從門外漢到歌劇通

主持：Joanna C. Lee 編譯：辛時雨

制作記錄卡上列出了1887 年到1899 年《奧賽羅》劇本印刷的清單（里科迪檔案館提供）

由阿道夫·霍恩斯坦設計的法爾斯塔夫服裝造型（斯卡拉劇院, 1893）

歌劇與商業：威爾第《奧賽羅》與《法爾斯塔夫》的創作

The business of opera: Verdi creating Otello and Falstaff

小瓊：未來幾個月里，如果你碰巧在紐約的話，請直接前往曼哈頓中區的摩根圖書館暨博物館。在這座歷史建筑（金融家皮爾龐特·摩根，即J.P. 摩根的父親的故居）的二樓正舉行一場精彩的展覽，名為“威爾第：《奧賽羅》及《法爾斯塔夫》的創作——里科迪出版社檔案館精選”。展覽將持續到2020年1月5日。

小薇：任何一個歌劇發燒友都明白，威爾第的最后兩部歌劇是19 世紀意大利歌劇的登峰造極之作。《奧賽羅》改編自莎士比亞的一部悲劇，而《法爾斯塔夫》則融合了來自莎士比亞喜劇《溫莎的風流娘兒們》和《亨利四世》的素材。

小瓊：我們來看看威爾第最后幾部歌劇創作的時間軸。他于1871 年完成《阿依達》之后，決定隱退歌劇舞臺。當年他58 歲，已經賺夠了錢，不想再繼續從事譜寫歌劇這樣艱苦的工作了！

小薇：他的粉絲一定非常失望。多年后，是誰說服威爾第重出江湖的呢？

小瓊：是威爾第的出版商朱利奧·里科迪（1840～1912），在年輕的詞作者阿里戈·博伊托（1842～1918）的幫助下，花了十年多時間才說服他。更重要的是，米蘭斯卡拉歌劇院當時是意大利的歌劇“樞紐”，上演威爾第的新歌劇顯然是一筆穩妥的財政投資。這場展覽將《奧賽羅》與《法爾斯塔夫》的誕生過程一步一步呈現出來。策展人加布里埃萊·杜托和弗蘭·巴魯里奇向觀眾們展示了歌劇創作的種種材料，追溯委托、創作、簽約到設計、選角、宣發、演出——以及最終印刷出版的整個流程。

Joan:If by any chance you happen to be in New York in the next few months, please head straight to the Morgan Library and Museum in midtown Manhattan.On the second floor of this historic building (once the home of financier Pierpont Morgan, father of J.P.Morgan) is a fascinating exhibition entitled “Verdi:CreatingOtelloandFalstaff—Highlights from the Ricordi Archive,” which is on display until January 5 next year.

Valery:Any opera buff knows that Verdi’s final two works are Italian opera’s crowning achievements in the 19thcentury.Otellois based on a single Shakespearean tragedy, whileFalstaffcombines materials from Shakespeare’s comedyThe Merry Wives of WindsorandHenry IV(Parts 1 and 2).

Joan:Let’s look at the chronology of Verdi’s final operas. After he finishedAidain 1871, he retired from the operatic stage. He was 58 and already rich, he didn’t want to continue the hard work of composing operas!

Valery:His fans must have been extremely disappointed. So who persuaded Verdi to come out of his retirement years later?

Joan:It took more than a decade of persuasion by his publisher Giulio Ricordi (1840-1912), with the help of the young librettist Arrigo Boito (1842-1918). On top of that, Teatro alla Scala in Milan was the “hub”

小薇：《奧賽羅》和《法爾斯塔夫》在斯卡拉歌劇院的首演（分別為1887 年與1893 年），為歌劇院、出版商，當然還有演職人員和創作團隊帶來了巨額收入。

小瓊：事實上，米蘭的里科迪出版社將永遠與19 世紀意大利歌劇的崛起聯系在一起。很多個方面來說，沒有這家出版社（以及其敏銳的商業感知力），歌劇界的風貌將會大有不同。

小薇：確實，除了威爾第之外，里科迪還出版過多尼采蒂、羅西尼、貝利尼和普契尼的作品。如果沒有該社在推廣與出版方面的努力，這些作曲家筆下的美妙音樂很可能就無從踏出國門。

小瓊：其實，如果你看一看里科迪當前的目錄，你會發現名冊上有兩位當代的中國作曲家名字：郭文景和黃若。

for opera in Italy. Putting on new Verdi operas was clearly a sound financial investment. This exhibition chronicles not only the “beginnings” ofOtelloandFalstaff; curators Gabriele Dotto and Fran Barulich also show many types of materials that go into the making of an opera, from commissioning, creating and contracting to designing, casting, publicizing and performing—and, eventually, publishing.

Valery:OtelloandFalstaffpremiered in La Scala (in 1887 and 1893 respectively), generating huge income for the opera house, the publisher, and of course, the cast and creative team.

Joan:In fact, Casa Ricordi, the music publisher in Milan, will forever be associated with the rise of Italian opera in the 19thcentury. In many ways, without this publisher (and its great business acumen), the operatic landscape would be very different.

Valery:Indeed, apart from Verdi, Ricordi also publishes Donizetti, Rossini, Bellini and Puccini.Without such efforts in promotion and publishing, the wonderful music these composers wrote would never have traveled beyond their country.

Joan:Actually, if you look at the Ricordi catalog today, you’ll discover two living Chinese composers on its roster: Guo Wenjing and Huang Ruo.