Italian Language Courses on Lyrical Opera

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The Course comprises the study of the libretti of the various operas, including reference to their lexical and grammatical content.

CENTRO DI CULTURA
ITALIANA CASENTINO
Scuola di Italiano
per stranieri

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The origins of the Opera: The music and poetry of the first theatrical performances of music-drama. Thoughts on Euridice by Rinuccini/Peri and on Orfeo by Striggio/Monteverdi. The libretto of the Opera and the Italian language in that epoch; the "recitar cantando". The clarity of the language.

Puccini's heroines: A brief summary of the poetry and music rendered by some of the great female characters in Puccini's operas.
The willingness, on the part of the composer, to include Tuscan modes of speech into the standard Italian of his work.

Verdi's characters: The examination, through their words and music, of some of the significant personalities in this great composer's work (Rigoletto, Violetta, Radames, Macbeth, Otello, Iago, Falstaff, Don Carlo).

The "Italian" Mozart: The three great operas written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, together with his librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte (The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni, Così fan tutte): a psycological interpretation of the characters through both texts and music.

The Period of Verism: Some aspects of musical Verism through the analysis of libretti of operas. This course also includes listening to some very well known operas (Cavalleria Rusticana by P.Mascagni; Pagliacci by R.Leoncavallo; Fedora and Andrea Chenier by U.Giordano; Adriana Lecouvreur by A.Catalani).

The Course

The Course comprises the study of the libretti of the various operas, including reference to their lexical and grammatical content. Students will listen to some of the more outstanding arias. In this way it will be possible to appreciate the rendering of the operas and the musicality of the Italian language which in itself induced foreign composers, such as Mozart, to couple his music with lyrics in Italian.
The Course lasts for one week with a total of 20 lessons.
The lessons are held every morning from Monday to Friday in the school building.
The four daily lessons, each one lasting 50 minutes, begin at 9.00 a.m. with an interval of 30 minutes after the first two lessons.
This Course has been prepared for those students who already have a good knowledge of the Italian language and who wish to deepen and perfect their understanding through the study of lyrical opera.

A tavola con gli insegnanti

During their stay at Poppi the students enjoy lunch and dinner together with their teachers in typical Casentino restaurants. These convivial moments give the students an opportunity to savour the gastronomic specialities of Casentino; to practise their conversation and to deepen their knowledge of spoken Italian.

Approfondimenti culturali

In the afternoons it is possible to take part in excursions together with our teachers so that students can appreciate the very significant local history and culture. These outings include a visit to Poppi and other medieval villages with their parish churches and castles. The monasteries of Camaldoli and La Verna are of particular importance where one can feel immersed in the spirituality they offer. Also included is a visit to Arezzo to see the frescoes of Piero della Francesca.

Cucinare insieme

With the help of a local expert cook and, in a family atmosphere, the students take part in the preparation of typical Tuscan specialities.
The resulting dishes are subsequently savoured by the students, accompanied by teachers and friends.

Free afternoon

During the afternoons when no school activity is scheduled, students can deepen their knowledge of Casentino by visiting local architectural and historic masterpieces and also museums in Florence (40 kilometres away). It is also possible to enjoy trips through the National Park of the Casentino Forests whose centuries-old woodlands offer the opportunity to admire and enjoy the splendid colours of a still-intact nature.

Accommodation

During your stay in Poppi the school offers various types of accommodation. You can choose one of the local hotels, an agritourism structure in the surrounding countryside or share with two or three other students a 2 or 3-bedroomed flat in the historical centre of Poppi, or nearby.
The school will, on request, provide information and a list of the agritourism structures, hotels and rooms in which it is possible to lodge; also accepting the responsibility of eventual booking.
It is also possible - for a limited number of students - to be accommodated with an Italian family.
An alternative arrangement is to occupy a flat in the historical centre of Poppi - or neighbourhood - either alone or with friends and family. In such cases the school will provide, on request, a list of the available flats with respective prices.

Prices

All prices are in Euro - (*) Heating is not included

Calendar of the Courses (please click here)

Booking and Information

For information and booking it is advisable to contact the school secretary's office:
Telephone: 0039 0575 529774
Fax: 0039 0575 529559
E-mail

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