Commedia dell'arte (Italian: commedia dell'arte), or comedy of masks, is a type of Italian folk (square) theater, performances of which were created by the method of improvisation, based on a script containing a brief plot outline of the performance, with the participation of actors dressed in masks. In different sources also referred to as la commedia a soggetto (script theatre), la commedia all'improvviso (improvisation theater) or la commedia degli zanni (zanni comedy).
The theater existed from the mid-16th to the end of the 18th centuries, having a key impact on the further development of the entire Western European dramatic theater. The troupes that played comedies of masks were the first professional theater troupes in Europe, where the foundations were laid acting skills(the term commedia dell'arte, or skillful theater, indicates the perfection of actors in theatrical acting) and where elements of directing were present for the first time (these functions were performed by the leading actor of the troupe, called capocomico, Italian capocomico).
TO 19th century commedia dell'arte is becoming obsolete, but finds its continuation in pantomime and melodrama. In the 20th century, comedy served as a model for the synthetic theater of Meyerhold and Vakhtangov, as well as the French Jacques Copot and Jean-Louis Barrault, who revived the expressiveness of stage gesture and improvisation and gave great value ensemble playing.
The principle of tipi fissi, in which the same characters (masks) participate in scenarios with different contents, is widely used today in the creation of comedy television series, and the art of improvisation is used in stand-up comedy.
Origin
In the ancient Roman theater there was a type of folk theater called atellans. These were obscene farces, originally improvised, in which the actors also wore masks; Some of the characters of the Atellans were similar in the nature of the mask to the characters of the commedia dell'arte (such as the Roman mask of Papus and the Italian mask of Pantalone), but it is wrong to talk about the Atellans as the predecessor of the commedia dell'arte - the gap in tradition between them is more than twelve centuries . Most likely, we can only talk about the similarity of circumstances in which these types of theater were born.
Commedia dell'arte was born from carnival celebrations. There was no theater yet, but there were jesters, mimes, and masks. Another factor was the emergence of national Italian drama. New plays are being written by L. Ariosto, N. Machiavelli, B. Bibiena, P. Aretino, but all these plays are unsuitable for the stage, they are oversaturated with characters and abundance storylines. This dramaturgy is called “scientific comedy.”
Angelo Beolco (Rudzante) in the first half of the 16th century. composes plays using the technique of “scientific comedy”, but performs his performances at the Venetian carnivals. The confusing plots are accompanied by tricks and healthy peasant humor. A small troupe gathers around him, where the principle of tipi fissi is outlined and the use of theater stage folk dialect speech. Finally, Beolko introduced dance and music into the dramatic action. This was not yet a commedia dell'arte - Beolko and his troupe were still playing within the framework of a given plot, he did not have free play and improvisation, but it was he who opened the way for the emergence of comedy. The first mention of the mask theater dates back to 1555.
The main characters of the commedia dell'arte
The number of masks in commedia dell'arte is very large (there are more than a hundred of them in total), but most of them are related characters that differ only in names and minor details. The main characters of the comedy include two quartets of male masks, the Captain's mask, as well as characters who do not wear masks, these are the Zanni girls and the Lovers, as well as all the noble ladies and gentlemen.
Male characters
Northern (Venetian) mask quartet
Pantalone(Magnifico, Cassandro, Uberto) - Venetian merchant, stingy old man;
Doctor(Dr. Balandzone, Dr. Graziano), - pseudo-scientific doctor of law; old man;
Brighella(Scapino, Buffetto), - the first zanni, a smart servant;
Harlequin(Mezzetino, Truffaldino, Tabarino) - second zanni, stupid servant;
Southern (Neapolitan) mask quartet
Tartaglia, judge-stutterer;
Scaramuccia, boastful warrior, coward;
Coviello, first zanni, intelligent servant;
Pulcinella(Policinelle), second zanni, stupid servant;
Captain, - a boastful warrior, a coward, the northern analogue of the Scaramucci mask;
Pedrolino(Pierrot, Clown), servant, one of the zanni.
Lelio(also, Orazio, Lucio, Flavio, etc.), young lover;
Female characters
Isabel(also, Lucinda, Vittoria, etc.), young lover; often the heroine was named after the actress who played this role;
Columbine
Columbina, Fantesca, Fiametta, Smeraldina, etc., are maids.
Components of commedia dell'arte
Masks
A leather mask (Italian maschera) was a mandatory attribute covering the face of a comic character, and was initially understood exclusively in this sense. However, over time, the entire character began to be called a mask. The actor usually played the same mask. The actor who played Brighella rarely had to play Pantalone, and vice versa. The scripts changed often, but the mask changed much less often. The mask became the image of the actor, which he chose at the beginning of his career, and playing it all his life, he complemented it with his artistic individuality. He did not need to know the role, it was enough to know the script - the plot and the proposed circumstances. Everything else was created during the performance process through improvisation.
