[James Sloan], Rambles in Italy
Sloan writes of the Italian environment that encourages poetic improvisation, and describes the poetic talents of Gianni and Mazzei.
Tag: Mazzei
[Lady Murray/Lady Clanwilliam], A Journal of a Tour in Italy
Lady Murray/Lady Clanwilliam describes Mazzei’s poetic improvisation on Apollo and Daphne, and compares Sestini’s performance on Helen of Troy to opera. Mazzei and Sestini perform a dialogue between Dido and Aeneas. One morning, Mazzei demonstrates her strong improvisatory abilities to guests at her house.
Claire Clairmont, The Journals of Claire Clairmont
Claire Clairmont’s journals describe her encounters with the improvisatori Sgricci and Madame Mazzei, and briefly recount some of each of their performances.
Germaine de Staël, Correspondance Générale (Letter to Don Pedro de Souza, 15 May 1805)
In a letter to Don Pedro de Souza, Madame de Staël writes that she had the opportunity to see the improvisatrice La Fantastici, and then moves into a description of Mme Mazzei’s talent for improvisation.
J. C. L. Simonde de Sismondi, De la littérature du Midi de l’Europe
Sismondi provides a description of the art of improvisation as part of a more general exposition of Italian literature. He describes the type of talent required for improvisation, the typical subjects and form of the art, and then names some of Italy’s most accomplished improvisatori.
J. C. L. Simonde de Sismondi, Epistolario
In a letter to Madame de Staël, Sismondi mentions that he has not heard back from Vincenzo Monti recently, and has instead turned to the improviser Signora Mazzei to obtain an Italian translation of the improvised poems in Staël’s novel, Corinne.
J. C. L. Simonde de Sismondi, Historical View of the Literature of the South of Europe
A series of extracts from Sismondi’s widely read work on the literature of the south of Europe. The extracts from volume one describe the origins of improvisation in the commedia dell’ arte and the dramas of Goldoni. The longer excerpt from the second volume describes contemporary improvisation in Italy, outlining its relation to literature and poetry, and providing an overview of some of the famous Italian improvisatori.