running costs, after 1709, the theatre was devoted to Italian opera and was sometimes known informally as the Haymarket Opera House. Young George Frideric Handel produced his English début, Rinaldo, on 24 February 1711 at the theatre and this was the first Italian opera composed specifically for the London stage
22.
Alphonse Royer
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Alphonse Royer, was a French author, dramatist and theatre manager, most remembered today for having written the librettos for Gaetano Donizettis opera La favorite and Giuseppe Verdis Jérusalem. From 1853 to 1856, he was the director of the Odéon Theatre and from 1856 to 1862 director of the Paris Opéra, in his later years, he wrote a six volume history of the theatre and a history of the Paris Opéra. He also translated the works of the Italian dramatist Carlo Gozzi, as well those of the Spanish writers, Cervantes, Tirso de Molina. A Chevalier and later Officier of the Légion dhonneur, Royer died in Paris, Alphonse Royer was born in Paris to a prosperous family with various commercial interests. His father was a commissaire-priseur and lawyer, as a young man, Royer belonged to a literary circle inspired by Romanticism and Liberalism, movements for which he maintained a sympathy throughout his life. He initially trained to be a lawyer, but was interested in poetry. His father sent him abroad where for years he travelled in Italy and the Middle East. Royer was in Constantinople during the 1826 revolt of the Janissaries against Mahmud II and later wrote an account of it in his 1844 novel, Les janissaires. His experiences during those years served as the inspirations for several other works, including his novels Venezia la bella and Robert Macaire en Orient. On his return to Paris, Royer made his debut with a novel set in the Middle Ages, Les Mauvais Garçons. It was published in 1830, the year as his first venture into drama, Henry V et ses compagnons. The play premiered to great success at the Théâtre des Nouveautés on 27 February 1830 with incidental music by Giacomo Meyerbeer, Carl Maria von Weber and their first major collaboration was the translation and adaptation of Donizettis opera, Lucia di Lammermoor for the French stage. They always worked closely with the composers and were praised for the way their writing respected the movement, in the case of translated librettos, this was made all the more difficult by having to adapt their poetry to a pre-existing score intended to be sung in another language. An anonymous critic in LIllustration wrote of their translation for Rossinis Otello, By virtue of work and skill, MM. In addition to their work on opera librettos, Royer and Vaëz co-wrote many plays, ranging from drama to comédie en vaudeville. He held salons at his apartment in the Rue de Navarin, attended by literary figures, artists, composers and journalists, all of whom were close friends. Amongst Royers circle of friends at this time, in addition to Barbier and Vaëz, were Alphonse Karr, Camille Rogier, Joseph Méry, Balzac, Gérard de Nerval, Théophile Gautier, Heine, Gautier and Royer had a particularly close friendship. At several points they all lived near each other on the Rue de Navarin, Royer and Gautier and their mistresses were also frequent visitors to Heines summer house in Montmorency
23.