The organization of the troupe and the canon of the performance
Harlequin, thief, provost and judge
System performing arts commedia dell'arte was formed to end of XVI V. and improved over the next century. In 1699, the most complete code of comedy, “Dell'arte representiva, premediata e all'improviso,” compiled by Andrea Perucci, was published in Naples.
The performance begins and ends with a parade with the participation of all the actors, with music, dance, lazzi (buffoon tricks) and tomfoolery, and consists of three acts. Short interludes were performed between acts. The action must be limited in time (twenty-four-hour canon). The plot scheme was also canonical - young lovers, whose happiness is hindered by old people, overcome all obstacles with the help of clever servants. The troupe must have a capocomico who reviews the script with the actors, deciphers the lazzi and takes care of the necessary props. The script is selected strictly in accordance with the masks that the troupe has. This is at least one quartet of masks and a pair of lovers. Also, a good troupe should have two more actresses, a singer (Italian: la cantatrice) and a dancer (Italian: la ballarina). The number of actors in the troupe was rarely less than nine, but usually did not exceed twelve. For the scenery it was necessary to designate a street, a square, two houses in the background, on the right and on the left, between which the backdrop was stretched.
Script and improvisation
The basis of a performance in commedia dell'arte is the script (or outline) - this is very summary by episode of the plot with detailed description characters, the order of entering the stage, the actions of the actors, the main lazzi and props. Most scripts are reworkings of existing comedies, short stories and short stories for the needs of a single troupe (with its own set of masks), a hastily scribbled text posted backstage during the performance. The script, as a rule, is of a comedic nature, but it can also be a tragedy, a tragicomedy, or a pastoral (in the collection of scripts by Flaminio Scala, which were played on stage by the Gelosi troupe, there are tragedies; it is also known that the Moliere-Dufresne troupe traveling around the French province sometimes she played tragedies, however, without much success).
Here the art of improvisation of Italian comedians came into force. Improvisation allows you to adapt the play to a new audience, to the news of the city; an improvisational performance is more difficult to subject to preliminary censorship. The art of improvisation consisted in resourceful delivery of lines combined with appropriate gestures and the ability to reduce all improvisation to the original script. Successful improvisation required temperament, clear diction, command of recitation, voice, breathing, good memory, attention and resourcefulness, requiring instant reaction, and rich imagination, excellent body control, acrobatic dexterity, the ability to jump and somersault over the head - pantomime was required , as body language, acted on a par with words. In addition, actors playing the same mask throughout their lives accumulated a solid baggage of stage techniques, tricks, songs, sayings and aphorisms, monologues and could freely use this in a variety of combinations. Only in the 18th century. playwright Carlo Goldoni led Italian drama from the script to the fixed text; he buried the commedia dell'arte, which was in decline, and on its grave erected an immortal monument in the form of the play "The Servant of Two Masters."
traditional character from Italian comedies
Alternative descriptionsOriginally a simpleton and a fool in the Italian commedia dell'arte
Opal with multicolor mosaic opalescence
A breed of tall hounds found only in Russia, which disappeared in the mid-19th century.
An ancient breed of tall hounds of white or light gray color with frequent small black specks and bluish-white eyes.
Traditional Italian character. and French folk comedies.
In French folk theater 18 - early XIX V. Pierrot's lucky rival
Italian Comedy of Masks character
A strip of fabric fixedly fixed at the top and framing the portal arch of the stage
Synonym for Italian jester, clown
Servant of Melpomene from the fairy tale about the golden key
Poem by A. Blok
Cloths framing the portal arch of the stage
Pierrot's lucky rival
Later, there is a cunning servant (one of the zanni) in a suit of multi-colored triangles
Black opal with multi-colored play of light.
A strip of fabric (cloth) framing the portal arch of the stage and fixedly fixed in the upper part
Jester, clown; clown
Russian poem poet XIX century A. Maykov
Italian jester, clown
Translate “King of the Alder” into Old Germanic
Painting French artist A. Watteau “Gallant...”
Painting by French artist Paul Cezanne
Painting by the French artist Edgar Degas “... and Columbine”
Comedian from the Karabas Barabas Theater
A character in the comedy of the Italian playwright C. Goldoni “The Cunning Widow”
Breed of hunting dogs, marbled Great Dane
Rival Pierrot
Clown from Comedy of Masks
Jester from Commedia dell'Arte
. "I'm a joke, I..."
