93-530: Il Capitano ( Italian: [il kapiˈtaːno] ; lit. ' the Captain ' ) is one of the four stock characters of commedia dell'arte . He most probably was never a "Captain", but rather appropriated the name for himself. Several types of il Capitano exist. Deriving from the Miles Gloriosus of Plautus, the first famous type of il Capitano, best represented by the local Capitan Spaventa,
186-586: A regional language . It is taught in a few colleges near Cherbourg-Octeville . In the Channel Islands , the Norman language has developed separately, but not in isolation, to form: The British and Irish governments recognize Jèrriais and Guernésiais as regional languages within the framework of the British–Irish Council . Sercquiais is in fact a descendant of the 16th-century Jèrriais used by
279-562: A captain and a servetta (serving maid)". Commedia often performed inside in court theatres or halls, and also as some fixed theatres such as Teatro Baldrucca in Florence. Flaminio Scala, who had been a minor performer in the Gelosi, published the scenarios of the commedia dell'arte around the start of the 17th century, really in an effort to legitimize the form—and ensure its legacy. These scenarios are highly structured and built around
372-517: A commedia dell'arte company in which the performers find their life situations reflecting events they depict on stage. Commedia characters also figure in Richard Strauss 's opera Ariadne auf Naxos . The piano piece Carnaval by Robert Schumann was conceived as a type of masked ball that combined characters from commedia dell'arte with real world characters, such as Chopin , Paganini , and Clara Schumann , as well as characters from
465-514: A fresh range of expression and choreographic means. An example of a commedia dell'arte character in literature is the Pied Piper of Hamelin who is dressed as Harlequin . Music and dance were central to commedia dell'arte performance, and most performances had both instrumental and vocal music in them. Brighella was often depicted with a guitar, and many images of the commedia feature singing innamorati or dancing figures. In fact, it
558-407: A hedgehog. 7. Scaramouche – Scaramuccia (Italian), or Scaramouche (French) (" skirmish ") was a reinvention of the character by Tiberio Fiorilli. He is more of a man of action than he is a braggart and is clever, brave, and quick-witted rather than ignorant, cowardly and foolish. He is also a good singer and musician, and is usually depicted with a lute or guitar. Although quite a heartbreaker, he
651-472: A high-class courtesan. Female characters in the masters group, while younger than their male counterparts, are nevertheless older than the amorosi . Some of the better known commedia dell'arte characters are Pierrot and Pierrette, Pantalone , Gianduja , il Dottore , Brighella , il Capitano , Colombina , the innamorati , Pedrolino , Pulcinella , Arlecchino , Sandrone , Scaramuccia (also known as Scaramouche), la Signora , and Tartaglia . In
744-505: A joke or "something foolish or witty", usually well known to the performers and to some extent a scripted routine. Another characteristic of commedia is pantomime , which is mostly used by the character Arlecchino , now better known as Harlequin. The characters of the commedia usually represent fixed social types and stock characters , such as foolish old men, devious servants, or military officers full of false bravado . The characters are exaggerated "real characters", such as
837-427: A know-it-all doctor called il Dottore , a greedy old man called Pantalone , or a perfect relationship like the innamorati . Many troupes were formed to perform commedia , including I Gelosi (which had actors such as Isabella Andreini and her husband Francesco Andreini ), Confidenti Troupe, Desioi Troupe, and Fedeli Troupe. Commedia was often performed outside on platforms or in popular areas such as
930-407: A musket instead of a sword. In one famous scenario, il Capitano makes up a lie regarding the reason for his lack of an undershirt by claiming that it got that way because, "I used to be an exceedingly fierce and violent man, and when I was made angry the hair which covers my body in goodly quantity stood on end and so riddled my shirt with holes that you would have taken it for a sieve." The real reason
1023-400: A number of innamorati were skilled madrigalists , a song form that uses chromatics and close harmonies . Audiences came to see the performers, with plotlines becoming secondary to the performance. Among the great innamorate , Isabella Andreini was perhaps the most widely known, and a medallion dedicated to her reads "eternal fame". Tristano Martinelli achieved international fame as
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#17327764372391116-694: A number of Old French words which have been lost in Modern French. Examples of Norman French words of Old French origin: en anc. fr. : pétale Examples of Norman French words with -ei instead of -oi in Standard French words Examples of Norman French words with c- / qu- and g- instead of ch- and j in Standard French Examples of Norman words of Norse origin: In some cases, Norse words adopted in Norman have been borrowed into French – and more recently some of
