Welcome

Name: Eric Boaro

PhD: Music

Thesis Title: Neapolitan intermezzos (1707-1735): new approaches for an updated enquiry

Thesis Description:

My work aims to develop a thorough research body on intermezzos and to use some of their cues as a starting point for some reasoning on eighteenth-century Neapolitan society and their links with our times in a perspective of possible revivals. I will take into account the 1707-1735 time span, the period during which the Habsburg ruled over Naples, since during these decades their features and forms gradually settled. In addition to this, since intermezzos are by nature small operatic pièces, their plots are much easier to follow than their opera seria counterparts. Furthermore, modern audiences can enjoy intermezzos because some of the issues they deal with are still topical. Moreover, the staging of an intermezzo requires only two singers and a limited instrumental ensemble, whereas an opera seria needs a large orchestra and a cast of virtuosi. Intermezzos are thus very suitable for the stages of our times.

The main objective of my research is to investigate the relationship between literary and musical texts of intermezzos with this approach: I will not deal separately with every single intermezzo by every author, but with intermezzos as a homogeneous whole instead. A further objective of my work is to complete and amend the already existing academic literature, which is often outdated and sometimes misleading. It is striking that with so much musicology published on eighteenth-century Italian opera, very little attention has been devoted to intermezzos. My research is thus a unique opportunity to fix a substantial lacuna. Part of the thesis will consist in curating a critical edition of one of these works, to offer a new operatic pièce to the audiences, performers, theatres (and academics as well) of today.

Education

• 2017:  Degree in Piano, Conservatory 'G. Puccini', Gallarate, Italy (Hons)
• 2015:  MA Music (Highest Hons), Milan State University, Milan, Italy
• 2013:  BA Music (Highest Hons), Milan State University, Milan, Italy
  
  

Supervisors and Institution(s):

• Prof. Nicholas Baragwanath (UoN)
• Prof. Sarah Hibberd (UoN)
  
  

Publications:

• Boaro, E. (2017), "La discografia della Polifonica Ambrosiana", in C. T. and L. A. (cur.) La Polifonica Ambrosiana (1947-1980): Musica antica nell'Italia del secondo dopoguerra, Lucca, LIM, pp. 279-289.
  https://www.lim.it/it/opere-collettive/5146-qualcosa-su-don-biella-e-la-polifonica-ambrosiana-9788870968897.html
  
  
• Sarri, D. (2017), La furba e lo sciocco (E. Boaro, Ed.), Pisa, ETS. [Original work staged 1731]
  http://www.edizioniets.com/scheda.asp?n=9788846749451&from=&fk_s=

Scholarly / Public Engagement Activities:

2014-ongoing

• Milan, Centro Studi Pergolesi (Milan State University). I received training on philological techniques for editing Baroque theatrical music and on the use of music notation software Finale, which I can use professionally. I am also cooperating on the website.

2017

• Venice, San Giorgio Maggiore Island, Fondazione Giorgio Cini. One-week seminar on the philological techniques to adopt in curating the critical editions of Vivaldi's opera serias.
  
  

Other Research Interests:

• Baroque musical philology
• Vivaldi
• Bach
• Haendel
• Early nineteenth-century piano music
• The rediscover of 'ancient' music after WW II
• Piano practice and solo performance
• Piano accompanist
• Chamber music (as a pianist)