S aging he T ansla ion o Ope a as a
Medium o (Sub) e sion:
Po uguese App op ia ion o I alian
Melod ama in he 18 h cen u y
Daniela Di Pasquale
Cen o de Es udos Compa a is as
Uni e si y o Lisbon
Abs ac
In he 18 h cen u y a la ge numbe o Po uguese s ages used ansla ions o I alian ope a as a
possibili y o e ine he c i ical abili ies o hei audience. In ac , in he public hea es o Lisbon,
all kinds o c ea i e mis ep esen a ions h ough he adap a ion o I alian lib e i we e possible
h ough he in oduc ion o olk and common cha ac e s like he g aciosos, se an s o o he
plebeian membe s o he socie y. The pa icula con ex in which his cha ac e is c ea ed wi hin
Po ugal, no in an au och honous d ama ic li e a u e, bu wi hin a e y codi ied gen e al eady
amous ac oss Eu ope, allow us o in e p e he g acioso’s unc ion as a des abiliza ion o he
alues and hie a chy o he socie y.
Key wo ds: mis ep esen a ion, manipula ion, app op ia ion, des abiliza ion, in e ex uali y,
adi ion.
Me as asio’s ope as in Po ugal (18 h cen u y)
The ci cula ion o melod ama was a es ed in Po ugal a he
beginning o he 18 h cen u y by he la ge impo a ion o Pie o
Me as asio’s I alian ope as. Today, he Na ional Lib a y o Po ugal, he
Calous e Gulbenkian Founda ion in Lisbon, he Ajuda Lib a y, he
Uni e si y o Coimb a Gene al A chi es and he Academy o Science
Lib a y hold a co pus o mo e han 80 ex s edi ed be ween 1732 and
1832. They a e di ided in o lib e os in he o iginal language and
ansla ion/adap a ions p in ed and handw i en ao gos o po uguês
(acco ding o Po uguese as es), as we can ead in he i le-page o
hese adap a ions (DI PASQUALE 2007: 64-82). We also know
h ough o he indi ec sou ces ha be ween 1728 e 1808 almos 300
I alian ope as (o iginal o ansla ed) we e s aged in Po uguese
hea es such as he Paço da Ribei a Thea e, he Academia da
T indade Thea e, he Ho as do Conde Thea e, he New Rua dos
Condes Thea e, he Cou Thea e, he Sal a e a Royal Thea e, he
S aging heT ansla iono Ope aasaMediumo (Sub) e sion:Po ugueseApp op ia iono I alianMelod amain he18 hcen u y
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Ajuda Royal Thea e, he House o India, he Bai o Al o Thea e, he
Queluz Thea e, he Royal Câma a, he Sali e Thea e, he Tejo Ope a
and he São Ca los Na ional Thea e (DI PASQUALE 2007: 411-423).
Mos o hese ansla ions and adap a ions do no gi e us any
in o ma ion abou he ansla o , and some imes no e en abou he
o iginal au ho o he ex . The adap a ion p ocess essen ially lies in
inse ing a seconda y s o y in o he o iginal plo , played by cha ac e s
a bi a ily added by he adap o s. As o he ex e nal ea u es, hese
kinds o new cha ac e s come om he g acioso ypology o he
Spanish Golden Age hea e and om he pa o cha ac e i in Gil
Vicen e’s hea e, bu hey clea ly p esen some ele an
au och honous aspec s. The g aciosos in he Po uguese adap a ion o
Me as asian melod ama a e gene ally h ee se an s epea ing a
e nacula olk le el he sen imen al dynamics de eloped a a highe
le el by he o iginal p o agonis s o he melod ama ha is ansla ed.
By changing he gen e o Me as asio’s ope a se ia om melod ama o
comedy, o en enaming i “Ope a No a” (New Ope a), by mixing sung
pa s and dialogues wi hou music, hese adap a ions could ake place
only in public hea es, while he pompous and majes ic Me as asian
o iginal se ed he absolu e powe o kings John V and Joseph I a he
oyal cou , wo king as an ins umen o os en a ion and a means o
hei poli ical pu poses.
