The Theatre of Novelty
The world premiere of ‘Minnie la candida’ by Riccardo Malipiero Jr. at the Teatro Regio di Parma, 1942
Minnie la candida (1942/1942) by Teatro Regio di ParmaCasa della Musica
During the 1942-1943 opera season several world premieres were presented at the Teatro Regio di Parma: among them Ariodante by Nino Rota, Antigone by Lino Liviabella and Minnie la candida by Riccardo Malipiero.
Minnie la candida (1942/1942) by Teatro Regio di ParmaCasa della Musica
Malipero's opera, in three acts based on Massimo Bontempelli's drama, was directed by Gianandrea Gavazzeni and performed on the evenings of 19 and 21 November 1942.
"One of those works that belong to the most modern genre of modern music" wrote Giulio Confalonieri in the review published in "Settegiorni" of 28 November 1942.
Minnie la candida, opera di Riccardo Malipiero jr Minnie (1942/1942) by Luigi VeronesiCasa della Musica
Sets and costumes were entrusted to Luigi Veronesi, whose original sketches are preserved in the Historical Archive of the Teatro Regio di Parma. Luigi Veronesi (Milan 1908 – 1998) was one of the greatest exponents of Italian and international abstractionism of the twentieth century, painter, set designer, photographer and screenwriter.
Minnie is a rather naive foreign girl, engaged to Egeo.
Her role was played by soprano Emma Tegani.
Minnie la candida, opera di Riccardo Malipiero jr Egeo (1942/1942) by Luigi VeronesiCasa della Musica
Egeo, Minnie's boyfriend, introduces the girl known during a trip to Constantinople, to his friend Tirreno. The three meet on the belvedere terrace of a café ...
The role of Egeo was played by the tenor Enrico Lombardi
Minnie la candida, opera di Riccardo Malipiero jr Tirreno (1942/1942) by Luigi VeronesiCasa della Musica
Tirreno makes the naive Minnie believe that the goldfish in a tank are electrically operated creatures and insinuates that there are also artificial men and women, unaware of being so. He then reveals to her that he was joking but the girl is irreparably upset ...
The role of Tirreno was played by the tenor Enrico Lombardi
Minnie la candida, opera di Riccardo Malipiero jr Il padre (1942/1942) by Luigi VeronesiCasa della Musica
The father, the mother and the son, among the coffee shop patrons.
The role of the father was played by the tenor Fernando Alfieri
Minnie la candida, opera di Riccardo Malipiero jr La madre (1942/1942) by Luigi VeronesiCasa della Musica
Minnie la candida, opera di Riccardo Malipiero jr Il figlio (1942/1942) by Luigi VeronesiCasa della Musica
Minnie la candida, opera di Riccardo Malipiero jr Uomo (1942/1942) by Luigi VeronesiCasa della Musica
Minnie la candida, opera di Riccardo Malipiero jr Astolfo (1942/1942) by Luigi VeronesiCasa della Musica
Astolfo, waiter of the coffee shop.
The role was played by bass Giulio Tomei
Minnie la candida, opera di Riccardo Malipiero jr La coppia colpevole (1942/1942) by Luigi VeronesiCasa della Musica
Luigi
Veronesi notes: "THE GUILTY COUPLE : dress with one-breasted
jacket, shoes etc.
Purple
color.
Purple
makeup and wig.
The
purple color must be the same for the two protagonists of the pair"
“THE GUILTY COUPLE: one-piece dress with belt, long sleeves, purple shoes and socks. Make-up and purple wig "
The contemporary reviews report an audience baffled by the audacity of the experiment, and a critique that albeit praising the composer, described the opera as devoid of emotion.
Minnie La Candida, Ariodante by Nino Rota and Antigone by Lino Liviabella were the three new operas that the Teatro Regio hosted in 1942, in place of the Teatro Donizetti in Bergamo, where the Theatre of Novelty season was held from 1937.
Minnie la candida, opera di Riccardo Malipiero jr 6 donne (1942/1942) by Luigi VeronesiCasa della Musica
Luigi Veronesi's costume sketches are part of the historical collection of the Teatro Regio di Parma (1816-2001), Bozzetti and Figurini series, kept at the Casa della Musica.
