Charles Baudelaire fell in love with the theatre when, as a young man, he was seduced by its lights, costumes, choreography, and by the many charms of the comédiens. He tried his hand at drama but failed to conceive concrete projects; the stage was to remain an unfulfilled, if recurrent, dream. Nevertheless Baudelaire transferred this dream to his poetry, which in fact appears innovative because of its narrative and dialogic elements, twists and turns, appearances and disappearances. These features combine to provoke in the reader the “shock experience” typical of his work. Prompted by the recognition of the theatricality of the verse, Federica Locatelli and Marina Spreafico selected, translated and staged passages from the works that showcase the interest in drama. These were collected in a performance, Il male e i suoi fiori, staged at Teatro Arsenale in Milan (May 2017). In a swirl of dances, songs and allegories, the audience was led on a journey through the poet’s mind, imagination and words, so as to discover new aspects of his lyric universe. In this article, after a consideration of the poet’s aesthetics, we retrace the genesis of Il male e i suoi fiori, its orchestration, message and central insights.
Inseguendo il sogno del teatro: Charles Baudelaire, Il male e i suoi fiori
Locatelli F;
2021-01-01
Abstract
Charles Baudelaire fell in love with the theatre when, as a young man, he was seduced by its lights, costumes, choreography, and by the many charms of the comédiens. He tried his hand at drama but failed to conceive concrete projects; the stage was to remain an unfulfilled, if recurrent, dream. Nevertheless Baudelaire transferred this dream to his poetry, which in fact appears innovative because of its narrative and dialogic elements, twists and turns, appearances and disappearances. These features combine to provoke in the reader the “shock experience” typical of his work. Prompted by the recognition of the theatricality of the verse, Federica Locatelli and Marina Spreafico selected, translated and staged passages from the works that showcase the interest in drama. These were collected in a performance, Il male e i suoi fiori, staged at Teatro Arsenale in Milan (May 2017). In a swirl of dances, songs and allegories, the audience was led on a journey through the poet’s mind, imagination and words, so as to discover new aspects of his lyric universe. In this article, after a consideration of the poet’s aesthetics, we retrace the genesis of Il male e i suoi fiori, its orchestration, message and central insights.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
