The travestire tradition in the operas by G. F. Handel in the aspect of gender approach (on the example of interpretations of Ariodante’s part)
Authors: Xin Yuan 
Published: September 2023

Formulation of the problem. An analysis of the interpretations of the Ariodante part from the opera of the same name by G. F. Handel through travestire traditions and their incarnations within the modern theatre is offered, which is a relevant perspective for the study of theatrical compositions of the Baroque era. Analysis of recent research and publications. The article is based on the research of the Baroque musical era in the aspects of aesthetics (Calella, Lewis) and performance (Brittain, Oganezova-Grygorenko), the creative work of G. F. Handel (Hogwood, Dean, Dean and Knapp, Cherkashyna-Gubarenko), the study of performing versions through the positions of gender theory (GigolayevaYurchenko), interpretology (Nikolaievska). The purpose of the article is to formulate the principles of genderinterpretative analysis and apply it to the performing versions of Ariodante’s parts from G. F. Handel’s opera «Ariodante». The scientific novelty of the article. is related to the parameters of the genderinterpretative approach involved in the study of the embodiment of Ariodante’s part from the opera of the same name by G. F. Handel. The research methodology. The interpretative approach and the concept of «the performing strategy» (Y. Nikolaievska), in particular – «protective», «modelling», «updating»; gender approach (designed for the specifics of vocal performance by V. Gigolayeva-Yurchenko (in particular, a model of genderperforming analysis aimed at identifying «gender roles», «gender stereotypes», such features as «masculine/feminine type of performance», «gender-performing modulation») have been used; the author’s gender-interpretative approach has been proposed. Results. The travestire tradition has been analysed as a certain performing format that was quite widespread in the opera art of the 17th–18th centuries and continued to exist in later times, being embodied in various forms in other arts: ballet, dramatic theatre, cinematography, and spectacular mass culture. The factors determining the use of travestire are singled out and divided into two groups: 1) related to the historical and cultural norms of the era; 2) determined by specific artistic tasks of the author/director. When analysing the interpretations of the image of Ariodante, masculinity is marked in the embodiment by Sarah Connolly, Anne-Sophie von Otter (appearance, mannerisms, stage movement, timbre of voice), femininity – in the version of Ann Hallenberg (sonorous, bright, light timbre, «feminine» plasticity of movements), androgenicity – in the interpretation of Vesselina Kasarova, Ch. Bartoli (balance of masculinity and femininity traits through voice operation from light, feminine one, to thick, dark low, masculine, presence of men’s and women’s clothes, etc.). Conclusions. The gender-interpretative analysis carried out on the example of the travestire tradition and clearly revealed in the interpretation of Ariodante’s part (performed mainly by women) made it possible to propose a genderinterpretative model as a cognitive structure that should fix the gender markers of the historical tradition and modern performance. Thus, in a stable communicative system, the composer forms a tradition, a role, an affect (a stable complex of expressiveness) and as a result – an established gender type. The director works with the given affects and roles, but can resort to gender modulation. The performer, due to the chosen performing strategy and a set of means for achieving affect, the transformation of timbre-role, represents a mobile gender type (embedded gender stereotypes can be accentuated, as well as change to the opposite). The predominance of female incarnations of the image of Ariodante made it possible to single out all varieties of gender types with an emphasis on femininity/masculinity/androgenicity, which really makes the modern performance-stage process multivariate for the listener.