Lille
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Lille is a city in northern France, in French Flanders. On the Deûle River, near Frances border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France region, archeological digs seem to show the area as inhabited by as early as 2000 BC, most notably in the modern-day quartiers of Fives, Wazemmes, and Vieux Lille. The legend of Lydéric and Phinaert puts the foundation of the city of Lille at 640, in the 8th century, the language of Old Low Franconian was spoken here, as attested by toponymic research. Lilles Dutch name is Rijsel, which comes from ter ijsel, the French equivalent has the same meaning, Lille comes from lîle. From 830 until around 910, the Vikings invaded Flanders, after the destruction caused by Norman and Magyar invasion, the eastern part of the region was ruled by various local princes. The first mention of the dates from 1066, apud Insulam. At the time, it was controlled by the County of Flanders, the County of Flanders thus extended to the left bank of the Scheldt, one of the richest and most prosperous regions of Europe. A notable local in this period was Évrard, who lived in the 9th century and participated in many of the days political, there was an important Battle of Lille in 1054. From the 12th century, the fame of the Lille cloth fair began to grow, in 1144 Saint-Sauveur parish was formed, which would give its name to the modern-day quartier Saint-Sauveur. Infante Ferdinand, Count of Flanders was imprisoned and the county fell into dispute, it would be his wife, Jeanne, Countess of Flanders and Constantinople and she was said to be well loved by the residents of Lille, who by that time numbered 10,000. He pushed the kingdoms of Flanders and Hainaut towards sedition against Jeanne in order to recover his land and she called her cousin, Louis VIII. He unmasked the imposter, whom Countess Jeanne quickly had hanged, in 1226 the King agreed to free Infante Ferdinand, Count of Flanders. Count Ferrand died in 1233, and his daughter Marie soon after, in 1235, Jeanne granted a city charter by which city governors would be chosen each All Saints Day by four commissioners chosen by the ruler. On 6 February 1236, she founded the Countesss Hospital, which one of the most beautiful buildings in Old Lille. It was in her honour that the hospital of the Regional Medical University of Lille was named Jeanne of Flanders Hospital in the 20th century, the Countess died in 1244 in the Abbey of Marquette, leaving no heirs. The rule of Flanders and Hainaut thus fell to her sister, Margaret II, Countess of Flanders, then to Margarets son, Lille fell under the rule of France from 1304 to 1369, after the Franco-Flemish War. The county of Flanders fell to the Duchy of Burgundy next, after the 1369 marriage of Margaret III, Countess of Flanders, Lille thus became one of the three capitals of said Duchy, along with Brussels and Dijon. By 1445, Lille counted some 25,000 residents, Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, was even more powerful than the King of France, and made Lille an administrative and financial capital
24.
New Orleans
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New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The population of the city was 343,829 as of the 2010 U. S. Census, the New Orleans metropolitan area had a population of 1,167,764 in 2010 and was the 46th largest in the United States. The New Orleans–Metairie–Bogalusa Combined Statistical Area, a trading area, had a 2010 population of 1,452,502. The city is named after the Duke of Orleans, who reigned as Regent for Louis XV from 1715 to 1723, as it was established by French colonists and it is well known for its distinct French and Spanish Creole architecture, as well as its cross-cultural and multilingual heritage. New Orleans is also famous for its cuisine, music, and its celebrations and festivals, most notably Mardi Gras. The city is referred to as the most unique in the United States. New Orleans is located in southeastern Louisiana, straddling the Mississippi River, the city and Orleans Parish are coterminous. The city and parish are bounded by the parishes of St. Tammany to the north, St. Bernard to the east, Plaquemines to the south, and Jefferson to the south and west. Lake Pontchartrain, part of which is included in the city limits, lies to the north, before Hurricane Katrina, Orleans Parish was the most populous parish in Louisiana. As of 2015, it ranks third in population, trailing neighboring Jefferson Parish, La Nouvelle-Orléans was founded May 7,1718, by the French Mississippi Company, under the direction of Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, on land inhabited by the Chitimacha. It was named for Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, who was Regent of the Kingdom of France at the time and his title came from the French city of Orléans. The French colony was ceded to the Spanish Empire in the Treaty of Paris, during the American Revolutionary War, New Orleans was an important port for smuggling aid to the rebels, transporting military equipment and supplies up the Mississippi River. Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid, Count of Gálvez successfully launched a campaign against the British from the city in 1779. New Orleans remained under Spanish control until 1803, when it reverted briefly to French oversight, nearly all of the surviving 18th-century architecture of the Vieux Carré dates from the Spanish period, the most notable exception being the Old Ursuline Convent. Napoleon sold Louisiana to the United States in the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, thereafter, the city grew rapidly with influxes of Americans, French, Creoles, and Africans. Later immigrants were Irish, Germans, and Italians, Major commodity crops of sugar and cotton were cultivated with slave labor on large plantations outside the city. The Haitian Revolution ended in 1804 and established the republic in the Western Hemisphere. It had occurred several years in what was then the French colony of Saint-Domingue
25.
