The Italian Cultural Institute in Buenos Aires has organised a cycle of five lectures entitled “Literary moments in Italian opera”, which will describe and analyse the relationship between literature and opera. The lecture cycle, in Italian and presented by Prof. Nora Sforza, began on 26 July and will end on 20 September 2022.
The aim is to gain an understanding of the importance of opera in Europe’s historic and cultural context in the 18th and 19th centuries. The lectures will also seek to analyse the the appropriation of literary texts by translators, libretto writers and musicians as a starting point in the creation of an opera. The role of theatre impresarios as key social actors in opera production is another significant aspect that will be explored.
The topic of the first two lectures is “Female gazes”, with the first discussing “The two Manons: Manon Lescaut from Prévost and Massenet to Puccini”. The second, taking place on 9 August, will discuss “From Marie Duplessis to Violetta Válery. The Lady of the Camellias from Alexandre Dumas (son) and Piave to Verdi”.
On 23 August the topic will be “Paternal loves: the king is amused. Rigoletto from Victor Hugo and Romani to Verdi”, and on 6 September the discussion will cover “From Classicism to Romanticism, Norma or infanticide from Soumet and Romani to Bellini”. The last lecture in the cycle, on 20 September, will address the topic “From Padua to Venice: Angelo, tyrant of Padua; La Gioconda from Hugo and Boito to Ponchielli”.
