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OPERA BUFFA IN THE CASTLE 2004 The International Centre of Opera Studies Kirchbach Monastery offers from July 19 to August 1, 2004 a SPECIAL COURSE
IN BELCANTO STYLE Gioacchino Rossini "IL
BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA" with a semi-scenic performance in the medieval castle of Rappottenstein, 130 km north-west of Vienna Musical
Direction: Peter Berne (Kirchbach - Berlin) Staging: Prof. Marta Lantieri (Wien - Trieste) Musical Preparation: Prof. Jon Petersen (Oslo) * THE COTOGNI-RICCI-TRADITION The direct link to the performance practice of the belcanto epoque In
the so-called „belcanto operas“ it is not sufficient just to know
the score and to sing what is printed there. At the time of Rossini,
Bellini, and Donizetti the composer presupposed on the part of the
singer a thorough knowledge of the performance practice of the epoque:
he assumed that the singer would be able to use appropriately all the
means of expression which belong to the belcanto style, such as portamento,
messa di voce, rubato, poggiare la nota etc., and that he also would
know where and how to vary the printed melody to make it more
interesteing. In addition, the composers of that period used to explain
innumerable details of the musical and dramatic interpretation during
the rehearsals - indications which were comunicated personally to the
singers and the orchestra and were never put into the printed score. The
knowledge of all these things, which was - and
still is - indispensable for a correct performance of the
belcanto operas, was carried on orally from generation to generation
through conductors and singers and came in time to form a tradition of
performance practice which is just as important as the printed score
itself. The Cotogni-Ricci-tradition is the most authentic and
comprehensive collection of such knowledge. The
great baritone Antonio Cotogni
was born in Rome in 1831 and grew up in the golden age of belcanto. he
made his debut in 1852 as Belcore, and soon after that he appeared on
stage together with many singers who had participated in the first
performance of the operas of Bellini and Donizetti, such as Mario, the
tenor for whom the role of Ernesto, and Tamburini, the bass-baritone for
whom the role of Malatesta in „Don Pasquale“ were written. In 1867
he had his famous audition for Rossini, who gave him his personal advice
on the interpretation of the role of Figaro. But Cotogni went into
history as the greatest baritone of the Verdi repertoire. In 1867 he
sang the role of Posa in the first performance of the Italian version of
„Don Carlo“ in Bologna, after going through the whole part
personally with Verdi himself. In his later years Cotogni became one of
Italy’s most famous singing teachers; among his pupils were Beniamino
Gigli, Giacomo Lauri-Volpi, Giuseppe di Luca and Mariano Stabile. While
working with these young singers he not only taught them the authentic
belcanto style, but also told them what Donizetti, Bellini and Verdi had
changed, added or explained during the rehersals for the first
performances of their operas.L Luigi Ricci,
who was also born in Rome, became Cotognis pianist in 1905, when he was
only 12 years old, and accompanied all of the lessons the great singer
gave privately and at the Accademia di Santa Cecilia until his death in
1918. During these 13 years Ricci wrote down everything Cotogni told his
pupils, so that he could take over all the priceless information the old
maestro had collected while working with the great composers of the
19th century. During his own work at La Scala and the Rome Opera, Ricci
himself had the opportunity to collaborate with the most important verismo composers, such as Mascagni, Leoncavallo and Giordano; for
many years he also played the piano for Puccini when the great composer
rehearsed his own operas in Rome. With time Ricci became the world’s
greatest expert on Italian singing style and also earned the reputation
of being Italys greatest coach. During his 60 years of pracitcal work he
collaborated with virtually all of Italy’s important singers, and even
conductors such as Victor de Sabata, Erich Leinsdorf and Carlo Maria
Giulini came to him to request authentic information on the intentions
of the great composers. Peter Berne
studied with Ricci and annotated most of the important operas of the
Italian repertoire with him. The detailed interpretation of the belcanto
works which he received from Ricci, together with the vast research he
has done himself on the performance practice of the belcanto epoque,
forms the basis for the work he will do in Kirchbach with the singers
who participate in this course. (More information on Cotogni and Ricci) * The main emphasis during the course is put on the
rehearsing of Rossini's
"Il barbiere di Siviglia" on the basis of
the Cotogni-Ricci-tradition coming directly from the period in which the
work was written. In addition, the course gives the participants the
opportunity to work on the Italian singing style, as well as the
performance practice of the so-called belcanto epoque. The
participants in the course will have during the first week daily
individual teaching with Peter Berne, as well as individual coaching
with the rehearsal pianist. During the second week they will have, as
occasion demands, individual teaching, coaching or ensemble rehearsals;
in addition, selected pieces from the opera will be staged by Prof.
Lantieri. At
the end of the course there will be a semi-scenic performance of
the opera with piano accompaniment in the medieval castle of Rappottensteim
near Kirchbach. The
singers of the „Opera buffa in the castle“ have the possibility of
participating in the course „Performance practice in belcanto –
theory and practical application“, which Peter Berne will give from
16.7. to 18.7. , free of charge! * Price
list: The course costs 500 Euro |