28503 - Musical Dramaturgy (LM)

Learning outcomes

The course aims at providing an approach to and a grasp of Musical Dramaturgy in its basic historical and critical principles.
According to the tenets of the discipline, opera is conceived as an intertwined system of verbal text, dramatic action, and music.
In turn, such a system requires a contextualization within the history of Western music as well as within the history of Western theatre and literature.
At the same time, the course aims at training students in the analysis of operatic music, from both a morphological and a theatrical perspective.

Course contents

Novel, drama, opera: La traviata from Dumas to Verdi

During the lessons students will be trained in the dramaturgical and morphological analysis of La traviata by Giuseppe Verdi (1853). Particular attention will be paid to the literary and dramatic sources of the opera: the novel (1848) and the five-acts play (1852) La Dame aux camélias by Alexandre Dumas fils. 

Readings/Bibliography

Students from any degree and curriculum are required to bring with them the libretto by Francesco Maria Piave and Giuseppe Verdi, in addition to the drama of Dumas. Students from the Music curriculum (LM45) of the Master Degree in Drama, Art, and Music Studies will also bring with them the score of Verdi's opera (in any case also useful for other students).

The libretto by F. M. Piave and the Italian translation of the pièce by A. Dumas (ed. Luigi Enrico Tettoni, 1852) will be available among the teaching materials. 

NB: It's recommended to avoid web librettos, booklets attached to CDs or DVDs, which often overlook or distort the metric shape of the original.

The novel by Dumas is available in the Italian translation by Francesco Pastonchi (Milan, Mondadori, 2016), and the drama in the widely commented critical edition edited by Marisa Verna (Pisa, ETS, 2011).

The score of Verdi's opera (necessary for LM 45 Music students), is available in a critical edition:

• G. Verdi, La Traviata, ed. by Fabrizio Della Seta, Chicago, The University of Chicago Press - Milan, Ricordi, 1996.

For the preparation of the exam, students can use the corresponding study-score: 

• G. Verdi, La traviata, Critical Edition - Study Score, ed. by Fabrizio Della Seta, Chicago and London, The University of Chicago Press, Milan, Ricordi, 2017

As an alternative, scores edited by Ricordi (2000) and Dover (1990) can also be used.

 

Bibliography:

For the analysis of the opera:

• J. Budden, La traviata, in Id., The Operas of Verdi, vol. II (From "Il Trovatore" to "La forza del destino"), London, Cassel, 1978

• P. Gallarati, La traviata, in Id., Verdi ritrovato. «Rigoletto», «Il trovatore», «La traviata», Milan, Il Saggiatore, 2016, pp. 421-519 (footnotes at the end of the volume)

• La Traviata [di] Giuseppe Verdi: schizzi e abbozzi autografi, ed. by Fabrizio della Seta, Parma, Istituto Nazionale di Studi Verdiani, 2000-2002.

• Estetica e drammaturgia della "Traviata": tre studi sul teatro d'opera di Verdi, ed. by Emanuele Ferrari, Milan, CUEM, 2001

• W. Osthoff, Aspetti strutturali e psicologici della drammaturgia verdiana nei ritocchi della "Traviata", in Opera & Libretto, I, ed. by G. Folena, M.T. Muraro and G. Morelli, Florence, L.S. Olschki, 1990, pp. 315-360

 

For the rudiments of musical dramaturgy:

• C. Dahlhaus, Drammaturgia dell’opera italiana, Turin, EDT, 2005

• L. Bianconi - G. Pagannone, Piccolo glossario di drammaturgia musicale, in Insegnare il melodramma. Saperi essenziali, proposte didattiche, ed. by G. Pagannone, Lecce-Iseo, Pensa MultiMedia, 2010, pp. 201-263 (see also teaching materials).

 

About opera in 19th century, and Giuseppe Verdi:

• F. d'Amico, Forma divina. Saggi sull'opera lirica e il balletto, ed. by Nicola Badolato and Lorenzo Bianconi, Florence, Leo S. Olschki, 2012 (in part. the chapter on La traviata, pp. 188-200).

• G. de Van, Verdi: un teatro in musica, Scandicci, La Nuova Italia, 1994.

 

About the rudiments of Italian metrics and prosody:

•  L. Bianconi, Il libretto d'opera, in Il contributo italiano alla storia del pensiero – Musica, a cura di S. Cappelletto, Rome, Istituto per l’Enciclopedia Italiana, 2017, pp. 187-208.

• P. Fabbri, Metro e canto nell’opera italiana, Turin, EDT, 2007.

• L. Bianconi, Sillaba, quantità, accento, tono, «Il Saggiatore musicale», XII, 2005, pp. 183-218 (<http://www.saggiatoremusicale.it/rivista/XII_2005_1/Bianconi%202005b.pdf>).

• In addition see Appunti di metrica in teaching materials.

Teaching methods

Frontal lessons, workshops and practices on score and libretto. Viewing of audiovisual materials.

Assessment methods

The final oral exam will be focused on the in-depth knowledge of the novel and drama by Alexandre Dumas (1848 and 1852), of the libretto for Verdi's opera (1853), together with its metrical and musical morphological system. 

Students in the Music curriculum (LM45) are required to deeply analyse the score of Verdi's La traviata and of two additional operas, not composed by Verdi (librettos and scores). Students are required to report on the poetic, narrative and theatrical structure; on musical morphology; on the relationships with the literary sources. The student will obtain the relevant bibliography on his own.

Students of the Theater curriculum (LM65) and of other degree programs are exempted from the knowledge of the scores; but they must know Verdi's opera and the two additional operas of their choice on the basis of listening and analysis of the poetic, narrative, theatrical structure (also in relation to the literary sources).

Knowledge of the rudiments of musical dramaturgy is also required, based on C. Dahlhaus, Drammaturgia dell'opera italiana, as well as Piccolo glossario by L. Bianconi and G. Pagannone).

Rudiments of Italian metrics and prosody will be ascertained during the exam. 

Students enrolled in the LS 51/S degree are exempt from the knowledge of the third opera.

Students from other Master degrees are exempt from the knowledge of the third opera and, if they do not have specific musical notions, from the knowledge of the scores. In any case, a reiterated listening of the entire operas is essential.

Students who intend to account for only 6 CFU will agree a reduced program with the teacher (by e-mail: <nicola.badolato@unibo.it>).

Teaching tools

Collateral activities and will be announced at the beginning of the class.

Office hours

See the website of Nicola Badolato