Tessere da una commedeja pe’ mmuseca, La festa di Bacco by Leonardo Vinci (Naples, 1722)

Programme

Antonio Vivaldi: Ouverture from “Tito Manlio”

Vinci Leonardo: La festa di Bacco

1. Io traduto lo sdigno
2. Voglio vedere mprimmo
3. Sine figlio pigliatella
4. Peo de fureie scatenate
5. Si mbè sò nzemprecella
6. Lo peccerillo mprimmo hà paura
7. O chisto o la morte
8. Dà ccà n’antro trantillo
9. Sento nò speretillo into à stò core
10. L’augelluzzo quanno cova

Francesco De Majo: Tarantella from the Serenade “L’Astrea Placata”

Hall program

Leonardo Vinci’s mastery in the genre of commedeja pe musica, widely recognized by centuries-old historiography that has its roots in a repertoire of early 18th-century sources, is entirely confirmed by the Li zite ngalera score alone. The Vinci catalog includes ten titles of comedies, destined for the Neapolitan theatrical halls, of which only a fragmentary memory remains. From a collection of pages chosen from La festa de Bacco, kept in Germany at the Santini-Bibliothek in Münster, we will try to bring back a memorable show of 1722 performed at the Fiorentini and then in 1932 at the Nuovo sopra Toledo. Also worth mentioning is the resumption of the commeddeja in Vasto in 1723 in the theater of the palace of the Marquis Cesare Michelangelo d’Avalos.

The piece resumption is witness to the satisfaction that the show received at the time. The commedeja sung by the musician dear to Metastasio was written by Francesco Antonio Tullio who linked his long career as a librettist to the new dramatic genre. He is the creator of the 1707 auroral Cilla which inaugurated the writing of comedies in music. For La Festa de Bacco the poet creates a tasty “arcadian” plot that takes place in the pleasant countryside of the Neapolitan area during the propitiatory rites linked to the harvest. It goes without saying that the suggestions of the bacchanal described by Tullio refer to a series of symbols recognizable in other city holidays no less rich in signs and, like those represented, not always of mirrored “spirituality”. The unstoppable “manias” of Piedigrotta and the “garlanded” Gennarian processions, peek out in the dense “Bacchic” plot in pursuit of a complex and serial love pattern, built on “mobile” couples that are moved by restless loves.

The posters of the two Neapolitan productions present excellent performers, such as Simone de Falco and Laura Monti, destined to mark the material life of the comic show.