1209-509: A number of playwrights have featured characters influenced by the commedia dell'arte and sometimes directly drawn from it. Prominent examples include The Tempest by William Shakespeare , Les Fourberies de Scapin by Molière , The Servant of Two Masters (1743) by Carlo Goldoni , the Figaro plays of Pierre Beaumarchais , and especially The Love for Three Oranges , Turandot and other fiabe by Carlo Gozzi . Influences appear in
1302-667: A partisan platform, Napoleon outlawed the commedia dell'arte. It was not reborn in Venice until 1979 because of this. Compagnie, or companies, were troupes of actors, each of whom had a specific function or role. Actors were versed in a plethora of skills, with many having joined troupes without a theatre background. Some were doctors, others priests, others soldiers, enticed by the excitement and prevalence of theatre in Italian society. Actors were known to switch from troupe to troupe "on loan", and companies would often collaborate if unified by
1395-409: A peacock who has moulted all but one of his tail feathers, but does not know it", notes author John Rudlin. In this case, his cowardice is usually overcome by the fury of his passion, which he makes every effort to demonstrate. Typically, however, his cowardice is such that when one of the characters orders him to do something, he often steps down out of fear, but is able to make up an excuse that ensures
1488-624: A piazza ( town square ). The form of theatre originated in Italy, but travelled throughout Europe—sometimes to as far away as Moscow. The genesis of commedia may be related to Carnival in Venice , where the author and actor Andrea Calmo had created the character Il Magnifico, the precursor to the vecchio (meaning 'old one' or simply 'old') Pantalone, by 1570. In the Flaminio Scala scenario, for example, Il Magnifico persists and
1581-620: A puppet version of Pulcinella resembling Punch and Judy . The characters created and portrayed by English comedian Sacha Baron Cohen (most famously Ali G , Borat , and Bruno ) have been discussed in relation to their potential origins in commedia , as Baron Cohen was trained by French master clown Philippe Gaulier , whose other students have gone on to become teachers and performers of commedia . Norman language Previously used: Norman or Norman French ( Normaund , French : Normand [nɔʁmɑ̃] , Guernésiais : Normand , Jèrriais : Nouormand )
1674-475: A result, commedia was reduced to formulaic and stylized acting; as far as possible from the purity of the improvisational genesis a century earlier. In France, during the reign of Louis XIV , the Comédie-Italienne created a repertoire and delineated new masks and characters, while deleting some of the Italian precursors, such as Pantalone. French playwrights, particularly Molière , gleaned from
1767-581: A single patron or performing in the same general location. Members would also splinter off to form their own troupes, such was the case with the Ganassa and the Gelosi. These compagnie travelled throughout Europe from the early period, beginning with the Soldati, then, the Ganassa, who travelled to Spain, and were famous for playing the guitar and singing—never to be heard from again—and the famous troupes of
1860-477: A type of baton known as a slapstick . These characters included the forebears of the modern clown , namely Harlequin and the Zanni. Harlequin, in particular, was allowed to comment on current events in his entertainment. The classic, traditional plot is that the innamorati are in love and wish to be married, but one elder ( vecchio ) or several elders ( vecchi ) are preventing this from happening, leading
1953-464: A type of characteristic representative of some particular Italian district or town" (archetypes). The character's persona included the specific dialect of the region or town represented. Meaning that on stage, each character was performed in its own dialect. Characters would often be passed down from generation to generation, and characters married onstage were often married in real life as well, seen most famously with Francesco and Isabella Andreini. This
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#17327764372392046-409: A vain but ugly man) or " Fracasso "/" Fracassa " (the correct masculine version and an invented feminine version for "Fracas", "Skirmish" or "Big noise"). Some are dismissive, such as " Cerimonia " ("Ceremony", all proper manners and rigid, slavish devotion to pointless details), " Coccodrillo " ("Crocodile", because he preys on others), " Fanfarone " ("Trumpeter" or "Loudmouth"), " Giangurgulo " ("John
2139-534: Is a langue d'oïl . The name "Norman French" is sometimes also used to describe the administrative languages of Anglo-Norman and Law French used in England . For the most part, the written forms of Norman and modern French are mutually intelligible . The thirteenth-century philosopher Roger Bacon was the first to distinguish it along with other dialects such as Picard and Bourguignon . Today, although it does not enjoy any official status, some reports of
2232-432: Is a colorful representation of commedia -inspired characters. Picasso also designed the original costumes for Stravinsky 's Pulcinella (1920), a ballet depicting commedia characters and situations. Commedia iconography is evident in porcelain figurines many selling for thousands of dollars at auction. The expressive theatre influenced Molière 's comedy and subsequently ballet d'action , thus lending
