Pulcinella (ballet)
Encyclopedia
Pulcinella is a ballet
by Igor Stravinsky
based on an 18th-century play — Pulcinella
is a character originating from Commedia dell'arte
. The ballet premiered at the Paris Opera
on 15 May 1920 under the baton of Ernest Ansermet
. The dancer Léonide Massine created both the libretto and choreography, and Pablo Picasso
designed the original costumes and sets. It was commissioned by Sergei Diaghilev
.
libretto and music believed (in Diaghilev's time) to have been composed by Giovanni Pergolesi. (Although the music was then attributed to Pergolesi, much of that attribution has since proved to be spurious; some of the music may have been written by Domenico Gallo
, Carlo Ignazio Monza
, and possibly Alessandro Parisotti
and Unico Wilhelm van Wassenaer
.) Conductor Ernest Ansermet
wrote to Stravinsky in 1919 about the prospect, but the composer initially did not like the idea of music by Pergolesi. However, once he studied the scores, which Diaghilev had found in libraries in Naples and London, he changed his mind. Stravinsky rewrote this older music in a more modern way by borrowing specific themes and textures, but interjecting modern rhythms, cadences and harmonies. Pulcinella is scored for a modern chamber orchestra with soprano
, tenor
, and baritone
soloists. Pulcinella is often considered to be the first piece of Stravinsky's neoclassical
period.
The Ballet score was revised in 1965.
The Pulcinella suite consists of eight movements
:
A new episode begins with Rosetta with her father appearing. Rosetta dances for Pulcinella and they kiss. But Pimpinella sees this and interrupts the scene. Florindo and Cloviello arrive and jealous of Pulcinella, they beat him up. Pulcinella is then stabbed, but this is actually a mockery to get Pimpinella to forgive Pulcinella. Furbo disguised as a magician appears and resurrects Pulcinella's body in front of everybody. Pimpinella indeed forgives Pulcinella, Prudenza and Rosetta succumb to Florindo's and Cloviello's wooing. The ballet ends with the marriages of the couples.
. He wrote of Pulcinella: “Pulcinella was my discovery of the past, the epiphany through which the whole of my late work became possible. It was a backward look, of course — the first of many love affairs in that direction — but it was a look in the mirror, too.” It was revived and revised by New York City Ballet
's balletmasters George Balanchine
and Jerome Robbins
, who both danced, Robbins in the title role, for their 1972 Stravinsky Festival.
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
by Igor Stravinsky
Igor Stravinsky
Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky ; 6 April 1971) was a Russian, later naturalized French, and then naturalized American composer, pianist, and conductor....
based on an 18th-century play — Pulcinella
Pulcinella
Pulcinella, ; often called Punch or Punchinello in English, Polichinelle in French, is a classical character that originated in the commedia dell'arte of the 17th century and became a stock character in Neapolitan puppetry....
is a character originating from Commedia dell'arte
Commedia dell'arte
Commedia dell'arte is a form of theatre characterized by masked "types" which began in Italy in the 16th century, and was responsible for the advent of the actress and improvised performances based on sketches or scenarios. The closest translation of the name is "comedy of craft"; it is shortened...
. The ballet premiered at the Paris Opera
Palais Garnier
The Palais Garnier, , is an elegant 1,979-seat opera house, which was built from 1861 to 1875 for the Paris Opera. It was originally called the Salle des Capucines because of its location on the Boulevard des Capucines in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, but soon became known as the Palais Garnier...
on 15 May 1920 under the baton of Ernest Ansermet
Ernest Ansermet
Ernest Alexandre Ansermet was a Swiss conductor.- Biography :Ansermet was born in Vevey, Switzerland. Although he was a contemporary of Wilhelm Furtwängler and Otto Klemperer, Ansermet represents in most ways a very different tradition and approach from those two musicians. Originally he was a...
. The dancer Léonide Massine created both the libretto and choreography, and Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso
Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso known as Pablo Ruiz Picasso was a Spanish expatriate painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist, and stage designer, one of the greatest and most influential artists of the...
designed the original costumes and sets. It was commissioned by Sergei Diaghilev
Sergei Diaghilev
Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev , usually referred to outside of Russia as Serge, was a Russian art critic, patron, ballet impresario and founder of the Ballets Russes, from which many famous dancers and choreographers would arise.-Early life and career:...
