Giuseppe Scarlatti: Dove è amore è gelosia (Where there is love, there is jealousy)
A historical reconstruction of opera performance at The Baroque Theatre at Český Krumlov Castle
Realisation: September 2010, September 2011
It is not necessary to introduce the town Český Krumlov or the castle rising above the river. Including the town onto UNESCO's List of World Cultural and Natural Heritage exceptionality of this place was confirmed. A world unique, which has not any analogy in the world, is secreted from many visitors. At the castle complex stands the Baroque Theatre with completely preserved machinery, costumes and props.
Only limited visitors can look into this magic world of the Baroque Theatre and experimental performances are used to take place only for experts.
We are preparing in association with the Foundation of the Baroque Theatre and the State Castle Český Krumlov a unique performance, which would present this unique monument. For achievement of a maximum level of a prepared opera performance it is necessary to choose cooperation with renowned authors and performers, prepare demanding costumes and during realisation all rules for preservation an illusion of such admired baroque stage must be respected.
After a long and demanding research of a suitable title, which would correspond with such an unique project, we have found at the State Archive in Český Krumlov the scores of the opera, which was performed at the Baroque Theatre. J. A. Schwarzenberg commissioned Giuseppe Scarlatti to compose opera buffa for the celebration in 1768. This was the ceremonial performance accompanying the celebrations of the wedding of the prince's son, Johann Nepomuk zu Schwarzenberg on July 24, 1768. The opera was conducted by Giuseppe Scarlatti himself.
Giuseppe Scarlatti
Naples 1718 – Vienna 1777
Italian composer, believed to be a nephew of Domenico Scarlatti. He probably lived in Rome from 1739, then in Florence and by 1744 Lucca. He and his wife Barbara, a singer, were in Vienna in 1748, but were soon back in Italy (two of his operas were heard in Venice in 1752), then briefly in Spain and Naples, but thereafter mainly in Venice and Vienna, where he was a ballet composer for the Kärntnertortheater. Further travels may have taken him to Italy and Spain in the mid-1760s, but later he worked for the Schwarzenberg family in Vienna - he was music teacher to members of Prince Schwarzenberg’s family – the daughters of J. Adam zu Schwarzenberg.
He composed more than 30 operas, which were performed in many Italian cities and in Vienna; he was noted for his natural melodic gift, his ingenious handling of opera buffa aria form and his generally charming if simple style.
Dove è amore è gelosia
/Where there is love, there is jealousy/
- Comic opera
- Libretto: Marco Coltellini
- Performers: 4 soloists
The historical documents about the whole celebrations and the performance of the opera have been preserved. These documents describe the beginning of the celebration with carriage-arriving accompanying with music for 2 French horns, 2 bassoons and 4 oboes.
„Wiener-Diarium“ writes about the celebrations in Krumlov on 24th August 1768 under Political news among others: „On 24th July at noon a great table for 72 guests was arranged, in the evening a new italian opera by Mr Scarlatti was performed, which received with an exceptional praise, because it was really inventive.“
There is preserved in the archive of the German orders a letter of the count Ludvik von Zinzendorf, brother in law of the wedding pair, who was presented in the celebrations in Český Krumlov, sent to his brother to Birmingham. He also describes these days in Krumlov such as „ stay really brilliant“ with „the celebrations enjoyable“ and in full style of „great aristocracy“.
Prager Postzeitung describes on 3rd September 1768, that on 24th July the opera was performed. The point is Giuseppe Scarlatti’s „Intermezzo giocoso“ „Dove e amore e gelosia“, which, how it follows from the received donatives exemplars of the original score in Vienna and Český Krumlov, it was composed „on commission of His Majesty Prince Schwanzenberg.“
The exemplar preserved in Vienna mentions also the soloists of the Krumlov´s production:
- Clarice – Princess Theresa zu Schwarzenberg
- Vespetta – Mrs Scarlatti
- Orazio – Count of Salbourg
- Patrizio – Mr Coltellini, librettist of intermezzo
Beside librettist Marco Coltellini, who was also famous for his liberttos for Mozart and Hayden, took one part also the second wife of Scarlatti, Antonia. By the aristocracy stands on the stage already the following generation, the branch of Schwanzenbergs represents twenty-one-year-old princess Maria Theresia, who follows in her mother’s footsteps.
