Clever servant from Commedia dell'Arte. Commedia dell'arte

Back forward

Attention! Slide previews are for informational purposes only and may not represent all the features of the presentation. If you are interested in this work, please download the full version.

2 slide- COMEDY DEL ARTE (commedia dell"arte); another name - comedy of masks - improvisational street theater of the Italian Renaissance, which arose in the mid-16th century and, in fact, formed the first professional theater in history.
Commedia dell'arte emerged from street festivals and carnivals. Her characters are certain social images in which not individual, but typical traits are cultivated. There were no plays as such in the commedia dell'arte; only a plot scheme, a script, was developed, which during the course of the performance was filled with live replicas that varied depending on the composition of the audience. It was this improvisational method of work that led comedians to professionalism - and, first of all, to the development of an ensemble and increased attention to their partner. In fact, if the actor does not carefully follow the improvisational cues and the line of behavior of the partner, he will not be able to fit into the flexibly changing context of the performance. These performances were the favorite entertainment of the mass, democratic audience. Commedia dell'arte absorbed the experience of farcical theater, but the common characters of the "scientific comedy" were also parodied here. A specific mask was assigned to a specific actor once and for all, but the role - despite the rigid typical framework - varied endlessly and developed during each performance.

3 slide– The very name “commedia dell’arte” contains a contrast to the Renaissance “scientific” theater, which, as we have already said, was amateur. La commedia - in Italian, not only “comedy” in our sense, but also theater in general, a spectacle; arte is an art, but also a craft, a profession. In other words, we are talking about a spectacle performed by professionals
The names of Harlequin, Pierrot or Columbine are known to everyone, but few people know that these heroes of the folk theater have their prototypes in the characters of the commedia dell'arte. An idea of ​​commedia dell'arte scripts is given by the first collection that has come down to us (1611), compiled by Flamineo Scala, the leader of the most famous troupe "Gelosi". Following it, several more collections were published. Unfortunately, we have almost no earliest short scripts that could fit on a piece of paper. They reached a later literary adaptation. Moreover, by the end of the 17th century. they began to approach literary drama. The scripts were very different. 99 percent were comedies, but there were also tragedies and pastorals. For example, in the tragedy of Nero, along with Seneca and Agrippina, Brighella and other masks acted. (By the way, it was the Gelosi troupe that first performed Tasso’s pastoral “Aminta” at the summer residence of the Dukes of Este, on the Belvedere island in the middle of the Po River. The role of Sylvia was played by the best actress of the troupe, the incomparable Isabella Andreini.)

4 slide– Semi-professional troupes began to appear in Italy (especially in Venice) already at the beginning of the 16th century. Mainly artisans took part in them. The Venetian patricians willingly invited them to their home celebrations, where they performed the comedies of Plautus and Ternetius, eclogues, farces and momarias - musical pantomimes in masks. Most of the members of these communities, at the end of the “theater season,” returned to their original professions: carpentry, carpentry, and boot making. However, the most talented of them made acting their main profession.

5 slide– A special role in the development of semi-professional theater was played by Angelo Beolco from Padua (1502-1542), the author of comedies and farces from peasant life, into which he interspersed motifs from the comedies of Plautus. Beolko received a good education and was well acquainted with classical drama, but, unlike the authors of academic drama, who composed plays in the quiet of their offices, he began performing on stage from a young age. Beolko gathered around himself a troupe of amateurs. The activities of this troupe were marked by two important features that allow us to call Beolko and his comrades the direct predecessors of the commedia dell'arte. Firstly, unlike the pastoral peasants, who spoke in refined language, the peasants in Beolko's farces and comedies spoke the Paduan dialect. (The use of dialects, which, due to the fragmentation of Italy, acquired particular stability, would later become a characteristic feature of the commedia dell'arte and one of the main sources of comedy.) Secondly, the actors from Beolko's troupe performed with constant stage names and in constant costumes. Beolko himself chose the role of the broken country boy Ruzante.

6 slide– Beolko was the direct predecessor of the commedia dell’arte, but its real birth occurred about 20 years after his death. In 1560, a performance of commedia dell'arte was documented in Florence, in 1566 - in Manua, and in 1568 in Munich, on the occasion of the wedding of the Crown Prince, an improvised comedy with masks was performed by Italians living in Bavaria. The Munich performance was described by a humanist writer. There is evidence that the audience was dying of laughter.

7 slide– Around the same time, the most famous commedia dell’arte troupe in Europe, “Gelosi” (“The Zealous”), arose. This troupe, consisting of 12-15 people, assembled a brilliant galaxy of actors. Its true adornment was the famous European actress and poetess, the legendary beauty Isabella Andreini. The King of France, Henry III himself, captivated by the performance of the troupe, invited the actors to Paris. It is interesting to trace how not only the status, but primarily the self-awareness of the actors changes during these years. In 1634, a book by one of the most educated actors of the commedia dell'arte, Nicolo Barbieri, "A Request addressed to those who speak in writing or orally about actors, neglecting their merits in artistic matters," was published. In it, Barbieri, trying to get rid of the actor's inferiority complex, writes: "The goal of the actor is to bring benefit by amusing."

8 slide– Italian artists have repeatedly emphasized their special position among their brothers. Comparing the Italian and French artists, Isabella Andreini wrote that the Frenchman is made of the same material, “from which parrots are made, who can only say what they are forced to repeat by heart. How much higher than them is the Italian... who, in contrast to the Frenchman, can be compared to a nightingale, composing their trills in a momentary whim of the mood." The Italian actor was also a synthetic actor, that is, he knew how not only to improvise, but also to sing, dance and even perform acrobatic stunts. The fact is that the performance of the commedia dell'arte was a multi-part action. The main plot was preceded by a prologue in which two actors with a trumpet and a drum invited the audience, advertising the troupe. Then an actor appeared, outlining the essence of the performance in verse. Then all the actors poured out and “shari-vari” began, during which the actors demonstrated their skills in every way: “This is what we can do, and we can do everything.” After this, the actor and actress sang and danced. And only then did they begin to play out the plot.

Slide 9– The comic peak of the commedia dell’arte was lactation, buffoonery tricks that had nothing to do with the action and were played by zanni servants. After the completion of the plot, farewell to the public began, accompanied by dancing and songs. One of the actors wrote then that the dead are happy, lying underground, where grief and death reign, “but we do not have the strength to grieve our sorrows, let’s laugh at them.” The essence of the commedia dell'arte was "l"anima allegre" - "joyful soul".
By the time of the activity of "Gelosi", the gaming canon of commedia dell'arte had obviously already taken shape. The most popular masks have also emerged in general terms.

10 slide– Commedia dell’arte had two main centers: Venice and Naples. In accordance with this, two main quartets of masks emerged: northern, or Venetian (Pantalone, Harlequin, Brighella, Doctor) and southern, or Neapolitan (Tartaglia, Scaramuccio, Coviello, Pulcinello). Both quartets often included the Captain, Fantesca (or Servetta), and the Lovers. In general, the number of masks that appeared on the stage of commedia dell'arte over the two centuries of its existence exceeds a hundred. But they were all modifications of the basic masks listed above.
Commedia dell'arte masks can be divided not only into northern and southern quartets, but also into functional groups. The first is satirical masks (old people). The second is comedy (servants). The third is lovers.

11 slide– Mimes, acrobats, clowns and dancers took part in the IMPROVIZATIONS OF THE COMEDIA DEL ARTE, introducing cheerful confusion into the plot.

Artist

fr. – Acteur; former – Comedian; former – Actor

An actor is a professional performer of roles in drama, opera, ballet, variety, circus performances and films. The actors perform their roles:
– following the text of the play; or
– following a script that requires improvisation.

12 slide– Harlequin from Italian.Arlecchino
Harlequin is a character from the Italian commedia dell'arte.
In the 16th century, Harlequin occupied the position of Zanni the simpleton in the troupe, confusing the intrigue of the comedy with his stupid antics. The simpleton harlequin wore a suit covered with multi-colored patches, symbolizing the poverty and stinginess of its owner.
In the 17th century, Harlequin occupied the position of Zanni the rogue in the troupe, actively participating in the development of the action. The patches on the rogue Harlequin's costume took the form of regular multi-colored triangles, closely adjacent to each other.
In the 18th century, a pathetic element was introduced into the interpretation of the role of Harlequin, making the audience laugh and cry at the same time.

Slide 13– Brighella

Italian Brighella from Italian. Briga - trouble
Brighella is a character from the Italian Commedia dell'Arte;
– was the mainspring of intrigue;
– wore a suit of a long white blouse with yellow or green stripes, long white trousers, simple shoes and a hat.

Slide 14– Zanni from Italian. – Zanni

Zanni is a character in the Italian commedia dell'arte, which has two varieties:

1 – rogue, rogue, trickster, who bore the names Zanni, Brighella, Pedrolino, Scapino, etc.;
2 - a simpleton, a bumpkin, who bore the names Harlequin, Burattino, Cola, Flauttino, Pulcinella.

– took an active part in the development of plot intrigue;
– spoke local dialects;
– used black half masks;
They wore peasant clothes: a long canvas blouse, long wide trousers, a wide-brimmed hat with a feather, a wooden sword in their belt, and a short cloak.

15 slide– Columbina is a traditional character in Italian folk comedy - a servant who participates in the development of intrigue, in different scenarios also called Fantesca, Servette, Franceschina, Smeraldina, Mirandolina, etc. Origin: a peasant girl who feels insecure and unusual in the city.
Behavior. Initially, she is a village fool, similar in character to a Harlequin mask; Her honesty and decency are emphasized, as well as her always good mood.

16 slide – Pantalone(Italian Pantalone, fr. Pantalon) is a mask character in Italian comedy, wearing long red trousers (knickers). Represents the Nordic (or Venetian) quartet of masks, along with Harlequin, Brighella and the Doctor. Prototypes of the Pantalone mask can be found in ancient comedy ( πάπος in Greece, Papus and Casnar in Rome), as well as in the Italian Renaissance novella.
Behavior. Pantalone, as a rule, is the center of intrigue, and, as a rule, always remains the victim of someone, most often Harlequin, his servant. He is sick and frail: he constantly limps, groans, coughs, sneezes, blows his nose, and has a stomach ache. This is a lustful, immoral man, he passionately seeks the love of young beauties, but always fails. His gait is that of an old man; he walks with a slightly crooked back. He speaks in a harsh, shrill, “old man” voice.

