Il Parnaso accusato e difeso

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Work data
Title: Il Parnaso accusato e difeso
Title page of the libretto from 1738 (music by Georg Reutter)

Title page of the libretto from 1738
(music by Georg Reutter)

Shape: Componimento drammatico
Original language: Italian
Music: First setting by Georg Reutter
Libretto : Pietro Metastasio
Premiere: August 28, 1738
Place of premiere: Vienna
Place and time of the action: In the palace of Jupiter , mythical time
people
  • Giove (Jupiter), supreme deity
  • Apollo ( Apollon ), god of the arts
  • La Virtù , Allegory of Virtue
  • La Verità , Allegory of Truth
  • Il Merito , Allegory of Merit
  • Choir of the Deities with Giove
  • Choir of Genii with La Virtù, La Verità and Il Merito
  • Choir of the Muses with Apollo

Il Parnaso accusato e difeso (German: "The accused and defended Parnassus ") is a libretto for a Componimento drammatico in one act by Pietro Metastasio . It was performed for the first time in the setting by Georg Reutter on August 28, 1738 for the birthday party of Empress Elisabeth in the Gallery of the Imperial Favorita in Vienna.

action

The plot of the work takes place in the palace of Jupiter . There the three allegories of virtue (La Virtù), truth (La Verità) and merit (Il Merito) argue with Apollon , the god of the arts, about artistic freedom. The piece is formally strictly structured. First, the problem to be discussed is presented in a kind of prologue, which is framed by two identical choirs. Then each of the three allegories brings forward its charge against the art or the Muses, which Apollo directly defends. The rigid scheme is only loosened up briefly by an insertion by Jupiter before the third indictment. At the end, Jupiter, as referee, communicates his decision and establishes the link to the Empress's birthday party. The characters are supported by three different choirs: a choir of genii stands on the side of the allegories, a choir of muses accompanies Apollo, and a choir of deities takes part with Jupiter in the final laudation to the Empress Elisabeth (here called "Elisa") part.

The subject of the dispute is introduced right at the beginning, with the two opposing choirs calling on Jupiter for support. The allegories and genii urge him to restrict the “insane freedom” of art (“Correggi […] L'insana libertà”), while Apollon and the Muses urge him to protect this freedom (“Proteggi […] L'oppressa libertà "). The two choirs unite in a common desire to defend the virtues of civilization against the barbarians. Jupiter is initially annoyed because the dispute disrupts Elisha's birthday party, in which Apollo in particular plays an important role. However, the allegories succeed in convincing him of the importance of the case, which is also in the interests of the Empress, so that he is finally ready to listen to her complaints. The allegories briefly present their main charges, which are detailed in the main part. A repetition of the opening choirs ends the introductory part.

"Virtue" now takes the floor for the first complaint against the Muses. These fall back on descriptions of unchaste love and less virtuous passions in order to move the souls of the audience. Literature thus encourages people's bad tendencies. The muses must therefore be silenced. In particular, they should be forbidden to use the “holy name of Elisa” (“il sacro nome d'Elisa”), which offers no material for such “poetic deceptions” (“poetici deliri”). Apollon replies that the posie helps to dampen people's evil tendencies and to awaken the good ones. It also exposes people who are possessed by evil passions (“L'arte sicura / È sedare i nocivi”). You have to know evil in order to protect yourself from it.

The charge of "truth" concerns the deceptive nature of literature. Poetry is just a clever lie. That wouldn't be so serious if it weren't for leading them to prefer the lie to the truth. All freedoms in the representation of historical history and of people are to be rejected. Apollo justifies these freedoms by stating that one must please people in order to be able to lead them on the path of virtue. For this one also has the right to mix true and false. Art used the seductions of lies to teach the truth. In his aria “Finta è l'immago ancora” he compares this idea with a mirror: the picture is not real, but it helps to recognize the truth.

After these first two charges, Jupiter tries to end the dispute early. Because Elisha's birthday party must not be forgotten, he urges everyone to leave for Austria. Apollo agrees, but the allegories do not agree. In this way the dispute would already be decided to their disadvantage. After alternating interjections from the two choirs of the Genii and the Muses, “Merit” took the floor and pointed out that his complaint had not yet been heard. Jupiter is ready to hear him.

“Merit” explains the consequences of the misuse of poetry: the poets no longer describe heroic actions, but have placed themselves in the service of criminals - to the greatest detriment of honest people. The fame of the heroes pales in comparison to the slander described in the Posie, as can be seen in the unjust attacks by Aristophanes against Socrates ("Saggio d'Atene"). Values ​​are mixed up, and idleness rules people's hearts. Apollo replies that the subject of poetry is the praise of merit. They cannot be held responsible for the abuse. But even this abuse has positive effects: one becomes more virtuous if one has been unjustly reprimanded, and even unjustified praise is not useless, as it encourages one to show oneself worthy.

