TIMELESS LIFESTYLE FROM COAST TO COAST
Culture & Passion
with Style
by Diana Di Mauro
The Harlequin Salon
Tafelmusik hosts a musical party with glamorous musicians, a comedic servant and a good dose of
artistic personality. by : Diana Di Mauro
cellist Christina Mahler), and explained
the repertoire they were to perform.
Notable moments included Citterio’s
performance of Antonio Vivaldi’s
Sonata in C Minor for violin and
continuo,
RV6;
Invernizzi’s
performance of the aria “Qual guerriero
in campo armato” from Idapse, by
Riccardo Broschi (c.1698–1756); and the
Sonata prima for cello and continuo by
Giovanni Bononcini (1670–1747).
S
ometimes the
simplest ideas
are the most
effective, and in
Tafelmusik’s
winter concert,
contemporaries.
During the show, Ghezzi
(portrayed by show creator
Marco Cera) is portrayed
preparing for a musical salon
he is hosting later that
evening at his
p a l a z z o .
Ghezzi
is
assisted by his
c o m e d i c
s e r v a n t ,
Harlequin
(played
by
actor
Dino
Goncalves),
who became
the audience’s
host for the
e v e n i n g .
During
the
s h o w ,
Harlequin took
us behind the
mask
of
Ghezzi’s salon,
making snappy
remarks
and
s h a r i n g
anecdotes
about
his
Elisa Citterio, Music Director, violin
master and his famous
musical guests. All the
while
attempting
to
seduce
the
young
Faustina
Bordoni
(portrayed by Italian
soprano
Roberta
Invernizzi), who made a
special performance that
evening. She was a vision
in the elegantly flowing
Robe volante, seen in
many Watteau and De
Troy paintings. Bordini
also returned to the stage
masquerading as the
castrato Farinelli, in an
appearance that was
central to the comedy.
Besides creating the
drama
onstage,
Harlequin also narrated
the evening’s salon. He
introduced each guest in
attendance,
including
Antonio Vivaldi (portrayed
by Tafelmusik’s Music
Director Elisa Citterio)
and
cello
virtuoso
Giovanni
Bononcini
(portrayed by Tafelmusik
Throughout the performances, which
were all masterfully interpreted, real-
time hand drawings of Ghezzi’s
Roberta Invernizzi, soprano. Photo by David Capelli.
caricatures
were
simultaneously
projected on a screen behind the
musicians. It was live drawing, music,
and theatre, all rolled into one. A simple
salon with extraordinarily performed
music in an intimate setting made
Tafelmusik’s Harlequin Salon an
engaging and memorable concert
experience.
Credit: Cylla von Tiedemann
Harlequin Salon, this was
absolutely the case. The
concept
for
the
performance
seemed
inspired by the court
Masque performances of
centuries past. rtraits.
Perhaps Cera had come
across Ghezzi’s famous
drawing of Antonio Vivaldi
(1678–1741)
when
the
programme
was
put
together, as it centred
heavily around the music
of
Vivaldi
and
his
15
Panorama
Marzo 2019