.
History
Diaghilev wanted a ballet based on an early eighteenth-century Commedia dell'arteCommedia dell'arte
Commedia dell'arte is a form of theatre characterized by masked "types" which began in Italy in the 16th century, and was responsible for the advent of the actress and improvised performances based on sketches or scenarios. The closest translation of the name is "comedy of craft"; it is shortened...
libretto and music believed (in Diaghilev's time) to have been composed by Giovanni Pergolesi. (Although the music was then attributed to Pergolesi, much of that attribution has since proved to be spurious; some of the music may have been written by Domenico Gallo
Domenico Gallo
Domenico Gallo was an Italian composer and violinist.He was born in Venice in 1730. He composed church music, sonatas, and possibly violin concertos. Works of his were mistakenly attributed to Giovanni Pergolesi, including the sonatas upon which Igor Stravinsky's Pulcinella was based.-External...
, Carlo Ignazio Monza
Carlo Ignazio Monza
Carlo Ignazio Monza was an Italian composer. He was born in Milan and died in Vercelli. Works of his were possibly among the music that formed the basis for the Pulcinella score by Igor Stravinsky. There are recordings of Monza's harpsichord music by Terence Charlston.-External links:*...
, and possibly Alessandro Parisotti
Alessandro Parisotti
Alessandro Parisotti was an Italian composer and music editor.Though also a composer, Alessandro Parisotti is better known today as the original editor of a collection of songs known as arie antiche...
and Unico Wilhelm van Wassenaer
Unico Wilhelm van Wassenaer
Unico Willem van Wassenaer, Count of the Empire, was a Dutch diplomat and composer....
.) Conductor Ernest Ansermet
Ernest Ansermet
Ernest Alexandre Ansermet was a Swiss conductor.- Biography :Ansermet was born in Vevey, Switzerland. Although he was a contemporary of Wilhelm Furtwängler and Otto Klemperer, Ansermet represents in most ways a very different tradition and approach from those two musicians. Originally he was a...
wrote to Stravinsky in 1919 about the prospect, but the composer initially did not like the idea of music by Pergolesi. However, once he studied the scores, which Diaghilev had found in libraries in Naples and London, he changed his mind. Stravinsky rewrote this older music in a more modern way by borrowing specific themes and textures, but interjecting modern rhythms, cadences and harmonies. Pulcinella is scored for a modern chamber orchestra with soprano
Soprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
, tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
, and baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
soloists. Pulcinella is often considered to be the first piece of Stravinsky's neoclassical
Neoclassicism (music)
Neoclassicism in music was a twentieth-century trend, particularly current in the period between the two World Wars, in which composers sought to return to aesthetic precepts associated with the broadly defined concept of "classicism", namely order, balance, clarity, economy, and emotional restraint...
period.
Movements of the complete ballet
- Overture: Allegro moderato
- Serenata: Larghetto, Mentre l'erbetta (tenor)
- Scherzino: Allegro
- Allegro
- Andantino
- Allegro
- Ancora poco meno: Contento forse vivere (soprano)
- Allegro assai
- Allegro- alla breve: Con queste paroline (bass)
- Andante: Sento dire no'ncè pace (soprano, tenor & bass)
- Allegro: Ncè sta quaccuna po (soprano & tenor)
- Presto: Una falan zemprece (tenor)
- Allegro: - Alla breve
- Tarantella
- Andantino: se tu m'ami (soprano)
- Allegro
- Gavotta con due variazioni
- Vivo
- Tempo di minuetto: Pupillette, fiammette d'amore (soprano, tenor & bass)
- Finale: Allegro assai
Pulcinella Suite
The Pulcinella Suite is derived from the Ballet and has no singing parts. The Suite was revised by the composer in 1947, some references say 1949.The Ballet score was revised in 1965.