Slide 17– Italian commedia dell'arte produced a whole constellation of brilliant actors (many of whom were the first theorists of stage art): Isabella and Francesco Andreini, Giulio Pasquati, Bernardino Lombardi, Marc Antonio Romagnesi, Nicolo Barbieri, Tristano Martinelli, Teresa, Catarina and Domenico Biancolelli, Tiberio Fiorilli and others. From the end of the 16th century. The troupes began to tour widely throughout Europe - in France, Spain, England. Her popularity reached its peak.
However, by the middle of the 17th century. Commedia dell'arte began to decline. The tightening of the church's policy towards theater in general, and commedia dell'arte in particular, led to comedians settling in other countries for permanent residence. So, let’s say, in Paris, on the basis of an Italian troupe, the Comedy Italian theater was opened.

Commedia dell'arte had a huge influence on the development of world theatrical art. Its echoes are clearly visible in the dramaturgy of Moliere, Goldoni, Gozzi; in the 20th century – in the works of directors V. Meyerhold, A. Tairov, E. Vakhtangov and others.

The gap between literary dramaturgy and stage practice that existed in Italy led to the fact that a new folk theater was born independently. Humanist writers, who later became active builders of the new theater in all other European countries, did not take part in the creation of the commedia dell'arte. Italian professional theater owes its origins to the initiative of actors who developed an amazing ability to improvise, which allowed them to create performances without the help of a written dramatic text.

Creating their own stage repertoire has been a long-standing tradition of actors in the folk farcical theater. At the end of the 15th - beginning of the 16th centuries. in different cities of Italy - Venice, Bologna, Mantua, Florence, Siena - such actors united in groups, often including amateurs. Being semi-professional, these troupes had a more stable character compared to amateur ones and could develop a certain style. Farcical improvised plays and a buffoonish style of acting made them direct heirs to the folk realistic tradition of medieval theater. But these groups did not shy away from new ideological and literary trends.

Typical in this sense is the figure of the playwright and actor Angelo Beolco (1502 - 1542). An educated man and at the same time living in a peasant environment for many years since childhood, Beolko composed common folk farces and acted them out with his troupe. In the “Rural Dialogues” he composed, Beolko depicted peasant morals in realistic tones and sympathetically showed the types of the rural poor.

Beolko's creative searches were aimed at creating a living folk theater close to the audience both in spirit and language. If he himself could not create such theater on a professional level, then, in any case, there is no doubt that his performances contain elements so characteristic of commedia dell'arte, such as improvisation, types of masks, the widespread use of buffoonish comedy, and folk dialect. All this is stage preparation for a comedy del arte.

City carnival spectacles also provided life-giving soil for the new improvisational theater. It was from here that her numerous masks came to the commedia dell'arte stage. So, masks of the Venetian merchant Pantalone and cheerful peasant guys Zanni were popular at carnivals even before they appeared on the stage and took shape into theatrical types.

Commedia dell'arte, in addition to its folk sources - farce and carnival, also used humanistic literature: plots of short stories and "learned comedy", texts from modern lyric poetry. The folk stage subjected these borrowings to a farcical treatment and created performances that were stylistically and ideologically unified and holistic.

Impromptu performances of the commedia dell'arte were based on scenarios in which only a brief plot outline of the future action was given. Guided by these instructions, the actors themselves had to be able to construct the most exciting, logically meaningful and holistic action during the performance. The scripts were mostly comedic, but in some cases one could find scenario presentations of pastoral and even tragic plots.

From the beginning of the 16th century. collections of scripts began to be published. The number of commedia dell'arte troupes increased significantly, and not every group was able to write scripts for itself - in such cases, the repertoire was replenished with scripts from other, more experienced troupes. The authors and compilers of the collections were most often the main actors of the troupes - capocomico (capo commino). The most famous collections were compiled by F. Scala (1611) and B. Locatelli (1622).

When improvising the text of their roles, the actors of the commedia dell'arte had to remain in an active creative state all the time: this became the main condition for the professionalization of acting. Left to himself, the actor was made of his own image and had to have a large amount of material from life observations and books in order to always be ready to speak and act in an original and witty manner on behalf of his mask.

Improvisation in commedia dell'arte existed not only in the form of creating a verbal text. This method also determined the directly effective, pantonomic line of the performance, which was expressed in all kinds of buffoonery - Lazzi(means literally: “action” in theatrical practice - a buffoonery trick not related to the plot) .

All commedia dell'arte masks can be divided into three groups.

First group – folk comedy servant masks, defining the optimistic pathos, satirical power of the commedia dell'arte and the dynamics of its action. These masks include the first and second Zanni, Brighella and Harlequin , and the maid Sarvetta . It was the servants who were the soul of improvisational performances: the arrogant merry fellow and inventor of all sorts of intrigues Brigella; the good-natured and awkward Harlequin; broken and sharp on Servette's tongue.

The second group consisted gentlemen's masks The object of constant satire of the Commedia dell'Arte is the stupid, greedy and amorous Venetian merchant Pantalone, the braggart and coward Captain, the pseudoscientist, stupid and chatterbox Doctor.

The poetic side of commedia dell'arte was determined by idealized images of lovers. When making up the third group of masks, these actors did not put the mask on their face. But the generic, non-individualized nature of these characters made them just as much masks as their comic counterparts. The lovers brought the spirit of a healthy Renaissance worldview into improvisational performances. The struggle for happy love in this young stage of stage action.

Commedia dell'arte is characterized by a conflict between the old way of life and the forces of youth.

The popular nature of the genre was determined not only by its satire and the triumph of democratic forces - commedia dell'arte was also popular in language. Each character spoke the dialect of their city. Pantalone - in Venetian; Doctor - in Bolognese; The captain spoke the Neapolitan dialect; the Bergamo dialect of the servants indicated the region (Bergamo).

Actors, having demonstrated an ability for a certain mask, secured it for themselves for the rest of their lives. Therefore, in commedia dell'arte troupes one could find older actors who brilliantly mastered the technique of masking a servant or a lover, and young actors playing the roles of comic old men. The most famous masters of commedia dell'arte were Gian Ganassa, Niccolo Barbieri - the creators of the Zanni masks, Francesco Andreini - the Captain. The names of the Martinelli brothers and Tiberio Fiorilli were heard throughout Europe.

Commedia dell'arte performances were distinguished by their vivid entertainment and dynamism. The word, dance, singing, and trick existed together in them. All components of the game were subordinated to an effective single task and formed the basis for an optimistic tone, for that emotional state, which in the language of the creators of commedia dell'arte was called “a cheerful soul” (l`anima allegra).

The external design of the performance was simple and portable: the stage was a street with two rows of houses (light architectural structures) on its sides; windows and balconies of houses served as an additional scene of action. the scenery did not change throughout the entire performance. The houses located in the background were built taking into account the effect of perspective removal.

On the stage of improvisational comedy, the main law of the theater was enshrined - continuity of developing action. Here a whole performance took shape, such norms of stage acting as collective creativity (ensemble) were established, and, most importantly, the requirement for constant creative activity of the acting actor was established.

Traveling troupes of actors were subjected to constant persecution by secular and spiritual authorities and were often forced to leave Italy. From the end of the 16th century. Comedy dell'arte actors performed in France, Spain, and England. Their work influenced the formation of national comedy drama and performing arts in these countries. The influence of commedia dell'arte on Moliere's early drama is especially noticeable.

As a result of the tours of Italian actors in Paris, the Comedy Italian theater arose.

But in the 16th century. the playing techniques of improvising actors began to hamper the further development of stage art. By this time, a rich Renaissance dramaturgy already existed. The denial of the literary text and the preservation of the standard mask contradicted the requirements of this dramaturgy, with its psychologically in-depth and individualized images. At the same time, the art of masks and improvisation itself degraded. In a foreign land, cut off from Italian reality and associated mainly with the court environment, commedia dell'arte quickly became aristocratic. From the middle of the 17th century. The decline of the commedia dell'arte began in Italy itself. Under the influence of the feudal-Catholic reaction, the lively content disappeared from the performances of the folk theater, and social satire became dulled. Along with improvisation, actresses often began to recite previously memorized text, for which they used the so-called jibaldone - collections of monologues and dialogues.

The traditions of commedia dell'arte fruitfully influenced the formation of "boulevard theaters" in France in the 18th century, the development of folk theater in Austria, and in the 19th century. largely determined the emergence of the pantomime genre. In the 19th century, the legacy of commedia dell'arte was developed by Italian dialectal comedy with its brightly gifted authors and actors. The best traditions of commedia dell'arte also animate the work of modern progressive Italian playwrights, directors and actors.

Commedia Del Arte is a European theater that first emerged in Italy during the Renaissance.

The emergence of the Commedia Dell'Arte

During the Renaissance, schools of professional actors began to actively emerge in Italy. New scripts appeared, which were initially written by the speakers themselves. This is how the Commedia Dell'Arte arose. The exact translation of this term sounds like “professional theater,” but later it began to be interpreted as “comedy of masks.”

Commedia Dell'Arte

The first mentions of the Commedia dell'Arte began to appear in the middle of the 16th century. Her performances almost immediately became a favorite spectacle for the public. An atmosphere of unbridled fun reigned in the theater, which was supported by the antics and jokes of the actors, their ridiculous antics, stupidity, stunts, musical numbers and other elements of the show.

The main differences between Commedia Del Arte and other performances were: the presence of masks, buffoonery and improvisation. Other minor features were multilingualism, a large number of music and songs, and ease of staging on any site.

The favorite scenario of the Commedia Dell'Arte was a love affair. Usually the plot revolved around two lovers trying to stand up to their stupid old parents.

Not all actors wore masks, but, as a rule, only old lovers and servants. It is believed that the origin of such costumes is connected with the traditions of carnival dresses. The emergence of masks became a prerequisite for the emergence of theatrical roles.