Thanks o his kind o ansla ion, we a e able o make up o he
lack o pe i ex ual and epi ex ual documen s, since we can econs uc
he e ec i e s aging o his non-con empo a y hea e, a leas a he
le el o i s po en ial mise-en-scène. Since we do no know i hey we e
ansc ip ions o hea ical ex s, i.e., ex s eally s aged, spoken and
lis ened o du ing a pe o mance, because he e e ences abou hei
e ec i e s aging a e missing on hei i le-pages, we can only assume
ha by a physical analysis o hese objec s. In ac , he ypog aphical
and edi o ial s uc u es (and ca elessness) allow us o include his
ypology in he co del (chapbook) hea e gen e, which we e
pamphle s bound oge he wi h a co d o s ing, sold by blind people a
s ee co ne s, designed o be a sc ip o s aging by mo e o less
p o essional hea e companies. I is easy o compa e a ex designed
o be ead wi h a ex in ended o use as a sc ip ( ig. 1).
DOLETIANA 3OPERA AND TRANSLATION2
S aging heT ansla iono Ope aasaMediumo (Sub) e sion:Po ugueseApp op ia iono I alianMelod amain he18 hcen u y
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Fig. 1 An example o a ansla ion designed o be ead (le ) and an example o a
ansla ion in ended o use as a sc ip ( igh )
The jou ney unde aken by he adap a ions, he e o e, may be
ep esen ed by he ollowing scheme:

SOURCE TEXT → TRANSLATION + ADAPTATION → TARGET TEXT → POTENTIAL PERFORMANCE → REAL PERFORMANCE

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The sou ce ex is subjec ed o al e a ion due o he ac ha he
adap a ion changes he me e ansla ion, hus p oducing a a ge ex
ha in o ms us abou he possibili ies o he pe o mance. This
po en ial pe o mance is he e o e a pa ial objec , incomple e, ha
will se e as a guide when ehea sing he eal pe o mance. This
means ha in he case o he adap ed hea e, and h ough ansla ion
analysis, i is possible o econs uc he genesis o i s po en ial
pe o mance when pe i- and epi ex ual documen s a e absen .
To his end, we ha e o conside ha he adap a ions o he
Me as asian ope as in ol e a plu ali y o ac o s, cons ain s and
sou ces ha e eal he mul imodal na u e o he ansla ed
DOLETIANA 3OPERA AND TRANSLATION3
S aging heT ansla iono Ope aasaMediumo (Sub) e sion:Po ugueseApp op ia iono I alianMelod amain he18 hcen u y
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melod ama. Mul imodal no only in he sense o he in e a is ic na u e
o he ope a ic e en which means he simul aneous p esence o
mul iple o mal le els (poe ic, musical, hea ical), and no jus he
plu ali y o he pe cep ion le els associa ed wi h ope a ( isual,
audi i e, acous ic), bu also as he plu ali y o ac o s in ol ed in he
genesis o he ope a ic ex in he Po uguese con ex o he 18 h
cen u y. In o he wo ds, he ac ha hese Po uguese adap a ions
ha e ecou se o a mul iplici y o di e en sou ces and me hods can
help us o econs uc no only he possible condi ions o pe o mance,
bu also he ole o he melod ama u gy in Po ugal bo h wi hin he
li e a y sys em and a socio-cul u al le el. This means ha s udying
he genesis o he ope a ic ansla ion may play an impo an ole in
he de ini ion o he alue judgemen s ha endo se he canoniza ion o
non-canoniza ion o ex s in melod ama ic li e a u e. This is
pa icula ly e iden in he case o 18 h cen u y melod ama u gy in
Po ugal, in which he adap a ions o he o eign hea e o Po uguese
as es we e always subjec ed o a nega i e e alua ion as hey we e
conside ed idiculous and ma ginal. As an example, we quo e he
opinion o Manuel de Figuei edo (1725-1801), a Po uguese d ama is ,
abou he phenomenon pe aining o he Po uguese ansla ion o
o eign hea e:
The Thea e ha is a model o he language e e ywhe e will become he School o
Ba ba ism while he e a e no Na ional D ama is s. Wha is a e han a T ansla o ?
Who ca es i a good e sion appea s e e y now and hen, i e e y day we lis en o
e sions ha mos emba ass he Na ion and he un o una e Au ho s? We see he
Po uguese sen ence mo e adul e a ed in he Playw igh s’ comedies han in he
mou hs o Fo eigne s who a i ed in Lisbon only a ew mon hs be o e. Due o he
idio ism o he ansla ion, wha spec a o ails o immedia ely ecognize he o iginal
language o he Poem? And because o he S o y’s dis o ion, who ails o see he
opposi e e ec s caused by he passions, and e en he change in he Ti les: i he
T ansla o had unde s ood he G amma , he was he o ically and poe ically igno an o
wha he was ansla ing?ii (FIGUEIREDO 1804: 7-8) [my ansla ion].