Before Jupiter announces his decision, "virtue" tries one more time to get him to take its side. He should not believe Apollon and close his ears to his sweet words. He should banish the muses from the earth because their seductive power is irresistible. However, it is already clear that the prosecution is running out of arguments. Apollon can therefore effortlessly explain to his opponents how indispensable art is for each of them. Art is an essential part of civilization. It is she who distinguishes civilized man from barbarian. Finally, Apollon brings the conversation back to the occasion of the celebration. Who but himself or the muses would be able to celebrate Elisha? His chorus of muses confirms it, but the chorus of allegories and genii continues to contradict.

Jupiter has heard enough now. Apollon confirms his decision that art is the most beautiful gift (“Il più bel dono”) from heaven to earth. The Muses, however, have to become wiser (“Ma sian le Muse in avvenir più sagge”), and not everyone is worthy of being a poet. Now it is high time for the imperial celebration, and Jupiter asks the Muses to follow him to the whereabouts of his eagle (the Austrian imperial eagle) to sing praises to Elisa. The “virtue” indicates that the empress “learned to appreciate praise, not to endure it” (“Essa le lodi, / Da ognun con gioja intese, / A meritar, non a soffrire apprese”). But Jupiter explains that Elisha must accept the praise. The virtue of princes is a model for people. Therefore Elisa must also think of them and accept that one celebrates their virtues.

At the end all the choirs come together to praise Elisha.

layout

The Componimento Il Parnaso accusato e difeso , written in 1738, is one of the most important texts of Metastasio, since it explains his reflections on art in relation to the public and the psychological and emotional effects it creates. Nevertheless, he seems to have written it in a great hurry, as is evident from a letter of July 19 to Stelio Mastraca, and he does not seem to have attached much importance to it himself. The courtly dramaturgy itself is the theme of the work and is called into question in the course of the plot. This gave Metastasio the opportunity to explain his ideas about the theater and his views on the nature and function of poetry in the internal social structures of his time. Apollon acts here as his alter ego , e.g. B. when in his answer to the accusation of "truth" he defends the rights of the poet against those of the historian.

Settings

The following composers set this libretto to music:

year composer premiere Performance location Remarks
1738 Georg Reutter August 28, 1738, Gallery of the Imperial Favorita Vienna “Componimento drammatico” for the birthday party of Empress Elisabeth
1750 Johann Michael Breunig October 7, 1750 Dresden "Serenata" for the birthday of King August III.
1766 Hieronymus Mango 1766, court of Raymund Anton von Strasoldo Eichstatt intermezzo
1768 Johann Gottfried Schwanberger 1768 Braunschweig Cantata; probably only the overtures, recitatives and choirs come from Schwanberger
1786 Giuseppe Colla 1786
1790 Bernardo Ottani 1790

Web links

Commons : Il Parnaso accusato e difeso  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Digital copies

  1. ^ Pietro Metastasio: Metastasio: Drammi, Vol. IV . Soc. Tip. de ́Classici Italiani, 1820, p. 257.
  2. ^ Libretto (Italian) of the Serenata by Georg Reutter, Vienna 1738 as a digitized version on Google Books .

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b c Don Neville:  Metastasio [Trapassi], Pietro (Antonio Domenico Bonaventura). In: Grove Music Online (English; subscription required).
  2. Metastasio, Pietro in Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart , p. 50861 ff (cf. MGG vol. 9, p. 229 ff.) Bärenreiter-Verlag 1986 ( digital library volume 60).
  3. a b Jacques Joly: Les fêtes théâtrales de Métastase à la cour de Vienne, 1731-1767. Pu Blaise Pascal, 1978, ISBN 978-2845160194 , p. 183 ff.
  4. Il Parnaso accusato e difeso (Reütter Georg (ii)) in the Corago information system of the University of Bologna , accessed on March 10, 2015.
  5. ^ Libretto dataset of the Serenata by Johann Michael Breunig in the SWB online catalog, accessed on March 19, 2015.
  6. ^ List of the stage works by Hieronymus Mango based on the MGG at Operone, accessed on October 14, 2014.
  7. Hans Otto Hiekel: Schwanenberger, Johann Gottfried . In: Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart , p. 68319 (cf. MGG vol. 12, p. 342 ff.) Bärenreiter-Verlag 1986 ( digital library volume 60).