Growing Up
Hans Werner Henze's 'Pollicino'
thrills children and adults in Florence,
by GIUSEPPE PENNISI
Some thirty years ago, Hans Werner Henze found the subject of his opera 'Pollicino' ('The little thumb boy') in fairy tales written by Carlo Collodi (the Italian author best known for his book 'Pinocchio') in the second half of the nineteenth century. On his own account, Collodi had been working on the basis of tales by the Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault and adapted them to his time and age. The project also had a 'social' objective, that Henze shared with the Italian writer Giuseppe Di Leva, author of the libretto: to bring the Montepulciano children to a music theatre experience not only as part of the audience but also as singers and actors.
Montepulciano is lovely small town in the Tuscan hills. There Henze had started a Cantiere d'Arte (an artistic work place), where, for a week, artists from several countries participate in opera, concert and ballet performance without receiving any fee and the entire population joins in. The Cantiere d'Arte is still operational -- a week every July and entails several weeks of preparation.
Patrizia Orciani as the mother and the children in Scene I of Hans Werner Henze's 'Pollicino' in Florence. Photo © 2010 G Luca Moggi
Thus, the basic concept was to let the children also have a role in the Festival. Initially, the idea was that it would a once in a lifetime experience; the opera was not designed to go any further than Montepulciano. As things go, Pollicino (twelve scenes forming a total of ninety minutes without interruptions) was translated into several languages. It is a precious little delight; for this reason, it became Henze's most performed opera worldwide.
Patrizia Orciani as the mother and the children in Scene II of Hans Werner Henze's 'Pollicino' in Florence. Photo © 2010 G Luca Moggi
However, it is not frequently staged in the very country where it was conceived -- Italy -- for two reasons. Firstly, in Italy there is no tradition of 'fairy' operas or Zauberopern like in Germany, the United Kingdom or Russia: the only 'fairy opera' of some repute is Turandot -- not at all stuff for children.
Patrizia Orciani as the mother, Marcello Lippi as the father and the children in Scene IV of Hans Werner Henze's 'Pollicino' in Florence. Photo © 2010 G Luca Moggi
Secondly, the last Italian operas conceived especially for children date back to the seventeenth century. As a matter of fact, Gian Carlo Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors and Help, Help the Globolinks were thought up for an American audience. Recent attempts, such as Nicola Colabianchi's Mandrake and Raffale Sargenti's Lupus in Fabula have had only a few performances before disappearing from the theatres' programs.
Marcello Lippi, now as the ogre, with the children in Scene IV of Hans Werner Henze's 'Pollicino' in Florence. Photo © 2010 G Luca Moggi
The Teatro del Maggio Musicale in Florence had the excellent idea to provide a new production. There are morning performances for children -- from kindergarden to high school -- as well as an evening production for adults. This review is based on the first morning performance on 21 October 2010.
The children in Scene V of Hans Werner Henze's 'Pollicino' in Florence. Photo © 2010 G Luca Moggi
Pollicino is not mere entertainment for children, youths or adults. It is also a bildungsroman in the German tradition -- ie a 'growing up' morality novel or play. Pollicino and his brother mature by fighting with nasty old people, finding their way in the forest, escaping an ogre wishing to eat them up and, eventually, finding the right number of girls with whom to cross the river to adult life. It is also a tale of change; the old ruling class is fading away whilst Pollicino, his brothers and the girls are forming the new one.
Patrizia Orciani as the mother and the children in Scene VII of Hans Werner Henze's 'Pollicino' in Florence. Photo © 2010 G Luca Moggi
The stage direction by Dieter Kaegel, the sets and costumes by Italo Grassi and the lighting by Gianni Paolo Mrenda provide, with a basic single set, props and projections, the right atmosphere at a quick pace. The small orchestra (mostly percussion but also strings and a piano) is gently conducted by Francesco Bonnin.
The children and forest animals in Scene IX of Hans Werner Henze's 'Pollicino' in Florence. Photo © 2010 G Luca Moggi
The score is a marvel: almost a short course in the history of music from the eighteenth century to the twelve note row style (including quotations from well known operas, like Rigoletto), wholesomely blended together with even a chamber music piece for a violin soloist (Ladislao Horvat).
The children in Scene IX of Hans Werner Henze's 'Pollicino' in Florence. Photo © 2010 G Luca Moggi
The cast is necessarily large; a baritone (in two different roles), a soprano, a mezzo, fourteen children and quite a number of minor characters disguised as the animals of the forest. They all did quite well. I trust they also had fun when singing and acting.
