The ancestor of the commedia dell'arte. Italian commedia dell'arte

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2 slide- COMEDY DEL ARTE (commedia dell"arte); another name - comedy of masks - improvisational street theater of the Italian Renaissance, which arose in the mid-16th century and, in fact, formed the first in history professional theater.
Commedia dell'arte emerged from street festivals and carnivals. Her characters are some social images, in which not individual, but typical traits are cultivated. There were no plays as such in the commedia dell'arte; it was only developed plot outline, a script that was filled with lively remarks throughout the performance, varying depending on the composition of the audience. It was this improvisational method of work that led comedians to professionalism - and, first of all, to the development of an ensemble and increased attention to their partner. In fact, if the actor does not carefully follow the improvisational cues and the line of behavior of the partner, he will not be able to fit into the flexibly changing context of the performance. These performances were the favorite entertainment of the mass, democratic audience. Commedia dell'arte incorporated the experience of farcical theater, but common characters were also parodied here. scientific comedy" A certain mask was assigned to a specific actor once and for all, but the role - despite the rigid typical framework - varied endlessly and developed during each performance.

3 slide– The very name “commedia dell’arte” contains a contrast to the Renaissance “scientific” theater, which, as we have already said, was amateur. La commedia - in Italian, not only “comedy” in our sense, but also theater in general, a spectacle; arte is an art, but also a craft, a profession. In other words, we're talking about about a spectacle performed by professionals
The names of Harlequin, Pierrot or Columbine are known to everyone, but few people know that these heroes of the folk theater have their prototypes in the characters of the commedia dell'arte. An idea of ​​commedia dell'arte scripts is given by the first collection that has come down to us (1611), compiled by Flamineo Scala, the leader of the most famous troupe "Gelosi". Following it, several more collections were published. Unfortunately, we have almost no earliest short scripts that could fit on a piece of paper. They reached a later literary adaptation. In addition to end of XVII V. they began to approach literary drama. The scripts were very different. 99 percent were comedies, but there were also tragedies and pastorals. For example, in the tragedy of Nero, along with Seneca and Agrippina, Brighella and other masks acted. (By the way, it was the Gelosi troupe that first performed Tasso’s pastoral “Aminta” at the summer residence of the Dukes of Este, on the islet Belvedere in the middle of the Po River. The role of Sylvia was played best actress troupe - the incomparable Isabella Andreini.)

4 slide– Semi-professional troupes began to appear in Italy (especially in Venice) already at the beginning of the 16th century. Mainly artisans took part in them. The Venetian patricians willingly invited them to their home celebrations, where they performed the comedies of Plautus and Ternetius, eclogues, farces and momarias - musical pantomimes in masks. Most of the members of these communities, at the end of the “theater season,” returned to their original professions: carpentry, carpentry, and boot making. However, the most talented of them made acting their main profession.

5 slide– A special role in the development of semi-professional theater was played by Angelo Beolco from Padua (1502-1542), the author of comedies and farces from peasant life, into which he interspersed motifs from the comedies of Plautus. Beolko received a good education and was well acquainted with classical drama, but, unlike the authors of academic drama, who composed plays in the quiet of their offices, he began performing on stage from a young age. Beolko gathered around himself a troupe of amateurs. The activities of this troupe were marked by two important features that allow us to call Beolko and his comrades the direct predecessors of the commedia dell'arte. Firstly, unlike the pastoral peasants, who spoke in refined language, the peasants in Beolko's farces and comedies spoke the Paduan dialect. (The use of dialects, which, due to the fragmentation of Italy, acquired particular stability, would later become a characteristic feature of the commedia dell'arte and one of the main sources of comedy.) Secondly, the actors from Beolko's troupe performed with constant stage names and in constant costumes. Beolko himself chose the role of the broken country boy Ruzante.

6 slide– Beolko was the direct predecessor of the commedia dell’arte, but its real birth occurred about 20 years after his death. In 1560, a performance of commedia dell'arte was documented in Florence, in 1566 - in Manua, and in 1568 in Munich, on the occasion of the wedding of the Crown Prince, an improvised comedy with masks was performed by Italians living in Bavaria. The Munich performance was described by a humanist writer. There is evidence that the audience was dying of laughter.

7 slide– Around the same time, the most famous commedia dell’arte troupe in Europe, “Gelosi” (“The Zealous”), arose. This troupe, consisting of 12-15 people, assembled a brilliant galaxy of actors. Its true adornment was the famous European actress and poetess, the legendary beauty Isabella Andreini. The King of France, Henry III himself, captivated by the performance of the troupe, invited the actors to Paris. It is interesting to trace how not only the status, but primarily the self-awareness of the actors changes during these years. In 1634, a book by one of the most educated actors of the commedia dell'arte, Nicolo Barbieri, "A Request addressed to those who speak in writing or orally about actors, neglecting their merits in artistic matters," was published. In it, Barbieri, trying to get rid of the actor's inferiority complex, writes: "The goal of the actor is to bring benefit by amusing."

8 slide– Italian artists have repeatedly emphasized their special position among their brothers. Comparing the Italian and French artists, Isabella Andreini wrote that the Frenchman is made of the same material “from which parrots are made, who can only say what they are forced to repeat by heart. How much higher than them is the Italian... who, in contrast to the Frenchman, can be compared to a nightingale, composing their trills in a momentary whim of the mood." The Italian actor was also a synthetic actor, that is, he knew how not only to improvise, but also to sing, dance and even perform acrobatic stunts. The fact is that the performance of the commedia dell'arte was a multi-part action. The main plot was preceded by a prologue in which two actors with a trumpet and a drum invited the audience, advertising the troupe. Then an actor appeared, outlining the essence of the performance in verse. Then all the actors poured out and “shari-vari” began, during which the actors demonstrated their skills in every way: “This is what we can do, and we can do everything.” After this, the actor and actress sang and danced. And only then did they begin to play out the plot.