2325-613: Is also extremely opportunistic and greedy. If hired by Pantalone to protect his daughter from her many suitors, il Capitano would set up a bidding war for his services or aid between the suitors and Pantalone while wooing her himself. If he is hired to fight the Turks , he will bluster about fighting them to his last drop of blood, but when the Turks seem to be winning, he will join them. When they are driven off, he will change sides again and boast about his loyalty and bravery. "I think of him as
2418-437: Is called Prima Donna and can be one of the lovers. There is also a female character known as The Courtisane who can also have a servant. Female servants wore bonnets. Their character was played with a malicious wit or gossipy gaiety. The amorosi are often children of a male character in the masters group, but not of any female character in the masters group, which may represent younger women who have e.g. married an old man, or
2511-572: Is centred in Florence , Mantua , and Venice, where the major companies came under the protection of the various dukes . Concomitantly, a Neapolitan tradition emerged in the south and featured the prominent stage figure Pulcinella , which has been long associated with Naples and derived into various types elsewhere—most famously as the puppet character Punch (of the eponymous Punch and Judy shows) in England. Although commedia dell'arte flourished in
2604-499: Is interchangeable with Pantalone into the 17th century. While Calmo's characters (which also included the Spanish Capitano and a il Dottore type) were not masked, it is uncertain at what point the characters donned the mask. However, the connection to Carnival (the period between Epiphany and Ash Wednesday ) would suggest that masking was a convention of Carnival and was applied at some point. The tradition in northern Italy
2697-537: Is more probable that the comici used contemporary novella or traditional sources, and drew from current events and local news of the day. Not all scenarios were comic, there were some mixed forms and even tragedies. Shakespeare's The Tempest is drawn from a popular scenario in the Scala collection, his Polonius ( Hamlet ) is drawn from Pantalone, and his clowns bear homage to the Zanni. Comici performed written comedies at court. Song and dance were widely used, and
2790-432: Is that he has become too poor to afford one. Sometimes he wears it with a helmet or a bicorne or tricorne hat with a huge plume. Spanish characters often wear an exaggerated large neck-ruff. He is usually always wearing his trademarked sword. If he were to ever work up enough nerve to draw it, it is usually too long to draw easily or too heavy or wobbly to wield properly. Even if he cut somebody with it, he would faint at
2883-463: Is usually indirectly or unobtrusively helpful to the innamorati . 8. Fanfarone – pretends to be Spanish, but is actually just a Zanni. Commedia dell%27arte Commedia dell'arte ( / k ɒ ˈ m eɪ d i ə d ɛ l ˈ ɑːr t eɪ , k ə -, - ˈ m ɛ d i ə , - ˈ ɑːr t iː / kom- AY -dee-ə del- AR -tay, kəm-, - ED -ee-ə, - AR -tee , Italian: [komˈmɛːdja delˈlarte] ; lit. ' comedy of
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2976-536: The Gelosi performing Tasso 's Aminta , for example, and much was done at court rather than in the street. By the mid-16th century, specific troupes of commedia performers began to coalesce, and by 1568 the Gelosi became a distinct company. In keeping with the tradition of the Italian Academies, the Gelosi adopted as their impress (or coat of arms) the two-faced Roman god Janus . Janus symbolized both
3069-570: The Italian theatre during the Mannerist period, there has been a long-standing tradition of trying to establish historical antecedents in antiquity. While it is possible to detect formal similarities between the commedia dell'arte and earlier theatrical traditions, there is no way to establish certainty of origin. Some date the origins to the period of the Roman middle republic ( Plautine types ) or
3162-491: The " Joret line " ( ligne Joret ) separates the northern and southern dialects of the Norman language (the line runs from Granville, Manche to the French-speaking Belgian border in the province of Hainaut and Thiérache ). Dialectal differences also distinguish western and eastern dialects. Three different standardized spellings are used: continental Norman, Jèrriais, and Dgèrnésiais. These represent
3255-528: The 17th century, as commedia became popular in France, the characters of Pierrot, Columbine and Harlequin were refined and became essentially Parisian, according to Green. Each character in commedia dell'arte has a distinct costume that helps the audience understand who the character is. Harlequin originally wore a tight fitting long jacket with matching trousers that both had numerous odd shaped patches, usually green, yellow, red, and brown. Usually, there
3348-562: The English words used in French can be traced back to Norman origins. Following the Norman conquest of England in 1066, the Norman and other languages and dialects spoken by the new rulers of England were used during several hundred years, developing into the unique insular dialect now known as Anglo-Norman French , and leaving traces of specifically Norman words that can be distinguished from