Traditional character from old Italian comedies
Italian version of our Parsley
Jester, clown (trans.)
Hero of the "Comedy of Masks"
Cheerful rival Pierrot
Pierrot's rival in the fairy tale
His name means "king of alder"
Malvina's suitor
Cheerful friend Pinocchio
Hero from Comedy of Masks
Schemer among dolls
Jester from Italy
Pierrot the offender
Clown, jester
Traditional character of the Italian comedy of masks, rival of Pierrot
Gemstone, opal with mosaic play of colors
. (obsolete) hound dog with motley fur
Poem by A. Maykov
. "I'm a joke, I..."
A breed of tall hounds found only in Russia, which disappeared in the mid-19th century
An ancient breed of tall hounds of white or light gray color with frequent small black speckles and bluish-white eyes
Traditional Italian character. and French folk comedies
Black opal with multi-colored play of light
Hero of the "Comedy of Masks"
His name means "king of alder"
Painting by the French artist A. Watteau "Gallant..."
Painting by the French artist Edgar Degas "... and Columbine"
M. is one of the funny faces of silent comedy (pantomime): a joker and a prankster, in tight, colorful clothes made from scraps, sometimes with bells; motley jester, striped gaer, lomaka, amusing. A breed of sniffer dogs wearing a white shirt and wearing black or white foals. Odd-eyed, animal, esp. horse with different colored eyes. There was once a variegated fashionable harlequin fabric. Milky or noble opal, girazal, a valuable stone that plays with all colors. She dressed up like a harlequin, colorfully. Harlequin pranks, mistaking him for a famous face of comedy; harlequin, clownish, gay tomfoolery. Harlequinism cf. harlequin state, buffoonery, gayness. Harlequinade w. a jester's performance in which the motley jester is the main performer. Harlequinism, harlequinism, harlequinism, being a jester, gayer, breaker, vulgar amusement
Translate "King of the Alder" into Old Germanic.
A character in the comedy "The Cunning Widow" by Italian playwright C. Goldoni
COMEDY DEL ARTE(commedia dell"arte); another name is comedy of masks, improvisational street theater Italian Renaissance, which arose in the mid-16th century. and, in fact, formed the first professional theater in history.
Commedia dell'arte emerged from street festivals and carnivals. Her characters are certain social images in which not individual, but typical traits are cultivated. There were no plays as such in the commedia dell'arte; only a plot scheme, a script, was developed, which during the course of the performance was filled with live replicas that varied depending on the composition of the audience. It was this improvisational method of work that led comedians to professionalism - and, first of all, to the development of an ensemble and increased attention to their partner. In fact, if the actor does not carefully follow the improvisational cues and the line of behavior of the partner, he will not be able to fit into the flexibly changing context of the performance. These performances were the favorite entertainment of the mass, democratic audience. Commedia dell'arte absorbed the experience of farcical theater, but the common characters of the "scientific comedy" were also parodied here. A certain mask was assigned to a specific actor once and for all, but the role - despite the rigid typical framework - varied endlessly and developed during each performance.
The number of masks that appeared in commedia dell'arte is extremely large - more than a hundred. However, most of them were rather variations of several basic masks.
Commedia dell'arte had two main centers - Venice and Naples. In accordance with this, two groups of masks emerged. The Northern (Venetian) consisted of Doctor, Pantalone, Brighella and Harlequin; southern (Neapolitan) - Coviello, Pulcinella, Scaramuccia and Tartaglia. The style of performance of the Venetian and Neapolitan commedia dell'arte was also somewhat different: Venetian masks worked primarily in the genre of satire; the Neapolitans used more tricks, rude buffoonish jokes. According to functional groups, masks can be divided into the following categories: old people (satirical images of Pantalone, Doctor, Tartaglia, Captain); servants (comedic zanni characters: Brighella, Harlequin, Coviello, Pulcinella and a fantasy maid - Smeraldina, Francesca, Columbina); lovers (images closest to the heroes literary drama, played only by young actors). Unlike the elderly and servants, the lovers did not wear masks, were luxuriously dressed, had exquisite plastic arts and the Tuscan dialect in which Petrarch wrote his sonnets. It was the actors who played the roles of lovers who were the first to abandon improvisation and begin to write down the texts of their characters.
The authors of the scripts were most often the main actors of the troupe (capo commico). The first printed collection of scripts was published in 1611 by the actor Flaminio Scala, who directed the famous Gelosi troupe. Other most famous troupes are Confidenti and Fedeli.