Slide 9– The comic peak of the commedia dell’arte was lactation, buffoonery tricks that had nothing to do with the action and were played by zanni servants. After the completion of the plot, farewell to the public began, accompanied by dancing and songs. One of the actors wrote then that the dead are happy, lying underground, where grief and death reign, “but we do not have the strength to grieve our sorrows, let’s laugh at them.” The essence of the commedia dell'arte was "l"anima allegre" - "joyful soul".
By the time of the activity of "Gelosi", the gaming canon of commedia dell'arte had obviously already taken shape. The most popular masks have also emerged in general terms.

10 slide– Commedia dell’arte had two main centers: Venice and Naples. In accordance with this, two main quartets of masks emerged: northern, or Venetian (Pantalone, Harlequin, Brighella, Doctor) and southern, or Neapolitan (Tartaglia, Scaramuccio, Coviello, Pulcinello). Both quartets often included the Captain, Fantesca (or Servette), and the Lovers. In general, the number of masks that appeared on the stage of commedia dell'arte over the two centuries of its existence exceeds a hundred. But they were all modifications of the basic masks listed above.
Commedia dell'arte masks can be divided not only into northern and southern quartets, but also into functional groups. The first is satirical masks (old people). The second is comedy (servants). The third is lovers.

11 slide– Mimes, acrobats, clowns and dancers took part in the IMPROVIZATIONS OF THE COMEDIA DEL ARTE, introducing cheerful confusion into the plot.

Artist

fr. – Acteur; former – Comedian; former – Actor

An actor is a professional performer of roles in drama, opera, ballet, pop, circus performances and in the cinema. The actors perform their roles:
– following the text of the play; or
– following a script that requires improvisation.

12 slide– Harlequin from Italian.Arlecchino
Harlequin is a character from the Italian commedia dell'arte.
In the 16th century, Harlequin occupied the position of Zanni the simpleton in the troupe, confusing the intrigue of the comedy with his stupid antics. The simpleton harlequin wore a suit covered with multi-colored patches, symbolizing the poverty and stinginess of its owner.
In the 17th century, Harlequin occupied the position of Zanni the rogue in the troupe, actively participating in the development of the action. The patches on the rogue Harlequin's costume took the form of regular multi-colored triangles, closely adjacent to each other.
In the 18th century, a pathetic element was introduced into the interpretation of the role of Harlequin, making the audience laugh and cry at the same time.

Slide 13– Brighella

Italian Brighella from Italian. Briga - trouble
Brighella is a character from the Italian Commedia dell'Arte;
– was the mainspring of intrigue;
– wore a suit of a long white blouse with yellow or green stripes, long white trousers, simple shoes and a hat.

Slide 14– Zanni from Italian. – Zanni

Zanni is a character in the Italian commedia dell'arte, which has two varieties:

1 – rogue, rogue, trickster, who bore the names Zanni, Brighella, Pedrolino, Scapino, etc.;
2 - a simpleton, a bumpkin, who bore the names Harlequin, Burattino, Cola, Flauttino, Pulcinella.

– took an active part in the development of plot intrigue;
– spoke local dialects;
– used black half masks;
wore peasant clothes: a long linen blouse, long wide pants, wide-brimmed hat with a feather, wooden sword in his belt, short cloak.

15 slide– Columbina is a traditional character in Italian folk comedy - a servant who participates in the development of intrigue, in different scenarios also called Fantesca, Servette, Franceschina, Smeraldina, Mirandolina, etc. Origin: a peasant girl who feels insecure and unusual in the city.
Behavior. Initially, she is a village fool, similar in character to a Harlequin mask; Her honesty and decency are emphasized, as well as her always good mood.

16 slide – Pantalone(Italian Pantalone, fr. Pantalon) is a mask character in Italian comedy, wearing long red trousers (knickers). Represents the Nordic (or Venetian) quartet of masks, along with Harlequin, Brighella and the Doctor. Prototypes of the Pantalone mask can be found in ancient comedy (πάπος in Greece, Papus and Casnar in Rome), as well as in the Italian Renaissance novella.
Behavior. Pantalone, as a rule, is the center of intrigue, and, as a rule, always remains the victim of someone, most often Harlequin, his servant. He is sick and frail: he constantly limps, groans, coughs, sneezes, blows his nose, and has a stomach ache. This is a lustful, immoral man, he passionately seeks the love of young beauties, but always fails. His gait is that of an old man; he walks with a slightly crooked back. He speaks in a harsh, shrill, “old man” voice.

Slide 17– Italian commedia dell'arte produced a whole constellation of brilliant actors (many of whom were the first theorists of stage art): Isabella and Francesco Andreini, Giulio Pasquati, Bernardino Lombardi, Marc Antonio Romagnesi, Nicolo Barbieri, Tristano Martinelli, Teresa, Catarina and Domenico Biancolelli, Tiberio Fiorilli and others. From the end of the 16th century. The troupes began to tour widely throughout Europe - in France, Spain, England. Her popularity reached its peak.
However, by the middle of the 17th century. Commedia dell'arte began to decline. The tightening of the church's policy towards theater in general, and commedia dell'arte in particular, led to comedians settling in other countries for permanent residence. So, let's say, in Paris, on the basis of an Italian troupe, the Comedy Italian theater was opened.

Commedia dell'arte had a huge influence on the development of world theatrical art. Its echoes are clearly visible in the dramaturgy of Moliere, Goldoni, Gozzi; in the 20th century – in the works of directors V. Meyerhold, A. Tairov, E. Vakhtangov and others.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011 00:18 + to quote book

Venetian carnival masks

These are characters from the Italian Commedia dell'Arte, a special type of street theater performance that originated in Italy in the 16th century.

Harlequin, Columbine, Pierrot, Pulcinella and other characters, each of whom was distinguished by a certain character, style of behavior and manner of dressing, entertained city residents with their performances, enjoyed incredible popularity and became people's favorites for several centuries.

