En Travesti: The Operatic Mezzo-Soprano as Leading Man

Andrea Fuss, Angela Nieman, and Dr. Mitra Sadeghpour, Mentor, University of Wisconsin-Eau-Claire

Abstract Application Presentation of Research

Based on the three phases of preliminary research, the team then
In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, an operatic tradition began that Combining Research and Practice
some roles originally intended for male castrato singers were now sung by selected and examined individual operas where the pants role was
The student researchers will present their final research project in a lecture recital along
women. After the disappearance of castrati, these roles were sung entirely by prevalent. The two operatic roles chosen were Serse from Handel’s
with a group of four volunteer student performers, displaying a variety of pants roles
women. Also, gradually during this time period, some composers began to write Serse and Orfeo from Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice. Each team member
while discussing the history and development of the pants role in opera.
male roles expressly for female singers. Though the term “mezzo-soprano” filled out and completed the guide according to her character.
(medium soprano) was not used until the end of the eighteenth
century, that classification describes those women’s voices: a strong middle Completion of Guide
register with both upper and lower extensions and a richer, darker sound than a
soprano (similar to the sound and range of the male castrati). This research
project explored how the tradition of “pants roles” began and a time line of the Completion of
Completion of GOTE
GOTE Sheet
Sheet How do
How do gestures
gestures work?
work?

major roles of this type was created and compared to other non-pants mezzo- Chose movement
Chose movement adjectives
adjectives that
that can
can
Orfeo
Orfeo be applied
be applied to
to your
your character
character
soprano female roles in the same period. The research team then created a __Serse___.
__Serse___.
Goals:
Goals:
written guide for preparing a “pants role” that includes character study and All Orfeo
All Orfeo wants
wants at
at the
the start
start of
of the
the opera
opera is is to
to be
be with
with
Smooth
Smooth or
or staccato
staccato
his dead
his dead wife
wife again.
again. She
She waswas his
his everything
everything and and now
now
movement adaptations (how does a man move and how does a woman she is
she is gone.
gone. The
The reason
reason thatthat he
he wants
wants her her back
back isis Large
Large or
or small
small
because he
because he doesn’t
doesn’t know
know how how to to live
live without
without her her and
and Expansive
Expansive or
or tentative
tentative
emulate that physically). The culmination of the project is a lecture recital in he can’t
he can’t imagine
imagine how
how hehe will
will be
be able
able to to live
live now
now that
that Flowing
Flowing or
or jerky
jerky
she is
she is gone.
gone. His
His need
need forfor Euridice
Euridice to to come
come back back toto Rounded or angular
which five student mezzo-sopranos will perform examples of major pants roles him is
him is almost
almost selfish
selfish in
in aa way.
way. He
He is is not
not thinking
thinking about
about
Rounded
Fast
Fast
or
or
or
angular
slow
slow
her and
her and what
what she
she would
would want,
want, he he isis thinking
thinking about
about his
his
to illustrate the team’s findings on performing En Travesti. own personal
own personal gain.
gain.
Open
Open or
or closed
closed

Other:
Other:
Orfeo discovers
Orfeo discovers that that he
he can
can achieve
achieve hishis goal
goal with
with the
the

