Starring: Susanna Ohtonen of Adopt-a-Theatre / OperaExtravaganza
La Dirindina - Scarlatti
Salon Music is proud of its newfound collaboration with Susanna Ohtonen of Adopt-a-Theatre / OperaExtravaganza, a very unusual project in Italy.
Italy is the natural homeland of opera houses, but its historic theatres are often forgotten. There are more than 800 of them, ranging from the oldest, Palladio’s Teatro Olimpico of Vicenza, which dates back to 1585, to those built in the early 20th century in Art Nouveau style, from the world’s smallest theatre in Monte Castello di Vibio to La Scala in Milan. The vast majority are really small in size and true masterpieces of architecture. It is very unfortunate that this incredible wealth of small historical theatres should be neglected due to lack of money or interest.
OperaExtravaganza has developed a project to bring back to life these little gems with a programme of first class music to be put in streaming. The initial choice has fallen on the splendid Teatro Francesco Torti of Bevagna.
The first concert, featured on www.brooklyntheatre.tv from Adopt a Theatre, was a recital by the pianist Michael Tsalka. entitled Dancing in the Moonlight at Teatro Torti in Bevagna, Italy.
The next production, to be shown on Brooklyn Theatre TV is La Dirindina.
Domenico Scarlatti composed La Dirindina as an Intermezzo, or short comic interlude to be performed within his larger, more dramatic opera L’ Ambeto. However, shortly before its premiere in Rome in 1715 it was banned primarily because of Girolamo Gigli’s notoriously risqué libretto (censors and Vatican officials ordered the presses stopped, although a second edition was eventually published). Given how often the aspiring coquette/pupil Dirindina (soprano Marina Bartoli), her wily old music teacher Don Carissimo (baritone Giulio Mastrototaro), and opportunist castrati beau Liscione (tenor Makoto Sakurada) conveniently adjust and readjust their moral whims throughout this fast-paced, nearly 30-minute piece, it’s certainly understandable why the more conservative musical establishment might have found the work objectionable.
What motivated the usually temperate Scarlatti to score Gigli’s text may be somewhat perplexing, yet it’s less so given that his musical contribution is minimal, as if it were simply meant to keep the action rolling. Even in the arias Scarlatti’s musical fabric never veers from its sole perfunctory support of the vocal line.
The production is baroque opera in its full splendour, with traditional performance practices, period costumes, instruments and decor.