The Age of Farinelli - Vero Beach Opera · dominated by castrati. Audiences attended performances...
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The Age of Farinelli Carlo Broschi (1705 – 1782), stage name Farinelli , was an Italian castrato who many musicologists rank as perhaps the greatest opera singer in the 420-year opera history. He had a singing range in excess of three octaves; he could sustain a single note for over a minute and sing 250 notes on a single breath. He made his opera debut in Rome at age 17 followed by a spectacular international In 1737, while visiting the Spanish court, the Queen, Elisabetta Farnese, came to believe that Farinelli’s voice might be able to cure the severe depression of her husband, King Phillip V, the grandson of French King Louis XIV. For the next 10 years Farinelli sang the same four arias to the king before bedtime. He never sang again in public. This episode is the subject of the play Farinelli and the King that played in London’s West Side in 2015 and was nominated for six Lawrence Olivier Awards, and in 2018 on Broadway and nominated for five Tony Awards. Opera Studies 2019, The Age of Farinelli, takes place at the height of the Baroque Opera era (1600 – 1750). Baroque operas were written for singers, and the lead roles were dominated by castrati. Audiences attended performances as much to be entertained by castrati singing virtuosity, like the great Farinelli, as the onstage drama. Baroque operas (many now being rediscovered in archives) are making a comeback on opera stages worldwide. The 2019 Opera Studies program series presents a representative few. career, during which he amassed a considerable fortune – (for example, his fee for three seasons in London, 1734-37, was 4,500 pounds, plus he received additional monetary gifts from many that equaled 5,000 pounds). In 1737 he sang one performance for French King Louis XV who paid him 500 louis d’or. These added together = $1.74 million in today’s dollars. Farinelli January 31 February 7 February 21 February 28 March 7 Age of Farinelli Giuseppe Scarlatti Antonio Vivaldi Johann Hasse Handel Video Lecture Dove è amore è gelosia Orlando Furioso Artaserse Rodelinda (All with English subtitles; see reverse side for details) Presenter Wayne Kleinstiver Vero Beach Opera The Opera Studies education series is a unique long-standing joint venture of Vero Beach Opera with Vero Beach Museum of Art PRESENTED in the VBMA Leonhardt Auditorium from 12:30 PM to 4:30 PM on the dates shown TUITION FOR THE SERIES – VBMA & VBO members: $55.00 Non-members: $75.00 TO REGISTER: www.vboperastudies.com or (772) 231-0707 ext. 136 Learn more about the Vero Beach Opera at verobeachopera.org and Vero Beach Museum of Art at vbmuseum.org
Transcript of The Age of Farinelli - Vero Beach Opera · dominated by castrati. Audiences attended performances...
TheAgeofFarinelli
CarloBroschi (1705 – 1782), stagename Farinelli, was an Italiancastrato who many musicologistsrankasperhapsthegreatestoperasinger in the 420-year operahistory. Hehadasingingrangeinexcess of three octaves; he couldsustain a single note for over aminute and sing 250 notes on asinglebreath. Hemadehisoperadebut inRomeatage17 followedbyaspectacularinternational
In 1737,while visiting the Spanish court, theQueen, Elisabetta Farnese, came to believe thatFarinelli’svoicemightbeabletocuretheseveredepressionofherhusband,KingPhillipV,thegrandsonofFrenchKingLouisXIV.Forthenext10yearsFarinellisangthesamefourariastotheking before bedtime. He never sang again in public. This episode is the subject of the playFarinelli and the King that played in London’sWest Side in 2015 and was nominated for sixLawrenceOlivierAwards,andin2018onBroadwayandnominatedforfiveTonyAwards.
OperaStudies2019,TheAgeofFarinelli,takesplaceattheheightoftheBaroqueOperaera (1600 – 1750). Baroque operas were written for singers, and the lead roles weredominatedbycastrati. Audiencesattendedperformancesasmuchtobeentertainedbycastratisingingvirtuosity,likethegreatFarinelli,astheonstagedrama.Baroque operas(many now being rediscovered in archives) are making a comeback on opera stagesworldwide.The2019OperaStudiesprogramseriespresentsarepresentativefew.
career, during which heamassed a cons iderab lefortune– (forexample,his feefor three seasons in London,1734-37, was 4,500 pounds,plus he received additionalmonetarygiftsfrommanythatequaled5,000pounds).In1737he sang one performance forFrenchKingLouisXVwhopaidhim 500 louis d’or. Theseaddedtogether=$1.74millionintoday’sdollars.
