From Dante to Mercadante: Francesca da Rimini voice of nineteenth-century belcanto

This study traces the evolution of the figure of Francesca da Rimini from the poetic voice of Dante, by way of the dramatic voice of Italian Romanticism to the nineteenth century operatic stage, where she appears as both prima donna and the voice of Nineteenth Century Bel Canto. In this context Francesca reflects Medieval Romanticism. This itinerary frees her from being the instrument of Thomist doctrines in order to become one who meditates on a totally new philosophy that leads her to reflect on the nature of guilt and its relationship to innocence. In the musical field, the newly discovered manuscript brings us to a rediscovery of the voices and of vocal techniques of the great interpreters of the Nineteenth Century. There is also a reassessment of the tenor voice of the period. From Dante’s poetry one moves to the theatre of Silvio Pellico, from the text of Felice Romani, to the operatic Character without an Interpreter.