Production practices at the Teatro di San Carlo, Naples, in the late 18th century

Abstract

()ERHAPS no other theatrical edifice expresses with as much eloquence the weight and functions of the dramatic theatre in 18th century society as does the Teatro di San Carlo of Naples. As Paolo Fabbri has noted, San Carlo played a central role within both Neapolitan and European culture. Its significance extended beyond Settecento operatic practices, often intertwining with political and economic issues of state. It is precisely the coexistence and interaction of such factors-whether artistic, political or economic-that have made San Carlo a compelling topic of research. Past scholarship has focused primarily on the musical and political impact of San Carlo in the 18th century.2 Relatively few studies have been devoted to its administrative structure and financial operation. This incomplete portrait is attributable largely to the fragmented state of archival documents and other material related to the royal theatre. As a result, a systematic chronology and assessment of production practices-specifically income, operational costs, contractual obligations and agreements-for any extended period within the history of the theatre is lacking. This lacuna has also hampered accurate judgements about San Carlo's management; critics often cite the diverse forms of stewardship employed in the 18th century as evidence of administrative ineptitude and disorganization.3 Among the scant surviving archival sources is a series of financial ledgers relating to the administration of San Carlo by the Real Deputazione dei Cavalieri. These records span the years 1781-6 and are conserved in the State Archives of Naples, Fondo Casa reale antica, nos.966-7o.4 The ledgers constitute a discrete set of documents which not only detail the expenses relating to annual production, but also identify personnel employed at the royal theatre within the period of investigation. Earlier scholarship concerning San Carlo and the Deputazione is largely indebted to the 19th-century research of Benedetto Croce, in particular his series of investigations outlined in the periodical Archivio storico per le province Napoletane, which later served as the basis for his monumental work, I teatri di Napoli.5 More recent scholars such as John Rosselli, Franco Mancini and Michael Robinson have undertaken further studies that provide a more accurate portrait of administrative practices both throughout Italy and at San Carlo in particular.6 In his extensive chronicle of Neapolitan artistic life in the secondo Settecento, Croce made several references to the management of San Carlo by the Real Deputazione dei Cavalieri. Specifically, Croce first noted that 'In 1778 the entire administration of the theatre was changed. The Giunta [de' Teatri] was abolished, and, in its place, was established a Deputazione dei teatri, comprised of four noblemen: who were the Principe di Ripa, the Duca di Noia, the Duca di S. Paolo, [and] Don Vincenzo Montalto.'7 Despite this change, a sense of continuity between the old administration, the Giunta de' Teatri, and the new Deputazione was formed in the person of Gaetano Santoro, who continued to serve as impresario.8 Santoro's ultimate departure in Lent of 1780 is characterized by Croce as a reflection of the king's desire 'to hold the new administration [the Deputazione] to