3441-635: The French Ministry of Culture have recognized it as one of the regional languages of France . When Norse Vikings from modern day Scandinavia arrived in Neustria , in the western part of the then Kingdom of the Franks , and settled the land that became known as Normandy, these North-Germanic –speaking people came to live among a local Gallo-Romance –speaking population. In time, the communities converged, so that Normandy continued to form
3534-703: The French Parliament. The term vagabondi was used in reference to the comici , and remains a derogatory term to this day ( vagabond ). This was in reference to the nomadic nature of the troupes, often instigated by persecution from the Church, civil authorities, and rival theatre organisations that forced the companies to move from place to place. A troupe often consisted of ten performers of familiar masked and unmasked types, and included women. The companies would employ carpenters, props masters, servants, nurses, and prompters, all of whom would travel with
3627-622: The Glutton"), " Grillo " ("Grasshopper", because he is small and 'hops' sides), " Malagamba " ("Lame leg"), " Squaquara " ("Little Shi"), " Papirotonda " ("Round letter", a complaint signed by mutinous soldiers or sailors in a circle around the main text so the ringleaders or originators cannot be discerned), " Tagliacantoni " ("Small-sized"), or " Zerbino " ("Doormat"). He is also prone to awarding himself ridiculous titles such as " Capitan Spaventa di Vall'Inferna " ("Captain Fear, (Lord) of Hell's Valley";
3720-471: The Golden Age (1580–1605): Gelosi, Confidenti, Accessi. These names which signified daring and enterprise were appropriated from the names of the academies—in a sense, to lend legitimacy. However, each troupe had its impresse (like a coat of arms) which symbolized its nature. The Gelosi, for example, used the two-headed face of the Roman god Janus , to signify its comings and goings and relationship to
3813-635: The Irish dramatist George Farquhar 's play The Recruiting Officer . Major Bloodnok of the Goon Show bears some resemblance to il Capitano and shares many of his traits, such as lust, greed and cowardice. In modern theater , the character miles gloriosus ( Latin for 'Famous or Boastful Soldier') from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum is an obvious form of the character, though modeled from
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3906-414: The Italian stage. The Italian scholar Ferdinando Taviani has collated a number of church documents opposing the advent of the actress as a type of courtesan, whose scanty attire and promiscuous lifestyle corrupted young men, or at least infused them with carnal desires. Taviani's term negativa poetica describes this and other practices offensive to the church, while giving us an idea of the phenomenon of
3999-571: The Terrifying Captain'). He stands in a high posture, occupying as much space as possible, with a straight back and his chest pushed forward. To be exposed or 'de-masked'. He exists to be stripped of his excessive confidence and shown in a moment of panic and humility. His mask is described as having "a long nose, often unambiguously phallic". The nose for Capitan Spaventa's mask is fairly large, but it lengthens with Matamoros, and becomes absolutely gargantuan for Coccodrillo. Originally,
4092-583: The area of south-east Ireland, where the Hiberno-Normans invaded in 1169. Norman remains in (limited) use for some very formal legal purposes in the UK, such as when the monarch gives royal assent to an Act of Parliament using the phrase, " Le Roy (la Reyne) le veult " ("The King (the Queen) wills it"). The Norman conquest of southern Italy in the 11th and 12th centuries brought the language to Sicily and
4185-400: The character. In other words, the characteristics of the character and the characteristics of the mask are the same. In time however, the word maschere came to refer to all of the characters of the commedia dell'arte whether masked or not. Female characters (including female servants) are most often not masked (female amorose are never masked). The female character in the masters group
4278-447: The color of the mask was probably flesh tone, now it can be many flamboyant colors such as bright pink, yellow and light blue. The mask often has a strong mustache and brow lines that can be black or have a purple/blue tone. Military-esque uniform (a satire on the period). 1500s: feathered helmet or hat ( mom panache ), exaggerated garters, extraordinarily long sword and a plethora of ruffles. 1600s: coat, breeches, and he would mostly have
4371-466: The comings and goings of this travelling troupe and the dual nature of the actor who impersonates the "other". The Gelosi performed in northern Italy and France, where they received protection and patronage from the King of France. Despite fluctuations, the Gelosi maintained stability for performances with the "usual ten": "two vecchi , four innamorati (two male and two female lovers), two Zanni ,
4464-493: The commedia dell'arte performance. By the early 17th century, the Zanni comedies were moving from pure improvisational street performances to specified and clearly delineated acts and characters. Three books written during the 17th century— Cecchini's [ it ] Fruti della moderne commedia (1628), Niccolò Barbieri 's La supplica (1634) and Perrucci's Dell'arte rapresentativa (1699)—"made firm recommendations concerning performing practice". Katritzky argues that, as
