Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Upplysningens Teater
Upplysningens Teater
Bollhusteatern, 1699-1793
Arsenalsteatern, 1793-1825
UPPLYSNINGSTIDEN
Teaterdebatter
”Varför har kammarjungfrun Suzanne, kvick, smart och skrattande, rätt att
intressera oss? Det beror på att hon, attackerad av en maktfull förförare
med fler fördelar än vad som krävs för att besegra en ung kvinna från
hennes klass, inte tvekar med att avslöja grevens intentioner för de två
personer som är mest intresserade av att övervaka hennes beteende:
hennes fru och henne fästman; det beror på att det genom hela hennes
roll, som är nästan den längsta i pjäsen, inte finns en mening eller ett ord
som inte andas visdom och engagemang för sina uppgifter: det enda
tricket hon tillåter sig är till förmån för hennes fru, som hon är varmt
hängiven, och alla hennes avsikter är ärliga. […]
SUZANNE. En smart, kvick och skrattande ung kvinna, men utan våra
korrumperande subretters nästan fräcka munterhet; [...] den
skådespelerskan som inte har sett Mlle. Contat måste studera henne för att
göra det bra. Hennes klänning i de första fyra akterna är vit: en mycket
elegant underkjol, hennes kjol detsamma, med toquen som våra
modeförsäljare sedan har kallat à la Suzanne.”
Pierre Beaumarchais: förord till Figaros bröllop (1785)
FIGAROS BRÖLLOP
Den revolutionära Suzanne
Louise Contat (1760-1813)
som Suzanne (1786)
”Mademoiselle CONTAT. This actress has really brought about a revolution in the
theatre. Before her time, the essential requisites for the parts which she performs [dvs.
huvudroller i komedin], were sensibility, decorum, nobleness, and dignity, even in
diction, as well as in gestures, and deportment. Those qualities are not incompatible
with the grace, the elegance of manners, and the playfulness also required by those
characters, the principal object of which is to interest and to please, which ought
only to touch lightly on comic humour, and not be assimilated to that of
chambermaids, as is done by Mademoiselle CONTAT. […]
The innovation made by Mademoiselle Contat was not passed over without
remonstrance. Those strict judges, those conservators of rules, those arbiters of taste,
in short, who had been long in the habit of frequenting the theatre, protested loudly
against this new manner of playing the principal characters. ’That is not becoming!’
exclaimed they incessantly: which signified: ’that is not the truth!’ But what could the
feeble remonstrances of the old against the warm applause of the young? […]
Being aware that the want of nobleness and sensibility was a great obstacle to her
success, this actress endeavoured to insure it by performing characters which require
not those two qualities. The first she selected for her purpose was Susanne in the
Mariage de Figaro. Susanne is an elegant and artful chambermaid; and
Mademoiselle Contat possessed every requisite for representing well the part.”
Francis William Blagdon: Paris as It Was and as It Is; or A Sketch of the French Capital
Illustrative of the Effects of the Revolution, with Respect to Sciences, Literature, Arts,
Religion, Education, Manners, and Amusements, London, 1803, bd. 2, s. 236-38.
W. A. Mozart and Lorenzo Da Ponte: Le nozze di Figaro (Vienna, 1786), final scene
CONTE COUNT
Invan resistete, In vain you resist:
uscite, madama! come forth, my lady,
Il premio or avrete and receive the reward
di vostra onestà. of your virtue.
(Il Conte tira pe 'l braccio Cherubino, che fa forza (The Count pulls out by the arm Cherubino, who
per non uscire, né si vede che per metà; dopo il attempts to resist and is only half seen; then follow
Paggio, escono Barbarina, Marcellina e Susanna, Barbarina, Marcellina, and Susanno, who, dressed in
vestita cogli abiti della Contessa: si tiene il fazzoletto the Countess’ clothes and holding a handkerchief to
sulla faccia, e s'inginocchia ai piedi del Conte.) her face, kneels at the Count’s feet.)
Il paggio! The page!
ANTONIO Mia figlia! ANTONIO My daughter!
FIGARO FIGARO
Mia madre! My mother!
BASILIO E ANTONIO Madama! BASILIO AND ANTONIO My lady!
CONTE COUNT
Scoperta è la trama, The plot is discovered,
la perfida è qua. the traitress is here.
W. A. Mozart and Lorenzo Da Ponte: Le nozze di Figaro (Vienna, 1786), final scene
(s'inginocchiano tutti ad uno ad uno) (All kneel one after the other.)
SUSANNA SUSANNA
Perdono, perdono! Forgive me, forgive me.
CONTE COUNT
No, no, non sperarlo! No, no, do not hope for it.
FIGARO FIGARO
Perdono, perdono! Forgive me, forgive me.
CONTE COUNT
No, no, non vo' darlo! No, no I will not.
TUTTI (meno il Conte) ALL (except the Count)
Perdono, perdono! Forgive us, forgive us.
CONTE COUNT
No no, no, no, no! No, no, no, no. No.
(Esce la Contessa dall’altra nicchia. Vuol (The Countess emerges from the other recess and
inginocchiarsi. Il Conte nol permette.) tries to kneel, but the Count prevents her.)
CONTESSA COUNTESS
Almeno io per loro At least let me plead
perdono otterrò. forgiveness for them all.
BASILIO E ANTONIO BASILIO AND ANTONIO
Oh cielo! Che veggio! Oh heavens! What do I see?
Delirio vaneggio A delusion, a vision,
che creder non so. that I can’t believe.
W. A. Mozart and Lorenzo Da Ponte: Le nozze di Figaro (Vienna, 1786), final scene
CONTE COUNT
Contessa, perdono. My Countess, forgive me.
CONTESSA COUNTESS
Più docile io sono, I am kinder:
e dico di sì. I will say ”Yes.”
TUTTI ALL
Ah! Tutti contenti Then let us all
saremo così. be happy.
Sposi, amici, al ballo! al gioco! Lovers and friends, let’s round things off
Alle mine date fuoco, in dancing and pleasure,
ed al suon di lieta marcia and to the sound of a gay march
corriam tutti a festeggiar. let’s hasten to the revelry.