Research Process
help of
help of Amore,
Amore, the the god
god ofof love.
love. He
He is
is given
given the
the Dabbing
Dabbing Flicking
Flicking
opportunity to
opportunity to go go down
down toto get
get her
her from
from hell.
hell. Orfeo
Orfeo Wrenching
Wrenching Chopping
Chopping
decides that
decides that ifif someone
someone is is going
going to
to offer
offer him
him help
help in
in Flitting Flailing
Flitting Flailing
getting Euridice
getting Euridice backback hehe is
is not
not going
going toto refuse.
refuse.
Skipping
Skipping Jabbing
Jabbing
The research team created: Obstacles:
Obstacles:
Twisting
Twisting Squeezing
Squeezing
Caressing
Caressing Punching
Punching
A lecture on the History of the “pants role” Orfeo’s biggest
Orfeo’s biggest obstacle
trust. IfIf he
trust. he could
obstacle is
could have
have just
is his
his selfishness
selfishness and
just trusted
trusted that
and lack
that Euridice
lack of
Euridice was
was
of
Floating
Floating Nudging
Nudging
still behind
behind him him when
when they
they came
came upup from
from the
the Pressing Other:Fluid
Researcher Angela Nieman as
The tradition of the travesti came from the decline of the male still
underworld then
underworld then he
he would
would have
have had
had her
her back…
back…
Pressing Other:Fluid
Cherubino from Mozart’s Le
castrati and the need to fulfill the aesthetic of sexual ambiguity. Nozze di Figaro.
Timeline of major mezzo-soprano roles and pants roles Laban Movement
Movement
Laban
In certain time periods the pants role thrived, while in others it
was almost non-existent (i.e. Italian Baroque versus twentieth B.E.S.S:
B.E.S.S:
Body –– Structural
Body Structural andand physical
physical characteristics
characteristics of
of
Lecture Outline
century American Opera) the body
the body while
while moving.
moving.
Guide – How To Wear Pants Effort –– Attempt
Effort Attempt to
the execution
the execution as
to understand
understand the
as itit relates
relates to
to the
the motive
motive behind
the execution
behind
execution of
of the
the
Philosophies of three major acting pedagogues motion.
motion.  Presentation of the history of the pants role
Shape –– The
Shape The way
way the the body
body changes
changes shape
shape
Uta Hagen during movement.
during movement. 1.The reasons why women came to play men on stage
Constantine Stanislavski
Space –– Motion
Space
you are
you
Motion in
are in.
in.
in relation
relation to
to the
the environment
environment
A. Decline of castrato
H. Wesley Balk B.Vocal chords of castrated man same length as mezzo-
 Acting exercises used to enhance the character soprano’s vocal chords
Introduction to Laban Movement C. Sexual Ambiguity
Psychology in Movement 2. Operas commonly performed today with travesti roles
Gender and Movement  Styles in acting and how different techniques can be used to enhance
Styles in Opera Acting
 Realism versus Idealism
Famous Mezzo-Soprano “Men” the disguise of a woman playing a man
1. Realism- What the world looks like
2. Idealism- What the world should look like
Examples from How to Wear Pants  Kathleen Ferrier
Brigitte Fassbaender
 Psychology of Movement
1. Beginning and end points
GOTE Sheet
Tatiana Troyanos 2. Speed (Where, when and if the speed changes)
Preparation of Given
Circumstances Janet Baker 3. Shapes of body parts
Goals: What
Goals: What does
does the
the character
character really
really want?
want?
“The purpose
“The purpose of of analysis
analysis should
should be be to
to study
study in
in detail
detail and
and
There may
There may bebe several
several goals,
goals, probably
probably all all relating
relating Marilyn Horne  Classifying movement
to one
to one central
central goal.
goal.
prepare given
prepare given circumstances
through them,
through
circumstances for
them, later
later on
on in
in the
for aa play
the creative
play oror part
creative process,
part so
process, the
so that
that
the actor’s
actor’s    Ferderica von Stade 1. Laban Movement
emotions will
emotions will instinctively
instinctively bebe sincere
sincere and and his
his feeling
feeling true
true to
to Other: From
Other: From whom
whom does does thethe character
character wantwant their
their
life (9).”
life (9).”
“At the
“At the start
start of
of mymy analysis
analysis II am
am notnot interested
interested in in feelings-
feelings-
goal? Who
goal? Who cancan help
help them?
them? Who Who can
can hurt
hurt them?
them? Ann Sophie von Otter 2. Language of Movement
they are intangible and difficult to define—but
they are intangible and difficult to define—but in the in the   
circumstances, suggested
circumstances, suggested by by the
the playwright,
playwright, thatthat can
can give
give Obstacles: What
Obstacles: What areare the
the obstacles
obstacles to to your
your
rise to feelings.”
rise to feelings.” character obtaining
character obtaining their
their goal?
goal?
This is
This is where
where “artistic
“artistic imagination”
imagination” comes
comes in.
in. ItIt
  