Simone de Falco held the role of “old woman” over the years at the highest levels, with one documented exception in Antonio Orefice’s Il gemino amore of 1718 in which he plays the character of Pancrazio Caralice. His career as a “comedian”, although not fully documented, takes place mainly on the scenes of Fiorentini and his acting characteristics fall within those described by Andrea Perrucci for the figures of “aged women, who smooth themselves, embellish themselves , and they still think they are young” or “of adulators; old women being excellent for love affairs”: the gallery of characters supported by de Falco is astonishing and his stage development is never clinging to a slavish or complacent formula. Reading the artist’s scenic itineraries, the events of an ongoing career full of ideas emerge to evaluate the technical-performative maturation of a singer who embodies all the skills of the category. Several times he had to exhibit technical skills that go beyond the purely vocal side, the “old woman” in music involves a series o traits: a catalog of occurrences can be deduced from the explicit and implicit captions in a theory of performances in the name of high specialization. Gesturality, mime, voice, costume, make-up are indications that contribute to the effective visualization of the stage awareness of the expert combined with a strong impact musical style, linked to clichés of the “buffi”. That is, the rapid and accentuated spelling, caricatured forays into vocal languages ​​far from their own domains, display of variegated formal structures – rigorous or disrupted arias with da capo, strophic songs, binary structures and of course the trial in the intricate coils of the ensembles. Laura Monti, on the other hand, displays a very eventful theatrical carrear ranging from early specialization in the roles of “maidservant” – a career crowned on the scenes of San Bartolomeo in the unforgettable character of the Pergolesian Serpina of La serva padrona – to that of “lead voice” which certainly required a change in her singing and her stage attitudes. Furthermore, her approach to the profession is unknown if in 1727 she declares to have a long tradition with theatrical practice. From the repertoires she appears in just three productions between ’22, the year in which she appeared as Schiavottella in Vinci’s Li zite ngalera, and the year of her theatrical activity announcement. So it is necessary to hypothesize the undocumented appearance both in harmonic companies – but to date no such involvement has transpired – and in that very stingy of testimonies and mysterious world of the commedia dell’Arte. The 1722 score prepared by Vinci was re-elaborated by Leo in 1932 – the musician was paid thirty ducats for the “adjustments” – with interventions aimed at adapting the show to the new performers involved. In the dedicatory letter the promises of novelty appear very ambiguous if you scroll through the libretto, following the indication that only three arias are by Leo «Ll’arie co chisto Signo § so’ de lo Sagnore Lonardo Leo, primmo Organista de la Cappella Reale de Napole», and perhaps those two from the new text that can be traced in the first act to the 13th and 17th scenes. It cannot be ruled out that they could be poetically disguised repertoire musical pieces. The lack of scores does not allow us to verify Leo’s actual modifications, who certainly must have modeled, perhaps only with harmless interventions, the hired singers parts. Compared to the original structure, two new solo interventions are entrusted to Luzeio (I.3) and Rajemo (I.13); the duet between Ciulla and Rajemo «Chiena d’ammore»  is replaced with the aria «De notte, si vide»  sung by Ciulla and the concluding duet of the first act «Tu si’ giovene, e si’ bello» with «Carillo mio, carillo».

As then, we will enjoy this “true” entertainment intended to give glee to the people:

Nce n’allegrammo

co tutte quante:

sempe contiente

pozzate sta.

Paologiovanni Maione

Filippo Morace, Bass-baritone, was born in Naples and studied singing at the Salerno Conservatory under the guidance of Maestro Pina Schettino, graduating with full marks. He perfected his skills first with R. Panerai and, subsequently, with Shermann Lowe. Winner of numerous national and international contests, in 1999 he was overall winner in the G. Belli contest in Spoleto where he attended courses in technique and vocal interpretation held by N. De Carolis and Renato Bruson. He made his debut in Mozart’s Nozze di Figaro and in Giuseppe Verdi’s Oberto Conte di San Bonifacio,as the main role. He counts numerous productions of works in the theaters of Venice, Klagenfurt, Rome, Naples, Berlin. He also participated in the inauguration of the Teatro dell’Opera of Rome in Puccini’s Tosca (Carceriere), alongside Luciano Pavarotti, directed by Placido Domingo, broadcast in Mondovisione. In the last Lirica season he sang at the municipal of Reggio Emilia in the Alidoro by L. Leo with the baroque orchestra of the Pietà de’ Turchini conducted by Maestro T. Florio; in Lu vommero a duello (Don Simone) by R. De Simone for the San Carlo of Naples in the International Festival of Naples; in Don Bucefalo (Don Bucefalo) by Cagnoni at the Valle d’Itria Festival; in Cavalli’s Didone (Sinone il Greco) at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan; in Cavalli’s Virtù de’ strali d’Amore (Marte) at the Teatro la Fenice in Venice with the Europa Galante orchestra conducted by Maestro F. Biondi. He boasts prestigious awards and numerous audio and video recordings.