Therefore, once a year, during the famous Venetian festival, everyone who wanted to take part in the mesmerizing extravaganza acquired their own mask of one of the heroes and, hiding their true face from those around them, plunged into the abyss of unbridled multi-day fun

Currently, carnival masks are one of the world-famous symbols of Venice.

What are traditional Venetian images?

This is undoubtedly the Cat, the Citizen, the Plague Doctor, Bauta, the Venetian Lady.

The process of making a Venetian carnival is outwardly simple.

A plaster mold is taken, greased with Vaseline, and filled from the inside with a layer of papier-mâché prepared according to a special recipe. The resulting blank is dried and sanded, then holes for the eyes are cut out in it. After this, they start decorating.

Masks are often coated with a layer of special paint to make them look antique. Surface decoration is often a slow and painstaking process, using acrylic paints, gold and silver foil, enamel, varnish, expensive fabrics, rhinestones, feathers, beads... it all depends on the artist’s imagination. Some pieces are so beautiful and skillfully made that they are scary to wear.

The prices for such masterpieces are often as amazing as their appearance.

Classic masks not associated with the theater include:

Bauta- one of the most popular Venetian masks.

It appeared in the 17th century and served as an effective cover for representatives of any class and gender. Despite its eerie appearance, it enjoyed the special love of the people, who wore it in combination with a long black cloak that hid the figure and a triangular hat - tricorno.

The origin of the name is unknown (according to one version, it is associated with the Italian word “bau” or “babau”, denoting a fictional monster that was used to scare small children (something like our Babai or Buki).

Bauta was considered an ideal mask for high-ranking persons who liked to anonymously go “to the people.” Interestingly, its lower part was designed in such a way that a person could eat and drink without exposing his face. Bauta has no gender, no age, no faith, no class.

To put on a bauta is to renounce an annoying individuality, to renounce own person, free yourself from moral norms. To the question “who did this?” Bauta replies: “Mask...”

A piece of black silk was attached to the mask, completely covering the lower part of the face, neck and back of the head and giving the whole appearance of the dressed-up person a mysterious and slightly creepy shade. A triangular black hat trimmed with silver braid was put on the head. When bautting, they wore white silk stockings and black shoes with buckles.

This mask was extremely popular among the Venetians, and they were willing to pay a large amount to have the best laces and fabrics of the highest

Venetian mask “Cat”

The Venetian carnival owes its Cat mask to an old funny legend.

It tells how a certain poor Chinese man came to Venice with his old cat. There were no cats in the city, but there was an abundance of mice. The hungry animal pounced on its prey and in a few days freed the island republic from rodents. The Doge was so happy that he presented the Chinese with countless treasures and sent him home with great honor. The miracle animal remained in the palace in case of future invasions.

Another poor Chinese, seeing such a thing, decided that even if the naive Venetians were ready to pay so much money for a cat, then for silk and other “decent goods” he would receive a hundredfold from them. The Chinese went into debt, bought goods and went to the land of unafraid idiots. The Doge was speechless at the sight of new goods from China, and when he found them, he promised to give his greatest treasure for them. They shook hands.

The cat went back to China)))

Volto.

Also known as Citizen, because it was worn on permitted days by ordinary citizens. Volto is the most neutral of all masks, copying the classic shape of the human face.

It was attached to the head with ribbons (some Voltos had a handle instead of ribbons on the chin).

Venetian Lady (Dama di Venezia)

A very elegant and sophisticated mask depicting a noble Venetian beauty from the era of Titian - elegant, hung with jewels, with intricately styled hair.

The Lady has several varieties: Liberty, Valerie, Salome, Fantasy, etc.

Moretta

The most mysterious, most romantic mask is “SERVETTA MUTA” (mute maid), but the more common name is “MORETTA” (Moretta, dark-skinned woman).

And people called it “HUSBAND’S PLACE”, since where the mouth of the mask used to be on the inside there was a small peg that had to be pressed with your teeth to keep the mask in front of your face - according to Casanova, such masks made women mysterious, and most importantly... silent .

It was an oval of black velvet. The name most likely comes from "Moor", which means black in Venetian. This black perfectly emphasized the noble pallor of the face and the red Venetian hair color. No wonder ladies of the upper class loved this mask so much.

The mask of the new moon, a mask of deceptive female submission and hidden male fear. Silent maenad mask made of soft leather or velvet. Hecate mask. The mask of the night strega, which could turn the eternal Diana the virgin into a greedy black Venus. A mysterious stranger hiding her face and voice... The ability to communicate only with gestures... Mystery and seduction... Nowadays, the Moretta mask is made only to order.

In shops selling masks “mask of silence” can't be found

The creepiest mask of the carnival is Doctor Plague.

She didn't show up for fun.

Plague epidemics repeatedly engulfed Venice and, due to the high population density, claimed many lives. The only people who at least somehow fought the disease - doctors for personal safety They put long-nosed masks over their faces.

It was believed that these “beaks” with aromatic substances placed in them could protect them from infection.

For the same purpose, doctors wore dark long cloaks made of linen or waxed material over their regular clothes, and took a special stick in their hands so as not to touch the patient with their hands.

Of great interest is the mask "gnaga" (from the Italian "gnau" - "meow"),

with which the Venetian expression “to have the impudence of a nyaga” is associated.

The wearer of this costume, consisting of a badly worn, torn dress and a cat mask, was supposed to imitate a cat's tongue with a "meowing" voice and movements - cat habits.

It is considered a mask of homosexuals.

The Inquisition forbade dressing men as women; any manifestation of the sin of Sodom was strictly persecuted on all days except carnival. Usually a person wearing this mask appeared surrounded by friends dressed as children. The costume should be an old, vulgar, flamboyant 16th-century female outfit of any social group. It is necessary to imitate meowing with your voice, and cat habits with wagging movements.

Commedia dell'arte masks Commedia dell'arte (Italian: la commedia dell'arte),

or comedy of masks - a type of Italian folk theater

.The number of masks in commedia dell'arte is very large (there are more than a hundred of them in total), but most of them are related characters that differ only in names and minor details.