The Italian commedia dell'arte produced a whole constellation of brilliant actors (many of whom were the first theorists of stage art): Isabella and Francesco Andreini, Giulio Pasquati, Bernardino Lombardi, Marc Antonio Romagnesi, Nicolo Barbieri, Tristano Martinelli, Teresa, Catarina and Domenico Biancolelli, Tiberio Fiorilli and others. From the end of the 16th century. The troupes began to tour widely throughout Europe - in France, Spain, England. Her popularity reached its peak. However, by the middle of the 17th century. Commedia dell'arte began to decline. The tightening of the church's policy towards theater in general, and commedia dell'arte in particular, led to comedians settling in other countries for permanent residence. So, let's say, in Paris, on the basis of an Italian troupe, the Comedy Italian theater was opened.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011 00:18 + to quote book
Venetian carnival masks
These are the characters of the Italian Commedia dell'Arte, a special type of street theatrical performance, which originated in Italy in the 16th century.
Harlequin, Columbine, Pierrot, Pulcinella and other characters, each of whom was distinguished by a certain character, style of behavior and manner of dressing, entertained city residents with their performances, enjoyed incredible popularity and became people's favorites for several centuries.
Therefore, once a year, during the famous Venetian festival, everyone who wanted to take part in the mesmerizing extravaganza acquired their own mask of one of the heroes and, hiding their true face from those around them, plunged into the abyss of unbridled multi-day fun
Currently, carnival masks are one of the world-famous symbols of Venice.
What are traditional Venetian images?
This is undoubtedly the Cat, the Citizen, the Plague Doctor, Bauta, the Venetian Lady.
The process of making a Venetian carnival is outwardly simple.
A plaster mold is taken, greased with Vaseline, and filled from the inside with a layer of papier-mâché prepared according to a special recipe. The resulting blank is dried and sanded, then holes for the eyes are cut out in it. After this, they start decorating.
Masks are often coated with a layer of special paint to make them look antique. Surface decoration is often a slow and painstaking process, using acrylic paints, gold and silver foil, enamel, varnish, expensive fabrics, rhinestones, feathers, beads... it all depends on the artist’s imagination. Some pieces are so beautiful and skillfully made that they are scary to wear.
The prices for such masterpieces are often as amazing as their appearance.
Classic masks not associated with the theater include:
Bauta- one of the most popular Venetian masks.
It appeared in the 17th century and served as an effective cover for representatives of any class and gender. Despite its eerie appearance, it enjoyed the special love of the people, who wore it in combination with a long black cloak that hid the figure and a triangular hat - tricorno.
The origin of the name is unknown (according to one version, it is associated with the Italian word “bau” or “babau”, denoting a fictional monster that was used to scare small children (something like our Babai or Buki).
Bauta was considered an ideal mask for high-ranking persons who liked to anonymously go “to the people.” Interestingly, its lower part was designed in such a way that a person could eat and drink without exposing his face. Bauta has no gender, no age, no faith, no class.
To put on a bauta is to renounce your annoying individuality, to renounce your own face, to free yourself from moral norms. To the question “who did this?” Bauta replies: “Mask...”
A piece of black silk was attached to the mask, completely covering the lower part of the face, neck and back of the head and giving the whole appearance of the dressed-up person a mysterious and slightly creepy shade. A triangular black hat trimmed with silver braid was put on the head. When bautting, they wore white silk stockings and black shoes with buckles.
This mask was extremely popular among the Venetians, and they were willing to pay a large amount to have the best laces and fabrics of the highest
Venetian mask “Cat”
The Venetian carnival owes its Cat mask to an old funny legend.
It tells how a certain poor Chinese man came to Venice with his old cat. There were no cats in the city, but there was an abundance of mice. The hungry animal pounced on its prey and in a few days freed the island republic from rodents. The Doge was so happy that he presented the Chinese with countless treasures and sent him home with great honor. The miracle animal remained in the palace in case of future invasions.
Another poor Chinese, seeing such a thing, decided that even if the naive Venetians were ready to pay so much money for a cat, then for silk and other “decent goods” he would receive a hundredfold from them. The Chinese went into debt, bought goods and went to the land of unafraid idiots. The Doge was speechless at the sight of new goods from China, and when he found them, he promised to give his greatest treasure for them. They shook hands.
The cat went back to China)))
Volto.
Also known as Citizen, because it was worn on permitted days by ordinary citizens. Volto is the most neutral of all masks, copying classic shape human face.
It was attached to the head with ribbons (some Voltos had a handle instead of ribbons on the chin).
Venetian Lady (Dama di Venezia)
A very elegant and sophisticated mask depicting a noble Venetian beauty from the era of Titian - elegant, hung with jewels, with intricately styled hair.