Wha was always c i icized in hese adap a ions was he mix u e
be ween he agic and he comic p oduced by he cha ac e s o he
g aciosos, as well as he adul e a ion o he he oic my hology ha led
o a mo e ealis ic in e p e a ion o he cha ac e s. This is he eason
why a heo e ician and a d ama is such as Co eia Ga ção ga e B az,
a cha ac e in he play Tea o No o (1766), he ask o c i icizing he
mixed gen e o he Po uguese adap a ions:
B az
T agédia é cousa que ninguém a u a,
Quem ao ea o em, em di e i -se
Que i e não cho a . Lá ai o empo
DOLETIANA 3OPERA AND TRANSLATION4
S aging heT ansla iono Ope aasaMediumo (Sub) e sion:Po ugueseApp op ia iono I alianMelod amain he18 hcen u y
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De lág imas comp a às ca pidei as.
Não al am boas ópe as, comédias
Em ancês, i aliano, em ou as línguas,
Que pode aduzi qualque pessoa,
Com en edo mais cómico. Que o po o
Só se ag ada de lances sob e lances.
Quem is o não ize jamais espe e
Que o po o diga b a o e dê palmadas. (GARÇÃO 1982: 28)
[T agedy is some hing ha no one abides,
He who comes o he hea e, comes o enjoy himsel
He wan s o laugh, no c y; he ime has passed
Fo buying he ea s o p o essional mou ne s,
The e’s no lack o good ope as, comedies
In F ench, I alian and o he languages,
Which anybody can ansla e,
Wi h a mos amusing plo ; ha only please
he common olk who like cons an comic elie .
I you don’ do his, you will ne e hope
To hea he c owd shou b a o and applaud you.]
[my ansla ion]
This e alua ion has con inued in o he p esen i we ead, o
example, he wo ds o Luciana S egagno Picchio on he his o y o he
Po uguese hea e: “g aciosos ac o enhance he ex s so as o
ende hem mo e accep able o an audience ha is mo e disposed o
a ce han o agedy, o a lee ing wink han o he o a o ical
declama ion”iii (STEGAGNO PICCHIO 1964: 143). By s udying he
genesis o he ope a ic ansla ions we may make a ee alua ion o
hese opinions abou he adap a ions ha a e gea ed o Po uguese
as es, mos o all because he g aciosos play a so o e o ming
unc ion.
Change o pe spec i e
Thanks o gene ic analysis we can ind aces o he complexi y o
he g acioso’s cha ac e ha will allow o a eassessmen o he
impo ance o hese elemen s in he hea ical con ex and he
possibili y o “de-pe iphe alizing” he Po uguese ope a ic adap a ions
wi hin he cul u al sys em o ha pe iod. This possibili y is a o ded by
he ac o ansla ion, hanks o i s ex e nal na u e as ega ds he
cen al sys em. We a e e e ing he e o I ama E en-Zoha ’s
e lec ions on he possibili y o ansla ion as an ins umen o
inno a ion in a cul u al and li e a y sys em’s epe oi e:
DOLETIANA 3OPERA AND TRANSLATION5

S aging heT ansla iono Ope aasaMediumo (Sub) e sion:Po ugueseApp op ia iono I alianMelod amain he18 hcen u y
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When new li e a y models a e eme ging, ansla ion is likely o become one o he
means o elabo a ing he new epe oi e. Th ough he o eign wo ks, ea u es […] a e
in oduced in o he home li e a u e which did no exis he e be o e (E en-Zoha 1990:
47).
