La Partenope The first production by a center for historical music heritage revival Index LA PARTENOPE Introduction The Work Artistic Team Reviews Technical Requirements Staff Introduction Introduction LA PARTENOPE With libretto by Silvio Stampiglia, music by Leonardo Vinci, and comical in- terludes by Domenico Sarro, “La Partenope” is a production by the Spanish Ministry of Culture and the INAEM whose distribution and executive production have been entrusted exclusively to GoDirect Arts, Production & Events. The project began as the first production by a center for historical music heri- tage revival, which is nowadays part of the Spanish National Center for the Promotion of Music (CNDM). That explains why the artistic directors (musical director Antonio Florio and stage director Gustavo Tambascio) have pre- pared a show that should revive both musically and on stage the way an opera was performed during the first half of the 18th century. This is achieved by means of the use of historical instruments (or exact replicas) by the musicians from the I Turchini Orchestra, as well as a cast of singers specialized in baroque music, a trompe l’oeil set design, costumes inspired by designs that are still preserved from the 1720’sand 1730’s, historical dances included in the choreographic movement, and a euphuistic production guided by the principles of the theory of affects and the rhetoric of gestures characteristic of the performing arts from that time. Addition- ally, following the custom of the time, there have been included comical interludes com- posed by Domenico Sarro in an adapted and updated manner,where philological fidelity transgression and anachronisms try to provoke a laugh by means of a type of humor that can be easily understood by today’s audience, respecting the spirit of this lyric subgenre without which it would be impossible to understand the historical evolution of opera. The production was previewed inLeón, Spain,and premiered at Naples’s Teatro San Carlo in 2009. Since then, the show has featured within the framework of the Festival de Ópera de Santander, the Festival de Ópera de La Coruña and the opera seasons of the Teatro Maestranza in Seville and Murcia, being widely acclaimed by the audience and unanimously supported by specialized critics. In 2010, the Premios Líricos Campoamor Foundation granted “La Partenope” the 2009 Best Opera Production Award. The Work The Work LA PARTENOPE edicated to María de las Nieves Téllez-Girón y Sandoval, Duchessof Me- dinaceli andVicereine of Naples during the Spanish viceroyalty of that city, the libretto by Silvio Stampiglia, famous poet and founder of the Accademia della’Arcadia,D was set to music several times before it arrived in the hands of Leonar- do Vinci. The list of composers that used the libretto before the Calabrian conductor includesmajor figures such as Antonio Caldara or Domenico Sarro. However, none of them was as successful as Leonardo Vinci with his “Partenope” (which premiered as “La Rosmira Dedele”)in 1725 at Venice’s Teatro San Giovanni Cristostomo, on the occasion of the wedding ceremonies that linked the families of the Dukes Sicignano Del Tocco Montemiletto and Neapolitan noblemen Cantelmo-Stuart. The plot revolves around one of the legends about the foundation of Naples —the vir- gin QueenPartenopeis forced to defend her queendom against the claims of Emilio, King of Cumae, who intends toascend the throne by marrying Partenope. After her rejection, Emilio declares war on the city. But there is a second storyline in parallel —the love story, supported by the usual “baroque triangle” structure. In this case, there is a double triangle — Armindo loves Partenope, but she is in love with Arsace, who is loved by Rosmira, who appears on stage pretending to be Eurimenes, Prince of Crete. The development of this complex plot allows the composer to exhibit the differ- ent “affects” in a sublime exerciseof timbre, harmony, and dynamic contrasts that turnVinci’s“Partenope”into one of the best examples of the “serious opera”. Indeed, this is precisely the first work by a Neapolitan composer to ever be success- ful in the city of Po, which meant the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the lyric genre in what was the capital of opera during the 17th century —the hegemony of the“scuola napoletana”,which was spread all over Europein a few years. Both the work and the composer became so popular that Händel himselfused 14 arias fromVinci’s“La Partenope” for his “Elpidia” pastiche,and took it as a reference when composing his own“Partenope”, in which many parallels and coincidences can be found. Artistic Team Artistic Team LA PARTENOPE Musical director: Antonio Florio Stage director: Gustavo Tambascio Set designer: Ricardo Sánchez Cuerda Costume designer: Jesús Ruiz Choreographer: Yolanda Granado Lighting designers: Rafael Mojas and Félix Garma Fight director: Álex G. Robles Baroque ballet Actors: Víctor Herzog e Iván Nieto I Turchini Orchestra: Antonio Florio Cast Partenope: Sonia Prina / Marina de Liso Rosmira: Maria Grazia Schiavo Arsace: Maria Ercolano Armindo: