Don Giovanni Operasında Commedia Dell’arte Etkileri
Çalışma; librettosunu Lorenzo da Ponte’nin yazdığı ve W.A. Mozart’ın bestelediği Don Giovanni operasını ve bu operanın üzerindeki commedia dell’arte etkilerini ortaya koymayı amaçlamaktadır. Çalışma kapsamında İspanyol Altın Çağı yazarı Gabriel Téllez’in (Tirso de Molina) El burlador de Sevilla y convidado de piedra eserinde ortaya çıkan Don Juan figürünün tarihsel süreci İtalyan halk tiyatrosu geleneği commedia dell’arte etkileri bağlamında incelemekte ve Don Juan figürü üzerindeki commedia dell’arte etkilerinin Don Giovanni operasına yansımaları ortaya konulmaktadır. Çalışma nitel araştırma yöntemi olan kaynak tarama metodu bağlamında yapılmıştır. Bu bağlamda Don Juan, commedia dell’arte, Don Giovanni kavramları ve bu kavramların birbirleriyle etkileşimlerinin incelendiği Türkçe ve İngilizce metinler taranmıştır. Araştırma sonucunda tarihsel süreç boyunca Don Juan figürünü konu alan kimi yorumlamaların doğrudan; kimilerinin ise dolaylı olarak commedia dell’arte etkileşimleri taşıdıkları tespit edilmiştir. Don Giovanni operası özelinde incelendiğinde, eserde yer alan Leporello karakterinin, commedia dell’arte etkisini doğrudan ortaya koyan komik hizmetçi arketipinin bir yansıması olduğu anlaşılmaktadır. Bununla birlikte operada yer alan kılık değiştirme, mandolin eşliğinde serenat yapılması ve lazzi benzeri küçük komik repliklerin kullanılması gibi unsurlar da commedia dell’arte’nin doğrudan etkilerini ortaya koymaktadır.
The Influence of Commedia Dell’arte is Evident in the Opera: Don Giovanni
The study looks at the opera Don Giovanni, written by Lorenzo da Ponte and composed by W.A. Mozart, and how it was influenced by commedia dell’arte. The study looks at the historical process of the figure of Don Juan, which emerged in the Spanish Golden Age writer Gabriel Tellez’s work El burlador de Sevilla y convidado de piedra. It also looks at how the commedia dell’arte effects of the Italian folk theater tradition and the reflections of the commedia dell’arte effects on the figure of Don Juan on the opera Don Giovanni. The study used a qualitative research method and a literature review. It looked at Turkish and English texts about Don Juan, commedia dell’arte, Don Giovanni, and their interactions. The research found that some interpretations of Don Juan include commedia dell’arte. The opera Don Giovanni shows that the character of Leporello is like a comic servant. This shows that the opera is influenced by commedia dell’arte. The opera also shows that Leporello uses disguise, plays the mandolin and uses small comic lines.
This study examines the influence of the Italian folk theater tradition of commedia dell’arte on the opera Don Giovanni, written by Lorenzo Da Ponte and composed by Mozart. The origin of the opera Don Giovanni can be traced back to the play El burlador de Sevilla y convidado de piedra, written by the Spanish Golden Age writer Gabriel Téllez under the pseudonym Tirso de Molina. Don Juan, the protagonist of this play, is a very popular figure who has been reworked by many artists in many different approaches over time and has become a part of the world cultural heritage. The study analyzes the development of possible interactions between the original text of the figure of Don Juan as well as its reinterpreted versions and commedia dell’arte in the historical process and how these interactions are reflected in the opera Don Giovanni.
The study was conducted using the literature review method, one of the qualitative research methods. In this context, studies on the concepts of Don Juan, commedia dell’arte and Don Giovanni were reviewed. It was determined that there are also studies on the relationship between these concepts in the literature. However, it was seen that there are a limited number of studies on the subject in the Turkish literature. It was understood that the studies mostly focused on the musical structure of the opera. However, this study deals with the dramatic structure of Don Giovanni opera and analyzes the formation process of this structure in detail within its historical process. In this way, data will be provided to the stagers and performers who are thinking of staging the opera as well as to the researchers who are working on the subject.
Studies on the relationship between commedia dell’arte and opera have extensively examined the historical development of these two art forms and their interactions with each other. Pirotta (1955) examined the historical development processes and relationships between commedia dell’arte and opera and argued that both forms aim to entertain the audience depending on the performers’ skills. Trahan (2012) investigated the relationship between the Spieltenor repertoire and commedia dell’arte traditions and suggested that Spieltenor roles have similar characteristics to the stereotypical characters of commedia dell’arte. Chaffee and Crick (2015) provide a comprehensive overview of the history, characteristics and development of commedia dell’arte, examining the influence of this theater form on great names such as Shakespeare, Molière, Goldoni and its contributions to modern theater. Wilbourne (2016) examines the contributions of the commedia dell’arte to the development of Italian opera and its echoes in 17th-century opera, revealing the impact of the vocal performances of the commedia dell’arte on the dramatic narrative of opera and the way audiences perceive opera.
The study mainly focuses on how the characters, plot and dramatic elements of Don Giovanni may have been influenced by commedia dell’arte. In this context, for example, the character of Leporello is clearly a reflection of the archetype of the comic servant from commedia dell’arte. In addition, elements such as disguise, serenading with mandolin accompaniment and the use of small comic lines similar to lazzi also reveal the direct effects of commedia dell’arte on the opera.
Another finding reached within the scope of the study is that the theatrical approach of Goldoni, who is seen among the important writers who reshaped commedia dell’arte, was a source of inspiration in the creation of Don Giovanni opera and this approach was indirectly reflected in the opera. In this context, in parallel with Goldoni’s theatrical approach, the dramatic structure of Don Giovanni opera has evolved from a structure in which two main classes are represented as noble/aristocratic and peasant/servant to a three-layered structure. This structure is revealed more clearly and colorfully through the actions of the central characters. While Leporello and Masetto from the lower class have bass voices, Don Ottavio from the upper class is a tenor. Don Giovanni is in between these two classes with his baritone voice.
The study also deals with Don Giovanni’s transitivity between the opera buffa and dramma giocoso genres. It is stated that opera buffa contains social criticism and parodic elements, while dramma giocoso combines humorous and serious elements. Mozart constructed his opera in a structure that is both entertaining and thought-provoking and used these genres by blending them in Don Giovanni.
In conclusion, this study aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the opera Don Giovanni and to a more consistent and aesthetic performance of future performances. Furthermore, by revealing the historical development process of the Don Juan figure of commedia dell’arte and its effects on the opera Don Giovanni, it provides important data on how opera works can be interpreted in a historical and cultural context.
