The Carro di Tespi lirico was a travelling

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

theatrical company that was formerly supported by the

Fascist Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural soci ...

regime. It was started in 1930 to bring

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

to the masses. Three companies of Carro di Tespi drammatico, started in 1929 for non-operatic stage works, also existed. The Carro di Tespi lirico brought opera to many Italian cities that did not have regular opera seasons, as well as some that did. It normally toured in July, August and September to about forty locations with two or three operas. Troupes occasionally would perform directly from the back of their traveling trucks or wagons. They also performed throughout Europe. The staging of

La Bohème ''La bohème'' ( , ) is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions '':wikt:quadro, quadri'', ''wikt:tableau, tableaux'' or "images", rather than ''atti'' (acts). composed by Giacomo Puccini between 1893 and 1895 to an Italian libretto b ...

, on an open-air stage in front of the

Villa Puccini Villa Puccini is a cultural site in Torre del Lago, near Viareggio in Tuscany, Italy. It is a museum dedicated to the composer Giacomo Puccini, who lived here from 1900 to 1921. History and description From 1891, the composer and his family spen ...

in the summer of 1930 marked the inauguration of the modern Carro di Tespi. The company returned to

Torre del Lago Torre del Lago (Tower of the Lake) is a town of almost 11,000 inhabitants, a ''frazione'' of the ''comune'' of Viareggio, in the province of Lucca, Tuscany, Italy, between the Lake of Massaciuccoli and the Tyrrhenian Sea. The Festival Puccini, ...

in 1931 with

Madama Butterfly ''Madama Butterfly'' (; ''Madame Butterfly'') is an opera in three acts (originally two) by Giacomo Puccini, with an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It is based on the short story " Madame Butterfly" (1898) by John Lu ...

and

. During the remainder of the 1930s, only one season was presented, in 1937, featuring last century's arguably most famous Puccinian heroine, Licia Albanese. Many well known names in Italian theater and opera got there start in the Carro di Tespi. In modern-day Italy the ''Teatro Popolare Itinerante'' is a newer edition of this as is the annual Puccini Festival.

References

Magda Olivero Bio

Answers.com

Landofpuccini.com
Musical groups established in 1930 Italian opera companies {{Opera-company-stub

See also

References