Some Notes on Opera Verism Cover Image

Niekoľko poznámok k opernému verizmu
Some Notes on Opera Verism

Author(s): Vladimír Blaho
Subject(s): Music
Published by: Ústav divadelnej a filmovej vedy SAV

Summary/Abstract: A revival of interest in opera of Italian verism can be found worldwide nowadys. Alongside with the classic veristic operas – Mascagni Cavalleria rusticana and Leoncavallo Pagliacci, postulates of verism within a sense of a true reflection of the vivid reality are best satisfied in two opera transcriptions of Murger´s Scènes de la Vie de Bohème (by Puccini and Leoncavallo) which in all its difference are symbolizing a flush of living full of freedom, love and youth, and which are except of a love life reflecting also an everyday reality. They are similarly like other veristic operas bringing an increase of opera performance effect. In the music area they are rising the meaning of an orchestra, in more detail are characterising the story scene, creating a conversation style and prefering an extrovert expressive singing. With regard to music, verists were influenced both by Wagner and by French opera (Massenet), and with the exception of Puccini and Mascagni, in the course of their lives their composer´s autograph did not progress very much. The outermost poles of verism are represented by Cilea ´s Adriana le Couvrer and Montemezzi´s L´amore dei tre re. The prime position in popularisation of verism in Slovakia is played by Banská Bystrica Opera.

  • Issue Year: 55/2007
  • Issue No: 03
  • Page Range: 385-397
  • Page Count: 13
  • Language: Slovak