In this beautiful film by Gianni Di Capua, the actress Galatea Ranzi gives voice to Giacomo Casanova who, in 1751, worked on a translation of Rameau’s opera Zoroastre. She is accompanied by Theresia Youth Baroque Orchestra, under the direction of Claudio Astronio.
Interwoven with Casanova’s original texts, the Theresia Youth Baroque Orchestra under the baton of Claudio Astronio performs extracts from the original version of Rameau’s opera Zoroastre. In the recently-restored neoclassical interiors of the Rimini’s Teatro Galli, Gianni Di Capua presents a delicate staging that uniquely celebrates classical music.
In 1751, the ambassador of the King of Poland and Elector of Saxony commissioned Casanova to create an Italian translation of a French opera that would “lend itself to great changes and could be enhanced with grands ballets on the same subject.” He chose Zoroastre, Rameau’s fourth lyric tragedy based on a libretto by Louis de Cahusac. Casanova wrote on this subject in his memoires: I had to adapt the Italian words to the music of the choruses of the original by Monsieur Rameau. The music remains beautiful, but the Italian poetry doesn’t shine. Despite this, I received a beautiful golden snuff box from the generous monarch, and I gave my mother great pleasure. The mother of the Venetian adventurer would play one of the principal roles, Erinice, in the premiere of his new translation.
Photo: © Massimo Di Capua
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