4557-472: The company. They would travel in large carts laden with supplies necessary for their nomadic style of performance, enabling them to move from place to place without having to worry about the difficulties of relocation. This nomadic nature, although influenced by persecution, was also largely due in part to the troupes requiring new (and paying) audiences. They would take advantage of public fairs and celebrations, most often in wealthier towns where financial success
4650-748: The composer's inner world. Movements of the piece reflect the names of many characters of the commedia , including Pierrot , Harlequin, Pantalone , and Columbine. Stock characters and situations also appear in ballet. Igor Stravinsky 's Petrushka and Pulcinella allude directly to the tradition. Commedia dell'arte is performed seasonally in Denmark on the Peacock Stage of Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, and north of Copenhagen at Dyrehavsbakken . Tivoli has regular performances, while Bakken has daily performances for children by Pierrot and
4743-548: The diamond shaped lozenges took shape. The jacket became shorter and his hat changed from a soft cap to a double pointed hat. Il Dottore's costume was a play on the academic dress of the Bolognese scholars. Il Dottore is almost always clothed entirely in black. He wore a long black gown or jacket that went below the knees. Over the gown, he would have a long black robe that went down to his heels, and he would have on black shoes, stockings, and breeches. In 1653, his costume
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#17327764372394836-459: The different developments and particular literary histories of the varieties of Norman. Norman may therefore be described as a pluricentric language . The Anglo-Norman dialect of Norman served as a language of administration in England following the Norman conquest of England in 1066. This left a legacy of Law French in the language of English courts (though it was also influenced by Parisian French ). In Ireland, Norman remained strongest in
4929-423: The dispatch of the Italian comedians from France in 1697, the form transmogrified in the 18th century as genres such as comédie larmoyante gained in attraction in France, particularly through the plays of Marivaux . Marivaux softened the commedia considerably by bringing in true emotion to the stage. Harlequin achieved more prominence during this period. It is possible that this type of improvised acting
5022-480: The earlier Roman plays. 1. Capitan Spaventa ("fear") 2. Rinoceronte ("rhino") 3. Fracassa ("uproar") 4. Spezzafer ("iron splitter") 5. Cocodrillo ("crocodile") – "a crocodile who never bites, he is all fanfare easily deflated," according to Rudlin. 6. Matamoros (Spanish for "Killer of Moors") – the original Spanish mercenary – was created by Francesco Andreini. He is powerfully built and very lavishly dressed. The clothes of his servants were supposedly made from
5115-421: The early republic ( Atellan Farces ). The Atellan Farces of the early Roman republic featured crude "types" wearing masks with grossly exaggerated features and an improvised plot. Some historians argue that Atellan stock characters, Pappus, Maccus+Buccus, and Manducus, are the primitive versions of the commedia characters Pantalone , Pulcinella , and il Capitano . More recent accounts establish links to
5208-604: The equivalent lexical items in French: Other borrowings, such as canvas , captain , cattle and kennel , exemplify how Norman retained Latin /k/ that was not retained in French. In the United Kingdom, Acts of Parliament are confirmed with the words " Le Roy le veult " ("The King wishes it") and other Norman phrases are used on formal occasions as legislation progresses. Norman immigrants to North America also introduced some "Normanisms" to Quebec French and
5301-742: The first of the great Harlequins, and was honoured by the Medici and the Queen of France. Performers made use of well-rehearsed jokes and stock physical gags, known as lazzi and concetti , as well as on-the-spot improvised and interpolated episodes and routines, called burle ( sg. : burla , Italian for 'joke'), usually involving a practical joke. Since the productions were improvised, dialogue and action could easily be changed to satirize local scandals, current events, or regional tastes, while still using old jokes and punchlines. Characters were identified by costumes, masks, and props , such as
5394-439: The first primadonnas and the first well-documented actresses in Italy (and Europe). In the 1570s, English theatre critics generally denigrated the troupes with their female actors (some decades later, Ben Jonson referred to one female performer of the commedia as a "tumbling whore"). By the end of the 1570s, Italian prelates attempted to ban female performers; however, by the end of the 16th century, actresses were standard on