The main characters of the comedy include two quartets of male masks, the Captain's mask, as well as characters who do not wear masks, these are the Zanni girls and the Lovers, as well as all the noble ladies and gentlemen. The number of masks in the Comedy Del Arte is very large (there are more than a hundred in total),

Male characters Northern (Venetian) quartet of masks:

Pantalone (Magnifico, Cassandro, Uberto) - Venetian merchant, stingy old man;

Doctor (Doctor Balandzone, Doctor Graziano), - pseudo-scientific doctor of law; old man;

Brighella (Scapino, Buffetto), - the first zanni, an intelligent servant;

Harlequin (Mezzetino, Truffaldino, Tabarino) - second zanni, stupid servant;

Southern (Neapolitan) quartet of masks:

Tartaglia, the stuttering judge; - Scaramuccia, a boastful warrior, a coward;

Coviello, the first zanni, an intelligent servant;

Pulcinella (Policinelle), second zanni, stupid servant;

The captain is a boastful warrior, a coward, the northern analogue of the Scaramucci mask;

Pedrolino (Pierrot, Clown), servant, one of the zanni. - Lelio (also Orazio, Lucio, Flavio, etc.), young lover;

Female characters

Isabella (also Lucinda, Vittoria, etc.), young lover; often the heroine was named after the actress who played this role; - Columbina, Fantesca, Fiametta, Smeraldina, etc., are maids.

ZANNI General name for a comedic servant

The name comes from the male name Giovanni, which was so popular among common people, which has become a common noun to designate a servant.

The zanni class includes such characters as Arlecchino, Brighella, Pierino, who appeared later.

The characteristics of the nameless zanni are an insatiable appetite and ignorance.

He lives exclusively for today and does not think about complex matters. Usually loyal to its owner, but does not like discipline. At least 2 such characters took part in the play, one of whom was dull, and the other, on the contrary, was distinguished by a fox-like intelligence and dexterity. They were dressed simply - in a shapeless light blouse and trousers, usually made from flour sacks.

The mask initially covered the entire face, so in order to communicate with other heroes of the zanni comedy, one had to lift its lower part (which was inconvenient).

Subsequently, the mask was simplified, and it began to cover only the forehead, nose and cheeks.

A characteristic feature of the zanni mask is the elongated nose, and its length is directly proportional to the stupidity of the character.

BRIGELLA - another zanni, partner of Harlequin.

In a number of cases, Brighella is a self-made man who started without a penny, but gradually accumulated money and secured a fairly comfortable existence for himself.

He is often depicted as a tavern owner. Brighella is a big money lover and a ladies' man.

It was these two emotions - primitive lust and greed - that froze on his green half mask.

In some productions, he appears as a servant, more cruel in character than his younger brother Harlequin. Brighella knows how to please her master, but at the same time, Time is quite capable of deceiving him, not without benefit for herself. He is cunning, cunning and can, depending on circumstances, be anyone - a soldier, a sailor and even a thief.

His costume is a white camisole and trousers of the same color, decorated with transverse green stripes. He often carries a guitar with him, as he is inclined to play music.

Brighella's mask, although it was one of the most beloved by ordinary spectators, as a rule, was in the background of intrigue; the lack of active action was compensated by a large number of insert tricks and musical interludes.

Images close to Brighella are present in the comedies of Lope de Vega and Shakespeare; these are also Scapin, Mascarille and Sganarelle by Moliere and Figaro by Beaumarchais.

HARLEQUIN (Arlecchino) - zanni of the rich old man Pantalone.

The Harlequin costume is bright and colorful: it is made up of diamonds of red, black, blue and green.

This pattern symbolizes the extreme Poverty of Harlequin - his clothes seem to consist of countless poorly selected patches.

By nature, Harlequin is an acrobat and a clown, so his clothes should not restrict his movements.

The mischievous man carries a stick with him, which he often uses to bludgeon other characters. Despite his penchant for fraud, Harlequin cannot be considered a scoundrel - a person just needs to live somehow. He is not particularly smart and is quite gluttonous (his love for food is sometimes stronger than his passion for Columbine, and his stupidity prevents the fulfillment of Pantalone’s amorous plans).

Harlequin's mask was black, with ominous features (according to one version, the word “Harlequin” itself comes from the name of one of the demons of Dante’s “Hell” - Alicino).

On his head was a white felt hat, sometimes with fox or rabbit fur.

Other names: Bagattino, Trufaldino, Tabarrino, Tortellino, Gradelino, Polpettino, Nespolino, Bertoldino, etc.

COLUMBINE (Columbina) - servant of the Lover (Inamorata).

She helps her mistress in matters of the heart, deftly manipulating the other characters, who are often not indifferent to her. Columbine is distinguished by coquetry, feminine insight, charm and dubious virtue.

She is dressed, like her constant boyfriend Harlequin, in stylized colored patches, as befits a poor girl from the provinces. Columbine's head is decorated with a white hat, matching the color of her apron.

She doesn’t have a mask, but her face is heavily made up, her eyes are especially brightly lined.

Other names: Harlequin, Corallina, Ricciolina, Camilla, Lisette.

PEDROLINO or PIERINO (Pedrolino, Pierino) - one of the servant characters.

Pedrolino is dressed in a loose white tunic with huge buttons and too long sleeves, a round ribbed collar on his neck, and a cap hat with a narrow round crown on his head.

Sometimes the clothes had large pockets filled with souvenirs of a romantic nature.

His face is always heavily whitened and painted, so there is no need to wear a mask.

Despite the fact that Pedrolino belongs to the Zanni tribe, his character is radically different from that of Harlequin or Brighella. He is sentimental, amorous (although he suffers mainly for soubrette), trusting and devoted to his owner. The poor guy usually suffers from unrequited love to Columbine and from the ridicule of other comedians, whose mental organization is not so subtle.

The role of Pierino was often performed in the troupe youngest son because this hero had to look young and fresh

LOVERS (Inamorati)

The constant heroes of the commedia del arte, Messrs. Columbine, Harlequin and other zanni.