The Lady has several varieties: Liberty, Valerie, Salome, Fantasy, etc.
Moretta
The most mysterious, most romantic mask is “SERVETTA MUTA” (mute maid), but the more common name is “MORETTA” (Moretta, dark-skinned woman).
And people called it “HUSBAND’S PLACE”, since where the mouth of the mask used to be on the inside there was a small peg that had to be pressed with your teeth to keep the mask in front of your face - according to Casanova, such masks made women mysterious, and most importantly... silent .
It was an oval of black velvet. The name most likely comes from "Moor", which means black in Venetian. This black perfectly emphasized the noble pallor of the face and the red Venetian hair color. No wonder ladies of the upper class loved this mask so much.
The mask of the new moon, a mask of deceptive female submission and hidden male fear. Silent maenad mask made of soft leather or velvet. Hecate mask. The mask of the night strega, which could turn the eternal Diana the virgin into a greedy black Venus. A mysterious stranger hiding her face and voice... The ability to communicate only with gestures... Mystery and seduction... Nowadays, the Moretta mask is made only to order.
In shops selling masks “mask of silence” can't be found
The creepiest mask of the carnival is Doctor Plague.
She didn't show up for fun.
Plague epidemics repeatedly engulfed Venice and, due to the high population density, claimed many lives. The only people who somehow fought the disease were doctors who wore long-nosed masks over their faces for personal safety.
It was believed that these “beaks” with aromatic substances placed in them could protect them from infection.
For the same purpose, doctors wore dark long cloaks made of linen or waxed material over their regular clothes, and took a special stick in their hands so as not to touch the patient with their hands.
Of great interest is the mask "gnaga" (from the Italian "gnau" - "meow"),
with which the Venetian expression “to have the impudence of a nyaga” is associated.
The wearer of this costume, consisting of a badly worn, torn dress and a cat mask, was supposed to imitate a cat's tongue with a "meowing" voice and movements - cat habits.
It is considered a mask of homosexuals.
The Inquisition forbade dressing men as women; any manifestation of the sin of Sodom was strictly persecuted on all days except carnival. Usually a person wearing this mask appeared surrounded by friends dressed as children. The costume should be an old, vulgar, flamboyant 16th-century female outfit of any social group. It is necessary to imitate meowing with your voice, and cat habits with wagging movements.
Commedia dell'arte masks Commedia dell'arte (Italian: la commedia dell'arte),
or comedy of masks - a type of Italian folk theater
.The number of masks in commedia dell'arte is very large (there are more than a hundred of them in total), but most of them are related characters that differ only in names and minor details.
The main characters of the comedy include two quartets of male masks, the Captain's mask, as well as characters who do not wear masks, these are the Zanni girls and the Lovers, as well as all the noble ladies and gentlemen. The number of masks in the Comedy Del Arte is very large (there are more than a hundred in total),
Male characters Northern (Venetian) quartet of masks:
Pantalone (Magnifico, Cassandro, Uberto) - Venetian merchant, stingy old man;
Doctor (Doctor Balandzone, Doctor Graziano), - pseudo-scientific doctor of law; old man;
Brighella (Scapino, Buffetto), - the first zanni, an intelligent servant;
Harlequin (Mezzetino, Truffaldino, Tabarino) - second zanni, stupid servant;
Southern (Neapolitan) quartet of masks:
Tartaglia, the stuttering judge; - Scaramuccia, a boastful warrior, a coward;
Coviello, the first zanni, an intelligent servant;
Pulcinella (Policinelle), second zanni, stupid servant;
The captain is a boastful warrior, a coward, the northern analogue of the Scaramucci mask;
Pedrolino (Pierrot, Clown), servant, one of the zanni. - Lelio (also Orazio, Lucio, Flavio, etc.), young lover;
Female characters
Isabella (also Lucinda, Vittoria, etc.), young lover; often the heroine was named after the actress who played this role; - Columbina, Fantesca, Fiametta, Smeraldina, etc., are maids.
ZANNI General name for a comedic servant
The name comes from male name Giovanni, which was so popular among common people, which has become a common noun to designate a servant.
The zanni class includes such characters as Arlecchino, Brighella, Pierino, who appeared later.
The characteristics of the nameless zanni are an insatiable appetite and ignorance.
He lives exclusively for today and does not think about complex matters. Usually loyal to its owner, but does not like discipline. At least 2 such characters took part in the play, one of whom was dull, and the other, on the contrary, was distinguished by a fox-like intelligence and dexterity. They were dressed simply - in a shapeless light blouse and trousers, usually made from flour sacks.
