Monday, August 9, 2010

Caballeria Rusticana

Cavalleria Rusticana, Effetto Venezia, LivornoThe only event of “Effetto Venezia” taking place outside the Venice quarter is a performance of “Cavalleria Rusticana” in “Piazza XX Settembre”. Another brilliant mind, you noticed we have so many here, moved the action from a village in Sicily to somewhere in Spain, only to please this year's Iberian fixation of the “Effetto” organizers.
Not a single note in the music of Mascagni sounds as even vaguely Spanish, a song is sung in Sicilian and the characters bear quite un-Spanish names like Santuzza and Turiddu. Lola could even do as a Spanish name, but her opening aria is a Tuscan “stornello”...Cavalleria Rusticana, Effetto Venezia, LivornoWe went at the Saturday dress rehearsal, open to the public. Here the women of the chorus was still rehearsing without costumes.Cavalleria Rusticana, Effetto Venezia, LivornoSicilian (or Spanish) peasant women had a strange resemblance to the parasoled women of so many Monet's paintings.Cavalleria Rusticana, Effetto Venezia, LivornoIn his opening scene Alfio, the village teamster, was waving a whip so huge that could tame a dinosaur.Cavalleria Rusticana, Effetto Venezia, LivornoLucia, Turiddu's mother, duetting with Santuzza. The acoustic was “enhanced” by using electronic amplification.

See also: White Night - Venezia Makes Effect - Effetto Venezia

23 comments:

Lowell said...

I'm sorry, but by the time I finished reading your comments and looking at the photos, I was laughing out loud! What a funny post. What funny people in Effetto Venezia...they're just as funny as some we have here in the States.

Luis Gomez said...

I see you are really enjoying Effetto Venezia. ;)

Anonymous said...

Yet the impression people take home may enable them to start the new week with music and joy. A start just as good for you as well.

Kate said...

WSell, I guess creativity needs new outlets!

Jim said...

Very interesting. Thanks for showing this.

joo said...

I love Sicilian (or Spanish) peasant women - it's obvious that they used to wear this kind of cloth and carry umbrellas sttrolling along the fields:)
The first photo is fantastic!

cieldequimper said...

Okay... So you weren't convinced by it :-) but were the orchester and singers any good?

Cezar and Léia said...

I would like to attend to this event, looks interesting.Once I saw a kind of event at TV, and I was curious about.I don't know if it's "my kind of music"but it's different and I would like to see one show like this one.
I need to say your pictures are excellent, I imagine you where near the stage.The light is perfect.
hugs and a happy week
Léia

Jack said...

I like the staging.

Lisergic Synaesthesiae said...

Like the light and projection.

B SQUARED said...

These productions can be really good or really bad. I hope for your sake it was the former.

Francisca said...

VP, my mouth is almost getting stretch marks from smiling so broadly! It's a little insane how we try to put square pegs into round holes in life... Nonetheless, I enjoy live performances... and I usually give more leeway when the performers are students or hobbyists, rather than professionals (although you did not mention what these were.) Nice reporting, VP.

Hilda said...

My husband and I hate it when the performance groups here do that. Well-thought out adaptations are fine, but arbitrary changes like this are downright silly.

I hope they at least sung well.

Halcyon said...

Sounds like a strange adaptation.

I don't think anything could make you like this "festival" though. :)

Unknown said...

The photos are fantastic, VP, but I believe it seems strange attending the 'Caballeria' instead of the 'Cavalleria' even being both Rusticana! :-)))

tapirgal said...

I loved your photos and am laughing out loud at the wonderful commentary. A good way to start the day.

hanna said...

Oh my god, I too was laughing out loud by the time I got to the end of this post. When I saw the first photo, which is beautiful by the way, I wasn't sure what to expect, what a great surprise! Your commentary is hilarious. This is like something out of a Fellini movie, or given the Spanish theme, Almodovar maybe?!

Thanks for making my Monday.

Dina said...

Something good came out of it--your very funny description.

Stefan Jansson said...

Ha, you should be writing for the local paper!

Tinsie said...

Absolutely FABULOUS photos!!! What's the obsession with Spain?

Kaori said...

Your narration is hilarious! Looks like a pretty big production though ;-)

Gunn said...

It must have been fantastic! Lucky you!!:)

Rob Siemann said...

Mascagni and Spain??? No.