Augusto Novelli
Encyclopedia
Augusto Novelli also known as Novellino, was an Italian
Florentine satirical journalist, writer, and dramatist.
A prolific playwright who completed more than fifty dramatic pieces (many in the Tuscan (Florentine) dialect
), Novelli is critically regarded as one of the founding fathers of the modern Florentine vernacular
(dialect) theater.
, Augusto Novelli was born there on 17 January 1867. Largely self-educated, Novelli succeeded in becoming an erudite intellectual despite a minimal formal education that ended after three years of primary schooling.
Enthused by the creative world of the Italian theater from an early age, Novelli managed to complete the farce
Una sfida ai bagni (A Challenge to the Baths) as a teenager and wrote early plays such as La capanna del veterano (The Veteran's Cabin) and La Società dei senza testa (Society of the Headless) in the 1880s. Having founded the satirical magazine Il vero Monello (The True Rogue) and become its chief editor in 1888, he soon cast his attention on the cause of Florentine drama, which began to appear in Novelli's journal in the Florentine vernacular
form in 1892.
As a politically active member of the intelligentsia
from the beginning of his career, Novelli was hounded by the establishment as a young man, and in the 1890s was given a fifteen-month prison term as punishment for his adherence to the socialist movement
during a period of fierce political conservatism
. (Despite this political martyrdom, Novelli would later be expelled by the Italian Socialist Party
's radical elements for being too reformist
, or impermissibly moderate.) Novelli's Il morticino (The Dead Child), a play written during his prison term, premiered in 1893 while the dramatist was still carrying on his work from behind bars. The subsequent year witnessed the debut of Novelli's Purgatorio, Inferno, Paradiso (Purgatory, Inferno, Paradise). In Britain
, the Victorian era
Freethinker
Samuel Porter Putnam
observed that "Novelli. . . was cheered when acquitted on the charges of irreverence and blasphemy
."
The play critically regarded as Novelli's most notable theatrical work, L'acqua cheta (Still Water), first opened at Florence's Teatro Alfieri on 28 January 1908. Though since hailed as a classic masterpiece of Florentine comedyeven described as the beginning of the modern Florentine vernacular theaterthe work opened to mixed critical reviews that were largely negative, at first receiving a positive review from only one critic, Mario Ferrigni. It nonetheless enjoyed an overwhelming popular success among theater-goers. The play was later turned into an operetta
after receiving a musical score from composer Giuseppe Pietri
: the Novelli-Pietro operetta premiered on 27 November 1920 in Rome
. The numerous other productions born out of Novelli's fruitful association with the Alfieri included the premieres of Acqua passata (Water Under the Bridge) in 1908; Casa mia (My House), L'ascensione (The Ascension), and L'Ave Maria (Ave Maria) in 1909; Gallina vecchia (The Old Hen) in 1911; La Cupola (The Cupola) in 1913; and Canapone in 1914.
Aside from his two decades with Il vero Monello, Novelli's contributions to periodicals included material for Firenze a zig-zag in 1912 and La Kultureide in 1916; Novelli's other efforts outside of drama included the 1902 Lotte sociali (Social Struggles), an original translation of Victor Hugo
's notes regarding his participation in attempts to effect social and political change in France
, and Firenze presa sul serio (Florence Taken Seriously), a novel first published for the Florentine readership in 1902. (Novelli's novel ultimately reappeared in a 1908 edition illustrated by Gustavo Rosso and prefaced by author and politician Otello Masini.)
Among Novelli's collaborators in the theatrical world was influential actor-manager Andrea Niccoli (1862-1917), historically memorable as an instrumental promoter of Novelli's L'acqua cheta and other plays.
Novelli died on 7 November 1927, aged eighty years and almost ten months at the timesome five years after dictator
Benito Mussolini
's fascist takeover of the country. He spent his final years in seclusion from public life in Tuscany
's community of Carmignano
(about 20 km west of Florence), where a commemorative bust installed in the municipal chamber now honors him.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Florentine satirical journalist, writer, and dramatist.
A prolific playwright who completed more than fifty dramatic pieces (many in the Tuscan (Florentine) dialect
Tuscan dialect
The Tuscan language , or the Tuscan dialect is an Italo-Dalmatian language spoken in Tuscany, Italy.Standard Italian is based on Tuscan, specifically on its Florentine variety...
), Novelli is critically regarded as one of the founding fathers of the modern Florentine vernacular
Vernacular
A vernacular is the native language or native dialect of a specific population, as opposed to a language of wider communication that is not native to the population, such as a national language or lingua franca.- Etymology :The term is not a recent one...
(dialect) theater.
Biography
Well-known for his lifelong association with the city of FlorenceFlorence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, Augusto Novelli was born there on 17 January 1867. Largely self-educated, Novelli succeeded in becoming an erudite intellectual despite a minimal formal education that ended after three years of primary schooling.
Enthused by the creative world of the Italian theater from an early age, Novelli managed to complete the farce
Farce
In theatre, a farce is a comedy which aims at entertaining the audience by means of unlikely, extravagant, and improbable situations, disguise and mistaken identity, verbal humour of varying degrees of sophistication, which may include word play, and a fast-paced plot whose speed usually increases,...
Una sfida ai bagni (A Challenge to the Baths) as a teenager and wrote early plays such as La capanna del veterano (The Veteran's Cabin) and La Società dei senza testa (Society of the Headless) in the 1880s. Having founded the satirical magazine Il vero Monello (The True Rogue) and become its chief editor in 1888, he soon cast his attention on the cause of Florentine drama, which began to appear in Novelli's journal in the Florentine vernacular
Tuscan dialect
The Tuscan language , or the Tuscan dialect is an Italo-Dalmatian language spoken in Tuscany, Italy.Standard Italian is based on Tuscan, specifically on its Florentine variety...
form in 1892.