I is ne e heless ue ha he Po uguese adap a ions show g ea e
complexi y han o he li e a y ansla ions, since we ind hey ha e a
h ee old le el o w i ing and a ipola iza ion ha eplaces he
bipola i y o non- ansla ed hea e ( ex →pe o mance). In his case
we ha e
TEXT TRANSLATION / ADAPTATION PERFORMANCE
↓ ↓ ↓
DRAMATIST TRANSLATOR/ADAPTOR STAGE DIRECTOR
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This means ha i is no enough o analyze such objec s h ough he
ST-TT (Sou ce Tex -Ta ge Tex ) ansla ion me hod, sea ching o he
ansla ion echniques used, ha is, compensa ion, pe mu a ion,
inno a ion and con ex ual eseman iza ion. We need o combine his
me hod wi h an analysis o he o ma i e p ocesses o he adap a ion,
ela ing o he independen elemen s added, in his case, he hi d
le el o he Po uguese melod ama u gical w i ing ep esen ed by he
g acioso cha ac e .
We a e dealing wi h a kind o hea ical p oduc ion si ua ed in a non-
con empo a y pe iod ha , as Jean-Ma ie Thomasseau has said,
p esen s a clea p oblem o inding epi ex ual ma e ial in o de o help
us o econs uc bo h he ex ual documen s and he modali ies o
hei possible pe o mance. We a e hus aced wi h a o al lack o
es imonies as ega ds he hea ical genesis o he Po uguese
adap a ions. In his si ua ion, as we a e unable o do any “collec ing
and making he mos o he w i ings and documen s ha a e di ec ly
o indi ec ly connec ed o he ex and he pe o mance”
(THOMASSEAU 2008: 236), we a e unable o ollow a exogene ic
me hod ha in ol es sea ching o documen s ex e nal o he ex .
Ra he , we ha e o adop an endogene ic me hodology o ind he
acks and he clues inside he ansla ed ex so as o econs uc he
con ex ual condi ions o i s po en ial pe o mance. Conside ing ha
hese adap a ions ha e o iginal au och honous elemen s and he
adap o is a so o second au ho o he po en ial pe o mance, we a e
able o deciphe he po en ial condi ions o i s conc e iza ion on s age
in he ex ual o ganism. This is he eason why we ha e o unde ake
an analysis a he in e ex ual le el p esen in he adap ed ex
oge he wi h ansla ion analysis: esea ching sou ces and in luences.
DOLETIANA 3OPERA AND TRANSLATION6
S aging heT ansla iono Ope aasaMediumo (Sub) e sion:Po ugueseApp op ia iono I alianMelod amain he18 hcen u y
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In he case o ansla ion analysis, he objec o ou compa ison is
essen ially he ope a’s seconda y ex , ha is, he s age di ec ions,
bo h explici and implici in he cha ac e s’ lines. The second s ep
(sou ce analysis) deals wi h ou conce n o iden i y he possible
genesis o he adap o ’s ac i e ecep ion, in pa icula , he o igin o he
g acioso cha ac e . Fo ou pu poses, we will ake as an example he
adap a ion o Me as asio’s Didone abbandona a (Dido abandoned). The
i s e sion o he ope a by he I alian melod ama is was s aged in
Naples in 1724 and ansla ed in o Po uguese in 1782. The
Po uguese edi ion did no men ion he o iginal au ho , bu added a
sub i le: Des uição de Ca hago (Des uc ion o Ca hage), p obably in
o de o a ac he Po uguese audience’s a en ion, eminding i o
he e ible ea hquake ha happened in Lisbon in 1755. Thanks o
ano he Po uguese ansla ion bea ing he same i le bu p in ed in
1790 and showing he o iginal au ho o he d ama (al hough
Po uguesized) on he on page, we a e able o ace he sou ce ex
since he wo ex s a e exac ly he same (Fig. 2).
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Fig. 2. Dido desampa ada, 1782 (le ), Dido desampa ada, 1790 ( igh ).
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Fu he mo e, he p esence o h ee se an s (en i ely absen in
Me as asio’s o iginal lib e o) allows us o classi y his Po uguese
ansla ion as an adap a ion o a mis ep esen a ion ( ig. 3).
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DOLETIANA 3OPERA AND TRANSLATION7
S aging heT ansla iono Ope aasaMediumo (Sub) e sion:Po ugueseApp op ia iono I alianMelod amain he18 hcen u y
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Fig. 3. Me as asio’s Didone abbandona a (le ) and including he h ee
Po uguese g aciosos ( igh ).
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When compa ing he wo ex s wi h Me as asio’s inal edi ion as well
as wi h i s a ian s, since he ope a had wo di e en I alian edi ions
(Be inelli and Hé issan ), we may conclude ha he Po uguese
ansla o has used bo h sou ces, as he ollowing example (based on
he loci communes me hod) shows:
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BETTINELLI
EDITION
1733-58
HÉRISSANT
EDITION
1780-82
PORTUGUESE
ADAPTATION
1782
Ac 1, scene 3
OSMIDA
Il co d'Enea non pene ò
Selene.
