The power of the prima donna: Giulia Masotti's repertory of choice
Singers were fundamental agents in the circulation of opera scores, arias, and librettos during the seventeenth century.[1] Crucial connections between the court, the commercial theater, and in some cases the chapel and other religious institutions, they deftly navigated the fluid space between thes...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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2015.
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| Online Access: | Get fulltext Get fulltext |
| Summary: | Singers were fundamental agents in the circulation of opera scores, arias, and librettos during the seventeenth century.[1] Crucial connections between the court, the commercial theater, and in some cases the chapel and other religious institutions, they deftly navigated the fluid space between these diverse worlds, entertaining relationships with composers, librettists, impresarios, and members of the aristocracy. Furthermore, singers could be indispensable sources of information for aristocratic opera lovers, who relied on their reports to learn the latest news on the outcome of a production and the rise to fame of a new performer. Singers' agency, however, was not limited to the circulation of scores, librettos, and gossip. Thanks to the commercial value that public theaters attached to particularly celebrated prime donne and primi uomini, some reached a status that allowed them to establish the repertory of their choice, influencing the decisions of impresarios and patrons to fit their needs and tastes. |
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