Voice type
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Other considerations are physical characteristics, speech level, scientific testing, and vocal register. A singers voice type is identified by a known as voice classification, by which the human voice is evaluated. The discipline of voice classification developed within European classical music and is not generally applicable to other forms of singing, voice classification is often used within opera to associate possible roles with potential voices. Voice classification is a tool for singers, composers, venues, while useful, voice classification systems have been used too rigidly, i. e. a house assigning a singer to a specific type and only casting him or her in roles they consider belonging to this category. A singer will choose a repertoire that suits his or her instrument, many different voice types are used in vocal pedagogy in a variety of voice classification systems. Most of these types, however, are grouped into seven major categories that are, for the most part. Women are typically divided into three groups, soprano, mezzo-soprano, and alto, men are usually divided into four groups, countertenor, tenor, baritone, and bass. Some women fall into the tenor or baritone groups, while men identified as countertenors can be grouped as contralto, mezzo-soprano, when considering the pre-pubescent voice, an eighth term, treble, is applied. Within each of these categories, subcategories identify specific vocal qualities such as coloratura facility. The vocal range of classical performance covers about five octaves, from a low G1 to a high G6, any individuals voice can perform over a range of one and a half to more than two octaves. Vocal ranges are grouped into overlapping types that each span two octaves. Many singers fall between groups and can perform some parts in either type, soprano range, The soprano is the highest singing voice. The typical soprano voice lies between C4 and C6, the low extreme for sopranos is roughly A3. Most soprano roles do not extend above C6 although there are several standard soprano roles that call for D6, at the highest extreme, some coloratura soprano roles may reach to F6. Soprano tessitura, The tessitura of the soprano voice lies higher than all the other voices except the sopranino, in particular, the coloratura soprano has the highest tessitura of all the soprano subtypes. Soprano subtypes, As with all types, sopranos are often divided into different subcategories based on range, vocal color or timbre, the weight of voice. Sopranos are often broken down into five subcategories, coloratura soprano, soubrette, lyric soprano, spinto soprano, two types of soprano especially dear to the French are the Dugazon and the Falcon, which are intermediate voice types between the soprano and the mezzo soprano. A Dugazon is a darker-colored soubrette, a Falcon a darker-colored soprano drammatico
26.
Conducting
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Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance, such as an orchestral or choral concert. A conductors directions will almost invariably be supplemented or reinforced by verbal instructions or suggestions to their musicians in rehearsal prior to a performance. The conductor typically stands on a podium with a large music stand for the full score. Conducting while playing a piano or synthesizer may also be done with musical theatre pit orchestras, communication is typically non-verbal during a performance. However, in rehearsals, frequent interruptions allow the conductor to give verbal directions as to how the music should be played or sung, Conductors act as guides to the orchestras or choirs they conduct. They choose the works to be performed and study their scores, to which they may make adjustments, work out their interpretation. They may also attend to matters, such as scheduling rehearsals, planning a concert season, hearing auditions and selecting members. Orchestras, choirs, concert bands and other musical ensembles such as big bands are usually led by conductors. The principal conductor of an orchestra or opera company is referred to as a music director or chief conductor, or by the German words Kapellmeister or Dirigent. Conductors of choirs or choruses are sometimes referred to as director, chorus master, or choirmaster. Conductors of concert bands, military bands, marching bands and other bands may hold the title of director, bandmaster. Respected senior conductors are sometimes referred to by the Italian word, an early form of conducting is cheironomy, the use of hand gestures to indicate melodic shape. This has been practiced at least as far back as the Middle Ages, in the 17th century, other devices to indicate the passing of time came into use. Rolled up sheets of paper, smaller sticks and unadorned hands are all shown in pictures from this period, the large staff was responsible for the death of Jean-Baptiste Lully, who injured his foot with one while conducting a Te Deum for the Kings recovery from illness. The wound became gangrenous and Lully refused amputation, whereupon the gangrene spread to his leg, in instrumental music throughout the 18th century, a member of the ensemble usually acted as the conductor. This was sometimes the concertmaster, who could use his bow as a baton and it was common to conduct from the harpsichord in pieces that had a basso continuo part. In opera performances, there were sometimes two conductors – the keyboard player was in charge of the singers, and the principal violinist or leader was in charge of the orchestra. By the early 19th century, it became the norm to have a dedicated conductor, the size of the usual orchestra expanded during this period, and the use of a baton became more common, as it was easier to see than bare hands or rolled-up paper
