Opera Productions of Jean-Pierre Ponnelle, the American Years, 1958--1987
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L This reproduction is the best copy available Opera Productions of rean-Pierre Pomelle: The American Years (1958 - 1987) by Kristina Bendikas A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Graduate Centre for the Study of Drama University of Toronto @ Copyright by Kristina Bendikas, 1999 National Library Bibliotheque nationale 1+1 of Canada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographic Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395. rue Wellington OttawaON K1AON4 Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Canada Canada your file Vorre reference Our Ne Norre referance The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant a la National Libmy of Canada to Bibliotheque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sell reproduire, preter, distribuer ou copies of hsthesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette these sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/fih, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format electronique . The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriete du copyright in th~sthesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protege cette these. thesis nor substantial extracts fkom it Ni la these ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent 6tre imprimes reproduced without the author' s ou autrernent reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. Abstract Jean-Pierre Ponnelle (1932 - 1988) has been internationally acclaimed as one of the leading opera directors/designers of this century. He was a multi-faceted artist who fused a high degree of musical knowledge with a boundless theatrical imagination. The force of his conceptual designs for ballets and spoken plays eventually Led him to adopt the role of director for operas on stage and film. As a director he worked with the leading conductors and singer-actors of his day in almost every major opera house in the world. The range of his successes covered an enormous range of operas representing every period, genre and style from Monteverdi and Rossini to Wagner and Strauss. Ponnelle was instrumental in reimtating the seria operas of Mozart into the active repertoire and was a formidable champion for new works such as Reimann's Lear and Troades. The scope of this study encompasses operas that Pomelle staged in the United States, but also indudes many references to his productions in Europe and to his opera hs. Since the works examined do not represent the totality of the directofs accomplishments, this study does not purport to be exhaustive. However, in choosing the productions the writer considered those that were most representative of his style and which had the greatest critical and popular impact. The principal argument of this dissertation is that Ponnelle's productions were noteworthy for the intrinsic role which music played in their conception and realization. The first chapter acquaints the reader with the multi-faceted artist and his repertoire. The second introduces the main points of his musical methodology and includes a discussion of his ideas against his practice. The remaining chapters analyze representative stage productions and films, with an emphasis on how he utilized music in both design and staging. Acknowledgements I would Like to thank the following individuals for their assistance during the research and preparation of this thesis: Nancy Adler, Virginia hin, Dagmar Jaeger, David Kneuss of the Metropolitan Opera, Marian Lever, Ava Jean Mean of the Houston Grand Opera, Sr. Jane Momssey, and Jerry Sherk of the San Franasco Opera. I would also like to express my gratitude to the members of my thesis committee for giving their time and expertise to this project: Professor Carl Morey, Professor Mary Ann Parker, and Professor Domenico Pietropaulo. Most particularly, I am grateful for the guidance of my supervisor, Professor Lise-Lone Marker. Her astute advice, endless patience and unwavering support from start to finish enriched this experience beyond measure. Finally, I wish to thank my husband, Vincent Lubrano, and my Morn and Dad for taking this journey with me. Contents .* Abstract ......................................................................................................................... I.I ... Acknowledgements................................................................................................... -111 Contents......................................................................................................................... iv Chapter 1 .. Introduction: Eclecticism in the Theatre.......................................... 1 Chapter 2 - Ideas and Method .................................................................................. 30 Chapter Meaning and Style: Le nozze di Figaro. and Cosi fan tutte ............71 Chapter Expanding the Canon: La demenza di Tito and Idomeneo .......... 107 Chapter Comedic Style: hesistible Rossini ..................................................... -143 Chapter Madama Butterfly: An Opera Film ...................................... .. ............. 176 Chapter 7 .. Testing the Limits: The j'Dutchmanfj Demythologized ................ 209 Chapter 8 .. Synthesis: The Living Stage of Lear .................................................... 244 Conclusion .....................................................................................................................-276 Appendix .............................. .. ..................................................................................... -280 Selected Bibliography .................................................................................................... 282 Index to IUustra tions .....................................................................................................31 9 Introduction: Eclecticism in the Theatre Jean-Pierre Ponnelle was born on February 19, 1932 in Beaume, France, into a family that laid the foundation for the eclecticism that was one of the distinguishing features of his career. Theatre and music were prominent in..tluences in his early years, forming what the director later referred to as the two poles of his diverse and prolific artistic life? His theatrical Lineage was represented by a grandmother who was an actress, and a maternal grandfather who was a stage director,2 his musical heritage by a paternal grandfather, 'who had been a music critic and friend of Richard ~trauss.3At the family estate it was not uncommon for musicians the calibre of Alfred Cortot, Pablo Casals, and Jacques Thibaud to play chamber music and visit with his grandfather. The director later recalled the extent of this early, informal musical education: Ever since my childhood I was brought up with music. During my youth I went through different phases of being confronted with music. By no means [am I] confined to the repertoire of opera . Music was always around me and in me. When I at [sic] first got interested in the theatre I started out on drama; opera, more or less by chance, came mu& later.4 Throughout his youth, music continued to be a part of Ponnelle's education, both informal and formal. He began playing the piano at the age of four, and continued well into his teens, during which time he exchanged French lessons for piano lessons from Hans Rosbaud, who led the orchestra for the South-West German radio station (the "Sudwestfunk") Ponnelle's father had established in Baden-Baden, Germany, after the war.5 As an adolescent, he frequently skipped classes at hs secondary school in order to attend the orchestral rehearsals, where he Listened to a broad repertoire of music.6 His formal education was furthered in Baden-Baden where he learned to speak ~erman,7in Paris where he continued to study music and painting, and in Strasbourg where he studied Literature, Greek, Latin and ~hiloso~h~.* The conservative emphasis of Ponnelle's schooling influenced his later work as a stage designer and director, in both spoken theatre and opera. He asserted that due to his education