Conclusion
is what
is what actors
actors use
use to to bring
bring the
the given
given Tactics: What
What actions
actions does
does youryour character
character take take to
to
Tactics:
circumstances to
circumstances to life.
life.
surpass their
surpass their obstacles
obstacles in in the
the quest
quest for
for their
their "Pants roles suit me, and my whole operatic career
Passive imagination-
Passive imagination- no no need
need toto direct
direct action
action
Active imagination- active part in
Active imagination- active part in daydreams daydreams goals?
goals? has been built around them. I'm tall, and my gait and
The next
next step
step isis the
the creating
creating of
of inner
inner circumstances
circumstances of of the
the life
life   
After careful examination of the origins of the female travesti, the research team
The
of aa play
of play (25).
(25). Expectations: Why
Expectations: Why does
does the the character
character expect
expect to to bearing are not particularly feminine. I feel very
“This isis brought
brought about
about with
with the
the help
help ofof an
an actor’s
actor’s creative
creative
“This
get their
get their goal?
goal? WhyWhy does
does itit excite
excite them?
them? What What do do much at home portraying male characters.“
emotions.”
emotions.”
“The difficulty
“The difficulty of
of this
this aspect
aspect ofof emotional
emotional perception
perception is is that
that they do
they do when
when they
they get
get it,
it, or
or don’t
don’t get
get it?
it?
– Ann Sophie von Otter discovered after the decline of the male castrati it was imperative that higher female
the actor is now coming to his part not through
the actor is now coming to his part not through the text, the the text, the    Ann Sophie von Otter as Serse
words of his
conscious means
conscious
role,
means of
nor by intellectual
of knowledge,
knowledge, but
analysis
words of his role, nor by intellectual analysis or other
but through
or
through his
other
his own
own
Relationships: What
Relationships: What areare the
the relations
relations between
between voices take the place of the once beloved castrato. This maintained the aesthetic of
your character
your character andand other
other main
main characters
characters in in the
the
sensations, his
sensations,
experience (25).”
experience
his own
(25).”
own real
real emotions,
emotions, hishis personal
personal life
life
show? How
show? How dodo the
the other
other characters
characters relate
relate toto the heroic male lead in a time where the lines of sexual ambiguity were blurred.
goals, obstacles,
goals, obstacles, tactics?
tactics?
The actor
The actor must
must now
participant in
now become
in his
become an
his imagination.
an active
imagination.
active    Further examination of the travesti led to the discovery that the female “hero” is
participant How do
How do these
these facts
facts affect
affect thethe way
way you
you would
would play
play
the character
the character onon stage?
stage? expected to fully embody the male character in present day practice, where realism is
Excerpts from H. Wesley Balk’s The Complete   

Singer-Actor
preferred to idealism. This ultimately led to the creation of the guide, which includes
major acting techniques and exercises on how to “gender bend.” No such source
Timeline of Mezzo-Soprano Pants Roles currently exists, making this a valuable contribution to the field. The researchers
believe that it is crucial to not only understand the origins of the female travesti, but
Jonathan Dove’s Pinocchio, written in 2007, is an
example of a contemporary opera where the main
also to understand how to combine that knowledge with the techniques and concepts
After
(Grovecomparing
Dictionary) the graph of major mezzo roles to the graph of major mezzo male character is written for a female mezzo- provided in the guide to be able to believably portray a male ion the opera stage.
pants roles it was discovered that in the time from 1700 to 1800, where very few soprano.
operas were composed compared to other time periods, the majority of the Questions?
operas had a travesti role. These roles were originally played by male castratos, Contact us at msadegh@uwec.edu
but when necessary female mezzos stepped into the role of leading man and Research project and poster printing funded by the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Faculty/Student Collaboration Differential
continued to do so after the decline of the castrati. Tuition Grants Program

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