Lecture 6Outline of Last Lecture I. General Context: Two Parts of Middle Agesa. Early Middle Ages (aka “Dark Ages”)b. High Middle AgesII. Liturgical DramaIII. Mystery PlaysIV. Morality PlaysV. Elements of ProductionVI. Popular Art FormsVII. Episodic FormOutline of Current Lecture I. Reasons for Italian RenaissanceII. Theatrical Forms / Popular EntertainmentIII. Intermezzi and PastoralsIV. Opera V. Opera Key TermsVI. Commedia Dell’arteVII. Neoclassicism IdealsVIII. Theory vs. Practice Current LectureI. Reasons for Italian Renaissancea. Reengagement in creating theater:i. Greek is now being taught in universitiesii. Greek playwrights are now being publishes with the printing pressiii. Big movement of Greek/Roman playwrights from Constantinople to Italyiv. Dissemination of Aristotle and Homer’s ideas II. Theatrical Forms / Popular Entertainment a. Operab. Pastoralsc. Intermezzid. CommediaIII. Intermezzi and Pastorals a. Intermezzi = short tales based on classical myths THAR 281 1st Editioni. Present in between full acts of a long play ii. Sometimes related to the play, but not alwaysiii. Sometimes more interesting to people than the actual play isb. Pastorals = short, romantic performances c. Neither of these forms lasted past the end of the Renaissance IV. Operaa. Started in Florenceb. Developed opera because trying to create Greek tragedy the way they thought the Greeks had done it c. Most operas are telling the story of a Greek mythd. Primary importance is on musice. Spreads to France, Germany, and Englandi. In each of these places, it gains its own “flavor” V. Opera Key Termsa. Libretto = text through which music is sung (just words, not music)i. Librettist = author of a librettob. Lyric = a phrase of text meant to be accompanied by musicc. Score = the music of the operad. Aria = a sung monologue (one person sings by themselves); has more melody than recitativee. Recitative = dialogue that’s sung; smaller than Ariaf. Voice Parts:i. Soprano = highest note; usually sung by female; usually the heroineii. Mezzo soprano / alto = lower of 2 woman roles; usually prostitute or crazy ladyiii. Tenor = highest of men’s parts; usually a heroiv. Baritone = when all men sing together it sounds like this; usually a romantic leadv. Bass = lowest of all; usually crazy man or a bad guy VI. Commedia Del’arte a. A traveling, self-sustaining group of about 10 performersb. Probably descended from Greek/Roman mimes (juggler, singers, etc.)c. Based on improvisationi. Actors take on stock character types and improvise intercationsii. Between charactersiii. Usually comediciv. Masks are big part in differentiating charactersv. It was a life-long commitment for the performersd. Can still see some characteristics of it in modern comediese. Pamtalone = greedy, lonesome old manf. Harlequin = comic servant; usually handyg. Il Capitano = leader commander; shows hypocrisyh. Innamorat = young lover who’s too distracted with love to notice anything elsei. Commedia is much more about physical characteristics of the performer than the role they playVII. Neoclassicism Idealsa. Verisimilitude = all things must be true to life; wanted to make it believableb. No violence on stage; no fightingc. No supernatural thingsd. No soliloquiese. One place, one time, and one actioni. The biggest place would be a houseii. All take place in one spotiii. Play had to have a story that was within 24 hoursiv. Had to have a story that was within 24 hours v. Had to be about only one personf. Decorum = characters should behave as someone of their social status; actions had to be morally acceptableg. Didacticism = has to have a moral; must learn lesson from ith. Separation of Genre = for example comedy should be a comedy and tragedy should be a tragedyi. Neoclassicism Theater of theory VIII. Theory vs. Practice a. Theater of theory is based on rules/idealsb. Theater of practice is more about
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