As a politically active member of the intelligentsia
Intelligentsia
The intelligentsia is a social class of people engaged in complex, mental and creative labor directed to the development and dissemination of culture, encompassing intellectuals and social groups close to them...
from the beginning of his career, Novelli was hounded by the establishment as a young man, and in the 1890s was given a fifteen-month prison term as punishment for his adherence to the socialist movement
Socialist Movement
The Socialist Movement was an independent left-wing grouping in the United Kingdom that grew out the Socialist Conferences.The Socialist Conferences were held in Chesterfield, Sheffield and Manchester in the years following the defeat of Britain’s miners’ strike of 1984–1985...
during a period of fierce political conservatism
Conservatism
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports, at the most, minimal and gradual change in society. Some conservatives seek to preserve things as they are, emphasizing stability and continuity, while others oppose modernism...
. (Despite this political martyrdom, Novelli would later be expelled by the Italian Socialist Party
Italian Socialist Party
The Italian Socialist Party was a socialist and later social-democratic political party in Italy founded in Genoa in 1892.Once the dominant leftist party in Italy, it was eclipsed in status by the Italian Communist Party following World War II...
's radical elements for being too reformist
Reformism
Reformism is the belief that gradual democratic changes in a society can ultimately change a society's fundamental economic relations and political structures...
, or impermissibly moderate.) Novelli's Il morticino (The Dead Child), a play written during his prison term, premiered in 1893 while the dramatist was still carrying on his work from behind bars. The subsequent year witnessed the debut of Novelli's Purgatorio, Inferno, Paradiso (Purgatory, Inferno, Paradise). In Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, the Victorian era
Victorian era
The Victorian era of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. It was a long period of peace, prosperity, refined sensibilities and national self-confidence...
Freethinker
Freethought
Freethought is a philosophical viewpoint that holds that opinions should be formed on the basis of science, logic, and reason, and should not be influenced by authority, tradition, or other dogmas...
Samuel Porter Putnam
Samuel Porter Putnam
Samuel Porter Putnam was a United States freethinker, critic and publicist.-Biography:...
observed that "Novelli. . . was cheered when acquitted on the charges of irreverence and blasphemy
Blasphemy
Blasphemy is irreverence towards religious or holy persons or things. Some countries have laws to punish blasphemy, while others have laws to give recourse to those who are offended by blasphemy...
."
The play critically regarded as Novelli's most notable theatrical work, L'acqua cheta (Still Water), first opened at Florence's Teatro Alfieri on 28 January 1908. Though since hailed as a classic masterpiece of Florentine comedyeven described as the beginning of the modern Florentine vernacular theaterthe work opened to mixed critical reviews that were largely negative, at first receiving a positive review from only one critic, Mario Ferrigni. It nonetheless enjoyed an overwhelming popular success among theater-goers. The play was later turned into an operetta
Operetta
Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...
after receiving a musical score from composer Giuseppe Pietri
Giuseppe Pietri
Giuseppe Pietri was an Italian composer, known primarily for his work in operetta. Excerpts from one of his works, the opera Maristella, have been released on CD...
: the Novelli-Pietro operetta premiered on 27 November 1920 in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. The numerous other productions born out of Novelli's fruitful association with the Alfieri included the premieres of Acqua passata (Water Under the Bridge) in 1908; Casa mia (My House), L'ascensione (The Ascension), and L'Ave Maria (Ave Maria) in 1909; Gallina vecchia (The Old Hen) in 1911; La Cupola (The Cupola) in 1913; and Canapone in 1914.
Aside from his two decades with Il vero Monello, Novelli's contributions to periodicals included material for Firenze a zig-zag in 1912 and La Kultureide in 1916; Novelli's other efforts outside of drama included the 1902 Lotte sociali (Social Struggles), an original translation of Victor Hugo
Victor Hugo
Victor-Marie Hugo was a Frenchpoet, playwright, novelist, essayist, visual artist, statesman, human rights activist and exponent of the Romantic movement in France....
's notes regarding his participation in attempts to effect social and political change in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and Firenze presa sul serio (Florence Taken Seriously), a novel first published for the Florentine readership in 1902. (Novelli's novel ultimately reappeared in a 1908 edition illustrated by Gustavo Rosso and prefaced by author and politician Otello Masini.)
Among Novelli's collaborators in the theatrical world was influential actor-manager Andrea Niccoli (1862-1917), historically memorable as an instrumental promoter of Novelli's L'acqua cheta and other plays.
Novelli died on 7 November 1927, aged eighty years and almost ten months at the timesome five years after dictator
Dictator
A dictator is a ruler who assumes sole and absolute power but without hereditary ascension such as an absolute monarch. When other states call the head of state of a particular state a dictator, that state is called a dictatorship...
Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
's fascist takeover of the country. He spent his final years in seclusion from public life in Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
's community of Carmignano
Carmignano
Carmignano is a comune of c. 12,000 inhabitants in the province of Prato, part of the Italian region Tuscany. It is located about 20 km west of Florence and about 10 km southwest of Prato....
(about 20 km west of Florence), where a commemorative bust installed in the municipal chamber now honors him.
External links
- Electronic version of Lotte sociali (1902)Novelli's Italian translation of Victor Hugo in PDF format from the Manuzio Project / Liber Liber