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Description of  Singing of Arms and Men: Florence and the Balletto a Cavallo in the Seventeenth Century

0197761593 pdf Equestrian ballets (balletti a cavallo), although little known today, emerged as valued dramatic entertainments in early modern Europe, capable of demonstrating the wealth and magnificence of the patrons who commissioned them as well as the horsemanship and military skills of the noblemen who rode in them. Although the horse ballet did not originate in Florence, that city and its ruling grand dukes, the Medici acquired a reputation for excellence in the genre. Between 1608 and 1686, the court commissioned horse ballets to commemorate important state events such as Medici weddings or visits by foreign visitors. In Singing of Arms and Men, author Kelley Harness undertakes the first comprehensive study of the seventeenth-century Florentine horse ballets. She demonstrates how these works communicated messages relevant to the occasions for which they were performed, delivered by means of texts sung in styles similar to contemporary opera and punctuated by choreography and dramatic structure. Mock battles fought with swords and pistols animated audiences but also provided visible instances of conflict, which were then interrupted by the sudden arrival of a Read more