The rehearsal atmosphere changes when soprano Isabelle Dumalakas sings Oh mio babbino caro. The aria, as solos in operas are called, is the most anticipated of the work Gianni Schicchi, by Italian composer Giacomo Puccini. This is the moment in which the character/title's daughter tries to encourage her father to do something for his beloved's family. The musicians from the Unicamp Symphony Orchestra (OSU), conducted by Tiago Roscani, and the singers from Ópera Estúdio, from the Institute of Arts (IA), reach the end of more than a year of work on this composition. The performances will be on the 23rd and 24th, Thursday and Friday, at Theatro Municipal de Paulínia.
See in the video, recorded by Ramon Mundin, the moment Isabelle Dumalakas sings My dear Babbino:
The project is sponsored by the Unicamp Social Benefits Management Group (GGBS) and is aimed primarily at the community of civil servants, researchers and teachers. After the opera La Traviata, staged in 2018, is the second project financed by GGBS. The presentation will have accessibility features for the visually impaired. The option of an audio description feature will be offered, with narration of scene details and summary subtitles, transmitted via individual headphones.
Despite the melancholic tone of the aria Mio Babbino Caro, Gianni Schicchi It is a comic opera and always current because of its plot. In the story, Buoso Donati dies and leaves his entire fortune to the church in his will. The family, coveting the inheritance, summons Gianni Schicchi to his bedside, replacing the dead man, to pretend to be dying and change the will in the presence of a notary. Imitating the deceased, Schicchi surprises. He strikes a blow to the entire family and transfers the most precious assets to himself.
“It’s a great piece to be the first for anyone who has never seen an opera. People will identify a lot, it's a story similar to the soap opera we're used to”, compares conductor Tiago Roscani, a master's student at Unicamp. The person who plays Gianni Schicchi is baritone Willian Donizetti, graduated from Unicamp in 2017 and who has been participating in Ópera Estúdio since the beginning, in 2014. He also played the character in the presentation that took place in 2018 in partnership with the Indaiatuba Symphony Orchestra.
“We made a first version with the same cast in Indaiatuba and continued rehearsals with the Unicamp symphony. The entire cast is made up of students from the Institute of Arts and some invited alumni. They are the result of the University's singing course”, highlights professor Angelo Fernandes, director of Ópera Estúdio and coordinator of the Center for Integration, Documentation and Cultural Diffusion (Ciddic).
Fernandes comments that the plot ironically exposes the hypocrisy of people who only think about themselves or family relationships based on convenience. “Buoso Donati’s family is interested in the will and gives great demonstrations of what we often see, which are people who seem pure and honest, but, in reality, want to take advantage of the situation.”
The opera, with just one act, is part of the ensemble Il Trittico, with two other dramatic works by Puccini. Gianni Schicchi, according to Fernandes, it has all the elements to bring people of this genre even closer together. “In this way we are forming an audience for opera, at a time when there is an understanding that it is not just singers giving high notes, but pure theater. It is purely theatrical.”
The assembly also has the support of Paulínia City Hall, City Hall and Sanasa Campinas. Reservation of the audio description service entitles the user of the equipment and one companion to free entry, up to the limit of available equipment, and must be made by telephone (19) 3521-6506 or by e-mail falet@unicamp.br .
More excerpts from the essay:
SERVICE
“Gianni Schicchi” – opera in 1 act, by Giacomo Puccini
Unicamp Symphony Orchestra
Opera Studio Unicamp
Tiago Roscani, musical direction and conducting
Felipe Venancio, scenic direction
Angelo Fernandes, general management
May 23, Thursday, 20pm
May 24th, Friday, 20pm
Paulínia Municipal Theater
Tickets: R$ 25,00 (full price) and R$ 12,50 (half price for students, seniors and teachers from the public school system and residents of Paulínia).
Outlets:
PAM Crossfit Paulínia
Av. Dr. Heitor Nascimento, 81 Paulínia-SP
Livraria Leitura Shopping D. Pedro
Av. Guilherme Campos, 500 Campinas-SP
Livraria Leitura Campinas Shopping
Rua Jacy Teixeira de Camargo, 940 Campinas-SP
Box office at the Municipal Theater of Paulínia and at link