5487-534: The form to its liking. For example, pantomime , which flourished in the 18th century, owes its genesis to the character types of the commedia , particularly Harlequin . The Punch and Judy puppet shows, popular to this day in England, owe their basis to the Pulcinella mask that emerged in Neapolitan versions of the form. In Italy, commedia masks and plots found their way into the opera buffa , and
5580-607: The former Duchy of Normandy : the Channel Islands and the Cotentin Peninsula ( Cotentinais ) in the west, and the Pays de Caux ( Cauchois dialect ) in the east. Ease of access from Paris and the popularity of the coastal resorts of central Normandy, such as Deauville , in the 19th century led to a significant loss of distinctive Norman culture in the central low-lying areas of Normandy. Norman French preserves
5673-914: The lodgers in Steven Berkoff 's adaptation of Franz Kafka 's The Metamorphosis . Through their association with spoken theatre and playwrights commedia figures have provided opera with many of its stock characters. Mozart 's Don Giovanni sets a puppet show story and comic servants such as Leporello and Figaro have commedia precedents. Soubrette characters such as Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro , Zerlina in Don Giovanni and Despina in Così fan tutte recall Columbine and related characters. The comic operas of Gaetano Donizetti , such as L'elisir d'amore , draw readily upon commedia stock types. Leoncavallo 's tragic melodrama Pagliacci depicts
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#17327764372395766-409: The lovers to ask one or more Zanni (eccentric servants) for help. Typically the story ends happily, with the marriage of the innamorati and forgiveness for any wrongdoings. While generally personally unscripted, the performances often were based on scenarios that gave some semblance of a plot to the largely improvised format. The Flaminio Scala scenarios, published in the early 17th century, are
5859-637: The masked types), and excessive borrowing as opposed to originality was typical of all the arts in the late Italian Renaissance . Theatre historian Martin Green points to the extravagance of emotion during the period of commedia 's emergence as the reason for representational moods, or characters, that define the art. In commedia , each character embodies a mood: mockery, sadness, gaiety, confusion, and so forth. According to 18th-century London theatre critic Baretti , commedia dell'arte incorporates specific roles and characters that were "originally intended as
5952-552: The medieval jongleurs, and prototypes from medieval moralities, such as Hellequin (as the source of Harlequin, for example). The first recorded commedia dell'arte performances came from Rome as early as 1551. Commedia dell'arte was performed outdoors in temporary venues by professional actors who were costumed and masked, as opposed to commedia erudita ( lit. ' learned comedy ' ), which were written comedies, presented indoors by untrained and unmasked actors. This view may be somewhat romanticized since records describe
6045-512: The most influential painters, Lodewyk Toeput, for example, became Ludovico Pozzoserrato and was a celebrated painter in the Veneto region of Italy. The pittore vago can be attributed with establishing commedia dell'arte as a genre of painting that would persist for centuries. While the iconography gives evidence of the performance style (see Fossard collection), many of the images and engravings were not depictions from real life, but concocted in
6138-408: The most widely known collection and representative of its most esteemed compagnia , I Gelosi . The iconography of the commedia dell'arte represents an entire field of study that has been examined by commedia scholars such as Erenstein, Castagno, Katritzky, Molinari, and others. In the early period, representative works by painters at Fontainebleau were notable for their erotic depictions of
6231-566: The name of Vall'Inferna also sounds similar to "Va' all'Inferno!", lit. ' [When you die] Go to Hell! ' , an Italian-language imprecation), " Salvador de los Vírgenes Borrachos " (Spanish for "Savior of Drunken Virgins"), or " Sieur de Fracasse et Brise-tout " (French for "Lord of 'Knock it down' and 'Break everything'"). The French coined characters such as Boudoufle ( Norman French for 'Puffed up with hurt pride'), Taille-bras (either 'Limb-Cutter' or 'Arm's Length'), and Engoulevent (either 'Night-bird' or 'Big-mouth'). England has
6324-484: The name of the region while the original Norsemen were largely assimilated by the Gallo-Romance people, adopting their speech but still contributing some elements from Old Norse language and Norse culture. Later, when conquering England, the Norman rulers in England would eventually assimilate, thereby adopting the speech of the local English. In both cases, the elites contributed elements of their own language to
6417-457: The newly enriched languages that developed in the territories. In Normandy, the Norman language inherited only some 150 words from Old Norse. The influence on phonology is disputed, although it is argued that the retention of aspirated / h / and / k / in Norman is due to Norse influence. Norman is spoken in mainland Normandy in France , where it has no official status, but is classed as