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Bass (voice type)
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A bass is a type of classical male singing voice and has the lowest vocal range of all voice types. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, a bass is typically classified as having a range extending from around the second E below middle C to the E above middle C. Its tessitura, or comfortable range, is defined by the outermost lines of the bass clef. Categories of bass voices vary according to style and classification system. Italians favour subdividing basses into the basso cantante, basso buffo, the American system identifies the bass-baritone, comic bass, lyric bass, and dramatic bass. The German fach system offers further distinctions, Spielbaß, Schwerer Spielbaß, Charakterbaß, rare is the performer who embodies a single fach without also touching repertoire from another category. Cultural influence and individual variation create a variation in range. Many British composers such as Benjamin Britten have written parts for bass that center far higher than the bass tessitura as implied by the clef, the Harvard Dictionary of Music defines the range as being from the E below low C to middle C. The bass has the lowest vocal range of all voice types, the low extreme for basses is generally C2. However, several extreme bass singers, referred to as basso profondos, within opera, the lowest note in the standard bass repertoire is D2, sung by the character Osmin in Mozarts Die Entführung aus dem Serail, but few roles fall below F2. The high extreme, a few roles in the standard repertoire call for a high F♯ or G. In the operatic repertoire, the highest notes are a G♯4 and, in the aria Fra lombre e glorrori in Handels serenata Aci. Basso cantante is a higher, more lyrical voice and it is produced using a more Italianate vocal production, and possesses a faster vibrato, than its closest Germanic/Anglo-Saxon equivalent, the bass-baritone. Hoher Bass or high bass or often a dramatic bass-baritone, jugendlicher Bass denotes the role of a young man sung by a bass, regardless of the age of the singer. They are usually the blustering antagonist of the hero/heroine or the fool in bel canto operas. English equivalent, dramatic bass Basso profondo is the lowest bass voice type, steane in Voices, Singers & Critics, the basso profondo voice derives from a method of tone-production that eliminates the more Italian quick vibrato. In its place is a kind of tonal solidity, a front, which may nevertheless prove susceptible to the other kind of vibrato. Dramatic basso profondo is a basso profondo voice
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Baritone
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A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice types. It is the most common male voice, the baritone voice type is generally divided into the baryton-Martin baritone, lyric baritone, Kavalierbariton, Verdi baritone, dramatic baritone, baryton-noble baritone, and the bass-baritone. The first use of the term baritone emerged as baritonans, late in the 15th century, at this early stage it was frequently used as the lowest of the voices, but in 17th-century Italy the term was all-encompassing and used to describe the average male choral voice. Baritones took roughly the range as it is today at the beginning of the 18th century. Indeed, many works of the 18th century have roles marked as bass that in reality are low baritone roles. Examples of this are to be found, for instance, in the operas, the greatest and most enduring parts for baritones in 18th-century operatic music were composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. They include Count Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro, Guglielmo in Così fan tutte, Papageno in The Magic Flute and these included the likes of Filippo Galli, Giovanni Inchindi, and Henri-Bernard Dabadie. The basse-taille and the bass were commonly confused because their roles were sometimes sung by singers of either actual voice part. The bel canto style of vocalism which arose in Italy in the early 19th century supplanted the castrato-dominated opera seria of the previous century and it led to the baritone being viewed as a separate voice category from the bass. More often than not, however, baritones found themselves portraying villains, the