The Pulcinella suite consists of eight movements
Movement (music)
A movement is a self-contained part of a musical composition or musical form. While individual or selected movements from a composition are sometimes performed separately, a performance of the complete work requires all the movements to be performed in succession...
:
- Sinfonia
- Serenata
- a: Scherzino b: Allegretto c: Andantino
- Tarantella
- Toccata
- Gavotta (con due variazioni)
- Vivo
- a: Minuetto b: Finale
Suite italienne
Stravinsky based the following works on the ballet:- 1925: Suite d'après des thèmes, fragments et morceaux de Giambattista Pergolesi for violin and piano (in collaboration with Paul KochanskiPaul KochanskiPaul Kochanski was a Polish violinist, composer and arranger.- Training and early career :...
). - 1932/33: Suite italienne for violoncello and piano (in collaboration with Gregor PiatigorskyGregor PiatigorskyGregor Piatigorsky was a Russian-born American cellist.-Early life:...
). - 1933: Suite italienne for violin and piano (in collaboration with Samuel DushkinSamuel DushkinSamuel Dushkin was an American violinist of Polish birth.Dushkin was born in Suwałki, Poland. He studied at the Conservatoire de Paris as well as with Leopold Auer in New York City and Fritz Kreisler...
). - Somewhat later, Jascha Heifetz and Piatigorsky made an arrangement for violin and cello, which they also called Suite Italienne.
Story
The ballet unfolds in one single act and features Pulcinella, his girlfriend Pimpinella, his friend Furbo, Prudenza and Rosetta, and Florindo and Cloviello. The story starts with Florindo and Cloviello serenading Prudenza and Rosetta. The two women are unimpressed and reply by showering the suitors with water. Prudenza's father, a doctor, appears and chases them away.A new episode begins with Rosetta with her father appearing. Rosetta dances for Pulcinella and they kiss. But Pimpinella sees this and interrupts the scene. Florindo and Cloviello arrive and jealous of Pulcinella, they beat him up. Pulcinella is then stabbed, but this is actually a mockery to get Pimpinella to forgive Pulcinella. Furbo disguised as a magician appears and resurrects Pulcinella's body in front of everybody. Pimpinella indeed forgives Pulcinella, Prudenza and Rosetta succumb to Florindo's and Cloviello's wooing. The ballet ends with the marriages of the couples.
Importance
Pulcinella was the gateway to Stravinsky's second phase as a composer, the neoclassicalNeoclassicism (music)
Neoclassicism in music was a twentieth-century trend, particularly current in the period between the two World Wars, in which composers sought to return to aesthetic precepts associated with the broadly defined concept of "classicism", namely order, balance, clarity, economy, and emotional restraint...
. He wrote of Pulcinella: “Pulcinella was my discovery of the past, the epiphany through which the whole of my late work became possible. It was a backward look, of course — the first of many love affairs in that direction — but it was a look in the mirror, too.” It was revived and revised by New York City Ballet
New York City Ballet
New York City Ballet is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Leon Barzin was the company's first music director. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company...
's balletmasters George Balanchine
George Balanchine
George Balanchine , born Giorgi Balanchivadze in Saint Petersburg, Russia, to a Georgian father and a Russian mother, was one of the 20th century's most famous choreographers, a developer of ballet in the United States, co-founder and balletmaster of New York City Ballet...
and Jerome Robbins
Jerome Robbins
Jerome Robbins was an American theater producer, director, and choreographer known primarily for Broadway Theater and Ballet/Dance, but who also occasionally directed films and directed/produced for television. His work has included everything from classical ballet to contemporary musical theater...
, who both danced, Robbins in the title role, for their 1972 Stravinsky Festival.
Sources
- Dunning, Albert (1988). "Un gentilhomme hollandais, diplomate-compositeur, à la cour de Louis XV: Nouvellesrecherches sur le comte Unico Wilhelm van Wassenaer". Revue de Musicologie 74, no. 1:27–51.
- White, Eric Walter (1966). Stravinsky: The Composer and His Works, second edition. Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 9780520039834.
External links
- Programme notes
- Source for the composers, on whose music Stravinsky based the score