ENGLISH * NAPLES,
SAN CARLO THEATRE
THE
EDIFICE WE ARE LOOKING DOWN ON NOW WAS THE FIRST OPERA HOUSE TO BE BUILT IN
EUROPE, WHICH IS TO SAY, THE WORLD. THE SAN CARLO THEATRE WAS ERCTED 167 YEARS
BEFORE THE PARIS OPERA; 150 YEARS BEFORE LONDON'S COVENT GARDEN; AND 41 YEARS
BEFORE LA SCALA IN MILAN. IN THE COURSE OF TIME IT HAS BEEN SURPASSED IN SIZE
ONLY BY THE PARIS OPERA, BUT WHEN IT WAS FIRST BUILT IT WAS UNRIVALLED BOTH
FOR THE ELEGANT RICHNESS OF ITS ARCHITECTURE AND FOR THE QUALITY OF THE OPERAS
WHICH WERE PERFORMED THERE.
IN 1737, WHEN CHARLES
III OF BOURBON DECIDED TO BUILT AN OPERA HOUSE NAMED AFTER HIS PATRON SAINT,
NAPLES WAS THE UNDISPUTED MUSICAL CAPITAL OF EUROPE, WITH NO FEWER THAN FOUR
CONSERVATORIES.
FOR DECADES THESE INSTITUTIONS
HAD BEEN PRODUCING THE MOST ACCOMPLISHED COMPOSERS OF THE PERIOD: IT IS ENOUGH
TO RECALL THE NAMES OF ALESSANDRO AND DOMENICO SCARLATTI, CIMAROSA, PERGOLESI,
JOMMELLI AND PAISIELLO.
IT WAS AT THE SAN CARLO
THEATRE THAT BELLINI, ROSSINI AND VERDI EARNED THEIR FIRST TRIUMPHS. INDEED
ALL THE MOST TALENTED COMPOSERS OF THE PERIOD HAD FIRST TO OBTAIN SUCCESS
AT THE SAN CARLO IF THEY WISHED TO GO ON AND MAKE A NAME FOR THEMSELVES IN
THE OTHER OPERA HOUSES OF EUROPE.
ITS FACADE STANDS OUT
BETWEEN THE DARK GREEN FOLIAGE OF THE ROYAL GARDEN AND THE RED WALLS OF THE
ROYAL PALACE. FROM ABOVE, ITS ELEGANT NEOCLASSICAL DESIGN SEEMS NOT SO MUCH
TO BE A DISPOSITION OF VOLUMES AS OF COLOURS. THESE ARE SOBER, FROM THE GREY
PIPERNO STONE OF THE PONDEROUS PORTICO TO THE WHITE MARBLE OF THE LOW-RELIEFS
WHICH ARE SET AT REGULAR INTERVALS IN THE RUSTICATION.
THE GRACEFULNESS OF THE
SLENDER IONIC COLUMNS TEMPERS THE AUSTERITY OF THE FACADE'S LINES, WHILE THE
PEDIMENT RECALLING THAT OF A GREEK TEMPLE CONFERS A SENSE OF THE ACRED ON
THE ENTIRE COMPOSITION. WHAT WE CAN SEE FROM THE OUTSIDE IS OF SUCH EXTREME
REFINEMENT THAT IT IS NOT DIFFICULT TO GUESS AT THE SPLENDOUR CONTAINED WITHIN:
FIVE TIERS OF BOXES, THEIR WOODWORK PAINTED IN GLEAMING GOLD, ARRANGED IN
A HORSE SHOE SHAPE ROUND THE THIRTY-FIVE METRE WIDE STAGE.
IN 1816 THE SAN CARLO
THEATRE WAS ALMOST COMPLETELY DESTROYED BY A FIRE, BUT FERDINAD IV HAD IT
ITS ENTIRETY, ADDING LUXURIOUS RECEPTION ROOMS, AND IN THE AUDITORIUM, A MAGNIFICIENT
TEMPERA PAINTING FOR THE CEILING AND AN IMPOSING CURTAIN FOR THE STAGE, BOTH
THE WORK OF CAMMARANO. HOWEVER, THE ROYAL ATMOSPHERE OF THE THEATRE IS CHIEFLY
DUE TO ITS ROYAL BOX, UNEQUALLED IN THE WORLD FOR ITS SUMPTUOUS DECORATION.
WITH A SEATING CAPACITY
OF THREE THOUSAND, THE SAN CARLO THEATRE CONTINUES TO BE FREQUENTED BY THE
MOST CELEBRATED SINGERS AND ACCOMPLISHED MUSICIANS OF THE DAY.
