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Teatro Verdi di Pisa, ''Paride ed Elena''

Pisa

The production of Paride e Elena belongs to the didactic and productive project L.T.L. (Tuscan Laboratory for the Lyric) - Opera Studio, that is made by the collaboration of the three theaters of tradition of Tuscany, with which collaborated in this occasion the prestigious Opéra Royal de Wallonie of Liège too. The project set the admirable objective to improve the formation of new talents of the musical interpretation and, to this purpose «... it chooses titles of not usual repertoire but of absolute musical and theatrical value, with the intent to develop a total stage and vocal involvement in the young singers that participate in it.» From the Progetto L.T.L. - Opera Studio ''Paride and Elena''.
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«The working times are deliberately very prolonged in order to allow the artistic maturation and the birth of positive dynamics of group, that are protected in this way by the rise of hierarchies and privileges.» From the Progetto L.T.L. - Opera Studio ''Paride and Elena''. An intent, this declared in the program of the project, that would deserve to be applied to every other sector of the human formation. «The students of the laboratory are so called to compare themselves with expressive ways that are different from the traditional ones of the most usual repertoire, and are stimulated by new curiosities and ability that enrich in such a way their preparation and professionalism.» Ibidem.
In the frame, a reproduction by Rinaldo Rinaldi of the painting Leda and the Swan, a work of the 1840 of the French painter Léon Riesener (1808-1878). Rinaldo Rinaldi performed the reproduction on a small backdrop made of ASC - Sceno muslin. In the middle of the stage space, partly covered by cloths of red HSE - Tempesta silk, there are six mirrors that the scenographical workshop built using as many panels of QSR - Miroplan, silver colour.
The stage space is closed on the sides by two big mobile walls and on the fund by two others analogous flowing walls apparently made of marble and mirrors that quote with linearity the galeries des glaces of the Baroque and rococo noble residences. The big mirroring panels were realized with some panels of silver QSF - Miroflex that the scenographical workshop submitted to a superficial treatment to confer them an aged appearance. The flowing walls open on a big Rear-illuminated backdrops realized with the film for rear-projections RAR - Arizona to which, during the show, they were overlapped some backdrops made of BGO - Gobelin/1150 and of ASC1000S - Sceno 1.000 cm.
The stage space opens here on a gigantic red wave, painted with monochrome technique by Rinaldo Rinaldi on a backdrop made of ASC - Sceno, whose impact is amplified by the reflexes on the QSF - Miroflex of the side walls.
«The stage direction by Andrea Cigni choosed the architectural sobriety of a side fixed scene that leaves wide spaces to the action (transposed to the time of the Belle Époque ) and to the vision of Arcadia's perspectives filtered by the optics of beginning '900, with the action supported by the technologies of the Positivism (bicycles, photographic devices, a swinging horse). A direction with innovative ideas that, contrarily to what often happens, doesn't disturb and neither jeopardizes the native dramaturgy.»Roberto Del Nista, in L'opera, n. 224.
The rear-illumination of the RAR - Arizona backdrop is here almost off and the material shows, in the high part of the backdrop, a colour similar to its own real one. Composed in 1770, during the second and longer period of Viennese permanence, Paride ed Elena is the third opera created by Gluck in collaboration with the livornese librettista Ranieri de' Calzabigi, that placed side by side Gluck in that revolutionary moment of renewal that in the history of the music is known as ''Gluck's operatic reform'' and that includes the most famous Orfeo ed Euridice, dated 1762, and Alceste, dated 1767.
The Rear-illuminated backdrop RAR - Arizona in a different situation of illumination. On the right, another painted reproduction made on ASC - Sceno by Rinaldo Rinaldi of a mythological subject.
Paride ed Elena
Drama for music in five acts
Music
Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714-1787)
Libretto
Ranieri de' Calzabigi
from the Heroides by Ovidio
First night
Vienna, Burgtheater, 3/11/1770
Scenography,
costume design
Lorenzo Cutùli
Pictorial realizations
Rinaldo Rinaldi
Light design
Fiammetta Baldiserri
Technical direction
Piero Benetti
Stage direction
Andrea Cigni
Staging
Teatro Verdi di Pisa
Co-production
Progetto Opera Studio
Teatro Carlo Goldoni of Livorno
Teatro del Giglio of Lucca
Opéra Royal de Wallonie of Liège
Season
2007/2008

Video & Documentation

Rinaldo Rinaldi: the magic of the painted scene

Materials used in this production

ASC - Sceno

Muslin and canvas

BGOP - Gobelin Teatro

Scrim and bobbinet fabrics

COS - Oscurante

Duvetyne and blackout fabrics

HSE - Tempesta

Silks and satins

QSF - Miroflex

Mirroring materials

QSR - Miroplan

Mirroring materials

RAR - Arizona

Rear-projection films

Rear-illuminated backdrops

Vinyl backdrops: typologies