IN the lovers look detached from life, pompous characters.

If they move, it’s like a ballet, with their toes pointed out unnaturally.

They gesticulate a lot and often look in the mirror.

The main features of Lovers are vanity, painful attention to own appearance, nervousness, absorption in one's feelings and complete inadequacy, which the zanni actively take advantage of.

Even their names sound stilted (men were usually called Silvio, Fabrizio, Aurelio, Orazio, Ottavio, Lelio, Leandro or Florindo, and women were called Isabella, Flaminia, Vittoria, Silvia, Lavinia or Ortensia). Inamorati always dressed according to latest fashion, exaggeratedly carefully and elegantly.

The masks were replaced by a thick layer of makeup, thanks to which the roles of Isabella and Lelio were accessible to far from young actors. In addition, wigs, flies and all kinds of jewelry were an indispensable accessory to their toilet. Young men often dressed up in beautiful military uniform. During the course of the action, the lovers' costumes could change several times. Despite the fact that it is around the love of the young that the intrigue of the comedy is built, the lovers always remain in the shadow of the zanni masks, and their love is always perceived with a certain amount of irony.

ISABELLA (also, Lucinda, Vittoria, etc.) -

young lover; often the heroine was named after the actress who played this role.

PULCINELLA (Pulcinella) - Italian analogue of Russian Parsley, the English Mr. Punch and the French Polichinelle.

A typical representative of the Neapolitan proletariat with all its characteristic features.

It is interesting that Pulcinella is an ambiguous image; he could be a stupid person, a cunning person, a servant, a master, a coward, and a bully. This character's name translates to "chicken" in Italian and is apparently related to his mask, the most noticeable element of which is a large beak-like nose.

Pulcinella's costume consists of a long, baggy white blouse tied at the waist with a leather strap, loose shapeless pants and an unusual oblong hat. He was often depicted as a hunchback.

At first, the hump was barely noticeable, then it began to quickly increase in size, and the stomach grew at the same time. Pulcinella's bending symbolizes his fear of beatings (and in the comedy everyone who stood higher on the social ladder beat him, that is, very many).

PANTALONE is one of the most famous Venetian masks.

Pantalone is an elderly rich merchant who is constantly chasing after some female character(always to no avail). This image embodied the growing class of the Venetian bourgeoisie.

A characteristic feature of Pantaloon's costume is a huge codpiece, symbolizing his imaginary masculine strength. Usually the old man was dressed in a dark red camisole and tight trousers of the same color, a black cloak with short sleeves and a small black cap, like a fez. He had a dagger or purse hanging from his belt, and his shoes were yellow Turkish shoes with sharp, curved toes.

The dark brown mask had a prominent hooked nose, shaggy gray eyebrows and the same mustache (sometimes also glasses).

Pantalone's beard stuck out upward, sometimes almost touching the tip of his nose, which gave the old man's profile a particularly comical look.

Often in the story, Pantalone wanted to marry the girl his son was in love with, and flirted with Columbina, the maid of his daughter Isabella.

CAPTAIN (Il Capitano) - one of ancient characters commedia dell'arte.

The captain in a comedy is never a native resident of the city where the action takes place, but always comes from somewhere far away.

A type of arrogant and unprincipled warrior - a braggart and adventurer.

Depending on the political situation, he could look like a Spaniard or a Turk, although this image was originally Italian.

Accordingly, his character also changed - in different periods The captain could represent a parody of various national traits.

His main features are aggressiveness, unrestrained lies about his imaginary exploits, lack of conscience, the desire to get rich and the desire to appear dandy and handsome. All this was reflected in his costume, which could be different, but was always distinguished by its absurd pretentiousness and brightness.

His clothes, in fact, have always been a parody of the military profession: his hat was decorated with feathers of loud colors, his feet were buried in high boots with large garters, his camisole was made of fabric with contrasting diagonal stripes, and a huge sword hung from his belt.

The Captain's mask could be flesh-colored or dark in color, with a long militant nose and a menacingly sticking out stiff mustache.

Its purpose was to indicate the Contrast between the true (cowardly and deceitful) nature of the character and who he claims to be.

Jester (Jester, Jolly) - presented in the commedia dell'arte, this is a classic mask.

The Jester first appeared in the Italian theater, then became popular throughout Europe. The costume of this character is variegated and multi-colored. On the head there is a cap with three “ears”, to each of which bells are tied.

TARTAGLIA (Italian: Tartaglia, stutterer) is a mask character in the Italian commedia dell'arte.

Represents the southern (or Neapolitan) quartet of masks, along with Coviello, Scaramucci and Pulcinella. This mask did not catch on in France. The Tartaglia mask appeared in Naples ca. 1610

Origin: Spaniard, poor speaker Italian. Occupation: civil servant public service: he can be a judge, policeman, pharmacist, notary, tax collector, etc. Costume: stylized official suit, uniform hat on bald head; there are huge glasses on his nose.

Behavior: He is generally an old man with a fat belly; always a stutterer, his signature trick is the fight against stuttering, as a result of which a serious monologue, for example, in court, turns into a comic stream of obscenities.

In addition to the characters - Zanni in the Venetian Comedy Del Arte, there were old characters and characters - pseudo-intellectuals:

Commedia Dell'Arte - European theater, which first appeared in Italy during the Renaissance.

The emergence of the Commedia Dell'Arte

During the Renaissance, schools of professional actors began to actively emerge in Italy. New scripts appeared, which were initially written by the speakers themselves. This is how the Commedia Dell'Arte arose. The exact translation of this term sounds like “professional theater,” but later it began to be interpreted as “comedy of masks.”

Commedia Dell'Arte

The first mentions of the Commedia dell'Arte began to appear in the middle of the 16th century. Her performances almost immediately became a favorite spectacle for the public. An atmosphere of unbridled fun reigned in the theater, which was supported by the antics and jokes of the actors, their ridiculous antics, stupidity, tricks, musical numbers and other elements of the show.

