University of Wollongong Research Online University of Wollongong Thesis Collection 1954-2016 University of Wollongong Thesis Collections 2006 Almaviva: a contemporary adaptation of Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro Rachel McDonald University of Wollongong Recommended Citation McDonald, Rachel, Almaviva: a contemporary adaptation of Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro, MCA-Res thesis, Faculty of Creative Arts, University of Wollongong, 2006. http://ro.uow.edu.au/theses/735 Research Online is the open access institutional repository for the University of Wollongong. For further information contact the UOW Library: research-pubs@uow.edu.au
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ALMAVIVA A contemporary adaptation of Mozart s Le Nozze di Figaro Material submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree Master of Creative Arts - Research From University of Wollongong By Rachel McDonald BA (UWA), Dip. Mus (QCM), DPA Theatre Directing (WAAPA) Faculty of Creative Arts 2006
CERTIFICATION I, Rachel McDonald declare that this material, submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of Master of Creative Arts Research, in the Faculty of Creative Arts, University of Wollongong, is wholly my own work unless otherwise referenced or acknowledged. The document has not been submitted for qualifications at any other academic institution. Rachel McDonald 6/11/06 Date 2
CONTENTS Page number 1. Abstract 4 2. Introduction: Almaviva as adaptation 5 3. Bibliography 27 4. Almaviva scene breakdown 30 5. Almaviva text 34 6. Almaviva score follow 121 Acknowledgements: Special thanks to my supervisor David Vance who kept me enthusiastic about the project while being understanding about my professional and domestic commitments. David also made a huge contribution as the first musical director for Almaviva. Thanks also to the following students at the University of Wollongong who helped to create the first production: Zoe Arthur, Suzie Bishop, Dominic Burke, Daniel Condon, Aaron Culligan, Lisa Hilleard, Michael Hodgetts, Travis Hodgson, Christian Lo Russo, Heather Mitchell, Brendon Taylor, Simone Tree, Andrea Zibell. Thank you to my husband Matthew and my children Octavia, Saskia and Angus for their tolerance and support, and to my father Ted Watt for my education. 3
ABSTRACT Almaviva: A Contemporary Adaptation of Mozart s Le Nozze di Figaro Almaviva is a creative project, consisting of the text and score for a musical based on Mozart s opera Le Nozze di Figaro as well as a supporting essay on the nature of adaptation. The musical is based on a heavily reduced version of the Figaro score. Half the opera score is cut, although the greatest hits remain, and nearly all the recitative is replaced with dialogue. The Almaviva text is entirely original. The new text sets the Figaro story in a contemporary work-place and has an informal, vernacular quality. It is designed for performance by six singers accompanied by a piano. The piece was first workshopped by students at the University of Wollongong in 2005, performing in a variety of vocal styles and with a very sparse set. Almaviva is designed for flexibility and for touring. The musical does not pre-suppose any prior exposure to opera or to the Figaro story. It aims for accessibility, and seeks to avoid operatic convention wherever possible. Almaviva is an experiment which seeks to radically transform the source while preserving some of its beauty. Almaviva is not a satire, but a free-standing work which uses the opera for scaffolding. This scaffolding includes the original score and Italian libretto, as well as the French play by Beaumarchais upon which the libretto is based. Almaviva is a third generation adaptation. The accompanying essay (Introduction) considers various aspects of adaptation, including authorship, translation, music setting and crossing genres. Central to this investigation are different ideas about fidelity to the source being adapted. For example, although Almaviva is a very free adaptation it seeks to recognise and preserve musical effect. The essay also considers the connection between adaptation and originality. Originality seems an odd quality in an adaptation, yet adaptations are frequently original, because immersion in a deeply creative work encourages creativity. Successful adaptation releases energy in two ways: For new audiences the adaptation works like any effective work of art, and the energy is derived from the successful expression of ideas. For audiences aware of the original work there is additional energy released by the re-contextualising of the familiar. The essay deliberately avoids assessing the effectiveness of Almaviva, but describes some of the major adaptations made to the Figaro story in all its incarnations paying particular attention to Almaviva. 4