Ei disse, è e , che il suo
do e lo sp ona
A lascia ques e sponde:
Ma col do e la gelosia
nasconde.
Ac 1, scene 3
OSMIDA
(Si deluda). Regina,
Il co d'Enea non pene ò
Selene.
Dalla eggia de' Mo i
Qui giunge dee
l'ambascia o e A bace.
Ac 1, scene 1
OSMIDA
Rainha, mal pene ou Silene o
co açaõ de Enéas: Elle sim
disse que se auzen a a po
segui o seu des ino: mas só
se apa a po naõ pode
ole a o seu ciume.
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DOLETIANA 3OPERA AND TRANSLATION8
S aging heT ansla iono Ope aasaMediumo (Sub) e sion:Po ugueseApp op ia iono I alianMelod amain he18 hcen u y
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This is seems pa icula ly impo an o us, no only because we can
hus es i y as o he genealogy o he ex , bu also because i has
implica ions ha go beyond he li e a y o hea ical ield, ela ing o
he book ma ke o he pe iod and he ecep ion o Me as asian ope a
in Po ugal, clea ly ci cula ing in he di e en edi ions. Bu he
condi ions whe e Me as a io’s Didone was ecei ed in Po ugal a e also
es i ied by some coe al ex s, such as he Disse ação segunda sob e
o cha ac e da agédia (Second disse a ion on he na u e o agedy)
p esen ed o he A cadia Lusi ana in 1757 by Co eia Ga ção. In
c i icizing “ he i egula and mons ous agedies”,i he s a es ha
among hem a e “ hose which depic Caesa , B u us, Aeneas, no as
men, bu as e emina e boys and impe inen lo e s”, hus implici ly
e e ing o he ansla ions o Me as asio’s melod ama ( he au ho o
Didone abbandona a is also e e ed o a ew lines be o e). And e en in
he Ga ção’s Tea o No o we may ead “bu who can ole a e he g ea
Me as asio’s Ca o o Dido pe o med be ween a e ed cu ains,
wi hou an o ches a?”. i La e , Inigo explains his pe sonal mise-en-
scène o Aeneas’ s o y by commen ing: “i has se e al due s, a ias,
ca a ines, I’m su e I can ou -do Me as asio”. ii
Wi h ega d o analyzing he ansla ion o he s age di ec ions, we
should unde line he ac ha hei highe o lowe deno a i e o
conno a i e na u e gi es us possible clues abou he s age condi ions
and he poli ical implica ions unde lying he adap a ion. Fo example,
he pomp o he Me as asian pe o mance had a p ecise poli ical
in en ion in ha i po ayed oyal os en a ion du ing a pe iod o
inancial di icul ies due o he Eu opean wa s o he con ol o
in e na ional ade. I hus c ea ed oom o an excep ion in he o m
o he ope a ic hea e. Bu when his in en ion is adap ed o he
Po uguese con ex , he si ua ion changes (Fig. 4).
DOLETIANA 3OPERA AND TRANSLATION9
S aging heT ansla iono Ope aasaMediumo (Sub) e sion:Po ugueseApp op ia iono I alianMelod amain he18 hcen u y
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An ónio Oli ei a Ba a a is o he same opinion when, in a s udy on
he puppe hea e o An ónio José da Sil a, he de ines he ypology o
he g acioso in ha au ho ’s plays as a cha ac e who “ eminds he
audience ha ano he eali y exis s” (BARATA 1998: 322). This
happens, o example, h ough wha Ba a a desc ibes as he
des uc ion o he “d ama ic illusion h ough e e ences o he place in
which he pe o mance happens o he ma e ial na u e o he se ing
i sel ”xi (BARATA 1998: 319). We ha e ound his ea u e e en in he
ope a ic adap a ions, no only in Dido desampa ada, bu also in o he
Me as asian ansla ions, such as No o D ama in i ulado Deme io em
Si ia (1783) and Ope a No a in i ulada I ene na Selecia (1783):
1.
Dido desampa ada, Des uição de ca hago, 1782.
Baland ao. Espe a, que ago a que o aze a minha despedida em A ia.
