Monty Python and Bel Canto
Inspired by Mr. Persse McGarrigle's celebrated work on the influence of TS Eliot on Shakespeare(1), I am thinking about a similarly scholarly effort documenting the influence of Monty Python on Rossini, Bellini and Verdi. This is partly brought about by the rather striking resemblance of Edita Gruberova, as Norma, to Terry Jones as Brian's mum and Roberto Scandiuzzi, as Oroveso, having more than a touch of John Cleese about him. I'm still waiting for the bit where someone writes "Romanes eunt domus" on the druidic temple.(2)
Now causality is a tricky thing (3) and I am unwilling to assert that the Pythons had a direct influence on the development of bel canto and the later Italian operatic tradition. That said, just as McGarrigle can assert "Who can hear the speeches of Ferdinand in The Tempest without being reminded of the 'Fire sermon' section of The Waste Land?", who can see the attempted rescue of Rinaldo from Armida's enchanted garden in Rossini's Armida and not bring to mind Lancelot's rescue of Sir Galahad from Castle Anthrax in Monty Python and the Holy Grail? Equally, it's hard to watch Verdi's masterpiece Don Carlo without wondering how many main reasons the Grand Inquisitor has for nailing the eponymous hero and his loyal sidekick, Rodrigo or indeed, whether Rodrigo represents the People's Front for the Liberation of Flanders or the Flemish Liberation Front. Clearly this calls for immediate discussion.
(1) See David E. Chinitz (ed), "A Companion to TS Eliot", 2009
(2) Bellini, "Norma", DGG DVD, 2006
(3) A fact exploited by a veritable legion of tobacco company shills and climate denialists
Now causality is a tricky thing (3) and I am unwilling to assert that the Pythons had a direct influence on the development of bel canto and the later Italian operatic tradition. That said, just as McGarrigle can assert "Who can hear the speeches of Ferdinand in The Tempest without being reminded of the 'Fire sermon' section of The Waste Land?", who can see the attempted rescue of Rinaldo from Armida's enchanted garden in Rossini's Armida and not bring to mind Lancelot's rescue of Sir Galahad from Castle Anthrax in Monty Python and the Holy Grail? Equally, it's hard to watch Verdi's masterpiece Don Carlo without wondering how many main reasons the Grand Inquisitor has for nailing the eponymous hero and his loyal sidekick, Rodrigo or indeed, whether Rodrigo represents the People's Front for the Liberation of Flanders or the Flemish Liberation Front. Clearly this calls for immediate discussion.
(1) See David E. Chinitz (ed), "A Companion to TS Eliot", 2009
(2) Bellini, "Norma", DGG DVD, 2006
(3) A fact exploited by a veritable legion of tobacco company shills and climate denialists