Heroes of the Commedia Dell'Arte

All the heroes represented common social types of people. Usually there were ten heroes in action: two old men, two servants, two lovers and two mistresses, a maid and a captain.

Old Man Pantalone was a caricature of Venetian merchants. He was stingy, calculating and suspicious. Another old man - the Doctor - was a parody of a lawyer scientist from Bologna. He was a pedant, a talker and an imaginary scientist. At the end of the performance, the old people remained fooled by everyone.

Old Man Pantalone

Zanni's servants were the most comical characters in the Commedia Dell'Arte. As a rule, one of them was smart, the second was stupid. They were the main characters who created intrigue in the performance and made the audience laugh. The audience was always on their side. Their jokes and witticisms were of a buffoonish nature and were called lazzi. The most popular zanni were Pulcinella and Harlequin.

Harlequin

The maid - Servetta - was also an integral part of the performance. Her role was to confuse the intrigue and participate in the love affairs of her mistress.

Lovers and Mistresses represented the ideal image of youth in the 16th century. They were young, beautiful, educated and smart. But their only occupation was love.

The captain was a military adventurer, bandit and rapist, whose main traits were cowardice and bragging.

The Meaning of Commedia Dell'Arte

Thus, Commedia Del Arte represented an entire era in the life of society. All of her characters were caricatures of the most common types of people.

Later, in the Commedia Dell'Arte, less and less attention was paid to the plot and more to pantomime and variety numbers. Thus, it became fertile ground for the emergence of the circus and many other types of theatrical genres.

To this day, the Commedia Del Arte is an example of the high professionalism of the actors, who amazed with the richness of stage techniques and outstanding performance on stage. She became an inspiration for the work of all the greatest playwrights of modern times: Shakespeare, Moliere, Lope de Vega and others.

Masks of Venice. Commedia dell'arte masks

Commedia dell'arte (Italian: la commedia dell'arte), or comedy of masks - a type of Italian folk theater, performances of which were created using the method of improvisation, based on a script containing a brief plot outline of the performance, with the participation of actors dressed in masks. Various sources also refer to it as la commedia a soggetto (script theatre), la commedia all’improvviso (improvisation theatre) or la commedia degli zanni (zanni comedy).

The number of masks in commedia dell'arte is very large (there are more than a hundred of them in total), but most of them are related characters that differ only in names and minor details. The main characters of the comedy include two quartets of male masks, the Captain's mask, as well as characters who do not wear masks, these are the Zanni girls and the Lovers, as well as all the noble ladies and gentlemen.

Male characters
Northern (Venetian) quartet of masks:
- Pantalone (Magnifico, Cassandro, Uberto), - Venetian merchant, stingy old man;
- Doctor (Doctor Balandzone, Doctor Graziano), - pseudo-scientific doctor of law; old man;
- Brighella (Scapino, Buffetto), - the first zanni, an intelligent servant;
- Harlequin (Mezzetino, Truffaldino, Tabarino), - second zanni, stupid servant;

Southern (Neapolitan) quartet of masks:
- Tartaglia, the stuttering judge;
- Scaramuccia, a boastful warrior, a coward;
- Coviello, first zanni, intelligent servant;
- Pulcinella (Policinelle), second zanni, stupid servant;

The captain is a boastful warrior, a coward, the northern analogue of the Scaramucci mask;
- Pedrolino (Pierrot, Clown), servant, one of the zanni.
- Lelio (also Orazio, Lucio, Flavio, etc.), young lover;

Female characters
- Isabella (also Lucinda, Vittoria, etc.), young lover; often the heroine was named after the actress who played this role;
- Columbina, Fantesca, Fiametta, Smeraldina, etc., are maids.

ZANNI - General name for a comedic servant. The name comes from the male name Giovanni, which was so popular among the common people that it became a common noun to designate a servant. The zanni class includes such characters as Arlecchino, Brighella, Pierino, who appeared later. The characteristics of the nameless zanni are an insatiable appetite and ignorance. He lives exclusively for today and does not think about complex matters. Usually loyal to its owner, but does not like discipline. At least 2 such characters took part in the play, one of whom was dull, and the other, on the contrary, was distinguished by a fox-like intelligence and dexterity. They were dressed simply - in a shapeless light blouse and trousers, usually made from flour sacks. The mask initially covered the entire face, so in order to communicate with other heroes of the zanni comedy, one had to lift its lower part (which was inconvenient). Subsequently, the mask was simplified, and it began to cover only the forehead, nose and cheeks. A characteristic feature of the zanni mask is the elongated nose, and its length is directly proportional to the stupidity of the character.

HARLEQUIN (Arlecchino) - zanni of the rich old man Pantalone. The Harlequin costume is bright and colorful: it is made up of diamonds of red, black, blue and green. This pattern symbolizes Harlequin's extreme poverty - his clothes seem to consist of countless poorly chosen patches. This character can neither read nor write, and by origin he is a peasant who left the impoverished village of Bergamo to go to work in prosperous Venice. By nature, Harlequin is an acrobat and a clown, so his clothes should not restrict his movements. The mischievous man carries a stick with him, which he often uses to bludgeon other characters.

Despite his penchant for fraud, Harlequin cannot be considered a scoundrel - a person just needs to live somehow. He is not particularly smart and is quite gluttonous (his love for food is sometimes stronger than his passion for Columbine, and his stupidity prevents the fulfillment of Pantalone’s amorous plans). Harlequin's mask was black, with ominous features (according to one version, the word “Harlequin” itself comes from the name of one of the demons of Dante’s “Hell” - Alicino). On his head was a white felt hat, sometimes with fox or rabbit fur.
Other names: Bagattino, Trufaldino, Tabarrino, Tortellino, Gradelino, Polpettino, Nespolino, Bertoldino, etc.

Columbina - servant of the Lover (Inamorata). She helps her mistress in matters of the heart, deftly manipulating the other characters, who are often not indifferent to her. Columbine is distinguished by coquetry, feminine insight, charm and dubious virtue. She is dressed, like her constant boyfriend Harlequin, in stylized colored patches, as befits a poor girl from the provinces. Columbine's head is decorated with a white hat, matching the color of her apron. She doesn’t have a mask, but her face is heavily made up, her eyes are especially brightly lined.
Other names: Harlequin, Corallina, Ricciolina, Camilla, Lisette.

PEDROLINO or PIERINO (Pedrolino, Pierino) - one of the servant characters. Pedrolino is dressed in a loose white tunic with huge buttons and too long sleeves, a round ribbed collar on his neck, and a cap hat with a narrow round crown on his head. Sometimes the clothes had large pockets filled with souvenirs of a romantic nature. His face is always heavily whitened and painted, so there is no need to wear a mask. Despite the fact that Pedrolino belongs to the Zanni tribe, his character is radically different from that of Harlequin or Brighella. He is sentimental, amorous (although he suffers mainly from soubrette), trusting and devoted to his owner. The poor guy usually suffers from unrequited love for Columbine and from the ridicule of the other comedians, whose mental organization is not so subtle.
The role of Pierino in the troupe was often played by the youngest son, because this hero had to look young and fresh.

BRIGELLA - another zanni, partner of Harlequin. In a number of cases, Brighella is a self-made man who started without a penny, but gradually accumulated money and secured a fairly comfortable existence for himself. He is often depicted as a tavern owner. Brighella is a big money lover and a ladies' man. It was these two emotions - primitive lust and greed - that froze on his green half mask. In some productions, he appears as a servant, more cruel in character than his younger brother Harlequin. Brighella knows how to please her master, but at the same time she is quite capable of deceiving him, not without benefit for herself. He is cunning, cunning and can, depending on circumstances, be anyone - a soldier, a sailor and even a thief.

His costume is a white camisole and pants of the same color, decorated with transverse green stripes. He often carries a guitar with him, as he is inclined to play music.

Brighella's mask, although it was one of the most beloved by ordinary spectators, as a rule, was in the background of intrigue; the lack of active action was compensated by a large number of insert tricks and musical interludes. Images close to Brighella are present in the comedies of Lope de Vega and Shakespeare; these are also Scapin, Mascarille and Sganarelle by Moliere and Figaro by Beaumarchais.

LOVERS (Inamorati) - the constant heroes of the commedia del arte, gentlemen Columbine, Harlequin and other zanni. The lovers look detached from life, pompous characters. If they move, it’s like a ballet, with their toes pointed out unnaturally. They gesticulate a lot and often look in the mirror. The main features of the Lovers are vanity, morbid attention to one's own appearance, nervousness, absorption in one's feelings and complete inability, which is actively used by zanni. Even their names sound stilted (men were usually called Silvio, Fabrizio, Aurelio, Orazio, Ottavio, Lelio, Leandro or Florindo, and women were called Isabella, Flaminia, Vittoria, Silvia, Lavinia or Ortensia).
Inamorati always dressed in the latest fashion, exaggeratedly carefully and elegantly. The masks were replaced by a thick layer of makeup, thanks to which the roles of Isabella and Lelio were accessible to far from young actors. In addition, wigs, flies and all kinds of jewelry were an indispensable accessory to their toilet. Young men often dressed up in beautiful military uniforms. During the course of the action, the lovers' costumes could change several times.

Despite the fact that it is around the love of the young that the intrigue of the comedy is built, the lovers always remain in the shadow of the zanni masks, and their love is always perceived with a certain amount of irony.

ISABELLA (also, Lucinda, Vittoria, etc.), young lover; often the heroine was named after the actress who played this role

PULCINELLA (Pulcinella) - the Italian analogue of the Russian Parsley, the English Mr. Punch and the French Polichinelle. A typical representative of the Neapolitan proletariat with all its characteristic features. It is interesting that Pulcinella is an ambiguous character; in the play he could be a stupid person, a cunning person, a servant, a master, a coward, and a bully. This character's name translates to "chicken" in Italian and is apparently related to his mask, the most noticeable element of which is a large beak-like nose. Pulcinella's costume consists of a long, baggy white blouse tied at the waist with a leather strap, loose shapeless pants and an unusual oblong hat. He was often depicted as a hunchback. At first, the hump was barely noticeable, then it began to quickly increase in size, and the stomach grew at the same time. Pulcinella's bending symbolizes his fear of beatings (and in the comedy everyone who stood higher on the social ladder beat him, that is, very many).

