Les Presses Du College Musical CARLO GOLDONI - L'IMPRESARIO DE SMYRNE

Name: CARLO GOLDONI - L'IMPRESARIO DE SMYRNE
Brand: Les Presses Du College Musical
SKU: 411367
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ID : 411367

EAN : 9782955807606

Les Presses Du College Musical

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Essential Information About This Book
• A Savory Satire of the Opera World: eccentricities of singers, rivalries, egos, and backstage life, offering a perspective that is both humorous and insightful.
• A Rare Testimony on 18th-Century Performance: divas, castrati, agents, stagehands, costumes, production, and financial stakes-every aspect of the "theater within the theater" is scrutinized.
• Surprisingly Contemporary Reading: some scenes still resonate with the practices and codes of today's operatic performances.
• A Reference Edition: editorial work by Jean-Philippe Navarre, based on the version revised by Goldoni in 1774, with examples from the original draft included in the appendix.

CARLO GOLDONI - L'IMPRESARIO DE SMYRNE

10,00 €VAT incl.

0,00 € Ecotax included

Reference price

Summary of This Book

With this play performed in Venice in 1761, Carlo Goldoni delivers a sharp and biting satire of the Italian opera scene. Beyond the laughter provoked by the whims and quirks of the performers, the text primarily offers an exceptional dive into the backstage world of 18th-century performance, revealing the entire ecosystem revolving around the stage. It features the leading figures of singing and their demands, as well as agents, technical crews, costumes, the crafting of illusion, production organization, and the more prosaic reality of financial matters.

This "backstage" perspective is what makes the work particularly valuable for opera enthusiasts, music historians, and theater lovers: Goldoni precisely observes the power dynamics, negotiations, ego rivalries, and material constraints that shape a lyrical spectacle. Some situations, described with a keen sense of stagecraft, strike by their modernity and remind us how much the tradition of opera still bears the imprint of this era.

Goldoni later revised his play in 1774 and had it printed in prose, whereas the original version was written in martellian verse. This edition is based on that second version while offering examples from the initial draft in the appendix. This editorial choice is invaluable for comparing the text's evolution and better understanding the author's dramaturgical intentions.

Technical specifications

Artist	Carlo Goldoni	Genre	Theater, satire of the opera world
Edition	Jean-Philippe Navarre	Year of Publication	1774 (revised version printed in prose)

Questions frequently asked

Does this edition reproduce the 1774 prose version?

This edition is based on the revised version, printed in prose by Carlo Goldoni in 1774.

What does the appendix of L'Impresario de Smyrne contain?

Excerpts from the first Martellian verse draft are included in the appendix. Comparing these with the 1774 prose version shows the text's development.

Is this book useful for the history of Italian opera?

The play, performed in Venice in 1761, depicts the backstage of 18th-century Italian opera. Singers, agents, technical crews, and financial matters occupy a central place. The production mechanisms and stage rivalries are addressed through Goldoni's satire.

Who prepared this edition of Carlo Goldoni?

The edition is by Jean-Philippe Navarre. The selected text corresponds to the 1774 revision, published in prose.

Does the play address the material constraints of a lyrical performance?

Costumes, the creation of illusion, and production organization are among the elements discussed. The context of Venetian opera in 1761 also includes negotiations and financial stakes.