Stefano Ferrari Emilio: Eufemia Tufano Ormonte: Charles Dos Santos / Víctor Díaz Eurilla: Pino de Vittorio Beltramme: Marco Moncloa / Borja Quiza Reviews LA PARTENOPE Reviews “So far this year, ‘Le Grand Macabre’ (Brussels) has been, in my opinion, “A fable- or dream-like show in a fantastic world inhabited by the pyrotechnical one of the most exhilarating opera shows, together with the world premiere explosions of the acrobatic belcanto. All singers took upon themselves the task of ofBoesmans’s‘Yvonne, Princesse de Bourgogne’in ParisorVinci’s‘La Partenope’, precisely executing the two souls of Neapolitan opera —the extremely risky colora- featuring Mr. Florio andMr. Tambascio in León, before arriving at Naples.” turasand the affectionate sentimental tenderness.” “El País” (national edition), 03-27-2009 “La Stampa” “The production was a luxurious symphony of light and sound provided by unique ““The three hours of music go by pleasantly thanks also to a witty production of a tradi- and perfectly tuned voices that were in impeccable balancewith the Orquesta de la tional kind that is respectful towards the text, majestic in many senses and, specially, very Cappella della Pietà de’Turchini,which featured a euphuistic and transparent sonor- dynamic at all times.Mr. Tambascio cared to grasp and fix the passions of the characters ity that was bright and communicative at all times.This contributed to the enhance- in a series of stylized stage movements that characterize the internal interpretation of the ment of the world revival of a musically sublime work.” text. San Carlo’s audience was glued to their seatsuntil the performance was over.” “Scherzo” magazine, April 2009 “Il Mattino”, 06-29-2009 “Sublime production —impressive set design featuring the usual sumptuousness “The operatic version is full of love entanglements, around which the always imagina- and presence, euphuistic and meticulous costumes, striking choreography, and the tive Gustavo Tambascio has created a magnificent show. The trompe l’oeil set design, meticulous and always imaginative stage direction of Gustavo Tambascio (...) La thedeliriously fantastic costumes, and the choreography contribute to a baroque style that Cappella della Pietà de’Turchini, conducted by perfectionist Antonio Florio, turned ironically toys with its own excessive gestures, supported by an idea of theatrical rhythm out to be a machine of bright music (...)” that does not wane all through the long performance (...)” “Ópera Actual” magazine, April 2009 “La Razón”, 03-20-2009 “A magnificent showthanks to Antonio Florio —the best ambassador for the Nea- “Antonio Florio’s signature is alwaysa synonym for highest quality. Directing his presti- politan baroque repertoire, the historicist slant of Gustavo Tambascio, and splendid gious company, Nino Rota’s student has provided a splendid interpretation of this redis- choreography by Ricardo Sánchez Cuerda in perfect tune with the dazzling cos- covered jewel. It is no easy task tokeep the audience’s attention for almost four hours of tumes by Jesús Ruiz.” recitatives and arias, but Mr. Florio achieved this with ease (...) From the pit, Mr. Florio en- “Il Messaggero” sures the fluency of a well-contrasted musical speech, paying attention to nuances and, specially, to voices, all of which are of the best quality. The success of this revival has a lot “Magnificent stage and brilliant virtuosity (...) that, most of all, breathed new life into to do with the selection of a cast made up by the leading figures of baroque interpretation the 17th-century Teatro San Carlo (...) A gift for the eyes thanks to the beauty of and the splendid stage proposal of the skilled theater expert Gustavo Tambascio — a true the costumes, the good taste of the images painted on curtains, the choreographic Jack-of-all-trades.” rhythm in a wise counterpoint — and a real joy for the ears.” “La Voz de Galicia”, 03-27-2009 “Il Corriere della Sera” LA PARTENOPE Críticas “The audience in León is not among those who usually give standing ovations. Passed “The illusion of experiencing an opera just as it was performed in the 18th century is obvi- midnight and three hours and a half into the performance, León’s Auditorio did not ous. Its aesthetics takes the audience’s breath away (...) Antonio Florio did a wonderful hesitate to enthusiastically praise ‘Partenope’ (...) The result turned out to be so capti- job. Obviously, as at the previous locations where the show has been performed, includ- vating that the audience had to express it thunderously, straightforwardly, with ongoing ing Naples’s San Carlo, the success in Seville was tremendous.” applause, idolizing each of the aria. All types of people attended the performance, even El País (edición nacional), 02-05-2010 people who actually like opera. Most of them experienced the performance trapped by the sensitivity of the moment and devoted to the cause of opera.” “A full room with 2,000 seats, success with a 20-minute standing ovation, and 10 bows “La Crónica de León”, 03-18-2009 by the company (...) The production is signed by a genius — Gustavo Tambascio.