Farinelli
January31 February7 February21February28March7AgeofFarinelli GiuseppeScarlattiAntonioVivaldiJohannHasseHandelVideoLectureDoveèamoreègelosiaOrlandoFuriosoArtaserseRodelinda
(AllwithEnglishsubtitles;seereversesidefordetails)
PresenterWayneKleinstiverVeroBeachOpera
TheOperaStudieseducationseriesisauniquelong-standingjointventureof
VeroBeachOperawithVeroBeachMuseumofArt
PRESENTEDintheVBMALeonhardtAuditoriumfrom12:30PMto4:30PMonthedatesshownTUITIONFORTHESERIES–VBMA&VBOmembers:$55.00Non-members:$75.00TOREGISTER:www.vboperastudies.comor(772)231-0707ext.136
LearnmoreabouttheVeroBeachOperaatverobeachopera.organdVeroBeachMuseumofArtatvbmuseum.org
AgeofFarinelli
Scarlatti
Vivaldi
Hasse
Handel
January31–BaroqueOperaEraandtheAgeofFarinelliThreepartprogram:1.Videolecture:BaroqueoperaerahistoryandtheAgeoftheFarinelli. 2. VideoofsuperstarmezzosopranoCecliaBartolirecitalfromthemagnificentBaroquePalaceofCasertainSouthernItaly,of castrati arias, accompanied by Baroque period ensemble. 3. Videolecture: Is thereanyoperatic influenceconnectedwith theVeroBeachMuseumofArt’sexhibitionVictorianRadicals:FromthePre-RaphaelitestotheArts&CraftsMovement?February7-Doveèamoreègelosia(Wherethereislove,thereisjealousy)byGiuseppeScarlatti,premieredatthetheatreintheČeskýKrumlovCastleTheaterinČeskýKrumlov(Bohemia)on24July1768.Thisperform-anceisanexactreplicaofthe1768premierinthisrestoredBaroquetheater(UNESCOHeritageSite),toincludecostumes,stagesetsandstagemachinery,alllightedbycandles.Theoperawillbeprecededbyanexcel-lentpresentationaboutthetheaterrestorationandthediscoveryofthisopera,alongwithinterestingexplanationsofBaroqueperiodopera.February21– OrlandoFuriosoby Antonio Vivaldi, premiered at the Teatro San Angelo, Venice, inNovember 1727. This is an exquisite live 1989 San Francisco Operaperformance featuring mezzo-sopranoMarilyn Horne in the title role.Theoperawill beprecededbyadocumentaryofVivaldi’s life. Vivaldimentionsinaletterwriting94operas,ofwhichscoresfor50havebeenrecovered;OrlandoFuriosoisthemostfrequentlyperformedtoday.February28– ArtasersebyJohannHasse,premieredonFebruary11,1730 inVenice.ThegreatFarinelliappearedinthisHasseversioninoneofthetitleroles.Thisisaliveperformanceduringthe39thVallee’ItriaFestivalinMartinaFranca,Italy,2012.ThestagingupdatestothetimeandsetsofmodernPersia.Twoof the arias from this opera are twoof four that Farinelli sang toPhillipVofSpaineverynightfor10years.SuperstarcountertenorFrancoFagioli,who appeared in theVinci version of this libretto (2016OperaStudiesKingsandEmperors)singsthetitleroleinthisHasseversion.March7– RodelindaConsideredoneofHandel’s greatestoperaticachievements,RodelindawasfirstperformedattheKing’sTheaterintheHaymarket,London,on13February1725.ThisisaliveMetOpera2011performance,featuringsopranoRenéeFleming in the title roleoppositeGermancountertenorAndreas Scholl. This is an absolutely exquisite performance. A shortdocumentaryonHandel’slifewillprecedetheplayingoftheopera.