Chama iz. Isso ago a he ou o can a .x
2.
No o D ama in i ulado Deme io em Si ia, 1783.
Olin o. Con apon o aonde icou eu amo?
Con apon o. Meu amo; Senho Olin o, ica a ago a [?] quando eu pa a aqui im
no hea o da Rua dos Condes.x i
3.
Ope a No a in i ulada I ene na Selecia, 1783.
Escope a. Senho A cabuz deixesse de cump imen os, e diga se io ao P incipe
Flo indo que he a quem p ocu o.
A cabuz. Há pouco es i e com elle.
Escope a. Em que si io, dize meu bemzinho.
A cabuz. Na caza da Ope a de Lisboa.x ii
The no mal happy ending ha usually closes hese adap a ions does
no coun e ac he idea ha he Po uguese g acioso exe s a
e o ming unc ion. In ac , we ha e o conside ha all hese
ha monious endings do no e ase he “ e olu iona y” in en ions we
ha e e e ed o in his pape . They a e e y much he p e ex (due o
censo ship p oblems, o example) a he han he conclusi e mo al o
he s o y. Wha eally ma e a e he dynamics pu in o ac ion du ing
he pe o mance, acco ding o Law ence K ame ’s dialec ic
no m/abno m in he ope a ic wo k: “Ope a can be unde s ood only by,
and as, a con inuous nego ia ion o he spaces be ween he con es ed
posi ion o no mali y and ex a agance in he ields o iden i y and
desi e” (KRAMER 2004: 15).
DOLETIANA 3OPERA AND TRANSLATION16

S aging heT ansla iono Ope aasaMediumo (Sub) e sion:Po ugueseApp op ia iono I alianMelod amain he18 hcen u y

Conclusion
The ansla ion compa ison and he analysis o he Po uguese
adap a ions’ in e ex ual e e en s a e decodi ied no only a he le el
o econs uc ing po en ial pe o mance condi ions, bu also a he
le el o pe cei ing he ole hey play wi hin he cul u al sys em lying
beyond he adi ional canoniza ion p ocesses. In ac , in conside ing
he adap o / ansla o as he second au ho , his c i ical-pa odic
pu poses as ega ds he coe al ope a ic adi ion, and indeed, his
capaci y o dialogue wi h he ex s issuing om he collec i e
imagina ion abou a speci ic issue, i is easy o see ha his ypology
o hea e does no eally de ia e om 18 h cen u y no ions o p og ess
and a ionali y. As Ma io Ba a o has said abou Goldoni’s e o m o
ealis ic aes he ic alues (and i holds ue o he Po uguese
adap a ions oo), his ypology o hea e is “an illusion o eali y
ob ained wi h a pe o mance ha s i es o ecognize he eal aspec s
o people. […] seeking he audience’s a en ion, enhancing enjoymen
as well as u he ing i s c i ical abili ies”x iii (BARATTO 1964: 164).
In he Po uguese con ex , he e o e, he g acioso’s unc ion o
des abilizing he alues and hie a chy o socie y becomes mo e
in luen ial. On he one hand, he le el o in e ex uali yxix wi h which
he Po uguese adap o s o I alian ope a moulded hei ansla ions
inspi es a palimpses ic sense o sha ing he same li e a y and
ideological adi ion o o he Eu opean sys ems, becoming a so o
jus i ica ion o he pe locu iona y ac o he poe y. On he o he hand,
he singable o m o his gen e cons i u es wha Law ence K ame in
2007 de ined he ac i e in ol emen o he classical music.xx Be o e
him, W. H. Auden had al eady explained he peculia i y o ope a when
compa ed wi h any o he a is ic p oduc : i s uniqueness lies in i s
emo ional-pe o ma i e na u e. In ac , i s immediacy s imula es
audience in ol emen and pa icipa ion:
I music in gene al is an imi a ion o his o y, ope a in pa icula is an imi a ion o
human wil ulness; i is oo ed in he ac ha we no only ha e eelings bu insis upon
ha ing hem a wha e e cos o ou sel es. Ope a, he e o e, canno p esen cha ac e
in he no elis ’s sense o he wo d, namely people who a e po en ial good and bad,
ac i e and passi e, o music is immedia e ac uali y and nei he po en iali y no
passi i y can li e in i s p esence […] E e y high C accu a ely s uck demolishes he
heo y ha we a e he i esponsible puppe s o a e o chance. (AUDEN 1989: 470 and
474).