6510-445: The original colonists from Jersey who settled the then uninhabited island. The last first-language speakers of Auregnais , the dialect of Norman spoken on Alderney , died during the 20th century, although some rememberers are still alive. The dialect of Herm also lapsed at an unknown date; the patois spoken there was likely Guernésiais (Herm was not inhabited all year round in the Norman culture's heyday). An isogloss termed
6603-498: The other characters still see him as a brave and fierce individual. Columbine sometimes uses him to make Harlequin (Arlecchino) jealous, much to il Capitano's bewilderment and fright. The origin of il Capitano comes from 2 literary sources: Plautus 's miles gloriosus and Terence's Eunuchus . The first famous Capitano, Capitan Spaventa, appeared in Francesco Andreini 's Bravure di Capitan Spaventa ('The Boast of
6696-460: The period the Capitano is from. Pantalone has one of the most iconic costumes of commedia dell'arte. Typically, he would wear a tight-fitting jacket with a matching pair of trousers. He usually pairs these two with a big black coat called a zimarra . Women, who usually played servants or lovers, wore less stylized costumes than the men in commedia . The innamorati would wear what
6789-478: The plots and masks in creating an indigenous treatment. Indeed, Molière shared the stage with the Comédie-Italienne at Petit-Bourbon , and some of his forms, e.g. the tirade , are derivative from the commedia ( tirata ). Commedia dell'arte moved outside the city limits to the théâtre de la foire , or fair theatres, in the early 17th century as it evolved toward a more pantomimed style. With
6882-522: The plots of Rossini , Verdi , and Puccini . During the Napoleonic occupation of Italy, instigators of reform and critics of French Imperial rule (such as Giacomo Casanova ) used the Carnival masks to hide their identities while fueling political agendas, challenging social rule and hurling blatant insults and criticisms at the regime. In 1797, in order to destroy the impromptu style of Carnival as
6975-416: The profession ' ) was an early form of professional theatre , originating from Italian theatre , that was popular throughout Europe between the 16th and 18th centuries. It was formerly called Italian comedy in English and is also known as commedia alla maschera , commedia improvviso , and commedia dell'arte all'improvviso . Characterized by masked "types", commedia was responsible for
7068-413: The rise of actresses such as Isabella Andreini and improvised performances based on sketches or scenarios. A commedia , such as The Tooth Puller , contains both scripted and improvised portions; key plot points and characters' entrances and exits are scripted, but the actors may otherwise be expected to improvise new gags on stage. A special characteristic of commedia is the lazzo ,
7161-599: The season of Carnival , which took place in January. Janus also signified the duality of the actor, who is playing a character or mask, while still remaining oneself. Magistrates and clergy were not always receptive to the travelling compagnie, particularly during periods of plague, and because of their itinerant nature. Actors, both male and female, were known to strip nearly naked, and storylines typically descended into crude situations with overt sexuality, considered to teach nothing but "lewdness and adultery...of both sexes" by
7254-546: The southern part of the Italian Peninsula , where it may have left a few words in the Sicilian language . See: Norman and French influence on Sicilian . Literature in Norman ranges from early Anglo-Norman literature through the 19th-century Norman literary renaissance to modern writers ( see list of Norman-language writers ). As of 2017 , the Norman language remains strongest in the less accessible areas of
7347-585: The studio. The Callot etchings of the Balli di Sfessania (1611) are most widely considered capricci rather than actual depictions of a commedia dance form, or typical masks. While these are often reproduced in large formats, the actual prints measured about 2×3 inches. In the 18th century, Watteau 's painting of commedia figures intermingling with the aristocracy were often set in sumptuous garden or pastoral settings and were representative of that genre. Pablo Picasso 's 1921 painting Three Musicians
7440-528: The symmetry of the various types in duet: two Zanni, vecchi , innamorate and innamorati , etc. In commedia dell'arte, female roles were played by women, documented as early as the 1560s, making them the first known professional actresses in Europe since antiquity. Lucrezia Di Siena , whose name is on a contract of actors from 10 October 1564, has been referred to as the first Italian actress known by name, with Vincenza Armani and Barbara Flaminia as
7533-482: The thinly veiled innamorata , or the bare-breasted courtesan/actress. The Flemish influence is widely documented as commedia figures entered the world of the vanitas genre, depicting the dangers of lust, drinking, and the hedonistic lifestyle. Castagno describes the Flemish pittore vago ('wandering painter') who assimilated themselves within Italian workshops and even assumed Italian surnames: one of
7626-437: The troupe ever return. Prices were dependent on the troupe's decision, which could vary depending on the wealth of the location, the length of stay, and the regulations governments had in place for dramatic performances. Generally, the actors playing were diverse in background in terms of class and religion, and performed anywhere they could. Castagno posits that the aesthetic of exaggeration, distortion, anti-humanism (as in
