The Bandit, The Guest, The Clemency

The Historical Archive of the Teatro Regio di Parma, preserved by Casa della Musica, with documentation from 1816 to 2001, contains the sketches and figures and the stage photographs, which allow us to retrace the history of the preparations, through the tables of the great scenographers and costume designers who worked at the Teatro Regio and thanks to the photographers give us their gaze on the staging.

"Brevity and fire", so Verdi summarized Ernani's libretto in Piave.
This masterpiece staged for the first time in 1844, finds space in the 1989-90 Opera Season of the Teatro Regio di Parma.
The concertmaster and conductor designated for the occasion is Hubert Soudant who defines it as difficult to stage an opera that the citizens of Parma know, sing and have in their hearts.

The scenes by Gianito Burchiellaro represent the vision of the director Claude d'Anna who interprets the work in a romantic way on the territories of Goya and Shakespeare, immerses it in the darkness of the soul with ghosts and monstrous figures. A nightmare on the stage.

Act II, The crooked armor comes out of the wall and seems to crush the characters from their attacking positions.

Act III, Charlemagne's Crypt with lying statues.
The positioning of the statues from the sketch to the actual staging shows diversity also due to the addition of new and different elements.

Act IV, Gigantic broken columns, typically romantic ruins that lead to the collapse of the nightmare. The light plays with the shadow and highlights some elements of the scene while others remain gloomy.

The costumes for this staging are entrusted to Carla Pozzoli.
The clothing reflects the early sixteenth century just as the setting of the Piave libretto dictates. The not too bright colors conform perfectly to the gloomy and dark scenes, thus creating a picturesque union between romanticism and Renaissance.

In Don Carlo's sketch, interpreted for the occasion by Renato Bruson, the proud and decisive character of the King is reflected, even more clearly in the photo of the scene.

Figure of Don Carlo Act I, colored cardboard with mixed media.

Elvira, Act I.

The figure in this case has some notes from the costume designer that indicate her careful study for the realization of the costume sleeves. We also find a piece of the fabric used for the creation.

Figure by Ernani, cardboard with mixed media.
In this sketch we find a note from the costume designer who indicates a detail for the costume of the interpreter of the occasion, Lando Bartolini.

The photo highlights the changes made during the realization such as the different fabric used.

Figure of Elvira act II, cardboard with mixed media. The figure reflects the refinement and historical accuracy for the creation of sixteenth-century clothes.

Elvira, Act II.