San Bartolomeo Theater

Facade of the Chiesa della Graziella on rua Catalana in Naples, where the Teatro San Bartolomeo was once located

The San Bartolomeo was an important theater and opera house in Naples, whose heyday was in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Located on Via San Bartolomeo, it was the main opera house in the city before the Teatro San Carlo opened in 1737.

history

The San Bartolomeo was opened in 1620/21 at the church of the same name and belonged to the Ospedale degli Incurabili (Hospital of the Incurable), which had already received the right from King Philip II of Spain to carry out charitable activities and the hospital with the help of income from theater performances of the monastery. This privilege was renewed in 1646 by Philip IV .

The building suffered damage from an earthquake in 1647–1648 and burned down in 1681; it was repaired and rebuilt both times.

Various plays and comedies were first staged in San Bartolomeo. From around 1640 it was the scene of the first performances of pastorals and operas in Naples. These were initially works by foreign composers such as Benedetto Ferrari , and in particular also by Venetian composers such as Francesco Cavalli or Claudio Monteverdi , which, however, were often revised by Neapolitan composers such as Francesco Provenzale or Giuseppe Alfiero and enriched with additional musical interludes. The first works by local composers were probably Provenzales Ciro (1653?) And La fedeltà trionfante by Alfiero (1655). It was not until 1684 that an opera was performed, the libretto and music of which came exclusively from Neapolitan masters. The star of the great Alessandro Scarlatti rose in San Bartolomeo from 1680 onwards , numerous operas of whom were performed here (see list below).

The name of the famous writer and librettist Andrea Perrucci (1651–1704) is also associated with San Bartolomeo . The actress and singer Giulia de Caro, known as Ciulla, was one of the theater's impresarii in the 17th century.

In 1733 the famous intermezzo La serva padrona by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi with a libretto by Gennaro Antonio Federico was premiered here.

The last impresario of the theater was Angelo Carasale from 1735 . With the opening of the Teatro San Carlo in 1737, however, the San Bartolomeo lost its leading role, it stopped its productions and was converted into a church: the Chiesa della Graziella (Santa Maria delle Grazie) in rua Catalana. The church was badly damaged in the 1980 earthquake and was closed to the public for decades; After the necessary restoration work, it was reopened in December 2014 and is the seat of the Centro di musica da camera CERSIM (Center for Chamber Music).

World premieres (selection)

The following is a selection of works that are particularly relevant in terms of music history.