The mask initially covered the entire face, so in order to communicate with other heroes of the zanni comedy, one had to lift its lower part (which was inconvenient).
Subsequently, the mask was simplified, and it began to cover only the forehead, nose and cheeks.
A characteristic feature of the zanni mask is the elongated nose, and its length is directly proportional to the stupidity of the character.
BRIGELLA - another zanni, partner of Harlequin.
In a number of cases, Brighella is a self-made man who started without a penny, but gradually accumulated money and secured a fairly comfortable existence for himself.
He is often depicted as a tavern owner. Brighella is a big money lover and a ladies' man.
It was these two emotions - primitive lust and greed - that froze on his green half mask.
In some productions, he appears as a servant, more cruel in character than his younger brother Harlequin. Brighella knows how to please her master, but at the same time, Time is quite capable of deceiving him, not without benefit for herself. He is cunning, cunning and can, depending on circumstances, be anyone - a soldier, a sailor and even a thief.
His costume is a white camisole and trousers of the same color, decorated with transverse green stripes. He often carries a guitar with him, as he is inclined to play music.
Brighella's mask, although it was one of the most beloved by ordinary spectators, as a rule, was in the background of intrigue; the lack of active action was compensated by a large number of insert tricks and musical interludes.
Images close to Brighella are present in the comedies of Lope de Vega and Shakespeare; these are also Scapin, Mascarille and Sganarelle by Moliere and Figaro by Beaumarchais.
HARLEQUIN (Arlecchino) - zanni of the rich old man Pantalone.
The Harlequin costume is bright and colorful: it is made up of diamonds of red, black, blue and green.
This pattern symbolizes the extreme Poverty of Harlequin - his clothes seem to consist of countless poorly selected patches.
By nature, Harlequin is an acrobat and a clown, so his clothes should not restrict his movements.
The mischievous man carries a stick with him, which he often uses to bludgeon other characters. Despite his penchant for fraud, Harlequin cannot be considered a scoundrel - a person just needs to live somehow. He is not particularly smart and is quite gluttonous (his love for food is sometimes stronger than his passion for Columbine, and his stupidity prevents the fulfillment of Pantalone’s amorous plans).
Harlequin's mask was black, with ominous features (according to one version, the word “Harlequin” itself comes from the name of one of the demons of Dante’s “Hell” - Alicino).
On his head was a white felt hat, sometimes with fox or rabbit fur.
Other names: Bagattino, Trufaldino, Tabarrino, Tortellino, Gradelino, Polpettino, Nespolino, Bertoldino, etc.
COLUMBINE (Columbina) - servant of the Lover (Inamorata).
She helps her mistress in matters of the heart, deftly manipulating the other characters, who are often not indifferent to her. Columbine is distinguished by coquetry, feminine insight, charm and dubious virtue.
She is dressed, like her constant boyfriend Harlequin, in stylized colored patches, as befits a poor girl from the provinces. Columbine's head is decorated with a white hat, matching the color of her apron.
She doesn’t have a mask, but her face is heavily made up, her eyes are especially brightly lined.
Other names: Harlequin, Corallina, Ricciolina, Camilla, Lisette.
PEDROLINO or PIERINO (Pedrolino, Pierino) - one of the servant characters.
Pedrolino is dressed in a loose white tunic with huge buttons and too long sleeves, a round ribbed collar on his neck, and a cap hat with a narrow round crown on his head.
Sometimes the clothes had large pockets filled with souvenirs of a romantic nature.
His face is always heavily whitened and painted, so there is no need to wear a mask.
Despite the fact that Pedrolino belongs to the Zanni tribe, his character is radically different from that of Harlequin or Brighella. He is sentimental, amorous (although he suffers mainly from soubrette), trusting and devoted to his owner. The poor guy usually suffers from unrequited love for Columbine and from the ridicule of the other comedians, whose mental organization is not so subtle.
The role of Pierino was often performed in the troupe youngest son because this hero had to look young and fresh
LOVERS (Inamorati)
The constant heroes of the commedia del arte, Messrs. Columbine, Harlequin and other zanni.
IN the lovers look detached from life, pompous characters.
If they move, it’s like a ballet, with their toes pointed out unnaturally.
They gesticulate a lot and often look in the mirror.
The main features of the Lovers are vanity, morbid attention to one's own appearance, nervousness, absorption in one's feelings and complete inability, which is actively used by zanni.