PANTALONE - one of the most famous Venetian masks. Pantalone is an elderly rich merchant who is constantly chasing after some female character (always to no avail). This image embodied the growing class of the Venetian bourgeoisie. A characteristic feature of Pantaloon's costume is a huge codpiece, symbolizing his imaginary masculine strength. Usually the old man was dressed in a dark red camisole and tight trousers of the same color, a black cloak with short sleeves and a small black cap, like a fez. He had a dagger or purse hanging from his belt, and his shoes were yellow Turkish shoes with sharp, curved toes. The dark brown mask had a prominent hooked nose, shaggy gray eyebrows and the same mustache (sometimes also glasses). Pantalone's beard stuck out upward, sometimes almost touching the tip of his nose, which gave the old man's profile a particularly comical look. Often in the story, Pantalone wanted to marry the girl with whom his son was in love, and flirted with Columbina, the maid of his daughter Isabella.

CAPTAIN (Il Capitano) - one of the oldest characters in the commedia dell'arte. The captain in a comedy is never a native resident of the city where the action takes place, but always comes from somewhere far away. A type of arrogant and unprincipled warrior - a braggart and adventurer. Depending on the political situation, he could look like a Spaniard or a Turk, although this image was originally Italian. Accordingly, his character also changed - in different periods the Captain could represent a parody of various national traits. His main features are aggressiveness, unrestrained lies about his imaginary exploits, lack of conscience, the desire to get rich and the desire to appear dandy and handsome. All this was reflected in his costume, which could be different, but was always distinguished by its absurd pretentiousness and brightness. His clothes, in fact, have always been a parody of the military profession: his hat was decorated with feathers of loud colors, his feet were buried in high boots with large garters, his camisole was made of fabric with contrasting diagonal stripes, and a huge sword hung from his belt. The Captain's mask could be flesh-colored or dark in color, with a long militant nose and a menacingly sticking out stiff mustache. Its purpose was to indicate the contrast between the true (cowardly and deceitful) nature of the character and who he claims to be.

DOCTOR (Il Dottore) - a mask similar in character to Pantalone, an elderly character, usually the father of one of the Lovers (Inamorati). The Doctor's external features were characterized by obesity (sometimes this hero is truly huge), clumsiness on stage and the important manners of a scientist. He is a parody of graduates of the University of Bologna, so he constantly utters seemingly meaningful, but in fact absurd Latin phrases. Has a penchant for gluttony and pornographic jokes, usually offensive to the female sex. He is not rich. The Doctor's costume is a black university robe to the toes, black shoes, stockings and breeches and a black academic cap. A dark mask with gray scraggly eyebrows covered, as a rule, only the forehead and nose. The actor's cheeks remained open - they were brightly colored to show the character's love for alcohol.
In the story, the Doctor often acted as Pantalone's friend (or rival) and Pedrolino's master.

Jester (Jester, Jolly) -presented in commedia dell'arte, this is a classic mask. The Jester first appeared in the Italian theater, then became popular throughout Europe. The costume of this character is variegated and multi-colored. On the head there is a cap with three “ears”, to each of which bells are tied.

SCARAMUCCHIO (Scaramuccia) - is an adventurer and warrior. In later comedies he often coincided with the image of the Captain. Scaramuccio is usually a servant to one of the older characters. Most often dressed in all black and wearing a black velvet mask.

TARTAGLIA (Italian: Tartaglia, stutterer) - mask character of the Italian Commedia dell'Arte. Represents the southern (or Neapolitan) quartet of masks, along with Coviello, Scaramucci and Pulcinella. This mask did not catch on in France.
The Tartaglia mask appeared in Naples ca. 1610. One of the first interpreters of it were the actors Ottavio Ferrarese and Beltrani da Verona.
Origin: Spaniard, poor Italian speaker.
Occupation: civil servant: he can be a judge, policeman, pharmacist, notary, tax collector, etc.
Costume: stylized official suit, uniform hat on bald head; there are huge glasses on his nose.
Behavior: He is generally an old man with a fat belly; always a stutterer, his signature trick is the fight against stuttering, as a result of which a serious monologue, for example, in court, turns into a comic stream of obscenities.
The mask reached its greatest popularity in the second half of the 17th century. In the 18th century in the fiabs of Carlo Gozzi, this role was played by the actors Agostino Fiorilli and Antonio Sacchi, but in Gozzi this mask no longer has such a limited framework; in his fiabs this mask can be worn, for example, by a minister (fiaba “Raven”) and a royal son (“Love for three oranges").

COVIELLO (Italian Coviello, French Covielle) - a mask character of the Italian Commedia dell'Arte, the first zanni, the southern version of Brighella. Represents the southern (or Neapolitan) quartet of masks, along with Tartaglia, Scaramuccia and Pulcinella.
The name of the mask comes from Iacoviello, a Neapolitan tribute to the name Giacomino, Iacoviello Giacometto - that was the name of one of the creators of this mask.
Origin: former peasant, native of Cava or Acerra (ancient cities near Naples), speaking a strong Neapolitan dialect. Occupation: servant.
Costume: Wears a tight-fitting suit, but may sometimes be dressed in simple pantaloons and a vest; often with a sword and a beating stick in his belt; wears a hat with feathers.
Mask: red, with a long, beak-like nose; often wears glasses. Behavior: always acts with cunning, pressure, clever invention, intelligence; grimaces a lot, dances and plays the mandolin or guitar).
The mask was formed by the end of the 16th century. and was typical of Southern Italy. An attempt to move it to the north was unsuccessful, because... lost its recognition and southern temperament; having retained only its external form, the mask became shameless and obscene. However, it received an unexpected development in France, where Moliere saw this mask and used it in his comedy “The Bourgeois in the Nobility”

The lack of dramaturgy close to the people forced the actors to rework literary plots into scripts and, in the course of the action, to compose the text of their roles themselves, while maintaining the main conflict of Renaissance comedy - the struggle between the old way of life and new young forces. But Love triumphed over everything - in the name of the joys of love, the most cunning intrigues, the most daring practical jokes, substitutions and disguises were built.

Each character speaks his own dialect: Pantalone - Venetian; Doctor - in Bolognese (the first law university was built in Bologna); Captain - in Neopolitan; Servants - in Bergamo; Lovers - in Tuscan: the literary language of Italy.
The mask in the Commedia Dell'Arte had a double meaning: firstly, it was a stage accessory, and secondly, the mask expressed a certain social type, with once and for all established psychological traits, an unchanging appearance and a corresponding dialect. Having once chosen such a mask, the actor did not part with it throughout his entire stage life.

The creators of the folk comedy of masks were the actors themselves, who were especially active in the Venetian region. It was in their work that the protestors and oppositional sentiments of the urban democratic strata, who responded to the strengthening of the feudal-Catholic reaction with sharp satire and art imbued with the cheerful and optimistic spirit of the people, received the most vivid expression.

These sentiments were not reflected in literary drama, which was in a period of deep decline, but, existing among the people, they took possession of the theatrical stage and determined the very spirit of stage performances.

Realism and satire in this theater were prepared by its connection with folk farce, a permanent cast of characters - masks- was determined by the most popular types of city carnivals, and repertoire arose from alterations of the plots of written comedy in scenarios, filled with live verbal material from actor’s improvisations.

Thus, the absence of literary drama close to the people predetermined the main distinctive feature of the commedia dell'arte - improvisation, which was previously characteristic of folk spectacle, but in the commedia dell'arte received a masterful, virtuosic embodiment. Improvisation indicated the creative independence of the actors; deprived of the support of drama, they themselves reworked literary plots for the stage, making the main conflict the struggle between the old way of life and new young forces, bringing to the stage a gallery of modern satirical images and contrasting noble arrogance, bourgeois complacency and scholastic pedantry with the vigor, intelligence and energy of the people .

Mentions of commedia dell'arte have appeared continuously since the mid-50s of the 16th century. We hear more and more often about masks as the most distinctive feature of this new theater. Documents tell us that in 1560 a performance with masks took place in Florence; in 1565 the same performance was given in Ferrara on the occasion of the arrival of the Prince of Bavaria, and in 1566 - in Mantua at the court; in 1567 we hear the name Pantalone for the first time. And in 1568, already in a foreign land, in Munich, at the Bavarian court, on the occasion of the wedding of the Crown Prince, Italians living in Bavaria staged an amateur performance - an improvised comedy with masks.

If it was possible for amateurs to stage an improvised comedy somewhere abroad, then, apparently, such comedies in Italy itself have already become commonplace. No wonder Massimo Troiano, the main organizer and participant in the Munich performance, recalled: “No matter how many comedies I watched, I never saw people laughing like that.” This means that you could see comedies quite often at this time. Apparently, there already existed in Italy at least several troupes of professional actors who gave performances with masks and improvisation.

At the commedia dell'arte performances, an atmosphere of relaxed fun reigned, the audience laughed continuously at the antics and jokes of their favorite servants, at the ridiculous antics and obvious stupidity of the comic old men, at the arrogant boasting and utter lies of the Captain; She enthusiastically followed the changing fate of the young lovers and unanimously applauded all sorts of lazzi - tricks and musical numbers that generously filled the action.

Commedia dell'arte performances were a favorite spectacle of the mass audience. This theater, due to its original nationality, had a certain ideological content: in the performance, the naturalness of feelings and the common sense of the people triumphed over the greed of the rich, over the empty fanfare of “noble persons,” over the inflated philosophizing of false scientists. Thus, as if by itself, a healthy morality penetrated into the cheerful and carefree performances of the commedia dell'arte, that "super task" of the action was determined, which made the performances of the commedia dell'arte not just a pleasant entertainment, but a cheerful and cheerful spectacle, containing a certain ethical and social meaning.

Defining this unique ideological purposefulness of the folk comedy of masks, one of its famous figures, Niccolo Barbieri, nicknamed Beltrame, wrote: “Comedy is pleasant entertainment, but not clownish, instructive, but not indecent, playful, but not arrogant...” Such understanding of the goals of comedy was expressed even more clearly in Beltrame’s formula: “The goal of the actor is to benefit by amusing.”