The main differences between Commedia Del Arte and other performances were: the presence of masks, buffoonery and improvisation. Other minor features were multilingualism, large number music and songs, ease of staging on any site.

The favorite scenario of the Commedia Dell'Arte was a love affair. Usually the plot revolved around two lovers trying to stand up to their stupid old parents.

Not all actors wore masks, but, as a rule, only old lovers and servants. It is believed that the origin of such costumes is connected with the traditions of carnival dresses. The emergence of masks became a prerequisite for the emergence of theatrical roles.

Heroes of the Commedia Dell'Arte

All the heroes represented common social types of people. Usually there were ten heroes in action: two old men, two servants, two lovers and two mistresses, a maid and a captain.

Old Man Pantalone was a caricature of Venetian merchants. He was stingy, calculating and suspicious. Another old man - the Doctor - was a parody of a lawyer scientist from Bologna. He was a pedant, a talker and an imaginary scientist. At the end of the performance, the old people remained fooled by everyone.

Old Man Pantalone

Zanni's servants were the most comical characters in the Commedia Dell'Arte. As a rule, one of them was smart, the second was stupid. They were the main characters who created intrigue in the performance and made the audience laugh. The audience was always on their side. Their jokes and witticisms were of a buffoonish nature and were called lazzi. The most popular zanni were Pulcinella and Harlequin.

Harlequin

The maid - Servetta - was also an integral part of the performance. Her role was to confuse the intrigue and participate in the love affairs of her mistress.

Lovers and Mistresses represented perfect image youth of the 16th century. They were young, beautiful, educated and smart. But their only occupation was love.

The captain was a military adventurer, bandit and rapist, whose main traits were cowardice and bragging.

The Meaning of Commedia Dell'Arte

Thus, Commedia Del Arte represented an entire era in the life of society. All of her characters were caricatures of the most common types of people.

Later, in the Commedia Dell'Arte, less and less attention was paid to the plot and more to pantomime, variety numbers. Thus, it became fertile ground for the emergence of the circus and many other types of theatrical genres.

To this day, the Commedia Del Arte is an example of the high professionalism of the actors, who amazed with the richness of stage techniques and outstanding performance on stage. She became an inspiration for everyone's creativity greatest playwrights modern times: Shakespeare, Moliere, Lope de Vega and others.

Mentions of commedia dell'arte have appeared since the mid-50s of the 16th century. Masks are a distinctive feature of this theater. It is known that in 1560 a performance with masks took place in Florence, in 1565 a similar performance was given in Ferrara on the occasion of the arrival of the Prince of Bavaria, and in 1566 in Mantua at the court. In 1567, the name Pantalone was mentioned for the first time. In Italy there were several troupes of professional actors who gave performances with masks and improvisation.

The heroes of the commedia dell'arte were loved by the public, but they were also so famous that the masks of the commedia dell'arte have survived to this day. The performance of this type of theater was based on improvisation. This means that no one wrote the text, no one memorized it once and for all, but it changed, and during the course of the performance the most unexpected turns of circumstances could arise, which were picked up by the actors. Actually, masks were used in the performance. Masks had their origins in folk carnival. Based on carnival masks, certain stage types gradually emerged. Favorite characters from square farces (such as a nosy and stupid peasant, for example) seemed to merge with carnival characters. From the square came optimism, gaiety, and satire into commedia dell'arte.

The concept of "mask" thus has a double meaning in improvisational theater. First, there is a material mask that covers the actor's face. It was usually made from cardboard or oilcloth and completely or partially covered the actor's face. Masks were worn mainly by comic characters. There were also those among them who were supposed to sprinkle flour on their face instead of a mask or paint their mustache and beard with charcoal. Sometimes the mask could be replaced by a glued nose or huge glasses. The lovers did not wear masks. The second and more significant meaning of the word “mask” was that it denoted a certain social type, endowed with once and for all established psychological traits, an unchanging appearance and a corresponding dialect. In this theater, it was not the bright colors that were important. individual properties image, but general character properties. Having chosen a mask, the actor did not part with it throughout his life. This feature of commedia dell'arte is the actor's performance always wearing the same mask. The plays might change every day, but their characters remained the same. The actor could not even act in different plays different roles. This stage law of “one role” lasted throughout the history of the mask theater. The actor’s task was to portray a well-known character as clearly as possible with the help of improvisation.

The number of masks that appeared on the commedia dell'arte stage is very large - there are more than a hundred of them. But among them two main “quartets” of masks can be distinguished: the northern one - Venetian, and the southern one - Neapolitan. The first was Pantalone, Doctor, Brighella and Harlequin. The second is Coviello, Pulcinella, Scaramuccia and Tartaglia. The Captain, Servette and the Lovers often took part in both groups. All these heroes represented either a comedic type (servant masks), or satirical buffoonery masks (Pantalone, Doctor, Captain, Tartaglia), or lyrical masks of Lovers. At the heart of any improvisation performance was a plot that can be represented as follows: the development of relations between lovers constituted the plot intrigue of the play, the masks of the Old Men hindered the actions of the young, and the masks of Zanni’s servants fought with the old men and led the intrigue to a happy end. (Zanni is the Venetian pronunciation of the name Giovanni - Ivan; the Russian equivalent of Zanni is simply "Vanka"). Two Zanni masks - Brighella and Harlequin - were the most popular in the North. The famous Italian researcher Andrea Perrucci wrote: “Two servants are called the first and second Zanni; the first must be cunning, quick, funny, witty: he must be able to intrigue, ridicule, lead people by the nose and deceive people. The role of the second servant must be stupid, clumsy and meaningless, so that he does not know where the right is and where left side"Brigella is the mainspring of intrigue. Harlequin, in contrast to him, is rustic and naive, he maintains constant cheerfulness, not embarrassed by any life's difficulties. In the south, the most popular Zanni was Pulcinella - he is sarcastic, wears a black half-mask with a large hooked nose and speaks in a nasal voice. Pulcinella influenced the birth of the French Polichinelle and the English Punch. The female parallel of Zanni is Servetta or Fantesca - a servant who goes by various names: Columbina, Smeraldina, Franceschina, etc.