Even their names sound stilted (men were usually called Silvio, Fabrizio, Aurelio, Orazio, Ottavio, Lelio, Leandro or Florindo, and women were called Isabella, Flaminia, Vittoria, Silvia, Lavinia or Ortensia). Inamorati always dressed in the latest fashion, exaggeratedly carefully and elegantly.
The masks were replaced by a thick layer of makeup, thanks to which the roles of Isabella and Lelio were accessible to far from young actors. In addition, wigs, flies and all kinds of jewelry were an indispensable accessory to their toilet. Young men often dressed up in beautiful military uniform. During the course of the action, the lovers' costumes could change several times. Despite the fact that it is around the love of the young that the intrigue of the comedy is built, the lovers always remain in the shadow of the zanni masks, and their love is always perceived with a certain amount of irony.
ISABELLA (also, Lucinda, Vittoria, etc.) -
young lover; often the heroine was named after the actress who played this role.
PULCINELLA (Pulcinella) - Italian analogue of Russian Parsley, the English Mr. Punch and the French Polichinelle.
A typical representative of the Neapolitan proletariat with all its characteristic features.
It is interesting that Pulcinella is an ambiguous image; he could be a stupid person, a cunning person, a servant, a master, a coward, and a bully. This character's name translates to "chicken" in Italian and is apparently related to his mask, the most noticeable element of which is a large beak-like nose.
Pulcinella's costume consists of a long, baggy white blouse tied at the waist with a leather strap, loose shapeless pants and an unusual oblong hat. He was often depicted as a hunchback.
At first, the hump was barely noticeable, then it began to quickly increase in size, and the stomach grew at the same time. Pulcinella's bending symbolizes his fear of beatings (and in the comedy everyone who stood higher on the social ladder beat him, that is, very many).
PANTALONE is one of the most famous Venetian masks.
Pantalone is an elderly rich merchant who is constantly chasing after some female character(always to no avail). This image embodied the growing class of the Venetian bourgeoisie.
A characteristic feature of Pantalone's costume is a huge codpiece, symbolizing his imaginary masculine strength. Usually the old man was dressed in a dark red camisole and tight trousers of the same color, a black cloak with short sleeves and a small black cap, like a fez. He had a dagger or purse hanging from his belt, and his shoes were yellow Turkish shoes with sharp, curved toes.
The dark brown mask had a prominent hooked nose, shaggy gray eyebrows and the same mustache (sometimes also glasses).
Pantalone's beard stuck out upward, sometimes almost touching the tip of his nose, which gave the old man's profile a particularly comical look.
Often in the story, Pantalone wanted to marry the girl his son was in love with, and flirted with Columbina, the maid of his daughter Isabella.
THE CAPTAIN (Il Capitano) is one of the oldest characters in the commedia dell'arte.
The captain in a comedy is never a native resident of the city where the action takes place, but always comes from somewhere far away.
A type of arrogant and unprincipled warrior - a braggart and adventurer.
Depending on the political situation, he could look like a Spaniard or a Turk, although this image was originally Italian.
Accordingly, his character also changed - in different periods the Captain could represent a parody of various national traits.
His main features are aggressiveness, unrestrained lies about his imaginary exploits, lack of conscience, the desire to get rich and the desire to appear dandy and handsome. All this was reflected in his costume, which could be different, but was always distinguished by its absurd pretentiousness and brightness.
His clothes, in fact, have always been a parody of the military profession: his hat was decorated with feathers of loud colors, his feet were buried in high boots with large garters, his camisole was made of fabric with contrasting diagonal stripes, and a huge sword hung from his belt.
The Captain's mask could be flesh-colored or dark in color, with a long militant nose and a menacingly sticking out stiff mustache.
Its purpose was to indicate the Contrast between the true (cowardly and deceitful) nature of the character and who he claims to be.
Jester (Jester, Jolly) - presented in the commedia dell'arte, this is a classic mask.
The Jester first appeared in the Italian theater, then became popular throughout Europe. The costume of this character is variegated and multi-colored. On the head there is a cap with three “ears”, to each of which bells are tied.
TARTAGLIA (Italian: Tartaglia, stutterer) is a mask character in the Italian commedia dell'arte.
Represents the southern (or Neapolitan) quartet of masks, along with Coviello, Scaramucci and Pulcinella. This mask did not catch on in France. The Tartaglia mask appeared in Naples ca. 1610
Origin: Spaniard, poor Italian speaker. Occupation: civil servant public service: he can be a judge, policeman, pharmacist, notary, tax collector, etc. Costume: stylized official suit, uniform hat on bald head; there are huge glasses on his nose.
Behavior: He is generally an old man with a fat belly; always a stutterer, his signature trick is the fight against stuttering, as a result of which a serious monologue, for example, in court, turns into a comic stream of obscenities.