L'Armida by Benedetto Ferrari (1639)
La Delia, o sia La sera sposa del sole by Mannelli (1639)
Il pastor regio by Ferrari (1640)
La ninfa avara by Ferrari (1641)
Gli amori di Giasone e d'Isifile by Marco Marazzoli (1642)
Narciso et Ecco immortalati by Filippo Vitali (1642)
Il principe giardiniero by Ferrari (1643)
L'Ulisse errante by Francesco Sacrati (1644)
Alessandro vincitor di se stesso by Antonio Cesti (1651)
Il Cesare amante (La Cleopatra) by Cesti (1651)
Le magie amorose by Francesco Cavalli , with inlays by Giuseppe Alfiero (1653)
Il Ciro by Francesco Provenzale (1653?)
La fedeltà trionfante by Giuseppe Alfiero (1655)
Xerse by Francesco Cavalli, with inlays by Francesco Provenzale (1657)
Il Teseo, o vero l'inconstanza trionfante by Francesco Provenzale (1658)
L'Edmiro creduto Uranio by Giuseppe Tricarico (1670)
Caligula delirante by Filippo Acciaiuoli (1673)
Marcello in Siracusa by Ziani (1673)
Chi tal nasce tal vive, o vero l'Alessandro Bala by Pietro Andrea Ziani (1678)
Il Pompeo by Alessandro Scarlatti (1680) with Giovanni Francesco Grossi
Il Pirro e il Demetrio by Alessandro Scarlatti (1694)
Bassiano, ovvero il maggior impossibile by Alessandro Scarlatti (1694)
Massimo Puppieno by Alessandro Scarlatti (1695)
Le nozze con l'inimico, overo l'Analinda by Alessandro Scarlatti (1695)
Il trionfo di Camilla regina de Volsci by Giovanni Bononcini (1696)
Comodo Antonino by Alessandro Scarlatti (1696)
Penelope la casta by Alessandro Scarlatti (? 1696)
Didone delirante by Alessandro Scarlatti (1696)
Aiace by Francesco Gasparini (1697)
L'Emireno, overo il consiglio dell'ombra by Alessandro Scarlatti (1697)
La caduta de 'decemviri by Alessandro Scarlatti (1697)
Tito Manlio by Luigi Mancia (1698)
La donna è ancora fedele by Alessandro Scarlatti (1698)
Il prigionier fortunato by Alessandro Scarlatti (1698)
Armida , composer unknown (1698)
Partenope by Luigi Mancia (1699)
Cesare in Alessandria by Giuseppe Antonio Vincenzo Aldrovandini (1699)
L'Eraclea by Alessandro Scarlatti (1700)
Odoardo by Alessandro Scarlatti (1700)
Laodicea e Berenice by Alessandro Scarlatti (1701)
Ariovisto by Francesco Mancini (1702)
Silla by Francesco Mancini (1703)
La costanza nell'honore by Francesco Mancini (1704)
L'odio e l'amore by Antonio Vincenzo Aldrovandini (1704)
Gli amanti generosi by Francesco Mancini (1705)
L'incoronazione di Dario by Antonio Vincenzo Aldrovandini (1705)
La serva favorita by Francesco Mancini (1705)
Il più fedel tra vassalli by Antonio Vincenzo Aldrovandini (1705)
Alessandro il grande in Sidone by Francesco Mancini (1706)
Le gare generose tra Pompeo e Cesare by Domenico Natale Sarro (1706)
Artaserse by Francesco Mancini (1708)
Il Maurizio by Antonio Orefice (1708)
Bellina e Lenno by Antonio Orefice (1708)
Astarto by Nicola Fago (1709)
Amore volubile e tiranno by Alessandro Scarlatti (1709)
Mario fuggitivo by Francesco Mancini (1710)
La principessa fedele by Alessandro Scarlatti (1710)
La fede riconosciuta by Alessandro Scarlatti (1710)
La pastorella al soglio by Antonio Orefice (1710)
Velasco e Drusilla by Antonio Orefice (1710)
Abdolomino by Giovanni Bononcini and Francesco Mancini (1711)
Flavio Anicio Olibrio by Nicola Porpora (1711)
Selim re d'Ormuz by Francesco Mancini (1712)
La vittoria dell'amor coniugale by Carmine Giordani (1712)
Caligola delirante by Antonio Orefice (1713)
Agrippina by Francesco Mancini (1713)
L'amor tirannico ossia Zenobia by Francesco Feo (1713)
Il gran Mogol by Francesco Mancini (1713)
La Caligula delirante by Antonio Orefice (1713)
Arminio by Alessandro Scarlatti (1714)
Il Pisistrato by Leonardo Leo (1714)
Il Vincislao by Francesco Mancini (1714)
Carlo, re d'Alemagna by Alessandro Scarlatti (1716?)
Ciro by Domenico Natale Sarro (1716)
I veri amici by Antonio Maria Bononcini (1715)
Il gran Cid by Francesco Gasparini (1717)
Lucio Papirio by Giuseppe Maria Orlandini (1717)
Le fede ne tradimenti by Domenico Natale Sarro (1718)
Armida al campo by Domenico Natale Sarro (1718)
Arsace by Domenico Natale Sarro (1718)
Alessandro Severo by Domenico Natale Sarro (1719)
Faramondo by Nicola Porpora (1719)
Cambise by Alessandro Scarlatti (1719)
Ginevra principessa di Scozia by Domenico Natale Sarro (1720)
Teuzzone by Francesco Feo (1720)
La fortezza al cimento by Francesco Mancini (1721)
Endimione by Antonio Maria Bononcini (1721)
Arianna e Teseo by Leonardo Leo (1721)
Publio Cornelio Scipione by Leonardo Vinci (1722)
Bacocco e Ermosilla by Leonardo Vinci (1722) ( Intermezzo )
Partenope by Domenico Natale Sarro (1722)
Lucio Vero by Domenico Natale Sarro (1722)
Il Trajano by Francesco Mancini (1723)
Siface by Francesco Feo (1723)
Amare per regnare by Nicola Porpora (1723)
Turno Aricino by Leonardo Leo (1724)
Eraclea by Leonardo Vinci (1724)
L'Eraclio by Giuseppe de Bottis (1724)
Didone abbandonata by Domenico Natale Sarro (1724)
L'impresario delle isole Canarie by Domenico Natale Sarro (1724)
Astianatte by Leonardo Vinci (1725)
Zenobia in Palmira by Leonardo Leo (1725)
Amore e fortuna by Giovanni Porta (1725)
La Lucinda fedele by Giovanni Porta (1726)
Il Sesostrate by Johann Adolph Hasse (1726)
Miride e Damari by Johann Adolph Hasse (1726)
L'Astarto by Johann Adolph Hasse (1726)
Larinda e Vanesio by Johann Adolph Hasse (1726)
L'Ernelinda by Leonardo Vinci (1726)
Gerone tiranno di Siracusa by Johann Adolph Hasse (1727)
Moschetta e Grullo di Domenico Natale Sarro (1727) (Intermezzo)
Grilletta e Porsugnacco by Johann Adolph Hasse (1727) (Intermezzo)
La caduta de Decemviri by Leonardo Vinci (1727)
L'Oronta by Francesco Mancini (1728)
Flavio Anicio Olibrio by Leonardo Vinci (1728)
Clitarco, o sia il più fedel tra gli amici by Pietro Filippo Scarlatti (1728)
Attalo, re di Bitinia by Johann Adolph Hasse (1728)
Carlotta e Pantaleone by Johann Adolph Hasse (1728) (Intermezzo)
Scintilla e Don Tabarano o la Contadina by Johann Adolph Hasse (1728) (Intermezzo)
L'Ulderica by Johann Adolph Hasse (1729)
La serva scaltra (Dorilla e Balanzone) by Johann Adolph Hasse (1729) (Intermezzo)
Merlina e Galoppo by Johann Adolph Hasse (1729) (Intermezzo)
Il Tamese [Arsilda regina di Ponto] by Francesco Feo (1729)
Tigrane by Johann Adolph Hasse (1729)
Ezio by Johann Adolph Hasse (1730)
Lucilla e Pandolfo by Johann Adolph Hasse (1730) (Intermezzo)
La furbo e lo sciocco by Domenico Natale Sarro (1731) (Intermezzo)
Artemisia by Domenico Natale Sarro (1731)
Semiramide riconosciuta by Francesco Araja (1731)
Alessandro nelle Indie by Francesco Mancini (1732)
La Salustia by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1732)
Nibbio e Nerina by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1732) (Intermezzo)
Issipile by Johann Adolph Hasse (1732)
Il Demetrio by Leonardo Leo (1732)
Nitocri, regina d'Egitto by Leonardo Leo (1733)
Il prigionier superbo by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1733)
La serva padrona by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1733) (Intermezzo)
Caio Marzio Coriolano by Nicola Conti (1734)
L'umiltà esaltata by Tomaso Albinoni (1734)
Il castello d'Atlante by Leonardo Leo (1734)
Adriano in Siria by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1734)
Livietta e Tracollo (La contadina astuta) by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi (1734) (Intermezzo)
Cajo Marzio Coriolano by Nicola Conti (1734)
Demofoonte by Domenico Sarro, Francesco Mancini, Leonardo Leo and Giuseppe Sellitto (1735)
Emira by Leonardo Leo (1735)
Lucio Papirio by Leonardo Leo (1735)
Drusilla e Strabone by Giuseppe Sellitto (1735) (Intermezzo)
Farnace by Leonardo Leo (1736)

