Palmieri in TOSCA
Michael Black
thepo...@hotmail.com wrote:
> Can you tell me where to look for information on him?
It's an ancient institution that has been kept secret for the last 30 or so
years. It's called a LIBRARY!
--
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MarkDLew
thepothead wrote:
<< Alright, when Scarpia is describing to Spoletta how Cavaradossi's execution
should be handled, he says that it should be done "come il conte Palmieri".
My question is this: Can anyone tell me about the real-life Palmieri? Was he
involved in a mock-execution? Was he actually executed? Can you tell me
where to look for information on him? Thanks a lot. >>
Just a few weeks ago, I answered an e-mail on this exact topic. I don't know
if this is the same person, but here's a copy of the answer I sent:
As far as I know all characters in Tosca are fictional except for Angelotti.
Source for the Giacosa/Illica libretto is the French play "La Tosca" by
Victorien Sardou. Sardou's source is "Martire della libertà italiano:
1794-1848" (or something like that -- I don't remember the exact title) by Atto
Vannucci.
The business about Palmieri comes from Sardou. I don't know whether a similar
incident exists in Sardou. Maybe, maybe not.
Vannucci's book was popular in late 19th century Italy and was republished
several times. It is still in print as a classic, but it's relatively
expensive, especially if you're ordering it from the U.S. (A. Cavalli can
order it for about $40.) It has not been translated into English.
The book is essentially a series of tales based on fact, highly embellished and
with a heavy Italian nationalist slant. As history, it's accuracy is suspect.
Sardou's play is a fictional drama loosely based on an incident in Vannucci.
The Puccini opera is thus three steps removed from historical fact.
Sardou's Angelotti is based on the actual president of the short-lived
Napoleonic Roman republic. The character has little in common with the real
person except for the name, and even that was changed ("Liborio Angelucci"?
something like that). The real Angelotti was a politician, suspected of being
somewhat corrupt. He was pushed out of power and faded into obscurity (NOT
imprisoned and later killed as in the opera).
If you learn any more about this please let me know. I've been wanting to read
Vannucci's book, but I can't afford to pay $40 for a new copy and so far
haven't had any luck trying to persuade any friends to search the used book
stores while visiting Italy. If you want to buy it yourself but can't read
Italian, send me a copy of the pages in question and I'll translate them for
you.
mdl
thepo...@hotmail.com
Alright, when Scarpia is describing to Spoletta how Cavaradossi's execution
should be handled, he says that it should be done "come il conte Palmieri".
My question is this: Can anyone tell me about the real-life Palmieri? Was he
involved in a mock-execution? Was he actually executed? Can you tell me
where to look for information on him? Thanks a lot.
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David
I work in a library, and a few weeks ago a college student who works for
me in the same library exclaimed in despair, "I have to write a paper on
Schiller and I couldn't find out one thing about him on the Internet."
Mind you, we were standing in a building containing hundreds and perhaps
even thousands of volumes by or about Schiller: the library.
Like the death of opera, the death of the book is right around the
corner.
-david gable
BP4DESIGN1
Michael Black wrote: "It's an ancient institution that has been kept secret
for the last 30 or so years. It's called a LIBRARY!"
What an attitude for a recent graduate!
"Ad augusta, per angusta"
E. Benetollo
Linda B. Fairtile
On 18 Jun 1998 05:36:26 GMT, mark...@aol.com (MarkDLew) wrote:
>As far as I know all characters in Tosca are fictional except for Angelotti.
It ain't necessarily so! The following essays provide information on
the historical background of Tosca:
Dunlop, Lionel. "Tosca and the Vengeance of Emma Hamilton."
Music and Musicians 8 (March 1960): 13, 29.
Wallis, Cedric. "Floria Tosca's Italy." Opera Annual 7
(1960): 78-84.
Woolf, Stuart. "Historical Perspectives on Tosca." In
'Tosca'. Giacomo Puccini. English National Opera Guide 16.
New York: Riverrun Press, 1982, 25-29.
Nicassio, Susan Vandiver. "The Pain Doesn't Matter: Tosca and
the Law." Opera Quarterly 8, no. 1 (spring 1991): 39-43.