principal composers of bel canto opera are considered to be, Gioachino Rossini, Gaetano Donizetti, Vincenzo Bellini, Giacomo Meyerbeer, and the young Giuseppe Verdi. Figaro in Il barbiere is often called the first true baritone role, however, Donizetti and Verdi in their vocal writing went on to emphasize the top fifth of the baritone voice, rather than its lower notes—thus generating a more brilliant sound. The major international baritone of the first half of the 19th century was the Italian Antonio Tamburini and he was a famous Don Giovanni in Mozarts eponymous opera as well as being a Bellini and Donizetti specialist. Commentators praised his voice for its beauty, flexibility and smooth tonal emission, Tamburinis range, however, was probably closer to that of a bass-baritone than to that of a modern Verdi baritone. His French equivalent was Henri-Bernard Dabadie, who was a mainstay of the Paris Opera between 1819 and 1836 and the creator of several major Rossinian baritone roles, including Guillaume Tell. Dabadie sang in Italy, too, where he originated the role of Belcore in Lelisir damore in 1832, the most important of Tamburinis Italianate successors were all Verdians. In France, Paul Barroilhet succeeded Dabadie as the Paris operas best known baritone, like Dabadie, he also sang in Italy and created an important Donizetti role, in his case, Alphonse in La favorite. Antonio Pini-Corsi was the standout Italian buffo baritone in the period between about 1880 and World War I, reveling in comic roles by Rossini, Donizetti and Paer. In 1893, he created the part of Ford in Verdis last opera, notable among their contemporaries were the cultured and technically adroit French baritones Jean Lassalle, Victor Maurel, Paul Lhérie, and Maurice Renaud
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Tenor
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Tenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range is one of the highest of the male voice types. The tenors vocal range lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, and A4, the A above middle C, in solo work, this range extends up to C5, or tenor high C. The low extreme for tenors is roughly A♭2, at the highest extreme, some tenors can sing up to two Fs above middle C. The tenor voice type is divided into the leggero tenor, lyric tenor, spinto tenor, dramatic tenor, heldentenor. The name tenor derives from the Latin word tenere, which means to hold, in medieval and Renaissance polyphony between about 1250 and 1500, the tenor was the structurally fundamental voice, vocal or instrumental. All other voices were normally calculated in relation to the tenor, until the late 16th century introduction of the contratenor singers, the tenor was usually the highest voice, assuming the role of providing a foundation. It was also in the 18th century that tenor came to signify the male voice that sang such parts, thus, for earlier repertoire, a line marked tenor indicated the parts role, and not the required voice type. Indeed, even as late as the century, partbooks labelled tenor might contain parts for a range of voice types. The vocal range of the tenor is one of the highest of the voice types. Within opera, the lowest note in the tenor repertoire is probably A♭2 in Rossinis rarely performed La donna del lago in the role of Rodrigo di Dhu. Within more frequently performed repertoire, Mime and Herod both call for an A2, a few tenor roles in the standard repertoire call for a tenor C. Some of the few top Cs in the operatic repertoire are either optional or interpolated by tradition. However, the highest demanded note in the standard operatic repertoire is D5. Some operatic roles for tenors require a darker timbre and fewer high notes, in the leggero repertoire, the highest note is F5, therefore, very few tenors can, given the raising of concert pitch since its composition, have this role in their repertoire without transposition. Within the tenor voice type category are seven generally recognized subcategories, leggero tenor, lyric tenor, spinto tenor, dramatic tenor, heldentenor, Mozart tenor, Also known as the tenore di grazia, the leggero tenor is essentially the male equivalent of a lyric coloratura. This voice is light, agile, and capable of executing difficult passages of fioritura, the typical leggero tenor possesses a range spanning from approximately C3 to E♭5, with a few being able to sing up to F5 or higher in full voice. In some cases, the chest register of the leggero tenor may extend below C3, voices of this type are utilized frequently in the operas of Rossini, Donizetti, Bellini and in music dating from the Baroque period. Leggero tenor roles in operas, The lyric tenor is a warm voice with a bright, full timbre that is strong but not heavy
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Giovanni Matteo Mario