I was exac ly in he 18 h cen u y ha he ac i e audi ion o
music lou ished, a he same ime as he poli ical and philosophical
disco e y ha all he human beings ha e an inne and p o ound ego
DOLETIANA 3OPERA AND TRANSLATION17
S aging heT ansla iono Ope aasaMediumo (Sub) e sion:Po ugueseApp op ia iono I alianMelod amain he18 hcen u y

wi h which o eel he sen imen o he music, and ha e men al and
poli ical eedom, and human igh sxxi (See KRAMER 2009: 29).
I is clea now why, in he 18 h cen u y, he case o he Po uguese
adap a ions o I alian melod ama is a pe ec example o ha sel -
consciousness. In o de o e-p ocess he my h and de y cul u al and
social au ho i y, he Po uguese adap o s chose he I alian ope a as
he mos e ec i e medium ha was based on a combina ion o
a ionali y (wo ds) and emo ionali y (music) and had al eady ound i s
way in o he canons all o e Eu ope. Thus Me as asian melod ama was
conside ed o be he app op ia e means o con eying a desi e o
di using li e a y expe imen a ion, hea ical en e ainmen and, inally,
p og essi e ideals.
Wi h he in oduc ion o he g acioso and a mul ile el in e p e a ion
(in e ex uali y) o Me as asian ope a’s main cha ac e s, his kind o
sub- e sion o he o iginal meanings could undamen ally en ich he
local epe oi e in he o m o mis ansla ion. A si ua ion made possible
by he speci ici y o he Po uguese con ex in he la es 18 h cen u y,
cul u ally pe iphe al and weak a e he 1755 Lisbon ea hquake.
Ne e heless, hanks o he consequences o his pe iphe ali y (comic
camou lage o I alian ope a se ia), as ega ds he Eu opean cul u al
sys em, he adap o could place his wo ks, we hink, in he cen e o
he in e nal Po uguese sys em, as shown by he la ge co pus o
adap a ions analyzed du ing ou esea ch and, ia nega ionis, by he
c i ical s a emen s o i s con empo aneous de ac o s.
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S aging heT ansla iono Ope aasaMediumo (Sub) e sion:Po ugueseApp op ia iono I alianMelod amain he18 hcen u y
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DOLETIANA 3OPERA AND TRANSLATION19
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
i The Pa o is a so o independen , objec i e commen a o o he ac ion, ac i a ing a
ne wo k ha e eals he idiculous side o hings, he comical aspec s o si ua ions and
beha io and he i esponsibili y o o he s, all causing ce ain ou comes.
ii “O Thea o, que em oda a pa e he o modêlo da lingua, se á a Escola do Ba ba ismo, em
quan o não hou e D ama icos Nacionaes. Que cousa mais a a, que hum T aduc o ? Que
impo a, que no decu so de la gos annos appa eça huma boa e são, se odos os dias se
es ão ou indo as mais e gonhosas pa a a Nação, e pa a os desg açados Au o es? Vemos a
ase Po ugueza mais adul e ada nos esc i os dos Comicos, que na boca dos Es angei os,
de poucos mezes chegados a Lisboa. Qual he o Espec ado , que pelo idio ismo da aducção
não conhece immedia amen e a linguagem o iginal do Poema? E qual he o que não ê pela
dilace ação da Fabula, pelos con a ios e ei os, que causão as paixões, e a é pela mudança
dos Ti ulos, que o T aduc o se en endeo a G amma ica, igno ou he o ica, e poe icamen e o
que aduzia?”.
iii “Se i e g aciosos, des ina i ad ‘amenizza e’ i es i, a ende li acce i a un pubblico più
incline alla a sa che alla agedia, all’ammicco u besco che alla spa a a o a o ia”.
i “As agédias i egula es e mons uosas”. (GARÇÃO 1982: 129).
“que pin am os Césa es, os B u os, os Eneias, não como homens, mas como mancebos
e eminados e impe inen es amado es”. (GARÇÃO 1982: 129).
i “Mas quem há de so e Ca ão ou Dido / do g ande Me as asio, epe ido / en e elhas
co inas, / sem o ques a?”. (GARÇÃO 1982: 26).
ii “Tem á ios duos, á ias, ca a inas. / Eu cuido que desbanco a Me as asio”. (GARÇÃO
1982: 30).