Benefit in this case should be understood as following a certain social and educational task, which the commedia dell'arte performed excellently at the best time of its development.

The wide popularity of commedia dell'arte was determined precisely by meaningfulness this genre, and not just its original form. Bourgeois criticism constantly suppresses this aspect of the question. Deliberately emasculating the realistic content of commedia dell'arte, this criticism aestheticized the folk genre, declaring it almost the only example of "pure" art, when the actor, as if having escaped the captivity of drama, acts independently and when the art of acting appears in its "pure", independent form.

Based on such false positions, bourgeois criticism considered the peculiar art of commedia dell'arte actors as a property of their national temperament, their easy, purely southern excitability, while losing sight of the fact that actors from other southern European countries, ethnically close to Italians, for example, Spaniards or The French did not make improvisation the basis of their skill. It follows from this that the Italian improvisational style of acting is not just a property of the national temperament, but the result of certain historical conditions that forced Italian actors to apply this method of creativity in their theater, which for a certain period, from the 16th to the 18th centuries, became a truly nationally specific manner acting.

The realistic nature of commedia dell'arte was most manifested in masks, which, having arisen from the material of social reality, were constantly filled with new life observations and a sharp satirical assessment of life phenomena.

The storyline of the commedia dell'arte was predetermined by the creation scenarios, in which the actors themselves, using the plots of literary works, looked for methods for constructing the most exciting, logically meaningful and holistic action.

And finally improvisation in commedia dell'arte was the method by which actors had the opportunity to independently create not only a performance, but also a kind of dramaturgy, acting simultaneously as performers and authors of their theater.

Commedia dell'arte masks owe their origin mainly to the folk carnival. It was here that comic types began to emerge, which, appearing year after year at street masquerades, expressed folk humor and mockery of the noble and rich. It is impossible to establish the exact appearance of these carnival masks, but the first information that has reached us about them dates back to the 50s of the 16th century. Thus, the French poet Joachim Du Bellay, during his stay in Italy in 1555, glorified Italian carnival masks in funny verses - the popular Zanni (servant mask) and the Venetian Magnifico (an early name for the Pantalone mask). The playwright A.F. Grazzini (Laska) also names these same masks in his “Carnival Songs.”

Gradually, carnival masks absorbed the experience of farcical theater: the favorite farce characters, especially the types of the crafty and simple-minded, stupid peasant, seemed to merge with the carnival characters, giving them greater psychological and social certainty. By the time masks moved to the stage, they also experienced the influence of satirical images of “scientific comedy”. But, no matter how different the origins of the commedia dell'arte masks were, their main trends were common: the optimistic tone and satire characteristic of carnival characters were also characteristic of farcical heroes and, to some extent, accusatory types of literary comedy; therefore, the synthesis that arose on the stage of the commedia dell'arte turned out to be quite organic.

The concept of "mask" in commedia dell'arte has a double meaning. First, there is a material mask that covers the actor's face. It was usually made of cardboard or oilcloth and completely or partially covered the actor's face. Mostly comic characters wore masks; There were also those among them who were supposed to sprinkle flour on their faces instead of masks or paint their mustaches and beards with charcoal. Sometimes the mask was replaced by a glued nose or huge glasses. The lovers did not wear masks.

The second and more significant meaning of the word “mask” was that it denoted a certain social type, endowed with once and for all established psychological traits, an unchanging appearance and a corresponding dialect. This manifested a desire for realistic typification, in which, although the individual features of the image were excluded, the general properties of the characters, developed by a certain social status and profession, were clearly highlighted.

Having chosen a mask, the actor usually did not part with it throughout his stage life. The peculiarity of the commedia dell'arte was that the actor always performed in the same mask. The plays could change every day, but their characters remained unchanged, just as the performers of these characters remained unchanged. There was absolutely no possibility that the actor

today he played one role, and tomorrow he played another. This stage law lasted throughout the history of the mask theater. Thus, in the 18th century, the famous Antonio Sacchi played the mask of Truffaldino’s servant until a very old age, and Collalto began playing Pantalone from a very young age. If the troupe did not have a performer of a mask, this mask was excluded from the script or the actors refused the given plot. So, the actors of the commedia dell'arte played the same role all their lives. But this role varied and developed endlessly in the course of each given performance. The actor’s task was to, through improvisation, portray a character known to the actor as vividly as possible, showing what this character does, what he says in the conditions determined by the script and which have just arisen as a result of the partner’s improvisation. Naturally, in such conditions the actors could not create any psychologically in-depth portrayal of the role; the characteristics remained external, but had a pointed exaggeration, openly expressed tendentiousness and vivid theatricality. The main thing was social satire, the strength of which was determined by the sharpness and accuracy of the realistic characteristics of the mask, and the creative initiative of the actor.

The number of masks that appeared on the commedia dell'arte stage is very large: there are more than a hundred of them. But the vast majority of them were only modifications of several basic masks. To get an idea of ​​masks, it is enough to name two quartets of masks: the northern one - Venetian, and the southern one - Neapolitan. The northern quartet consisted of Pantalone, Doctor, Brighella and Harlequin; southern - Coviello, Pulcinella, Scaramuccia and Tartaglia. Both quartets often included the Captain, Servetta (or Fantesca), and the Lovers. In the practice of commedia dell'arte, these masks appeared in all sorts of combinations. The difference between the northern and southern quartet comes down to the fact that the northern masks were characterized by some restraint compared to the buffoonery of the southern masks. In the northern scenarios there is a greater logic of action; deviations from the main plot line, which occurred among the southerners, who filled the performance with arbitrary jokes and tricks, are not so common.

Production of the opera "Andromeda" in Ferrara. 1639

All commedia dell'arte masks can be divided into three groups:

1. Folk comedy masks of servants, defining the optimistic pathos, satirical power of the commedia dell'arte and the dynamics of the action. These masks include the first and second Zanni and Servetta.

2. Satirical accusatory masks of gentlemen, constituting the buffoonish basis of the action. This group includes Pantalone, Doctor, Captain, Tartaglia; In the early days it also contained a Monk's mask, which, due to censorship conditions, quickly disappeared *.

* (In "Carnival Songs" by A. F. Grazzini (1559) there is a mention of the Monk's mask. But during the period of feudal-Catholic reaction, the Inquisition strictly monitored the preservation of the prestige of clergy, and therefore the satirical figure of the monk, which so often appeared in the literary comedy of the first half of the century, very soon disappears from the stage.)

3. Lyrical masks of Lovers, which contained the features of a healthy Renaissance worldview, which was later somewhat weakened by the influence of the pastoral. In the process of development of the commedia dell'arte, a second pair was added to the initially single pair of Lovers.

Scenery by G. Torelli for the opera "Bellerophon" in Venice. 1642

As already mentioned, the commedia dell'arte troupe with the minimum number of masks necessary to construct a complex action was formed first of all in the north, in Venetian territory and in the adjacent Lombard areas. This strictly necessary composition included the Lovers, the development of relations between whom constituted the plot intrigue, the Old Men, whose role was to hinder the actions of the young, and the Zanni, who, in the fight with the old men, were supposed to bring the intrigue to a happy end and put their opponents to shame. In the interests of deepening the satire and complicating the plot, Servetta appeared next to the lady from the pair of Lovers; Following Zanni, an elderly woman, the Matchmaker, came onto the stage; and immediately, defiantly twirling his mustache and waving his long but not dangerous sword, the Captain strode across the stage. Now the cast of characters for the big three-act play was ready.

Zanni is the Bergamo and Venetian pronunciation of the name Giovanni (Ivan). The Russian equivalent of Zanni would simply be "Vanka".

Zanni are most often called "servants", but this name is purely arbitrary. They became servants only over time, but at first they were peasant boys either from the outskirts of Bergamo, in Lombardy, if we were talking about northern masks, or from Cava or Acerra, if the masks were of southern origin. Why did the comedy settle them in these cities?

Peasants from the outskirts of Bergamo could not feed themselves from the land. The area where they lived was mountainous. The earth will give birth to few. Therefore, all village youth had to go to the city to earn money. The small town of Bergamo could not satisfy everyone. Industry at this time was already in decline: Italy was experiencing a time of feudal reaction. The only place where work could be found was in large port cities: in Genoa and especially in Venice. This is where Bergamo peasants strive. There they do the hardest work. They are laborers, loaders at the port, etc. The same picture was in the south. Cava and Acerra sent the surplus population of their surroundings to the large cities of the south, and most of all to Naples, where they beat off earnings from the local Lazzaroni. This competition in the labor market caused urban residents to have an unfriendly attitude towards newcomer peasants. Therefore, peasants have long been the object of urban satire: in short stories, in farces, in comedies. The famous short story writer Matteo Bandello in these words of Bergamo ink: “They are for the most part suspicious, envious, stubborn, ready to start a fight and quarrel on any occasion; they are informers, sneakers and are always full of new ideas... They offend those around them casually and organize all sorts of things over everyone pranks. They are as annoying as flies in autumn, and the owner can never talk to anyone in confidence so that they don’t poke their nose into the conversation.”

In this tendentiously outlined portrait of a Bergamese, the true features of the people's character still clearly appear - energy, independence, resourcefulness, a complete absence of servility. All this formed the basis of the mask of Zanni, who, while retaining traces of his peasant origin, sufficiently acclimatized in the city and became a spokesman for the interests of the broadest urban masses. Therefore, the stage appearance of the Zanni mask acquired the charm that has always been characteristic of the dexterous, quick-witted and witty heroes of farcical performances and urban short stories. Zanni were endowed with both light and shadow sides of their character, and this made this type realistically quite convincing.

In the north, the most popular were two Zanni masks - Brighella and Harlequin. Characterizing them, Andrea Perrucci, a prominent theorist of commedia dell'arte, wrote: “The two servants are called the first and second Zanni; the first must be cunning, quick, funny and witty: he must be able to intrigue, ridicule, lead people by the nose and deceive people. The role of the second the servant must be stupid, clumsy and thoughtless, so that he does not know where the right side is and where the left side is.”