Giuseppina Bridelli  was born in Piacenza in 1986 and she graduated with honors at the age of 21 under the guidance of Maria Laura Groppi. She perfected her skills in the Baroque repertoire with Sonia Prina. In 2007 she won the As.Li.Co. international contest and made her debut as Despina in “Cosi fan tutti”, in the theaters of Brescia, Cremona, Como and Pavia under the direction of D. Fasolis and M. Dammacco. From the autumn of 2008 she joined the Scuola dell’Opera Italiana, at the Municipal Theater of Bologna. She also participated in the Tournèe in Japan, as Enrichetta in “I Puritani” and Mercedes in “Carmen”. Her activity in the field of chamber and contemporary music was also intense: she interpreted Luigi Dalla Piccola’s “Cinque fragmenti di Saffo” and Mahler’s Ruckert Lieder at the Comunale of Bologna, the monologue “Le bel Indefferent” by M. Tutino and Mahler’s “Das Knaben Wunderhorn” cycle at the 36th Valle D’Itria Festival. She won the 1st prize at the 3rd Fatima baroque singing contest in Vicenza, the 2nd prize at the 2012 Concours international de chant baroque de Froville, the 1st prize at the 2012 “F. Provenzale” international baroque singing contest and the 2nd prize at the Moniuszko international singing competition 2013.

Stefano Demicheli was born in Turin in 1975 and holds a diploma in organ and organ composition and in harpsichord. He began studying harpsichord at the age of 13 under the guidance of Ottavio Dantone and then continued his studies at the Conservatory of Lugano where he obtained a specialization diploma. He has collaborated as a soloist and continuist with numerous ensembles with original instruments including the Byzantine Academy of Ravenna (Ottavio Dantone), Il Giardino Armonico in Milan (Giovanni Antonini), Freiburger Barockorchester, Concerto Köln, I Barocchisti ensamble of Lugano (Diego Fasolis), Zefiro ensamble of Mantova (Alfredo Bernardini) and regularly holds recitals as a partner of instrumentalists and singers. His concert activity leads him to perform regularly in concert halls, in the most important theaters throughout Europe and within prestigious festivals such as: La Scala Theater in Milan, Festival van Vlaanderen in Brugge, Fundacio La Caixa in Barcelona, Auditorio National in Madrid, Oude Muziek in Utrecht, Rheingau Musik Festival, lnternationale Musikfestwochen in Luzern, Music and Poetry in San Maurizio in Milan and London Festival of Baroque Music. In 2000 he was a soloist at the La Scala Theater in Milan.

Talenti Vulcanici. Founded in 2012 from a baroque orchestra masterclass, it found its current form in 2013 under the name of “Talenti Vulcanici” of the Pietà de’ Turchini Foundation. The group took its first steps by bringing to light completely unknown or unpublished musical pages of the Neapolitan School such as: Il Zelo Animato by Francesco Mancini; compositions by Paradisi for organ and orchestra; Gli Orti Esperidi by Porpora on a libretto by Metastasio; the Stabat Mater by Logroscino; Jommelli’s Requiem; a program dedicated to Paisiello and Cimarosa for the Ravello Foundation with Mauro Squillante as soloist in January 201; a recital dedicated to Nicola Grimaldi with the voice of Carlo Vistoli performed in September at the Pergolesi Spontini Festival in Jesi and in December in live broadcast on the third channel of Rai from the Quirinale, in the presence of President Mattarella; a program about Gennaro Manna and Francesco Feo with the solo voice of Silvia Frigato in November 2016. The project aims to systematize the numerous didactic experiences carried out by the Centre for Early Music, from 1997 till today, and makes use of the musical guide of Stefano Demicheli, the teaching experience of Elisa Citterio, Monika Toth and Marco Testori, Vanni Moretto as tutor and Emanuele Cardi an excellent organist from Campania, for the deepening of the repertoire for organ and instruments. For many years committed to supporting talent and the international promotion of well-known artists, a pioneer in introducing unknown repertoires, groups, soloists and singers from all over Europe to the Neapolitan public, the Pietà de’ Turchini Foundation has more vigorously in recent years, directed its efforts towards training and promoting younger generation conductors, musicians and singers. The enthusiasm of providing the most deserving young musicians with experience, contacts and organizational support is joined by the challenge for the Pietà de’ Turchini Foundation to offer them and the winners of the baroque singing competitions Francesco Provenzale, the opportunity to discover the universe of Naples, to make the Centre for Early Music a residence pole for a high-profile professional experience.