In addition to the characters - Zanni in the Venetian Comedy Del Arte, there were old characters and characters - pseudo-intellectuals:
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Commedia dell'arte, or comedy of masks - type Italian theater XVI-XVII centuries, combining the features of a cheerful carnival, folk farce and “learned comedy” played in a buffoonish manner. Itinerant actors performed performances. The head of the troupe, the capocomiko, set the plot, and two cheerful zanni (servants) - Brighella and Harlequin - appeared on the stage; the stingy, arrogant and sick merchant Pantalone; learned fool Doctor of Jurisprudence from Bologna; the cowardly braggart Captain; Servetta's sharp-tongued maid. The lovers appeared, and a merry carousel began: the old people, as usual, interfered with the union of the lovers, and the young, with the help of lively servants, left them in the cold. There was no written text, there was a plot outline, a script, and the actors improvised the dialogue on the fly, picking up their partner’s remarks. The ensemble turned out magnificent, the action was swift; there was room for both a solo number and hilarious lazzi - tricks that both zanni showed.
Cheerful, broken Brighella came out in a white blouse with a belt and wide white pants. Multicolored patches were sewn onto the Harlequin blouse. He was a good-natured and childish guy, although somewhat stupid compared to Brighella.
Pantalone sported red pants, a red jacket and a black cloak; he was not averse, despite his age, to chasing girls and considered himself worthy of all attention. The doctor appeared in a black robe with a white frill and spoke in gibberish Latin. The captain promised to crush everyone who stood in his way, because he was a Spaniard and had already conquered half the world - but the wooden sword got stuck in the scabbard every time, and therefore he ran headlong away from old Pantalone, as soon as he shook his finger at him.
Word, pantomime, music, dance were combined into a fun and exciting spectacle.
A mask in a comedy is both the mask itself, which covered the actor’s face completely or partially (sometimes just a glued-on nose or huge glasses), and a social type, sharpened to the point of a cartoon, with an unchanged physical appearance and character traits, its own “psychology.” The latter was determined by him social status or profession. An actor who performed successfully in some kind of mask then constantly appeared on stage with it; This is how the concept of “role” arose (see Masks and roles). There were a great variety of masks themselves: for example, in the south of Italy Pantalone was called Caviello, the notary Tartaglia importantly acted instead of the Doctor, Brighella became Pulcinella, distinguished by his special impudence and anger. But all these were variations of the same types, generalized and apt. Often, commedia dell'arte performances were sharply satirical, and then after the performance the troupe of comedians hurried away. The traveling troupes included wonderful improvisational actors, such as G. Ganassa and N. Barbieri, creators of zanni masks; F. Andrieni - the famous and inimitable Captain.
The popularity of this folk spectacle was enormous and crossed the borders of Italy. Troupes of Italians roamed throughout Europe, and Isabella Andrieni, the Martinelli brothers, and G. Sacchi enjoyed truly pan-European fame. Paris even had its own Comédie Italienne, a dangerous competitor French actors. The Italians were expelled more than once, but they learned from their art. The influence of the Italian comedy of masks is noticeable, for example, in the early plays of J. B. Moliere. Comedy masks, which Italian actors showed in other countries, often took on a national look (for example, the English Punch is a descendant of Pulcinella), became part of national culture countries.
In Italy itself, play-scripts and actor-improvisers were no less popular than comedies by C. Goldoni or fairy-tale plays by C. Gozzi, in which masks were often used. Romantics with their special attention to folklore, to the folk principle in culture, Gozzi’s work was highly valued.
At the beginning of the 20th century. interest in commedia dell'arte is awakening again. Thus, directors G. Craig, V. E. Meyerhold, E. B. Vakhtangov revive and interpret in their own way the themes and images of the old Italian theater. Vakhtangov’s production of Gozzi’s “Princess Turandot” was an event, marking the emergence of an entire school in Soviet theatrical art.
Italy XX century knew the “great Harlequin” M. Moretti, who played in the play “The Servant of Two Masters” by J. Strehler based on Goldoni’s play. Nowadays, the spirit of the comedy of masks is perhaps most fully embodied by the wonderful improvisational actor D. Fo, whose performances combine political satire and virtuoso acting. The influence of the mask is also noticeable in the work of E. De Filippo - playwright, director, actor (see Italian theater).
The folk comedy of masks with its looseness, freedom and cheerful fearlessness had a beneficial effect on performing arts not only in Italy. As for the Italian theater, even today it has preserved that l "anima allegro - “cheerful soul”, which made the mask alive and was the essence of the commedia dell'arte.