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Giovanni Matteo De Candia, also known as Mario, was an Italian opera singer. The most celebrated tenor of his era, he was lionized by audiences in Paris and he was the partner of the opera singer Giulia Grisi. His aristocratic family belonged to the Savoyard-Sardinian nobility and social elite and his relatives were members of the Royal Court of Turin, while his father held the rank of general and was aide-de-camp to King Charles Felix of Sardinia. Sometimes, however, he is referred to in print by the appellation of Giovanni Mario. Marios decision to become a professional singer arose from accidental circumstances and he was 12 years old when he moved from Cagliari to Turin, where he studied at the Royal Military Academy. Among his fellow students at the academy was the future Prime Minister of Italy, while serving as a second-lieutenant in the King of Sardinias Guards in Turin, he got some debt. His father refused to him and the young man, on 24 November 1836, was expelled from the army. Then he left Piedmont and travelled to Paris, for a time he earned his living by giving fencing and riding lessons. People believed him to be a count or a marquis and he never made clear to be only cavaliere, because he possessed an exceptionally fine natural voice, Mario was encouraged by the composer Giacomo Meyerbeer to become a singer. He took singing lessons from two teachers, a Frenchman named Ponchard and the former Italian tenor Marco Bordogni, and proved so gifted that he was offered an engagement with the Opéra. The young tenor made his debut there on 30 November 1838 as the hero of Meyerbeers Robert le diable, Meyerbeer had provided a new recitative and aria for him in the second act. Marios performance generated great excitement, and a new star was born, despite scoring an immediate success, owing to the splendid quality of his singing and a dashing stage presence, he did not choose to stay long at the Paris Opéra. In 1839 he was first heard in London, achieving instant success in Donizettis Lucrezia Borgia and his first appearance there was as Nemorino in Donizettis Lelisir damore. From 1841 Mario and Grisi lived together, the music critic and playwright George Bernard Shaw, who was born in 1856 and therefore could not have heard Mario in his prime, said his singing featured a marked vibrato. Mario created few operatic parts, the most notable being that of Ernesto in Donizettis Don Pasquale. However, he sang in the première of Rossinis Stabat Mater, the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in London and the Théâtre Italien in Paris were the scenes of most of his stage triumphs. He sang in London from 1847 until 1867 and again during 1871, Mario also made occasional appearances elsewhere in England in oratorio, for example at the Birmingham Festival of 1849 and at the Hereford Festival of 1855. Also, he undertook a string of tours around the United Kingdom
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Soprano
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A soprano is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The sopranos vocal range is from approximately middle C =261 Hz to high A =880 Hz in choral music, in four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody. The soprano voice type is divided into the coloratura, soubrette, lyric, spinto. The lyric soprano is the most common female singing voice, the word soprano comes from the Italian word sopra, as the soprano is the highest pitch human voice, often given to the leading female roles in operas. The term soprano is also based on the Latin word superius which, like soprano, the word superius was especially used in choral and other multi-part vocal music between the 13th and 16th centuries. The soprano has the highest vocal range of all voice types, a soprano and a mezzo-soprano have a similar range, but their tessituras will lie in different parts of that range. The low extreme for sopranos is roughly A3 or B♭3, within opera, the lowest demanded note for sopranos is F3. Often low notes in higher voices will project less, lack timbre, however, rarely is a soprano simply unable to sing a low note in a song within a soprano role. The high extreme, at a minimum, for non-coloratura sopranos is soprano C, a couple of roles have optional E♭6s, as well. In the coloratura repertoire several roles call for E♭6 on up to F6, in rare cases, some coloratura roles go as high as G6 or G♯6, such as Mozarts concert aria Popoli di Tessaglia. Or the title role of Jules Massenets opera Esclarmonde, while not necessarily within the tessitura, a good soprano will be able to sing her top notes full-throated, with timbre and dynamic control. In opera, the tessitura, vocal weight, and timbre of voices, a singers tessitura is where the voice has the best timbre, easy volume, and most comfort. Within the soprano voice type category are five generally recognized subcategories, coloratura soprano, soubrette, lyric soprano, spinto soprano, the coloratura soprano may be a lyric coloratura or a dramatic coloratura. The lyric coloratura soprano is a very agile light voice with a high upper extension capable of fast vocal coloratura, Light coloraturas have a range of approximately middle C to high F with some coloratura sopranos being able to sing somewhat higher or lower. Dramatic coloraturas have a range of approximately low B to high F with some coloratura sopranos being able to sing higher or lower. In classical music and opera, a soubrette soprano refers to both a type and a particular type of opera role. A soubrette voice is light with a bright, sweet timbre, a tessitura in the mid-range, the soubrette voice is not a weak voice, for it must carry over an orchestra without a microphone like all voices in opera. The voice, however, has a lighter weight than other soprano voices with a brighter timbre
