Training course in baroque performing arts,
in collaboration with Civico Istituto Musicale Brera, Novara 2007-2008
The New Factory of the Baroque Opera it was a performance school, born as an Extraordinary Course of the Civico Istituto Musicale Brera of Novara in the school year 2004-2005 and continued throughout the school years 2005-2006 e 2006-2007. The course was launched as a three-year initiative, whose feasibility was based for the first three years exclusively on the income deriving from the fees paid by the students.
For the school year 2008-2009 the Nuova Fabbrica dell'Opera Barocca at the Civico Istituto Musicale Brera had the financial support of the Piedmont Region and the administrative support of the La Terza Pratica Association.
The course is essentially practical, based on baroque opera understood as a total theatrical genre in which music coexists, canto, dance and acting, had as its objective the training of experts of various levels, specialize in a discipline, but with a practical knowledge of the others. The courses were held in eight annual sessions from Friday afternoon to Sunday evening, on a monthly basis.
The three main addresses have been launched:
dance (subjects taught: baroque dance, choreographic notation Feuillet, study of sources, music theory, acting)
instrumental music (subjects taught: music, as a whole, continuous bass, study of sources, organologia, ornamentation, canto, acting)
vocal music (canto, ensemble music, continuous bass, acting)
The teaching staff of the first three-year period was made up of Deda Cristina Colonna (dance and acting) e Massimiliano Toni (music), with the help of Manuela Custer (canto). Some guest teachers were invited, chosen from among the greatest exponents of baroque music and dance: Gloria Giordano (dance – a.s. 2005/06), Gemma Bertagnolli (corner – a.s. 2005/6), Antonio Abete (corner – a.s. 2006/7), Maria Cristina Kiehr, Rosa Dominguez (canto – a.s. 2008/9)
The first three years of activity involved a total of 23 students, coming from various Italian regions and various European countries and has produced positive results from an educational point of view. The technical progress of the students has allowed numerous students of the Nuova Fabbrica dell'Opera Barocca to reach technical goals resulting in engagements and admissions to high schools.
Angelo Galeano (canto) was chosen to participate in the show “And in Arcadia I am, or Guercino between the sacred and the arcane” (Association “The Third Practice”, Novara 2006 and resumed in Lainate and Gijòn – Spain)
Anna Maria Carbonera (canto) she was hired in the choir of the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome.
Anna Gai, Sarah Edgar (dance), Cristina Dragano (acting) e Angelo Galeano (canto) participated in the show “The Fairy Queen” di H. Purcell, on stage at the Teatro Sociale di Como / As.Li.Co. con 84 performances on the national territory and tours at the Opéra Royal de Wallonie (Belgium)
Santiago Pereira (music) passed the diploma exam at the E.S.M.U.C. of Barcelona with the score of 10/10 and honorable mention; his theoretical work on the sources of the continuous bass, prepared for the New Factory, was judged the best in the entire history of the Ancient Music Department of the E.S.M.U.C.
Santiago Pereira was chosen by Massimiliano Toni as his assistant for the productions “The Shrewd Servant” (Coccia Theatre, Novara) e “The Mocking Diana” (Jovellanos Theater, Gijon – Spain)
Maria Gonzalez Calvo (music) passed the diploma exam at the E.S.M.U.C. of Barcelona with the score of 10/10 and honorable mention and was admitted to the Schola Cantorum Basiliensis, internationally renowned conservatory for ancient music
Silvana Baumgartner, Natalie Braeker e Anna Gai (dance) they passed the audition and participated in a baroque production in Germany and Belgium
Jose Maria Martì Duran he is one of the most esteemed lutenist/continua players on the international scene.