What? Wexford Conventions and Inconveniences of the Stage
OperaLe convenienze ed inconvenienze teatrali (Conventions and Inconveniences of the Stage) is a two-act opera that shines an exaggerated spotlight on the behind-the-scenes working of a theatre and the rehearsal process, showing what can go wrong when the egos of the performers get in the way of putting on a good show. The title refers to the ‘convenienze’, which were the rules relating to the ranking of singers (primo, secondo, comprimario) in the 19th-century Italian opera and the number of scenes, arias etc., that they were entitled to expect. The opera was originally a one-act farsa which premiered at the Teatro Nuovo in Naples in 1827, before Donizetti revised it as a two-act work with added recitatives and other material. Inspired by two comedies written by Antonio Simone Sografi between 1794 and 1816 it follows the theatrical traditions of Goldoni, Gozzi and Metastasio, subjecting the bad habits of the operatic world to biting criticism. With an international reputation for shining a spotlight on forgotten corners of the repertoire, Wexford Festival Opera streams its 2024 production, brought to you by Slippedisc courtesy of OperaVision. Director Orpha Phelan and conductor Danila Grassi take firm hand on the stage antics which sees the company attempting flight under cover of night to avoid paying back their investors, whose money has, of course, already been spent!
The Plot: a regional (and mediocre) operatic troupe is rehearsing a new work and facing a pile of obstacles. The prima donna acts every bit the part, refusing to rehearse. The Tenor finds himself in the wrong production and quite out of his depth. The seconda donna’s mother (played by a baritone) demands that her daughter be given a more prominent role, before deciding to take on several roles herself. Not to be outshone, the prima donna’s husband takes to the stage too.
Sung in Italian with subtitles in Italian and English.
Streamed on Saturday 2nd November 2024 at 1900 CET / 1800 London / 1300 New York
Better known as Viva la Mamma.
Love the downvote!
Wexford has a single vocation: to perform operas that you are unlikely to see anywhere else. What is it doing staging this not especially uncommon Donizetti? And next year, Trovatore – the rarity value consisting solely of the fact that it’s being given in French with the ballet music included. Big deal.
I rather fear this is a consequence of the fashionable decision by the present artistic director to give each year an umbrella theme, rather than simply aiming for reviving three deserving rarities as used to be the case.