Brighella is a smart Zanni, cunning, inventive, angry, talkative, stopping at nothing to arrange his affairs and take advantage of everything. He's already done his bit in the city, and there's no fooling him. In all scenarios where Brighella acts, it is he who is the mainspring of intrigue. Harlequin, unlike Brighella, is rustic and naive; he maintains constant cheerfulness, not embarrassed by any of life's difficulties. In the south, the most popular Zanni was Pulcinella. Pulcinella is more sarcastic than the other Zanni; he wore a black half-mask with a large hooked nose and spoke in a nasal voice. A favorite of the Neapolitan audience, Pulcinella expanded his range, appearing either as a servant or as a comic old man. He soon became the hero of special performances called pulcinellata, where he played a wide variety of roles, responding to the topic of the day. Outside Italy, Pulcinella appears to have influenced the creation of the French Polichinelle and the English Ponch.

The female parallel of Zanni is Servetta, or Fantesca, a servant who goes by various names: Columbina, Smeraldina, Franceschina, Coralline, etc.

Zanni's costume was first styled as peasant clothing. It consisted of a long blouse, held up by a sash, long trousers, simple shoes and a headdress, also very simple. All this was made of rough linen. The differences were that Brighella had yellow braids sewn onto her blouse, hinting at a footman's livery. Harlequin wore a cap with a hare's tail, a symbol of his cowardly nature, and multi-colored patches on his blouse and trousers, which were supposed to show the public that he was very poor and was not able to even get himself whole clothes. Pulcinella had a pointed cap and, like Harlequin, a wooden sword called a batocchio. Subsequently, Harlequin in France changed his character - he became an elegant and malicious intriguer. Then his colorful rags turned into geometrically regular multi-colored triangles and diamonds that covered tights that tightly hugged his figure. Servette, like Harlequin, initially wore peasant clothes with patches, which later turned into an elegant soubrette costume: a motley blouse with a short motley skirt.

The constant victims of the tricks of Zanni and Servetta were Pantalone, the Doctor and the Captain.

Pantalone is a Venetian merchant, rich, full of arrogance and conceit, who loves to pursue young girls, but is stingy, sick and unlucky. He is wearing a red jacket, red narrow trousers, a red cap, a black cloak, and a mask with a gray goatee. Pantalone constantly tries to portray himself as a significant person, but always gets into trouble, since his only advantage over others - a thick purse - does not in any way replace the complete lack of personal merits of this stupid, lustful and self-willed old man.

Pantalone's mask is permeated with the spirit of anti-bourgeois, folk satire, which becomes especially evil and apt at a time when the Italian bourgeoisie finds itself in a state of complete decline. The Merchant of Venice became the target of satire in the second half of the 16th century; this would not have happened in the previous four centuries. In those days, the Venetian merchant was a heroic figure in the eyes of his contemporaries. With his galleys, he conquered the Levant, converted proud crusaders into his mercenaries, established connections with Muslims, made his way to the Black and Azov Seas, and found a way deep into Asia. He was full of life and fighting spirit. He was young and brave. In the middle of the 15th century, for historical reasons known to us, the decline of Italy began. The wealth began to diminish. The former ardor has faded. Courage, scope, broad initiative, self-confidence were gone. The Venetian merchant grew old. Old, still rich, but already deprived of former sources of continuous enrichment and therefore stingy, the merchant of the second half of the 16th century fell into the clutches of satire. As if in mockery of his former greatness, he was called Magnifico ("magnificent") and immortalized as a comic figure.

The second popular satirical figure of the commedia dell'arte was the Doctor, a Bolognese lawyer, professor at the ancient university there. He flaunts Latin tirades, but misinterprets them mercilessly. His speech is structured according to all the rules of rhetoric; he literally pours out commonplace aphorisms, devoid of the most basic meaning. At the same time, the Doctor is always filled with the deepest reverence for his own person. The academic importance of this person is emphasized by his strict attire. The black scientist's robe is the main accessory of the Doctor's costume. Under the robe he is wearing a black jacket, black short trousers, black stockings, black shoes with black bows, and on his head is a black hat with huge brims raised on both sides. This black symphony of suit is slightly enlivened by a white collar, white cuffs and a white scarf tucked into the waistband. The Doctor's mask most often covers only the forehead and nose. She is also black. The cheeks not covered by the mask are exaggeratedly brightly rouged - an indication that the Doctor is often heated by wine.

The Doctor's mask was a satire on deathly, scholastic thinking. This mask in its development has undergone the same evolution as the Pantalone mask.

The past of the Bolognese professors was quite respectable. Bologna has been the center of learning in Italy since the 12th century. Its university was the oldest in Europe. Its lawyers have created a great reputation for themselves. Their authority, their reputation, awareness of the social necessity of their activities made it so that lawyers, right up to the 15th century, stood very highly in the opinion of society. In Florence, since the 13th century, the seven “senior” city corporations were headed by a guild of lawyers. Later, when the social importance of the role of lawyers began to be felt less, when humanists entered into a victorious struggle with them, doctors of law often became the subject of ridicule in the short story and in the “learned comedy.” The Doctor has also become a fairly popular mask in commedia dell'arte. In a word, the Bolognese lawyer, like the Venetian merchant, turned from a respectable figure into a comic figure. The flow of life overtook him. He was mediocrely and helplessly marking time. In science, in which he once created and was a master, he became a craftsman. Social satire could not miss such a grateful object, and the comedy of masks used it in its own way.

But the Doctor’s mask ridiculed not only the outmoded type of scientist, its actual meaning was that during the years of feudal-Catholic reaction, dead, scholastic thinking became clearly predominant. Humanistic thought, which had once triumphed over medieval scholasticism, now found itself shackled by the ferocious dogmatism of reactionary ideologists. The comic figure of the Doctor acquires a truly gloomy flavor, especially if we remember that in the years when the pompous chatter of this certified fool was heard, a whole host of reactionary pseudo-scientists, scholastics and metaphysicians fiercely persecuted the great Galileo and, with the help of the Holy Inquisition, raised the immortal Giordano Bruno to the stake.

The Captain's mask had a sharp social meaning. Languishing under the heel of the Spanish intervention, the Italian people in the mask of the Captain created a bright and evil satire on the enslavers of most of the country. The evolution of this mask is curious: initially the figure of the “boastful warrior,” found in folk farces and public “sacred performances,” personified the popular protest against the local military. The warrior was not yet a captain, but a simple soldier, Italian by origin, but by the time the commedia dell'arte was formed, this mask acquired its main features. The famous researcher of commedia dell'arte, actor and playwright Luigi Riccoboni, wrote: “The ancient Italian Captain was followed by the Spanish Captain, dressed according to his national fashion. The Spanish Captain little by little destroyed the ancient Italian Captain. Since the campaign of Charles V in Italy, this character has penetrated the "our stage. The innovation was approved; the Italian Captain was forced to fall silent, and the Spanish Captain remained victorious on the battlefield. The main thing in his character was bragging, but it all ended with Harlequin's stick blows raining down on him."

The captain embodied the typical traits of Spanish conquerors: an immoderate thirst for “world domination”, an arrogant idea of ​​​​the chosenness of his nation, an extreme exaltation of his military and personal merits and at the same time - cowardice and empty boasting. The creation of the Captain's mask under the conditions of the Spanish intervention was a very bold and risky undertaking. Therefore, the actors of the commedia dell'arte had to exercise a certain caution in some cases. So, speaking in Naples, the center of Spanish rule; they either turned the Captain into an Italian, or softened the sharpness of the caricature. Pointing out the need for such precautions, Perrucci wrote: “When he (the Captain) is portrayed as a Spaniard, decorum must be observed, because this nation, comprehensively ambitious, does not tolerate ridicule.”

The Captain's mask could indeed cause indignation among the arrogant conquerors. It was not without reason that the governor of Milan in 1582 expelled comedians from the city and the entire region under pain of rods and galleys.

The captain appeared on the scene with a terrifying cry: “Blood and fire! I am me!” He screamed that Italy trembles before the name of Captain Terror from the Valley of Hell (Spavento della Balle Inferna), that he frightens all of France, that, born on the banks of the Guadalquivir, he strikes entire armies with his sword, that with his withering gaze he destroys fortress walls and with one a breath sweeps away the Alps and Pyrenees from the face of the earth. He declared himself the owner of the entire globe. He doesn't go a day without slaying a Moor, destroying a heretic, or seducing a princess. He is served three dishes for dinner: the first - from the meat of Jews, the second - from the meat of Turks and the third - from the meat of Lutherans.

He especially loved to talk about his valiant victories over the Gentiles. Once, during the siege of Trebizond, he personally entered the Sultan's tent and, grabbing him by the beard, dragged him to his camp, defeating the entire enemy army with his free hand. When he entered the city, his cuirass bristled with such a great multitude of arrows that he was mistaken for a porcupine. It is from this day on that his shield bears a coat of arms in the form of a porcupine. All these boasts of the Captain had a very real meaning: they were a caricatured exaggeration of the true “valor” of the reactionary Spanish military, an exaggerated image of the actual policy of the feudal-Catholic monarchy.

Overwhelmed by delusions of grandeur, the Captain introduced himself to the public as follows: “I am Captain Terror of Hell Valley, nicknamed the Devil, Prince of the Cavalry Order, Thermigist, that is, the greatest bully, the greatest mutilator, the greatest murderer, the tamer and master of the universe, the son of earthquake and lightning, the relative of death and bosom friend of the great hellish devil."

These terrifying cries of the “tamer and ruler of the universe,” with all their fantastic form, take on a real meaning if we remember that they were uttered during the reign of Philip II, who declared himself ruler of the entire colonial world, seizing the lands of Portugal, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, frightening France and England and ended his reign with the complete political and economic collapse of Spain.

This flip side of Spanish “greatness” was expressed in caricatured, but real, and not fictitious, character traits of the Captain.

The captain was a pathetic coward, a liar and a poor man. After a lot of tirades about the fabulous wealth he owned, it turned out that he wasn’t even wearing an undershirt. After fantastic stories about his countless victories, it was discovered that the Captain’s sword did not even have a blade and that he not only endured Harlequin’s blows, but ran headlong even from the old man Pantalone who threatened him. True, as he runs away, he shouts that he is going to prepare a grave for his enemy, or he explains his shameful retreat by saying that he is going to Mars himself for permission to kill his enemy.