7719-457: The turbans of his victims. Has a hedgehog on his coat of arms, the result of his exploits at the battle of Trebizonde, where he claims to have fought his way into the tent of the Sultan himself. He then dragged him through the camp with one hand while fighting off the entire enemy army with the other hand. Afterwards, there were so many arrows stuck in him by the time he fought free that he resembled
7812-522: The very sight of the blood. Il Capitano usually has a properly showy name for himself, preferably several lines long and followed by many made-up titles and lists of relations. Some names are fierce-sounding, such as " Escobombardon " ("Fired out of a cannon"), " Rodomonte " ("Mountain-crumbler"), " Sangre y Fuego " (Spanish: "Blood and Fire"), " Spaccamonti " ("Mountain splitter"), " Spezzaferro " ("Iron-breaker"), or " Terremoto " ("Earthquake"). Some names are ironic, such as " Bellavista " ("Beautiful view",
7905-543: The wars with the Muslims. Capitano matamoros best represents this type of il Capitano. Il Capitano often talks at length about made-up conquests of both the militaristic and the carnal variety in an attempt to impress others, but often ends up impressing only himself. He gets easily carried away in his tales and doesn't realise when those around him don't buy his act. He would be the first to run away from any and all battles, and he has trouble talking to and being around men. He
7998-401: Was a bat and a wallet that would hang from his belt. His hat, which was a soft cap, was modeled after Charles IX or after Henri II, and almost always had a tail of a rabbit, hare or a fox with the occasional tuft of feathers. During the 17th century, the patches turned into blue, red, and green triangles arranged in a symmetrical pattern. The 18th century is when the iconic Harlequin look with
8091-458: Was ambitious and boastful but also a dreamer with positive connotations. The other type of il Capitano was a braggart and a swaggerer able to maintain his claims only by benefit of the fact that none of the locals knows him. He is usually a Spaniard , most probably inspired by the boisterous Iberic caudillos who told tall tales of their exploits either in the conquest of the Americas or in
8184-457: Was believed to make performances more natural, as well as strengthening the bonds within the troupe, who emphasized complete unity between every member. Additionally, each character has a singular costume and mask that is representative of the character's role. Commedia dell'arte has four stock character groups: Masked characters are often referred to as "masks" (Italian: maschere ), which, according to John Rudlin, cannot be separated from
8277-457: Was changed by Augustin Lolli who was a very popular il Dottore actor. He added an enormous black hat, changed the robe to a jacket cut similarly to Louis XIV, and added a flat ruff to the neck. Il Capitano's costume is similar to il Dottore's in the fact that it is also a satire on military wear of the time. This costume would therefore change depending on where the Capitano character is from, and
8370-565: Was considered part of the innamorati function to be able to sing and have the popular repertoire under their belt. Accounts of the early commedia , as far back as Calmo in the 1570s and the buffoni of Venice, note the ability of comici to sing madrigali precisely and beautifully. The danzatrice probably accompanied the troupes and may have been in addition to the general cast of characters. For examples of strange instruments of various grotesque formations, see articles by Tom Heck, who has documented this area. The works of
8463-414: Was considered to be the fashion of the time period. They would normally not wear masks but would be heavily makeuped. Conventional plot lines were written on themes of sex , jealousy , love , and old age . Many of the basic plot elements can be traced back to the Roman comedies of Plautus and Terence , some of which were themselves translations of lost Greek comedies of the 4th century BC. However, it
8556-538: Was more probable. Companies would also find themselves summoned by high-ranking officials, who would offer patronage in return for performing in their land for a certain amount of time. Companies in fact preferred to not stay in any one place too long, mostly out of a fear of the act becoming "stale". They would move on to the next location while their popularity was still active, ensuring the towns and people were sad to see them leave, and would be more probably to either invite them back or pay to watch performances again should
8649-534: Was passed down the Italian generations until the 17th century, when it was revived as a professional theatrical technique. However, as currently used, the term commedia dell'arte was coined in the mid-18th century. Commedia dell'arte was equally if not more popular in France, where it continued its popularity throughout the 17th century (until 1697), and it was in France that commedia developed its established repertoire. Commedia evolved into various configurations across Europe, and each country acculturated
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