28503 - Musical Dramaturgy (LM)

Learning outcomes

Basic skills in the field of musical dramaturgy:

- how to read an opera libretto; how to grasp its poetic, dramatic, theatrical structure;

- how to read an operatic score; how to grasp its poetic-musical, dramatic, theatrical structure;

- the outline of the history of opera, esp. of Italian opera

Course contents

Salvadore Cammarano & Giuseppe Verdi: Il trovatore (1853)

20 Nov 2012 - 11 Jan 2013

Tuesday and Thursday, 5-7 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Department of the Arts -- Section 'Musica e Spettacolo', via Barberia 4, Aula Donatoni (first floor)

Readings/Bibliography

A bibliography will be delivered at the beginning of the course. Interested students may have a look in advance to the following items:

- J. Budden, The Operas of Verdi, II, London, Cassell, 1978, chapters 1, 2, 3;

- J. Rosselli, The Life of Verdi, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2000 (as an alternative: entry ‘Verdi', in: The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 7th ed., London, Macmillan, 2001);

- Libretti d'opera italiani dal Seicento al Novecento, a cura di G. Gronda e P. Fabbri, Milan, Mondadori, 1997, pp. 1361-1404 e 1838 (indispensable!);

- G. Verdi, Il trovatore, full score (P.R.158), Milan, Ricordi, 1913 and subsequent reprints;

- A. García Gutiérrez, Il trovatore, Spanish/Italian text, ed. by M. Partesotti, Florence, Aletheia, 2001.

The candidate is expected to know at least a general outline of the history of Italian opera:
- L. Bianconi, Il teatro d'opera in Italia, Bologna, Il Mulino, 1993 (in English as entry ‘Italy' in The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, vo. 2, London, Macmillan, 1992, pp. 837-860)
or, as an alternative:
- G. de Van, L'opera italiana, Rome, Carocci, 2002 (also available in French).

- Recommended reading on the canon of opera and ballet: F. d'Amico, Forma divina. Saggi sull'opera lirica e il balletto, Florence, Leo S. Olschki, 2012.

Teaching methods

Lectures

Assessment methods

Interview.

Candidates are expected to know Verdi's Il trovatore as well as at least one other opera from the standard canon, from the 17th to the 20th century (Verdi excepted).
More specific bibliographic references will be supplied during classes.

The ‘knowledge' of these operas implies:

(1) an analytic reading of its libretto (metrical, poetic, narratological, dramatic structure);

(2) listening repeatedly to audio and/or video recording(s) of Il trovatore as well as of the other opera selected for the interview, with the libretto at hand (better: with the libretto and with the orchestral or vocal score at hand, alternatively!);

(3) a general acquaintance with the profile of Verdi as an opera composer (see J. Rosselli's monograph quoted above, or the entry 'Verdi' in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 7th ed., 2001).

For the basics on Italian verse and meter, see http://www.muspe.unibo.it/wwcat/corso/corsi/sdm/metrica.htm (with suggestions for further reading at the end).

Students are expected to be acquainted with the outline of the history of Italian opera from the 17th to the 20th century:
- L. Bianconi, Il teatro d'opera in Italia, Bologna, Il Mulino, 1993 (in English as entry ‘Italy' in The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, vol. 2, ed. S. Sadie, London, Macmillan, 1992, pp. 837-860)
or, as an alternative:
- G. de Van, L'opera italiana, Rome, Carocci, 2002 (also available in French).

The candidate is expected to bring with him/her the librettos of both operas selected for the interview.

Teaching tools

Have a look at these sites (not specific for this year's courses, but nevertheless useful as orientation!):

- A glossary for Musical Dramaturgy:

http://www.muspe.unibo.it/home/corso/corsi/drammaturgia-musicale/piccolo-glossario-di-drammaturgia-musicale

- Foundations of Italian metrics:

http://www.muspe.unibo.it/wwcat/corso/corsi/sdm/metrica.htm

- Hints for the analysis of operatic scores:

http://www.muspe.unibo.it/wwcat/corso/corsi/dramus/suggerimenti_analisi.pdf

Office hours

See the website of Lorenzo Gennaro Bianconi