LAUGHTER AND TEARS WHEN OPERA MEETS CIRCUS 13 - 18 August _ 1 _ 2 _ 3 THROUGH THE MIRRORS OF HISTORY COMMEDIA AND PAGLIACCI Pagliacci is a masterpiece that grows from the practice and formulae, and the lazzi or comic enduring vibrancy of the theatrical tradition, turns – which hold a benign mirror up to nature – Commedia dell’Arte, which had its defining through which the audience can see at a safe period in the 16th and 17th centuries. It was distance the pains of being human and laugh theatre of convention played by absolute at them as a cathartic experience. The clown professionals, with a line-up of standard somehow heals our sorrow through sharing it and characters such as Arlecchino, Colombina, demonstrating its lurking absurd potentials. Pulchinello, Capitano, Servetta and the Zanni The structured formality of modern circus figures who rendered improvised text. The resonates with the emotional objectivity of influence of Commedia on Italian opera is Commedia, underscored by technical brilliance profound, its traditions animating many Italian which is a resonance of the rhetorical brilliance composers during the 17th and 18th centuries of “tirata”, the formal improvised speeches of and persisting into the early 19th century and Commedia practice. Thus, the circus practice beyond – the plot of Rossini’s The Barber of in our double bill becomes a physical metaphor Seville being an excellent example. for the aesthetic of Commedia, manifesting The genius of Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci is in the relationship of this aesthetic to music by its stated ambition to abandon the “vecchie expressing the texts of the arias and ensembles usanze”, the old customs of Commedia, and to in physical action which sometimes assumes make a theatre based on “truth” – real passions a comedic life of its own. The eclectically as opposed to stylised archetypes. These real synthesised score of ‘Laughter’ is drawn from passions are explored in the opera plot in the the early Madrigal comedies of Vecchi (1597) context of those formal archetypes via the and Banchieri (1598) and the tradition of “play within a play” and finally break free of them Arie Antiche – whose lyrics are often situationally to make a gesture based on the hyper-reality derived from the plots of Commedia. of the passions. In the end, they defy the In essence, ‘Laughter’ is a pasticcio intermezzo, formal conventions and break free from the a form with some interesting antecedents. Here formal constraints of the situational comedy is a description by Massimo Troiano of the of Commedia. Nevertheless, the Commedia festivities for the marriage of Duke Wilhelm and characters are mirrors of many of the less Renata of Lorraine in 1568, which consisted comfortable predicaments of human life: illicit of a Commedia cobbled together by the great love, the sting of unrequited desire in old age, composer Orlando di Lasso: servants outwitting masters and opportunistic charm seducing those with wealth and power. “After the prologue, Messer Orlando arranged for a Madrigal in five parts to be sung while However, in the world of Commedia, these all too Massimo, who now played the lover changed human discomforts are contained within the two his clothes… From the other side of the dimensional perspective of the mask, rhetorical stage appeared Messer Orlando dressed as _ 4 Magnifico… with a mask that drew roars of Thus, both ‘Laughter’ and ‘Tears’ have the laughter at first sight.” construct of ‘play within a play’ – images of a working theatre and the lives of the actors and The traditions of Commedia were essentially technical crew who staff them. This construct is slapstick, as the critic Muratori points out over resonated by our foyer exhibition by the 100 years later: “These comedies consist of Tonti Filipini Opera Company, formed during buffooneries and lewd intrigue, in fact a tangle the exigencies of WWI in Sydney by itinerant of absurd situations, in which we find not the Italian singers: art interrupted and reformed smallest trace of verisimilitude… and whose across the tides of history. only concern is to make people laugh.” Moreover, the antics of ‘Laughter’ are often Despite the high-minded disdain for Commedia mirrored in the business of ‘Tears’, characters found in the 18th century, the fact that juxtaposed and cross-referenced with the audiences like to be amused kept vigour in the Commedia traditions explored in a light- Commedia traditions, and the form alive in hearted way. This rich web of correspondence practical theatre making up to the present day. extends sub-textually to the Gesualdo Madrigal Our process of synthesis of a score from sung as a lament when the ‘Laughter’ rehearsal extant sources around an absurd plot is interrupted; Gesualdo murdered his wife and exactly mirrors operatic practice in the late her lover in a fit of jealous rage and spent the 16th and 17th centuries, the age of the remainder of his life in penitential