literature

Dinko Fabris: Naples, City of Spectacles from the 14th to the 19th Century , Art Book + 2 CD + Art Book, Opus 111, Paris, 1999.

Web links

Rossana di Poce: “La misericordia del teatro: il San Bartolomeo e gli Incurabili di Napoli”, a brief history of San Bartolomeo on the Partenope @ duepuntozero website , October 2, 2014, last viewed on October 11, 2018 (Italian; also source of present article)

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Rossana di Poce: “La misericordia del teatro: il San Bartolomeo e gli Incurabili di Napoli”, a brief history of San Bartolomeo on the Partenope @ duepuntozero website , October 2, 2014, last viewed on October 11, 2018 (Italian; also source of this article)
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d Dinko Fabris: Naples, City of Spectacles from the 14th to the 19th Century , Art Book + 2 CD + Art Book, Opus 111, Paris, 1999, pp. 57–58
↑ Francesco Cotticelli: Perrucci, Andrea. In: Raffaele Romanelli (ed.): Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani (DBI). Volume 82: Pazzi-Pia. Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana, Rome 2015.

40.8417 14.2531Coordinates: 40 ° 50 ′ 30.1 ″ N , 14 ° 15 ′ 11.2 ″ E

[RdP-1] Rossana di Poce: “La misericordia del teatro: il San Bartolomeo e gli Incurabili di Napoli”, a brief history of San Bartolomeo on the Partenope @ duepuntozero website , October 2, 2014, last viewed on October 11, 2018 (Italian; also source of this article)

[Fabris-2] Dinko Fabris: Naples, City of Spectacles from the 14th to the 19th Century , Art Book + 2 CD + Art Book, Opus 111, Paris, 1999, pp. 57–58

[Treccani-3] Francesco Cotticelli: Perrucci, Andrea. In: Raffaele Romanelli (ed.): Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani (DBI). Volume 82: Pazzi-Pia. Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana, Rome 2015.