In the Austrian National Library, musical collection, S.M. 1043, we find the article „Giuseppe Scarlatti and his opera buffa“, in the book „Music on the court of Maria Theresia“, pages 57-73, information: „The performance in Krumlov is transferred to the Burgtheatre in Vienna“. From that and above mentioned facilities we can suppose that the fact in the musical encyclopedy GROVE, that the premiere of the opera was at the Burgtheatre in Vienna, belies the reality.
On 5th August 1770 is the production of Krumlov even repeat at the castle theatre in Schönbrunn, by the celebration of jubilee marriage Tuscan grand ducal couple Leopold and Maria Lucy, who were right staying in Vienna.
The celebration began at the Gold Hall, which had been decorated by the musical motifs for this event, and continues at the Masquerade Hall, which the pairs passed through connecting corridor directly to the castle theatre from.
In 1765 - 1766, Josef Adam zu Schwarzenberg had the castle theatre reconstructed and equipped with a new machinery and decorations with the unique mechanisms for changing the scenes.
The opening show in occasion of the celebrations of the wedding of the prince's son, Johann Nepomuk zu Schwarzenberg on July 24, 1768, in the newly refurbished theatre belonged to the most significant theatrical undertaking in the castle theatre in Český Krumlov in the 18th century. The new costumes for the musicians had been made for this solemn performance, the information can be found at the castle archive.
Also the whole castle garden with the Summer House Bellarie had been arranged for this celebration.
Thanks to preserved historical documents at the archives we can try to reconstruct this unique event, whose top would be a realisation of the opera performance.
A realisation of the whole project is scheduled for two years: In September 2010 two performances would take place at the Baroque Theatre at the castle. An audio recording from this performance as well as a video recording about preparation of this performance would be done. General partner of this event was Temelín Nuclear Power Station. The project would culminate in 2011 by a realisation of TV recording of this opera, which would be completed by a period reconstruction of celebrations connected with the premiere of this opera in Český Krumlov.
The prestigious world TV companies show their interest in TV recording and a release on DVD.
This opera is prepared by a director Ondřej Havelka. His experiences and realised opera projects are a guarantee of a brilliant conception complying with all historical aspects of the baroque theatre.
Vojtěch Spurný would be a musical director. He graduated at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague /opera direction, conducting, harpsichord/ and at University in Utrecht /harpsichord and performing practice of an early music/. He worked among others at the Castle in Drottningholm. With the ensemble Musica Salutaris, he is its artistic leader, presented in 2000 at the castle theatre in Litomysl the Czech premiere of the first preserved opera of Jacop Peri – Euridice.
After many discussions we have decided for realising this project and further project at the Baroque Theatre to form an orchestra with a working name „Schwarzenberg´s orchestra“. The best musicians will be inviting to collaboration and also young musicians will have a chance.
The soloists will be from the National Theatre, Prague – Kateřina Kněžíková, Jaroslav Březina, Aleš Briscein and Lenka Máčiková.
General partner of the project is ČEZ, a.s.
This project is prepared in co-operation with the Foundation of the Baroque Theater in Český Krumlov and under the auspices of the governor of the Region of South Bohemia Mgr. Jiří Zimola.
The co-operator of this performance is the The National Institue for the Protection and Conservation of Monuments and Sites of the Czech Republic, regional department in České Budějovice.
The premiere of an opera performance to be held on 9th September 2011 is realised under the auspices of First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic Karel Schwarzenberg.
An aim of this project is not only the realisation of this opera, but also the establishment of a tradition to perform an opera at the Baroque Theatre in Český Krumlov yearly.