seclusion made-to-order pasticcio. In that spirit of composing astonishing music. authenticity, I have unashamedly used a Both ‘Laughter’ and Pagliacci mirror each 21st century symphony orchestra and its other, their theatrical processes reflect the resources of colour in the orchestrations. richness of the theatrical and musical traditions Director Emil Wolk has constructed another from which they draw sustenance. All their mirror, placing the proceedings of the evening action is mirrored in the idea of their placement in a fictional working theatre near Montalto in the working life of an actual theatre in a (the alleged scene of the murder in Pagliacci – time when events of history intervened. The Leoncavallo’s father was a magistrate). The first theatre and life may “not be the same thing”, part of our show is an imagined final rehearsal of according to Canio, but at the deepest level, a traditional Commedia, still popular in Italy in the they are mirrors of each other. Mirrors which 1930s, interrupted by the declaration of WWII. distort and reinvent perspectives, but mirrors The action of Pagliacci takes place five years later, which upon inspection provide glimpses of the as the theatre reanimates post-war and the theatre deepest truths of the human condition. Enjoy! workers attend a run-through by a reconstituted Richard Mills Commedia company whose tangles of personal Artistic Director & Conductor, relationships unravel as the show progresses. Victorian Opera _ 5 MANAGING DIRECTOR'S MESSAGE ANDREW SNELL Welcome to this evening’s performance and Collaboration is at the heart of our work back to the Palais Theatre! Victorian Opera is and mindset at Victorian Opera and we’re thrilled to return to this iconic seaside venue for delighted to be co-producing this work a second outing following last year’s epic 3D with the State Opera of South Australia. reimagining of Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman. Opera lovers across South Australia will Laughter and Tears seems like the perfect be in for a treat when Laughter and Tears production to return with too; another bold is remounted there in a future season. reimagining of an operatic classic. Victorian Opera is able to continue to present In this production, the focus is on Leoncavallo’s productions of the scale and quality of masterpiece Pagliacci and the Commedia Laughter and Tears thanks to the generous dell’Arte roots of the opera. A desire to assistance of The State Government of Victoria contextualise the work for a modern audience through Creative Victoria, The Robert Salzer provided an opportunity to explore the Foundation, our philanthropic supporters; colourful world of Commedia, and who better especially our Artistic Director’s Circle and our to do that than our friends and collaborators at many corporate partners. Their contributions Circus Oz. This production boasts incredible are vital to our company’s ongoing success. aerial acrobatics and hilarious hijinks alongside Thank you for joining us at the Palais Theatre breathtaking performances from our cast of for a night of comedy and tragedy; opera and internationally acclaimed singers, headed by circus. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll love it! Rosario La Spina and Elvira Fatykhova. Laughter & Tears marks Victorian Opera’s first collaboration with Circus Oz – an icon Andrew Snell of Australian performing arts and it’s been a Managing Director, Victorian Opera joy! We extend our great thanks to Circus Oz General Manager Lou Oppenheim and her wonderful team for their input and hospitality. The working styles of an opera and circus company certainly vary but this production has come together magnificently. _ 6 CIRCUS OZ MESSAGE LOU OPPENHEIM Circus Oz and Victorian Opera are both proud Crucially, the work that Kate, Geoffrey, DJ and Melbourne performing arts organisations. Luke have developed within their independent Through this unique project, we look forward to theatre ensemble, Dislocate, has also made inviting our audiences to experience a new art an important contribution to this overall form, or to delight in a familiar art form in collaboration. We are delighted to be working a new light. with Director Emil Wolk again, who was the Guest Director for the Circus Oz 30th Birthday Since its ancient beginnings, Circus has been a Bash and our Bicentennial Show. bricolage of art forms – theatre, music, comedy, dance, puppetry, just to name a few – and this It has been a treat for us to be part of this collaboration gives us an exciting opportunity collaboration, and thank you for coming on to weave new creative realms into our work. this exciting journey with us. While music inspired by the likes of Vecchi, Banchieri and Leoncavallo may have appeared briefly in our eclectic soundtracks before, it has Lou Oppenheim been a delight and a privilege to explore first General Manager, Circus Oz hand how this language can inspire and shape our world.