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Frederick Lablache
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Frederick Lablache was an English singer. The eldest son of Luigi Lablache, vocalist, was educated by his father, about 1837 he appeared at the Kings Theatre, London, in Italian opera, and afterwards frequently sang at Manchester with Italian singers such as Giovanni Matteo Mario, Giulia Grisi, and Favanti. In 1844 he took a part in Così fan tutte at Her Majestys Theatre, about 1865 he withdrew from the stage, and devoted himself to teaching. He died at 51 Albany Street, London on 30 January 1887 and his son, Luigi Lablache, was a well-known actor and the grandfather of the actor Stewart Granger. His wife, Fanny Wyndham Lablache, who died in 1877, was a vocalist and she studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London between 1836–37 and then made her début at the Lyceum Theatre, afterwards also appearing at Her Majestys Theatre. She was a serviceable vocalist and a teacher of much skill, after her marriage she retired from the stage, and died in Paris 23 September 1877. This article incorporates text from a now in the public domain, Lablache
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United States Marine Band
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The United States Marine Band is the premier band of the United States Marine Corps. Established by act of Congress on July 11,1798, it is the oldest of the United States military bands, today, the Marine Band also includes the Marine Chamber Orchestra and Marine Chamber Ensembles. The Marine Band is entirely separate from its military band, the United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps. The Marine Band has been known as The Presidents Own since 1801 because of its historic connection to the President of the United States. The relationship between the Marine Band and the White House began on New Years Day 1801, when President John Adams invited the band to perform at the Executive Mansion. Later that year, Thomas Jefferson initiated the tradition of Marine Band performances by requesting that it perform at his inauguration, the Marine Band has played at every United States presidential inauguration since. President Thomas Jefferson gave the title The Presidents Own in 1801, today, the Marine Band performs in approximately 500 events every year including state funerals, state arrival ceremonies, state dinners, parades, concerts, and other social events. The Marine Band also travels across the country each October and November during its concert tour. The Marine Band recruits experienced musicians, members are selected through a rigorous procedure and must satisfy additional security. Selected band members serve under a contract as active duty enlisted Marines and are subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. They are the members of the United States Armed Forces not required to undergo recruit training. Also, they are not assigned to any other than the Marine Band. The band members start at the rank of Staff Sergeant, as of 2010, the USMC spends about $10 million annually to support the band. The full band has a complement of about 130 members, a 42-piece Marine Band is used for all Pentagon and formal military arrivals and patriotic openers for large events. Patriotic openers are 15 minutes of music, including the presentation and retirement of the colors, the The Star-Spangled Banner. Patriotic openers are performed throughout the Washington Metropolitan Area at a variety of events for organizations, federal agencies. Events that the Marine Band participates in include, United States presidential inaugurations, the Marine Band has participated in every presidential inauguration since Thomas Jeffersons in 1801. The Marine Band is positioned at the United States Capitol for the swearing-in ceremony, the band also performs for celebrations following the official ceremony and parade
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Liceu
