Learning objectives

The course aims to introduce students to the issues and methods concerning the study of opera as the most prominent manifestation of western music theatre of the last four centuries. Each year the course is centred around one or more case studies.

Prerequisites and basic notions

No prerequisites: it is not necessary to be able to read music. The basic musical concepts for the analysis of the operas will be explained in class -- and are in any case discussed in the bibliography.

Program

Foundations of musical dramaturgy: Giuseppe Verdi’s “La traviata” (1853). The first part of the course will focus on the theory of musical dramaturgy. The second will concentrate on Verdi’s “La traviata”, which will function as case study on which we will try out recent methodological approaches and learn the most useful analytical tools.

Bibliography/Videography
(The symbol ** marks books available in the E-learning platform).

lecture notes;

GLORIA STAFFIERI, Un teatro tutto cantato. Introduzione all’opera italiana, Roma, Carocci, 2012, capp. 1, 2, 4, 5 (pp. 17-99; 123-175);

JULIAN BUDDEN, Le opere di Verdi, vol. 2, Dal “Trovatore” alla “Forza del Destino”, Torino, EDT 1986, pp. 126-182;

FABRIZIO DELLA SETA, “La traviata”, dal dramma alla musica, in La traviata, Venezia, Teatro La Fenice 2009, pp. 5-20 [pdf downloadable at: http://www.teatrolafenice.it/media/libretti/131_2629Latraviata.pdf];

MARCO MARICA, La traviata, libretto e guida all’opera, Venezia, Teatro La Fenice 2009, pp. 45-90 [part of the previous book; available also as a separate pdf on the e-learning platform];

ELIZABETH WILSON, Bohémiens, grisettes e cortigiane, in Eroine tragiche... ma non troppo, a cura di Pierluigi Petrobelli, Parma, Istituto Nazionale di Studi Verdiani, 2007, pp. 127-134;**

EMANUELE SENICI, Violetta come noi, in La traviata, a cura di Livio Aragona e Federico Fornoni, Bergamo, Fondazione Donizetti, 2009, pp. 17-24;**

MICHELA GEROSA, Tra “La Dame aux camélias” e “La traviata”: un molteplice orizzonte letterario e teatrale, in La traviata, a cura di Livio Aragona e Federico Fornoni, Bergamo, Fondazione Donizetti, 2009, pp. 27-46;**


Videos of La Traviata available on the web:
La traviata, Salzburg Festival, 2005, dir.: Willy Decker; cond.: Carlo Rizzi (https://youtu.be/7RYsbUcqKSM).
La traviata, London, 1994, dir.: Liliana Cavani; cond.: Lorin Maazel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPu08ekr-nk)

Didactic methods

Lectures with audio and video examples.

Learning assessment procedures

Written test: three questions to be answered in 1h and 30m. Thew first question will be on opera in general (first part of the course); the other two on Verdi’s "La traviata " (second part of the course).

Evaluation criteria

Evaluation criteria: proper use of specific vocabulary, knowledge of the foundations of music dramaturgy, ability to analyze the opera presented as case study.

Criteria for the composition of the final grade

The final mark will be made up as follows: 10 points for each of the 3 questions.

Exam language

italiano tedesco (su richiesta) inglese (su richiesta)