Zanni's costume was originally stylized as peasant clothing. It consisted of a long blouse, held up by a sash, long, simple shoes and a headdress. Harlequin wore a cap with a hare's tail - a symbol of his cowardly nature, and multi-colored patches on his blouse and trousers, which showed the public that he was very poor. Pulcinella had a pointed cap. Subsequently, with the spread of commedia dell'arte to other countries, its characters changed. For example, Harlequin in France became a more graceful and more malicious intriguer. His colorful rags turned into geometrically regular multi-colored triangles and diamonds covering the tights that tightly hugged his figure. This is how we still know him. The constant victims of the tricks of Zanni and Servetta were Pantalone, the Doctor and the Captain. Pantalone is a Venetian merchant, rich, arrogant, but who loves to court young girls. But he is stingy and unlucky. He is dressed in a red jacket, red narrow trousers, a black cap and a mask equipped with a gray goatee. He always tries to portray himself as an important and significant person and always gets into trouble. He has one advantage over others - a thick wallet, but this cannot in any way replace the complete lack of personal merits of a stupid and willful-lustful old man.

The most popular figure in the commedia dell'arte was the Doctor, a Bolognese lawyer and professor at an ancient university. He flaunted Latin tirades, but misinterpreted them mercilessly. His speech was structured according to all the rules of rhetoric, but was completely devoid of meaning. At the same time, the Doctor was always filled with the highest reverence for his person. The academic importance of this mask was emphasized by the strict attire. The scientist's black robe is the main accessory of his costume. On the face, the mask covered only the forehead and nose. She was also black. The cheeks, not covered by the mask, were exaggeratedly brightly rouged - this indicated that the Doctor was often heated by wine. The Captain's mask originally represented a boastful warrior. But the old Italian Captain was followed by a Spanish captain, who was dressed according to Spanish fashion. Since the campaign of Charles V in Spain, this Captain penetrated into Italy and was approved by the public. The Italian Captain was supplanted even in Italy by the Spaniard. The main thing in his character was irrepressible boasting, and it ended with Harlequin’s stick blows raining down on him. The captain longed for “world domination”, was very arrogant, extolled his personal military merits beyond measure, but he could also be cowardly and empty-headed. The megalomaniacal Captain introduced himself to the public as follows: “I am Captain Terror of Hell Valley, nicknamed the Devil, Prince of the Cavalry Order, Thermigist, that is, the greatest bully, the greatest mutilator, the greatest murderer, the tamer and master of the universe, the son of earthquake and lightning, the relative of death and bosom friend of the great hellish devil." But the Captain turned out to be a coward, a poor man and a liar. After lush tirades about his fabulous wealth, it turned out that he was not even wearing an undershirt. No less impressive was the Tartaglia - a Neapolitan mask depicting a notary, judge, policeman or some other person in authority. He stuttered and wore huge glasses. His stuttering gave rise to involuntary puns (and often of an obscene nature), for which Tartaglia was generously rewarded with blows with a stick.

The so-called scripts remain the material monuments of more than two centuries of commedia dell'arte (in its “pure form”). They were a sketch of a number of scenes on a specific topic; they briefly indicated the action, that is, approximately what this or that actor should do. Everything else is improvisation. The scripts revealed the laws of stage performance, which played a significant role in the formation of the entire Western European theater. A huge number of scripts are available in handwritten form in the collections of large Italian libraries. The first printed collection of scripts was published in 1611 by the actor Flaminio Scala, who directed one of the best commedia dell'arte troupes of the time - "Gelosi". The total number of scenarios reaches a thousand. In Russia, academician V.N. In 1916, Peretz also published comedies from the time of Anna Ioannovna, performed during the Italian troupe’s tour in Russia.

The authors of the scripts were most often the main actors of the troupe, but the creators of the roles, the authors of the living text that filled out the script, were the actors themselves. Improvisation as a method, of course, was practiced before, since it always lay at the basis of any developing theater of the folklore era. Improvisation was found in ancient mimes, histrions, and mysteries. But nowhere, except for the commedia dell'arte, was it the very essence, the basis of theatrical performance. In the theater, commedia dell'arte came not from drama, but from acting art, the basis of which was the method of improvisation. Of course, improvisation was a great school acting, which is still used in theaters educational institutions. The commedia dell'arte actor had to carefully observe everyday life, tirelessly replenish his stock of literary knowledge. In theatrical treatises of that time one can find indications that an actor should draw everything new and new from books. new material for their roles. Actors of comic masks constantly read collections of jokes, funny stories, the actors playing the roles of lovers had to be well versed in poetry. When creating roles, the actors could so deftly incorporate remembered text into them that it created the impression of a living, newly composed word. Famous Italian actress commedia dell'arte Isabella Andreini wrote: “How much effort nature must have used to give the world an Italian actor. She can create a French one with eyes closed, resorting to the same material from which parrots are made, who can only say what they are forced to recite by heart. How much higher is the Italian, who improvises everything himself and who, in contrast to the French, can be compared to a nightingale, composing its trills according to the momentary whim of the mood." This characteristic (for all its aggressiveness) is still true in relation to the method of acting. The art of improvisation is always in the theater has a high price.

The same state of creative activity should have accompanied the actor on stage. Here you need to not only be interesting yourself, but also be able to interact with partners, looking for incentives for your own creativity in their immediately emerging remarks.

