Irenebrination is an art, architecture and fashion publication, but among the most read posts last year there were quite a few features dedicated to opera costumes.
So costume fans reading this post may be happy to hear that, from today, there are eight new creations to admire at the Fondazione Zeffirelli (piazza San Firenze 5, Florence).
The Fondazione is a great way to get introduced to the work of Franco Zeffirelli, known not just for directing films, but also several operas.
In Room 6 it will be possible to admire three costumes designed by Raimonda Gaetani for the characters of Tonio/Taddeo, Nedda/Colombina and Beppe/Arlecchino for the opera "Pagliacci" by Ruggero Leoncavallo.
Despite their colourful patterns and decorations (and the fact that Colombina's costume is a pink ruffled dress matched with a sequinned jacket that wouldn't look out of place on a Gucci by Alessandro Michele runway...), the opera, staged in 1992 at Rome's Opera Theatre, is a tragic one.
A pale blue kimono matched with an ample blood red robe, designed by Emi Wada for Puccini's "Madama Butterfly" (staged in 2004 at the Arena in Verona), is on view in Room 7; while in Room 11 there is the grand silver, gold and red Pharaoh costume by Anna Anni for Giuseppe Verdi's "Aida" (2002, Verona).
There are three more designs by Emi Wada in Room 15, these time for the characters Ping, Pang and Pong in Puccini's "Turandot" (2010, Verona): the costumes for the three imperial ministers are rich and they are accessorised with elaborate masks featuring feathers, pom poms and ribbons.
The museum also includes the costume designed by Franco Zeffirelli for Maria Callas for the 1955 staging at Milan's La Scala of Rossini's "The Turk in Italy"; two original costumes from the Topkapi Palace Museum in Istanbul that were as inspiration for the "Don Giovanni" costumes for the 1972 staging in Vienna; a costume by Ermanno Scervino for Cher in the film "Tea with Mussolini"(1999), and two costumes by Maurizio Millenotti for Puccini's "Turandot", staged at the Royal Opera House of Muscat, in Oman, in 2011.
As the costumes are displayed without any glass protection, this is a unique chance to discover them close up, admiring the details and the solutions the designers opted for. It is always surprising indeed that what may be perceived by the audience (from a distance) as grand accessories or luxurious fabrics (see the golden collar covered in ruby-like gems donned by the Pharaoh) are actually humble materials going from plastic or thin metal sheets to shiny lame fabrics (note for the visitors: the richest and most beautiful costumes on display remain Emi Wada's). So this is an opportunity for visitors to study how an opera character develops through clothes and accessories, but also employing all sorts of materials available to a designer.
Throughout 2019, every last Saturday of the month the ticket will include a bonus guided visit during which it will be possible to ask further explanations about costumes and operas directed by Zeffirelli to the museum staff.
Comments