Teatro Eleonora Duse ex Teatro Brunetti

Since the middle of the seventeenth century there was, in the ancient palace in Via del Giglio Old Paper, a theater used by the boarders of the College of Nobles named after St. Francis Xavier. The students brought in staged performances of carnival and academies of the year. Says Marina Heat in the most recent and extensive essay that has been produced on this theater: "For all these exhibitions to be held in front of a qualified audience of invited guests, it is reasonable to assume you were using a theater (and the" martial arts "as well a "rider") wide and well-stocked as the performances in particular, we deduce from the "arguments" or "scenarios" in the press, predicted the presence of a lot of characters on stage, the use of complex and varied scenery and the accompanying a small orchestra "(cited Heat 1990, p. 88). Of this room there is no description received and this suggests it was fairly anonymous. The theater (as St. Xavier) was in 1806 in the list compiled by order of the Prefect of the Department of the Rhine, along with three private rooms for use by the Bolognese company amateur theater Taruffi Felicini the theater, the theater Legnani . In 1822 it was purchased by Antonio Brunetti, who apparently found him still intact because he gave it to rent for puppet shows, very fashionable at the time. In the spring of 1830, the owner who was an engineer by profession, he put his hand to a radical restoration and expansion of the theater. It was his intention to modify the status and place in such a manner as to impose the payment of the entrance fee to the public who attended the performances. That is, to qualify as "venal", for which the theater had to meet certain requirements. The project was completed at the end of that year and the museum opened the show with drama Love and cruelty. In the chronicle of a periodical of the time is that this theater was rectangular in plan, with fourteen boxes (arranged in three rows facing the stage), four of which formed the entrance to as many railings placed on either side of the room, at the same level of the boxes (see Heat, 1988, p. 88 and footnote 6). The inside of the boxes, railings, banisters and ceiling of the theater seem to have been painted with good taste and elegance. The stage was equipped with a number of scenarios work of talented artists, of which we can not know the identity. But despite the costly efforts of Antonio Brunnetti the theater did not achieve the status of "venal." The inspection of the municipal engineer and the representative of the Noble Deputation to live, gave positive results in relation to the structures, but unfavorable opinion by the Deputation. Is criticized in the first place the position unhappy, also it was observed that it was not appropriate to activate another theater since the city had already enough. Meanwhile, in this theater hall, performances were given for a charitable purpose by amateur companies, particularly active at that time (1831) marked by riots and civil commitment. We recall in particular a Philip of Vittorio Alfieri staged by Antigonus and Zappoli Agamemnon and Antigone starring Annina Garland. Meanwhile, Brunetti got some exceptions to the veto imposed by the Deputation, to give paid performances. In particular, the theater was given to management for four years at the famous puppeteer Onofrio Samoggia that this art had reached a fairly high level of quality. Ups and downs (the theater had been inherited by his nephews meanwhile Antonio Brunetti: Caesar and Emilio) we reach the threshold of 1860. The changed political situation turned out to be decisive for the fate of this theatrical place. The Provisional Council of Government showed far more benevolent towards the theaters, so yet another request to exercise venalmente was welcomed, subject to execution of urgent restoration works, which were done very quickly, allowing the theater to re-open on the evening of ' February 11, 1860 with the opera music. The entire plant was still requiring global intervention because it was too small, dirty, poorly lit and lacking adequate collateral structures. Therefore, in 1863, was opened on the site. Emilio Brunetti, who passionately loved the entertainment world and had already worked hard to raise the fortunes of the theater artistic family, invested considerable resources to ensure that the new room proves modern and comfortable. The theater reopened in the evening of February 18, 1865 with a costume party receiving the unanimous consent of the participants. The room had two galleries and a gallery supported by slender iron columns, the painted decorations were the work of Valentino Solmi and Gaetano Lodi. Also on the ceiling of the auditorium opened a skylight windows mobile, was equipped with a modern system of gas lighting (it was the first theater of Bologna to have access) and a heating system with radiators placed in the basement, as well as a sounding board placed under the orchestra. It was finally has a large foyer on the first floor. With effect from 25 March of the same year shows began to occur with frantic pace, first with the performance of the company acrobatic Ciniselli, then with operas Norma, Un ballo in maschera, Barber of Seville until late summer , thanks to the presence of the skylight Mobile. The theater experienced a considerable fortune in those years, thanks to the dynamism of Emilio Brunnetti knew that choose the shows aimed at a popular audience, to entertain and educate at the same time. In 1873 the theater was again closed for reorganization that seems rather expensive, so much so that a fight broke out between the two brothers, owners of the theater, so the whole was under receivership. Nevertheless, for the very prestigious theater early stage. Just in 1873 it was started the season operetta bound to have wider space. Subsequently, in 1879, he gave the so-called popular concerts, during which conductors of good brought to the knowledge of the public the progress of European instrumental music (see Heat 1990, p. 93). On November 6, 1878 King Umberto I and Queen Margherita, at the invitation of the Workers and Artisan Bologna, attending a show at this theater. In addition, there was no lack of conferences held by eminent personalities such as Crispi and Carducci. Finally, in March 1882 he recited the great Sarah Bernhardt who conquered the audience with La Dame aux camelias and frou-frou. At the end of the century the theater was purchased by Cazzani and Lambertini (the latter is also the owner of the theater of course), who thought it best to change his name by dedicating it to Eleonora Duse, the ceremony took place on June 12, 1898 with a famous speech Henry Panzacchi, followed by the performances of the Dream of D'Annunzio and the landlady of Goldoni. Soon Lambertini died, and the theater was purchased by King Riccardi, then again restored by the architect Lorenzo Colliva. During this intervention, the building was raised to expand the upper galleries, the proscenium was reformed, new staircases were built for comfort and safety of the public, introduced the electrical system redone and the decorations by Trebbi and Bazzani. In a dress for those times modern and sumptuous theater Duse was re-opened November 7, 1904. Intervention Colliva currently the theater retains very little. On December 25, 1945 (with a performance of Rigoletto) has re-opened to the public in its present, very simple and devoid of the original decorations, also the elegant balconies have been converted to make room for two large galleries. In contrast to this stage have continued to succession all the most famous companies and prose magazine, singers of classical and light music and famous dancers, perpetuating the lucky season started by Emilio Brunetti. Since 1963, the theater is managed by the E. T.I. and for more than twenty years, the programming is defined in collaboration with the Department of Culture of the Municipality of Bologna. (Lidia Bortolotti)