For all his fanfare, the Captain played the most pathetic role on stage and suffered all sorts of humiliations. Perrucci spoke of him as a character at whom ladies, servants and maids constantly laugh. Folk satire was especially merciless in this case. The realistic nature of the Captain's mask was emphasized by his outer attire. It did not have a standard theatrical costume like other masks. The captain had to dress in a grotesquely emphasized modern military suit. Most often, the Captain dressed in black, wore a huge wide-brimmed hat and a long sword soldered to the scabbard so that it could not be drawn.

Satirical characters also included Tartaglia - a Neapolitan mask depicting a notary, judge, policeman or some other person in authority. Tartaglia wore huge glasses for importance and stuttered; These stutters constantly gave rise to involuntary puns of an obscene nature, for which Tartaglia was generously rewarded with blows with a stick.

The lyrical line of the commedia dell'arte performance was presented by the Lovers. Unlike servants and satirical characters, they did not wear masks. While in the literary comedy of the second half of the 16th century the image of the Renaissance hero completely disappeared, commedia dell'arte was the only genre where healthy natural morality, devoid of class and property prejudices, was preserved in the images of young lovers. The young men, in pursuit of their beloved, constantly entered into battle with rich and noble, but stupid, old and stingy opponents and, with the help of nosy servants, defeated them. The triumph of the Lovers and their servants was a victory of sincere, ardent feelings and enterprise. The lovers were endowed with poetry, grace of manners, and external attractiveness. They wore modern fashionable suits; women shone with jewelry, in other cases genuine. They spoke a literary language, knew a lot of poetry, often played various instruments and sang. The Lovers' lyrical dialogues were usually exaggeratedly sublime, and the monologues were in the spirit of Petrarch's sonnets. The Lovers' speech was somewhat rhetorically pompous, and this to some extent brought the lyrical line of the commedia dell'arte closer to the lyricism of the pastoral. But it should be noted that such stylization was especially clear during the years of the genre’s decline. In the initial period, the masks of the Lovers were endowed with simplicity of feelings and comedic lightness of dialogue. Despite some idealization, the Lovers, like all other masks, were perceived as characters embodying living features of reality.

The connection between masks and life serves as proof that commedia dell'arte, in its best times, strived for a realistic reflection of reality. This tendency towards realism is reflected not only in the social and psychological appearance of the masks, but also in their speech. Each mask spoke a corresponding dialect (adverb).

Until now, theater historians have regarded dialect only as a playful detail, while its role is much more significant.

Dialects in Italy are still the main means of communication between people. The Italians themselves believe that nine-tenths of the population speaks dialects in private life, as a rule, of course, also knowing the literary language. In the 16th century, dialects retained full vitality, they sounded everywhere - in conversation, in writing, in the public performances of buffoons at the carnival - and, naturally, moved into the commedia dell'arte. The mask spoke the dialect of the places from which it originated.

All sorts of jokes, peculiar sayings, sayings, riddles, fables, songs sounded on stage all the time and gave the action the features of a folk performance. In the first period of development of commedia dell'arte, the dialect connected it with folk art and made it related to the people. Of course, dialectal features were characteristic only of comic masks. Pantalone spoke Venetian, Zanni spoke Bergamo, the Doctor spoke Bolognese, and the Captain spoke Neapolitan. The lovers spoke the literary language (Tuscan dialect).

Another distinctive feature of commedia dell'arte is the absence of written drama, which was replaced by a script. According to Perrucci's definition, a script is “nothing more than a sketch of a series of scenes on a specific topic, and the action is briefly indicated, that is, what the improvising performer should say and do, divided into acts and scenes.”

Deprived of literary merits and not at all setting themselves the task of creating psychological images, commedia dell'arte scripts nevertheless have a very significant significance for the development of not only Italian, but also the entire Western European theatrical art. The main historical merit of script writers is that they were the first to establish the laws of stage performance. Defining the attractive power of commedia dell'arte, N. Barbieri pointed out that “a well-constructed plot is a true delight for a keen mind... The pleasure delivered by such plays lies in the attractiveness of well-explained accidents, in which, even in the absence of funny witticisms, one can find unity of plot and cohesion of scenes shown in their strict necessity."

The establishment of the effective line of the performance as the most important condition for stage performance was an indisputable merit of the commedia dell'arte, when the theater itself, striving for maximum expressiveness, built the plot so that it would be the most impressive in terms of stage performance.

Italian comedians, having mastered the experience of literary comedy and through it the achievements of ancient comedy, established a brightly effective, plot-capturing performance on the national stage. True, the plots of the commedia dell'arte were often of the same type and thematically lacking in content, but still the process of fertilizing the farcical folk theater with literary drama began here.

Its scripts remain the material monuments of the two-century journey of the commedia dell'arte. Not all of them have been discovered, and very few of them have been published. A huge number of scripts are available in handwritten form in the collections of large Italian libraries. The first printed collection of scripts was published in 1611 by the actor Flaminio Scala, who was the director of the best of the then commedia dell'arte troupes - "Gelosi". In handwritten form there were collections by Locatelli (1618 - 1622), Gherardi (1694), and a collection by Count Casamarchano (1700). It is interesting to note a collection of comedies and sideshows presented at Anna Ioannovna’s court during the Italians’ tour in Russia, published by Academician V. N. Peretz in 1916. Many individual scripts have been printed at different times by different researchers*. In total, the number of scenarios known to us reaches approximately a thousand.

* (In Russian translation, a number of scripts are published in the "Anthology on the History of Western European Theater" ed. S. S. Mokulsky, vol. 1, ed. 2, “Art”, M, 1953, and in the book by A.K. Dzhivelegov “Italian Folk Comedy”, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, M., 1954.)

The source of the plots for the scripts was originally “scientific comedy”. Later, as actors began to tour in different countries, they began to use European dramaturgy; Spanish comedy, rich in plots, was especially popular among them. Thus, many stories from world drama came to the stage through commedia dell'arte scripts. However, there was also a reverse connection. So, after the Italians used the comedy of the Spanish playwright Tirso de Molina “The Mischief of Seville” for the script, this script served as the plot basis for Moliere’s comedy “Don Juan”. In addition to the plots of written comedies, script writers generously used the plots of short stories and even poetic works, for example, Ariosto's "Furious Roland".

Commedia dell'arte scripts were mostly comedic, but occasionally there were also tragedies, pastorals and extravaganzas. Thus, in the collection of Flaminio Scala there were forty comedies, one tragedy and one pastoral. The text of the script was usually preceded by a list of characters and a list of necessary props. In addition, a brief summary of the events of the play could be given. Before each act, and there were always three of them in the script, an indication of the place and time of the action was given.

Continuously adding new material to their roles, the actors of the commedia dell'arte could only use the method of improvisation, only such acting techniques in which they retained complete creative independence.

Improvisation as a method has, of course, been practiced before; it lay at the basis of every initially developing theater of the folklore era. Improvisation was not limited to ancient atellans and mimes; it was found among histrions and even in the mysteries in the roles of devils. But nowhere, except for the commedia dell'arte, was improvisation the very essence, the basis of theatrical performance.

The reason for the emergence of improvisation was due to the fact that in Italy dramaturgy could not create a professional theater; This theater was created by the Commedia dell'Arte. She had to build a performance, replacing the play with a script, based not on dramaturgy, but on the art of acting, the basis of which was precisely the method of improvisation. Another reason for the transition to improvisation was the desire to free ourselves from censorship, which was extremely strict during the feudal-Catholic reaction. After all, an improvisational performance could not be subjected to preliminary censorship, since the play did not have a written text.

Improvisation has become an excellent school of professional excellence. The method of improvisation required a huge activation of all the creative capabilities of the actor. The commedia dell'arte actor, in addition to closely studying the life around him, had to tirelessly replenish his stock of literary knowledge. In theatrical treatises of that time, containing instructions to actors, one can often find an indication that the actor should draw more and more new material for his roles from books. And if the actors of comic masks fed their wit by reading all kinds of collections of jokes and facets, then the actors who played the roles of lovers were required to be well versed in poetry. Characterizing the work of improvisational actors, N. Barbieri wrote: “There is no good book that they have not read, there is no good thought that they have not used, no description that they have not imitated, no maxim that they have not took advantage because they read a lot and steal books." But, introducing pieces from poetic works into their role, the actors were able to incorporate them so skillfully that they created the complete impression of a living word coming from their own soul. The method of improvisation not only required excellent knowledge of literary texts, but also predetermined the development of the actor’s own poetic talent. Emphasizing this aspect of the matter, the famous commedia dell'arte actress Isabella Andreini wrote: “How much effort nature must have used to give the world an Italian actor. She can create a French one with her eyes closed, resorting to the same material from which parrots are made, who can only speak what they are forced to chime out by heart. How much superior to them is the Italian, who improvises everything himself and who, in contrast to the French, can be compared to a nightingale, composing its trills according to the momentary whim of the “attitude.” In this somewhat naive self-praise, it is important to note the presence of creative activity, conscious of themselves Italian actors.

The same creative activity accompanied the actor during his direct presence on stage. Without such a state, the very act of improvisation would be impossible. But the improvisation that drives the action of the performance as a whole required, in the words of A. Perrucci, “the coordination of different persons”; isolated and independent improvisation by a single actor would immediately destroy the line of action and even the very logic of the plot. Therefore, in order to correctly conduct an improvisational dialogue, the actor needed to carefully monitor the improvisations of his partner, looking for incentives for the further development of his own improvisations in his immediately emerging remarks. In this way, one of the most important laws of stage creativity was defined - the inextricability of the connection with a partner, or, using a modern term, the principle of communication in the art of acting, as a result of which the ensemble was created.

But improvisation in commedia dell'arte existed not only in the form of creating a verbal text. This method also determined the directly effective, pantomimic line of the performance, which was expressed in all kinds of buffoonery.

