''Le convenienze ed inconvenienze teatrali'' (''Conventions and Inconveniences of the Stage''), also known as ''Viva la mamma'' and ''Viva la Diva'', is a dramma giocoso, or

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

, in two acts by Gaetano Donizetti. The Italian libretto was written by Domenico Gilardoni, adapted from Antonio Simeone Sografi's plays ''Le convenienze teatrali'' (1794) and ''Le inconvenienze teatrali'' (1800). The title refers to the '' convenienze'', which were the rules relating to the ranking of singers (''primo'', ''secondo'', ''comprimario'') in 19th-century Italian opera, and the number of scenes, arias etc. that they were entitled to expect.

Performance history

19th century The opera was originally a one-act ''farsa'' based on ''Le convenienze teatrali''; this version premiered at the Teatro Nuovo in Naples on 21 November 1827. Donizetti revised it and added recitatives and material from ''Le inconvenienze teatrali''; this final version premiered at the Teatro alla Cannobiana in Milan on 20 April 1831. 20th century and beyond ''Convenienze'' had its first major modern revival in 1963 in Siena,Osborne 1994, p. 173 and has subsequently appeared in a number of translations and under various titles, most notably as ''Viva la mamma'', a German adaptation presented in Munich in 1969. In the UK, the first staged performance was not given until 9 April 1976 by an amateur company, the Harrow Opera Workshop, but that performance had been preceded by a 1969 BBC broadcast under the name of ''Upstage and Downstage'' and in 1972

Opera Rara Opera Rara is a London-based opera company and recording label which specialises in recording and performing forgotten operatic repertoire from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Founded in 1970 by bel canto enthusiasts Patric Schmid and Don Whi ...

, the recording company, produced the one-act version in English as ''The Prima Donna's Mother is a Drag''. In the US, the first production was given in Terre Haute, Indiana on 2 April 1966. A 2004 production at the Opera of Monte Carlo starred

June Anderson June Anderson (born December 30, 1952) is a Grammy Award-winning American coloratura soprano. She is known for ''bel canto'' performances of Rossini, Donizetti, and Vincenzo Bellini. Subsequently, she has extended her repertoire to include a wi ...

. In October 2009, the opera was performed at La Scala as ''Le Convenienze ed inconvenienze teatrali'', under the direction of Marco Guidarini and there is a live DVD recording of this performance. This opera was staged in 2017 in the

Estates Theatre The Estates Theatre or Stavovské divadlo is a historic theater in Prague, Czech Republic. The Estates Theatre was annexed to the National Theatre in 1948 and currently draws on three artistic ensembles, opera, ballet, and drama, which perform a ...

of the Czech National Theatre in

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and List of cities in the Czech Republic, largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 milli ...

. A contemporary version in English by

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entitled ''Viva La Diva'' was staged, in association with the Salzburg State Theatre, at the

Buxton Opera House Buxton Opera House is in The Square, Buxton, Derbyshire, England. It is a 902-seat opera house that hosts the annual Buxton Festival and the International Gilbert and Sullivan Festival, among others, as well as pantomime at Christmas, musicals ...

as part of the 2022 Buxton International Festival, with the Northern Chamber Orchestra, directed by Stephen Medcalf, and with George Humphreys in the role of Agata (who becomes "Lady Wigan" in the contemporary English production).

Roles

Synopsis

:Time: 18th century :Place: "A provincial Italian theatre"Osborne 1994, p. 172 A regional (and mediocre) operatic troupe is rehearsing a new work—''Romulus and Ersilia'' —and faces numerous obstacles. The ''

prima donna In opera or commedia dell'arte, a prima donna (; Italian for "first lady"; plural: ''prime donne'') is the leading female singer in the company, the person to whom the prime roles would be given. ''Prime donne'' often had grand off-stage per ...

'' acts every bit the diva, refusing to rehearse. The German tenor cannot master either the lyrics or melodies. In the midst of much quarrelling, various singers threaten to walk out. The situation turns more dire with the arrival of Mamma Agata (a baritone role), the mother of the seconda donna. She insists on a solo for her daughter and even issues detailed demands on the musical arrangement of the aria. When the German tenor refuses to go on, he is replaced by the prima donna's husband. The show eventually collapses, and rather than pay back all the investors (whose money has already been spent), the company flees the town under cover of night.

Notes

Recordings

References

Notes Cited sources * Ashbrook, William; Sarah Hibberd (2001), in Holden, Amanda (Ed.), ''The New Penguin Opera Guide'', New York: Penguin Putnam. . pp. 224 – 247. * Osborne, Charles, (1994), ''The Bel Canto Operas of Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini'', Portland, Oregon: Amadeus Press. Sources *Allitt, John Stewart (1991), ''Donizetti: in the light of Romanticism and the teaching of Johann Simon Mayr'', Shaftesbury: Element Books, Ltd (UK); Rockport, MA: Element, Inc.(USA) *Ashbrook, William (1982), ''Donizetti and His Operas'', Cambridge University Press. *Ashbrook, William (1998), "Donizetti, Gaetano" in Stanley Sadie (Ed.), ''

The New Grove Dictionary of Opera ''The New Grove Dictionary of Opera'' is an encyclopedia of opera, considered to be one of the best general reference sources on the subject. It is the largest work on opera in English, and in its printed form, amounts to 5,448 pages in four volu ...

'', Vol. One. London: Macmillan Publishers, Inc. *Black, John (1982), ''Donizetti’s Operas in Naples, 1822—1848''. London: The Donizetti Society. *Loewenberg, Alfred (1970). ''Annals of Opera, 1597-1940'', 2nd edition. Rowman and Littlefield *

Sadie, Stanley Stanley John Sadie (; 30 October 1930 – 21 March 2005) was an influential and prolific British musicologist, music critic, and editor. He was editor of the sixth edition of the '' Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' (1980), which was publ ...

, (Ed.); John Tyrell (Exec. Ed.) (2004), ''

The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians ''The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' is an encyclopedic dictionary of music and musicians. Along with the German-language ''Die Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart'', it is one of the largest reference works on the history and theo ...

''. 2nd edition. London: Macmillan. (hardcover). (eBook). * Weinstock, Herbert (1963), ''Donizetti and the World of Opera in Italy, Paris, and Vienna in the First Half of the Nineteenth Century'', New York: Pantheon Books.

External links

Viva la Mamma
on opera-national-de-lyon

Libretto (two act version)
(Italian)
Le Convenienze ed Inconvenienze Teatrali (Viva la Mamma) - Gaetano Donizetti - 2002
on YouTube {{DEFAULTSORT:Convenienze ed inconvenienze teatrali. Le Italian-language operas Drammi giocosi Operas by Gaetano Donizetti Opera buffa Farse Operas 1831 operas 1827 operas Operas based on plays Operas set in Italy