Burton, Deborah. "The Real Scarpia: Historical Sources for
Tosca." Opera Quarterly 10, no. 2 (winter 1993/94): 67-86.
Burton's article even proposes real-life models for four of the
opera's characters.
--
Linda B. Fairtile
Astoria, New York
ta...@bway.net
thepo...@hotmail.com
Michael Black <bjoe...@cyberdude.com> wrote:
> It's an ancient institution that has been kept secret for the last 30 or so
> years. It's called a LIBRARY!
(Inane .sig deleted.)
So presumptuous! My local library is a joke. They had NO books on Italian
history, and nothing on opera, either. I did as thorough a search on the
internet as I could, and turned up nothing. So, I decided to give r.m.o. a
try. A couple of responses have been extremely helpful, and now I have a
pretty good idea where I can find the information I need. Your inane (and
completely inaccurate) assumption that I don't use the library is pretty
typical, though. You really must learn some manners.
thepo...@hotmail.com
David Gable <dga...@midway.uchicago.edu> wrote:
>
> Like the death of opera, the death of the book is right around the
> corner.
This is such bunk! There will always be stupid people who don't understand
the wonderful resources available in libraries, but that doesn't mean that
libraries are an endangered species. And the death of opera is right around
the corner? I think not. If anything, the modern opera scene has (in the
last ten years or so) breathed new life into what was possibly an aging art
form. Don't be so pessimistic.
Michael Black
thepo...@hotmail.com wrote:
> So presumptuous! My local library is a joke. They had NO books on Italian
> history, and nothing on opera, either. I did as thorough a search on the
> internet as I could, and turned up nothing. So, I decided to give r.m.o. a
> try. A couple of responses have been extremely helpful, and now I have a
> pretty good idea where I can find the information I need. Your inane (and
> completely inaccurate) assumption that I don't use the library is pretty
> typical, though. You really must learn some manners.
Then you need to find a decent university library!
Luis Angel Catoni
thepo...@hotmail.com wrote:
> David Gable <dga...@midway.uchicago.edu> wrote:
> >
> > Like the death of opera, the death of the book is right around the
> > corner.
>
> This is such bunk! There will always be stupid people who don't understand
> the wonderful resources available in libraries, but that doesn't mean that
> libraries are an endangered species.
The main libray in Miami is in the middle od downtown. It is air conditioned. Of
course! This is Miami! Downtown is also the section in town where most homeless
people live. have pity for them, but they have taken over the library as a
haven during the daytime. It is difficult to go and seat to read without having
to bear with funny smells around you. Not to mention the restrooms, where they
do their daily toiletries.
It has come to a point that, if I need to do some research, I take the books
home. Sometimes 7 or eight of them. And of course, if once home I need some
other reference, I have to go back or do without. A pity. But working thereis
almost mpossible.
curiously these people do read, and you see them handling and going over the
oddest things you could imagine they would read. I am sure they are very
culturized. But their smell is offensive.
--
HAPPY LISTENING / FELIZ ESCUCHA / FELICE ASCOLTO / FELIZ ASCOLTAR!!!
Luis Angel Catoni
barb...@bellsouth.net
Ho da fare un dramma buffo e non trovo l'argomento.
Grand Inquisitor
Michael Black wrote in message <358A0F5D...@cyberdude.com>...
>thepo...@hotmail.com wrote:
>
>> So presumptuous! My local library is a joke. They had NO books on
Italian
>> history, and nothing on opera, either. I did as thorough a search on the
>> internet as I could, and turned up nothing. So, I decided to give r.m.o.
a
>> try. A couple of responses have been extremely helpful, and now I have a
>> pretty good idea where I can find the information I need. Your inane
(and
>> completely inaccurate) assumption that I don't use the library is pretty
>> typical, though. You really must learn some manners.
>
>Then you need to find a decent university library!>
Dork.
MarkDLew
Me:
>As far as I know all characters in Tosca are fictional except for Angelotti.
Linda B. Fairtile:
>It ain't necessarily so! The following essays provide information on
>the historical background of Tosca:
> (snip)
Well, it seems that "as far as I know" wasn't very far. Thanks for the info,
Linda.
mdl