The tasks that the commedia dell'arte posed for the actor were truly difficult. An actor must have masterly technique, resourcefulness, lively and obedient imagination. It was the Italian theater that formed the first magnificent masters performing arts, created the first theater troupes in Europe. The most famous of these groups of actors were the troupes of "Gelosi" (1568), led by Zan Ganassa, "Confidenti" (1574), later led by Flaminio Scala, "Fedeli" (1601), led by a representative of the second generation of the Andreini acting family - Giovanni -Battista Andreini. They brought together the best Italian actors, creators of the popular commedia dell'arte masks. They became famous for their art not only in Italy, but also in many countries of Western Europe. The name of Isabella Andreini (1562-1604), the creator of the graceful image of the lyrical heroine, was widely known. Her husband Francesco Andreini (1548-1624) played the Captain brilliantly. He published a collection of dialogues between the Captain and his servant (Venice, 1607). Actors who created servant masks were especially popular. So, for example, it was Niccolo Barbieri, who played under the name Beltrame (died after 1640).

WITH late XVI centuries, commedia dell'arte actors constantly perform in France, Spain, and England. The influence of their work on the dramaturgy of Moliere and Goldoni is especially noticeable. The Harlequin mask gained all-European fame in the work of Tristano Martinelli. In later years, the famous Domenico Biacolelli (1618-1688) gave Harlequin a masterly finish, bringing together the most bright features first and second Zanni. Biaconelli performed mainly in Paris theater Italian comedy. The aestheticization of this mask began with him. The aestheticization of commedia dell'arte is especially characteristic of the decadent movements of the early 20th century in Western Europe and Russia (directed by V. Meyerhold, A. Tairov, A. Mgebrov). The element of cheerfulness of the commedia dell'arte appeared in an updated form in Yevgeny Vakhtangov's production of Gozzi's Princess Turandot (1922). "Piccolo Teatro", E. De Filippo and others also used the traditions of mask theater in their work.

Commedia dell'arte, or comedy of masks, is a type of Italian theater of the 16th-17th centuries, combining the features of a cheerful carnival, folk farce and “learned comedy” played in a buffoonish manner. Itinerant actors performed performances. The head of the troupe, the capocomiko, set the plot, and two cheerful zanni (servants) - Brighella and Harlequin - appeared on the stage; the stingy, arrogant and sick merchant Pantalone; learned fool Doctor of Jurisprudence from Bologna; the cowardly braggart Captain; Servetta's sharp-tongued maid. The lovers appeared, and a merry carousel began: the old people, as usual, interfered with the union of the lovers, and the young, with the help of lively servants, left them in the cold. There was no written text, there was a plot outline, a script, and the actors improvised the dialogue on the fly, picking up their partner’s remarks. The ensemble turned out magnificent, the action was swift; there was room for both a solo number and hilarious lazzi - tricks that both zanni showed.

Cheerful, broken Brighella came out in a white blouse with a belt and wide white pants. Multicolored patches were sewn onto the Harlequin blouse. He was a good-natured and childish guy, although somewhat stupid compared to Brighella.

Pantalone sported red pants, a red jacket and a black cloak; he was not averse, despite his age, to chasing girls and considered himself worthy of all attention. The doctor appeared in a black robe with a white frill and spoke in gibberish Latin. The captain promised to crush everyone who stood in his way, because he was a Spaniard and had already conquered half the world - but the wooden sword got stuck in the scabbard every time, and therefore he ran headlong away from old Pantalone, as soon as he shook his finger at him.

Word, pantomime, music, dance were combined into a fun and exciting spectacle.

A mask in a comedy is both the mask itself, which covered the actor’s face completely or partially (sometimes just a glued-on nose or huge glasses), and a social type, sharpened to the point of a cartoon, with an unchanged physical appearance and character traits, its own “psychology.” The latter was determined by his social status or profession. An actor who performed successfully in some kind of mask then constantly appeared on stage with it; This is how the concept of “role” arose (see Masks and roles). There were a great variety of masks themselves: for example, in the south of Italy Pantalone was called Caviello, the notary Tartaglia importantly acted instead of the Doctor, Brighella became Pulcinella, distinguished by his special impudence and anger. But all these were variations of the same types, generalized and apt. Often, commedia dell'arte performances were sharply satirical, and then after the performance the troupe of comedians hurried away. The traveling troupes included wonderful improvisational actors, such as G. Ganassa and N. Barbieri, creators of zanni masks; F. Andrieni - the famous and inimitable Captain.

The popularity of this folk spectacle was enormous and crossed the borders of Italy. Troupes of Italians roamed throughout Europe, and Isabella Andrieni, the Martinelli brothers, and G. Sacchi enjoyed truly pan-European fame. Paris even had its own Comedie Italien, dangerous competitor French actors. The Italians were expelled more than once, but they learned from their art. The influence of the Italian comedy of masks is noticeable, for example, in the early plays of J. B. Moliere. Comedy masks, which Italian actors showed in other countries, often took on a national look (for example, the English Punch is a descendant of Pulcinella) and became part of the country’s national culture.

In Italy itself, play-scripts and actor-improvisers were no less popular than comedies by C. Goldoni or fairy-tale plays by C. Gozzi, in which masks were often used. Romantics with their special attention to folklore, to popular principle Gozzi's work was highly valued in culture.

At the beginning of the 20th century. interest in commedia dell'arte is awakening again. Thus, directors G. Craig, V. E. Meyerhold, E. B. Vakhtangov revive and interpret in their own way the themes and images of the old Italian theater. Vakhtangov’s production of Gozzi’s “Princess Turandot” became an event, marking the emergence the whole school in Soviet theatrical art.

Italy XX century knew the “great Harlequin” M. Moretti, who played in the play “The Servant of Two Masters” by J. Strehler based on Goldoni’s play. Nowadays, the spirit of the comedy of masks is perhaps most fully embodied by the wonderful improvisational actor D. Fo, whose performances combine political satire and virtuoso acting. The influence of the mask is also noticeable in the work of E. De Filippo - playwright, director, actor (see Italian theater).

The folk comedy of masks with its looseness, freedom and cheerful fearlessness had a beneficial effect on performing arts not only in Italy. As for the Italian theater, even today it has preserved that l "anima allegro - “cheerful soul”, which made the mask alive and was the essence of the commedia dell'arte.