Copyright © 30 October 2010 Giuseppe Pennisi,
Rome, Italy
HANS WERNER HENZE
FLORENCE
ITALY
GERMANY
<< M&V home Concert reviews Boris Godunov >>
Growing Up
Hans Werner Henze's 'Pollicino'
thrills children and adults in Florence,
by GIUSEPPE PENNISI
Some thirty years ago, Hans Werner Henze found the subject of his opera 'Pollicino' ('The little thumb boy') in fairy tales written by Carlo Collodi (the Italian author best known for his book 'Pinocchio') in the second half of the nineteenth century. On his own account, Collodi had been working on the basis of tales by the Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault and adapted them to his time and age. The project also had a 'social' objective, that Henze shared with the Italian writer Giuseppe Di Leva, author of the libretto: to bring the Montepulciano children to a music theatre experience not only as part of the audience but also as singers and actors.
Montepulciano is lovely small town in the Tuscan hills. There Henze had started a Cantiere d'Arte (an artistic work place), where, for a week, artists from several countries participate in opera, concert and ballet performance without receiving any fee and the entire population joins in. The Cantiere d'Arte is still operational -- a week every July and entails several weeks of preparation.
Patrizia Orciani as the mother and the children in Scene I of Hans Werner Henze's 'Pollicino' in Florence. Photo © 2010 G Luca Moggi
Thus, the basic concept was to have also the children to have a role in the Festival. Initially, the idea was that it would a once in a lifetime experience; the opera was not designed to go any further than Montepulciano. As things go, Pollicino (twelve scenes forming a total of ninety minutes without interruptions) was translated into several languages. It is a precious little delight; for this reason, it became Henze's most performed opera worldwide.
Patrizia Orciani as the mother and the children in Scene II of Hans Werner Henze's 'Pollicino' in Florence. Photo © 2010 G Luca Moggi
However, it is not frequently staged in the very country where it was conceived -- Italy -- for two reasons. Firstly, in Italy there is no tradition of 'fairy' operas or Zauberopern like in Germany, the United Kingdom or Russia: the only 'fairy opera' of some repute is Turandot -- not at all stuff for children.
Patrizia Orciani as the mother, Marcello Lippi as the father and the children in Scene IV of Hans Werner Henze's 'Pollicino' in Florence. Photo © 2010 G Luca Moggi
Secondly, the last Italian operas conceived especially for children date back to the seventeenth century. As a matter of fact, Gian Carlo Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors and Help, Help the Globolinks were thought up for an American audience. Recent attempts, such as Nicola Colabianchi's Mandrake and Raffale Sargenti's Lupus in Fabula have had only a few performances before disappearing from the theatres' programs.
Marcello Lippi, now as the ogre, with the children in Scene IV of Hans Werner Henze's 'Pollicino' in Florence. Photo © 2010 G Luca Moggi
The Teatro del Maggio Musicale in Florence had an excellent idea in providing a new production. There are morning performances for children -- from kindergarden to high school -- as well as an evening production for adults. This review is based on the first morning performance on 21 October 2010.
The children in Scene V of Hans Werner Henze's 'Pollicino' in Florence. Photo © 2010 G Luca Moggi
Pollicino is not mere entertainment for children, youth and adults. It is also a bildungsroman in the German tradition -- ie a 'growing up' morality novel or play. Pollicino and his brother mature by fighting with nasty old people, finding their way in the forest, escaping an ogre wishing to eat them up and, eventually, finding the right number of girls with whom to cross the river to adult life. It is also a tale of change; the old ruling class is fading away whilst Pollicino, his brothers and the girls are forming the new one.
Patrizia Orciani as the mother and the children in Scene VII of Hans Werner Henze's 'Pollicino' in Florence. Photo © 2010 G Luca Moggi
The stage direction by Dieter Kaegel, the sets and costumes by Italo Grassi and the lighting by Gianni Paolo Mrenda provide with a basic single set, props and projections the right atmosphere at a quick pace. The small orchestra (mostly percussion but also strings and a piano) is gently conducted by Francesco Bonnin.
The children and forest animals in Scene IX of Hans Werner Henze's 'Pollicino' in Florence. Photo © 2010 G Luca Moggi
The score is a marvel: almost a short course in the history of music from the eighteenth century to the twelve note row style (including quotations from well known operas, like Rigoletto), wholesomely blended together with even a chamber music piece for a violin soloist (Ladislao Horvat).
The children in Scene IX of Hans Werner Henze's 'Pollicino' in Florence. Photo © 2010 G Luca Moggi
The cast is necessarily large; a baritone (in two different roles), a soprano, a mezzo, fourteen children and quite a number of minor characters disguised as the animals of the forest. They all did quite well. I trust they also had fun when singing and acting.
Copyright © 30 October 2010 Giuseppe Pennisi,
Rome, Italy
HANS WERNER HENZE
FLORENCE
ITALY
GERMANY
<< M&V home Concert reviews Boris Godunov >>
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