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The Gran Teatre del Liceu, or simply Liceu in Catalan and Liceo in Spanish, is an opera house on La Rambla in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The Liceu opened on 4 April 1847, in 1837, the Liceo Filodramático de Montesión was founded in Barcelona to promote musical education and organize scenic representations of opera performed by Liceo students. A theater was built in the convent building — named Teatro de Montesión or Teatro del Liceo de Montesión — and plays and operas performed, the repertoire was Italian, the most performed composers being Donizetti and Mercadante as well as Bellini and Rossini. The Barcelona premiere of Hérolds Zampa was held here, in 1838 the society changed its name to Liceo Dramático Filarmónico de S. M. la Reina Isabel II. Lack of space, as well as brought to bear by a group of nuns. The last theatre performance was on 8 September, the Trinitarian convent building located in the centre of the town at la Rambla was purchased. The managers of the Liceu entrusted Joaquim de Gispert dAnglí with a project to make the construction of the new building viable, two different societies were created, a building society and an auxiliary building society. Shareholders of the society obtained the right of use in perpetuity of some theatre boxes. Those of the society contributed the rest of the money necessary in exchange for property of other spaces in the building including some shops. This is reflected in the architecture, for example, there is no royal box. The queen did not contribute to the construction, and the name of the society was changed to Liceo Filarmónico Dramático, miquel Garriga i Roca was the architect contracted, construction began on 11 April 1845. The Theatre was inaugurated on 4 April 1847, the first complete opera, Donizettis Anna Bolena on 17 April. At this point Liceu was the biggest opera house in Europe with 3,500 seats. Other operas performed in the Liceu during the first year were, I due Foscari, Il bravo, Parisina dEste, Giovanna dArco, Leonora, Ernani, Norma, Linda di Chamounix and Il barbiere di Siviglia. The building was damaged by fire on 9 April 1861. From the old building only the façade, the entrance hall, on 7 November 1893, on the opening night of the season and during the second act of the opera Guillaume Tell by Rossini, two Orsini bombs were thrown into the stalls of the opera house. Only one of the bombs exploded, some twenty people were killed, the attack was the work of the anarchist Santiago Salvador and it deeply shocked Barcelona, becoming a symbol of the turbulent social unrest of the time. The Liceu reopened its doors on 18 January 1894, but the seats occupied by those killed by the bombs were not used for a number of years, the second bomb was put on display in the Van Gogh Museum in 2007 during an exhibit on Barcelona around 1900
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Tito Schipa
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Tito Schipa was an Italian tenore di grazia. Schipa was born Raffaele Attilio Amedeo Schipa in Lecce into an Arbëreshë family and he studied in Milan and made his operatic debut at age 21 in 1910 at Vercelli. He subsequently appeared throughout Italy and in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1917, he created the role of Ruggiero in Puccinis La rondine. In 1919, Schipa traveled to the United States, joining the Chicago Opera Company and he remained with the Chicago company until 1932, whereupon he appeared at the New York Metropolitan Opera from 1932 to 1935, and again in 1941. He also sang at the San Francisco Opera, beginning in 1924, from 1929 to 1949 he performed regularly in Italy, including at La Scala, Milan and the Rome Opera. He returned to Buenos Aires to sing in 1954, in 1957, he toured the Soviet Union. Schipas artistry is preserved on film, for example, in 1929 he appeared in a Vitaphone movie short, singing Mappari tuttamor from Flotows opera Martha. In concert, Schipa performed an array of lyrical operatic arias and songs, including Neapolitan. Schipa made numerous recordings of arias and songs during his career. His recorded output included a famous 78-rpm set of Donizettis Don Pasquale and this is still in circulation on CD. He also recorded several tangos, some of which were composed by him in Spanish, mostly in Buenos Aires, thanks to his early Latin American tours, Schipa was a very popular tenor in Latin America. Like his contemporary Richard Tauber, Tito Schipa was also a conductor, although a few contemporary critics considered Schipas voice to be small in size, restricted in range and slightly husky in timbre, he was still extremely popular with the public. Yet it has often noted that this is probably the worst recording Schipa ever made. Although he undertook concert engagements until 1962, Schipa retired from the stage in 1958 to teach voice. He died from diabetes in 1965 at the age of 77 in New York City and he was a National Patron of Delta Omicron, an international professional music fraternity. His son Tito Schipa Jr. is a composer, singer-songwriter, producer, writer, three Lucky Fools To Live Mad About Opera Tito Schipa - Opera Vivràs biography on Schipa. TitoSchipa. it - English version of the Italian site run by the Schipa family, Tito Schipa at the Internet Movie Database. Tito Schipa sings Una furtiva lagrima from Lelisir Damore on YouTube - A1929 video of Schipa singing the aria Una furtiva lagrima from Gaetano Donizettis Lelisir Damore, history of the Tenor - Sound Clips and Narration Илка Попова
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