The buffoonish elements were initially concentrated in two moments of the performance: at the end of the first act and at the end of the second. These are the so-called "lazzi". The word "lazzo" is the spoiled word latto - action, and "lazzi" is the plural of the same word. Lazzo means a buffoon trick, unrelated to the plot and performed most often by one or two Zanni. There are long lists of lazzi - lazzo with a fly, lazzo with a flea, etc., unfortunately, not always accompanied by the necessary explanations. Therefore, the meaning of some lazzi is lost to us.

Buffoonery was one of the elements of the stage technique of the commedia dell'arte, but during the heyday of the theater it never filled the entire performance. The buffoonery was allocated at different times as much space as was required to reveal the main objective of the performance; it should not have disrupted the sequence of development of the intrigue. The closer to the end of the 17th century, the more buffoonery began to turn into an end in itself.

The commedia dell'arte performance featured a synthesis of music, dance, and words. The harmonious fusion of these arts was not always possible to achieve to the end, but this is what the theater strived for.

The basis of the performance was the art of the actor. Everything else was subordinated to this. Hence the simplicity in design. The set did not change (the unity of place was maintained in the script): two houses on the sides of the stage, a backdrop with several spans, backstage - that’s the whole setting. The action always took place on the street in front of houses or on balconies and loggias. And if the troupe was poorer, then the decoration reached the very minimum; all the theatrical belongings were placed on one van, the actors traveled from city to city, from village to village and showed performances on hastily erected stages.

The tasks that the commedia dell'arte set for itself required a lot from its actor. He had to have virtuoso technique, resourcefulness, and an obedient imagination.

In the performances of the commedia dell'arte, the collective nature of acting was revealed, the creative activity of stage artists, their keen sense of partners, and the creation of an image-mask were developed. All this was a positive moment in the development of commedia dell'arte, its great historical service to Western European performing arts.

It was the Italian theater that produced the first outstanding masters of stage art and created the first theater troupes. The most famous of these groups of actors were the troupes of "Gelosi" (1568), led by Zan Ganassa (Alberto Naselli), "Confidenti" (1574), led in the later years of its existence by Flaminio Scala, "Fedeli" (1601), led by a representative of the second generation of the Andreini acting family - Giovanni Battista Andreini.

These troupes brought together the best Italian actors, creators of popular commedia dell'arte masks, incomparable masters of improvisation and buffoonery. These wonderful actors became famous for their art not only in their native Italy, but also in almost all countries of Western Europe. The name of Isabella Andreini (1562 - 1604), the creator of the graceful image of the lyrical heroine, was widely known. She performed not only in commedia dell'arte, but also in pastoral, and was involved in

poetry. Her husband Francesco Andreini (1548 - 1624) was one of the first to consolidate the style of buffoonery in the Commedia dell'Arte theater, finally completing the characterization of the satirical mask of the Captain. He published a collection of dialogues between the Captain and his servant (Venice, 1607).

The creators of the masks of Pantalone and the Doctor were Giulio Pasquati and Bernardino Lombardi, who was replaced at the end of the 17th century by Marc Antonio Romagnesi. Particularly popular were the actors who created the masks of servants - Zanni. The most famous of them was Niccolò Barbieri, who played under the name Beltrame (died after 1640). N. Barbieri, passionately in love with the theater of masks, defended the civil rights of actors and, trying to give improvisation greater meaning and logic, composed plays that were a unique form of literary recording of actor’s improvisations. The best of them was the comedy “The Foolish, or the Torments of Mezzetino and the Interferences of Scapino” (1629), used by Moliere when composing his first comedy “Madcap”.

The mask of the Harlequin servant gained all-European fame in the work of Tristano Martinelli. In later years, the famous Domenico Biancolelli (1618 - 1688) gave this image a virtuoso finish, merging the features of the first and second Zanni. The name of Biancolelli, who performed mainly in the Parisian theater of the Italian Comedy, is associated with the beginning of the aestheticization of this mask and its Frenchization.

Among the performers of the Maid mask, it is necessary to name the creator of the image of Columbina, Teresa Biancolelli, Silvia Roncagli, and especially the daughter of Domenico Biancolelli, Catarina Biancolelli, who was distinguished by her bright, infectious temperament.

Tiberio Fiorilli (1608 - 1696), creator of the Scaramucci mask - a new version of the Captain's mask, which turned into a social braggart - was also a richly gifted actor. In this image, more than in others, the features of realism were felt. Fiorilli, like all performers of the role of the Captain, performed without a mask, covering his face with grotesque makeup, which did not prevent him from demonstrating brilliant facial expressions.

But with all the great talent of individual performers, with the most brilliant composition of troupes, the theater of commedia dell'arte had fundamental shortcomings that it was unable to get rid of. This was explained by the fact that commedia dell'arte could never provide an in-depth individual characterization of the character. The mask was almost inevitably associated with a cliche, improvisation was almost inevitably accompanied by pressure and strumming.

The playwright looks for the characteristic features of the image in the analysis of its inner being. This is not the case with an improvisational actor. His characteristic is external. Psychological analysis is almost absent, and the depth of human experiences is inaccessible to him.

At the best time of its development - in the second half of the 16th and in the first decades of the 17th century - commedia dell'arte was full of vitality. Gathering a wide public audience around her stage, she not only amused people, but also expressed their hatred of social evil. Emphasizing this social role of the commedia dell'arte, N. Barbieri reproached those who do not understand these serious tasks facing the people's theater. In a book with the characteristic title “A Request addressed to those who speak orally or in writing about actors, neglecting the merits of their valiant actions” (1634), Barbieri sets out his view of the tasks of the theater as follows: “The spectator, watching the performance, sees his own shortcomings, which are exposed and ridiculed in the course of the action. Comedy is a chronicle accessible to the people, a pictorial narrative, an episode presented with vital clarity. But how can you write or show a chronicle without telling the truth? If someone were talking about the person in question , only good things, it would be a word of praise, not life, not a reflection of morals."

In a word, the main tendency of the theater is the vitality of images and plots, that is, a realistic reflection of reality. In this commedia dell'arte continued the general trend characteristic of the art of the Renaissance. But with the strengthening of the feudal-Catholic reaction in this theater, humanistic ideology, satire and realism began to disappear.

The decline in the development of commedia dell'arte began around the middle of the 17th century. Continuous tours abroad stole the best actors from Italy, forced to flee from fierce censorship and tempted by high fees. Separation from native social soil, from native life had a negative impact on the art of theater. The environment that gave it life disappeared, the folkloric, folk features of the theater faded, masks lost their satirical orientation and everyday coloring and took on a more abstract appearance, the action was filled with plotless comics, the theater lost its national foundations, in the art of acting the emphasis began to be placed on external, purely formal moments. Commedia dell'arte began to show signs of aristocratization.

This process of rebirth of the folk theater took place especially intensively during the long tours of the commedia dell'arte in France, where, performing at court, it could not help but submit to the aesthetic norms of aristocratic taste.

Buffoonery now began to dominate the stage. Acrobatics, dancing, and singing began to occupy a proportionately more significant place. The actors no longer possessed, as before, inexhaustible reserves of invention and resourcefulness. Now almost every actor had notebooks (jibaldone), in which they wrote monologues and individual pieces of dialogue, easily memorized. The performances of the last period were full not only of buffoonery and acrobatics, they began to cultivate dubious situations, obscene dances and pantomime.

The very manner of improvisational playing also lost its historically progressive meaning. Against the background of the great achievements of Renaissance drama at the end of the 16th and 17th centuries, the method of non-literary theater became clearly conservative. The actors, who performed in masks and spoke the text at their own discretion, of course, could not convey either big ideas or complex psychological characters.

In the 18th century, the reform of Goldoni, who established a realistic comedy of characters in his dramaturgy, inheriting the best features of commedia dell'arte, dealt a final blow to the genre itself, because by that time commedia dell'arte had turned into a theater of outdated forms, impeding the further development of national theatrical art.

Italian comedians took their art to the Alps very early on. Already in 1571, Zan Ganassa, together with several comrades, performed at the French court. This was under Charles IX. Henry III invited the Gelosi troupe to Paris, which included Francesco Andreini, Isabella Andreini and Simone da Bologna, who played the second Zanni. Tristano Martinelli - Harlequin entertained the court of Henry IV for a long time. Throughout the 17th century, the tours of Italian comedians in France did not stop. Italy gave Paris a number of excellent actors, from whom not only French actors studied, but also French playwrights, led by Molière himself. The creator of "Tartuffe" took stage art lessons from the famous Tiberio Fiorilli - Scaramucci. No less popular in France in the 17th century was Domenico Biancolelli - Harlequin, a favorite of the Parisian public, and a number of other actors.

In addition to France, Italian comedians toured in Spain, where the same Ganassa was a pioneer, in England, where Drusiano Martinelli, Tristano’s older brother, worked, and in Germany, where after the Thirty Years’ War, which almost destroyed the national theater, the same Italian comedians helped restore it. They were also in Russia (1733, 1734 and 1735).

The democratic and realistic traditions of commedia dell'arte made themselves felt in the French boulevard theaters of the 18th century, they influenced the formation of Favard's comic opera, stimulated the development of folk theater in Austria, inspiring Joseph Stranitsky to create a typical image of the Salzburg peasant, they lived in the art of the remarkable French boulevard actor XIX century Debureau and in many other manifestations of the comedy-buffoon creativity of actors from different countries and different generations.

In their homeland, the realistic traditions of commedia dell'arte were preserved not only in the development of the branch of dialectal drama and theater, but also in their immediate form. Impromptu performances with traditional masks can still be found in Italy today as one of the varieties of small forms of folk theater. New satire fills old masks, Harlequin, beloved by the people, perfects new witticisms, and they hit the target so accurately that the Vatican to this day excommunicates the performers of the role of Harlequin.

The secret of the inexhaustible vitality of the commedia dell'arte lies in its nationality. It was created by the Italian people after they also heralded the beginning of dramaturgy, stage design, theater building architecture, and drama theory. The theatrical creativity of the Italians of the Renaissance was not equally fruitful in all respects. The Italian theater did not create masterpieces of tragic and comedic drama, but it was it that taught actors to take the first independent step in the field of acting and established stage creativity as a special kind of art.