S aging heT ansla iono Ope aasaMediumo (Sub) e sion:Po ugueseApp op ia iono I alianMelod amain he18 hcen u y

DOLETIANA 3OPERA AND TRANSLATION20

iii “La scena di paci icazione degli elemen i na u ali so o l’impe io del deus ex machina in ia
limpidamen e al uolo del mona ca, ga an e della i a sociale paci icamen e o dina a”.
ix “My li e is mons ous”, “pe idious”, “disloyal”, “impious”, “snake”, “mu de e ”, “me ciless”,
“dea ”, “blind”, “ e ocious squande e ”, “ exa ious sub e si e”, “ e used, abho ed”,
“unwo hy”, “ illain”, “sac ilegious y an ”; mons e o pi alls”, “lia ”.
x “Chama iz. Why do you ha e o lea e! Baland ao. Lea e? May i ne e be so! No; I will
lea e in one piece.” The Po uguese wo d pa i has wo meanings: o lea e and o b eak.
xi “Aeneas. B a e ollowe s, unbea en A gonau s, i ’s ime o exchange Venus’ deligh s o
Ma s’ iumphs. Baland ao. He in i es us o a e y good hing.”).
xii “Baland ao. Look, o he las ew nigh s I ha e d eamed o my a he , and he alks o me
in he oice o a goose, saying: Do you obey he gods? (in alse o)”.
xiii “Aeneas. I don’ unde s and you. Baland ao. Bu , Si , we alk hones ly; I didn’ hink
you we e so lea ned”.
xi “Des ui a ilusão d amá ica a a és de e e ências ao local de ep esen ação ou à p óp ia
ma e ialidade cénica”.
x “Baland ao. Wai , because now I wan o sing my goodbye in an A ia. Chama iz. This is
ano he kind o singing now ”.
x i “Olin o. […] Con apon o, whe e’s you mas e ? Con apon o. My mas e ? Senho
Olin o, he was igh [?] when I a i ed he e a he Rua dos Condes Thea e.
x ii “Escope a. Senho A cabuz, don’ s and on ce emony, and ell me i you’ e seen P ince
Flo indo, because I’m looking o him. A cabuz. I was wi h him a sho while ago.
Escope a. Whe e? Tell me, my dea ellow. A cabuz. A he Lisbon Ope a House”.
x iii “Un’illusione di eal à o enu a con la app esen azione che ende a a iconosce e al
popolo i e i aspe i di essa. […] ce cando la consape olezza del pubblico, essa ne a ina
assieme il dile o e la capaci à c i ica”.
xix Acco ding o he heo ies o Robe S am, Julie Sande s and Linda Hu cheon, when
discussing he in e ex uali y o he adap a ions, i may be “a way o bypassing adi ional
alo iza ion an aes he ic hie a chies wi hin adap a ion s udies” (PIETRZAK-FRANGER AND
VOIGTS-VIRCHOW 2009: 8).
xx “A música clássica p og ediu com uma única inalidade: se ou ida. Ou seja, escu ada e
não ou ida como pa e de qualque ou a ac i idade, em ge al um i ual social ou eligioso.
[…] es e ipo de audição implica a enção ocalizada e, ao mesmo empo, en ol imen o
ac i o. Essa a enção é uma o ma de acompanhamen o; não é apenas ou i mas u i com
a enção. P a icá-la p essupões que a audição é uma o ma disc e a de ac i idade, que em
in e esse po si mesma, independen emen e do que se ou e. Assim en endida, a audição
pode sus en a alo es pessoais, sociais e espi i uais, consoan e o modo como se dá, quando
e po quem. Es a audição o igina apidamen e a ambição de i além do ca ác e ansi ó io e
imp e isí el da audição momen ânea. P ocu a assumi o mas capazes de pe du a e, desse
modo, o na-se o ‘clássico’ de que depende a cul u a da audição in ensi icada” (KRAMER
2009: 29).
xxi “Es a in enção caminhou a pa com a p eocupação com a libe dade de pensamen o e
sen imen o que ca ac e izou o século XVIII. Flo esceu em pa alelo com a ‘descobe a’ polí ica
e ilosó ica de que odos os se es humanos assen am num eu in e io p o undo, de que cada
um de nós em um núcleo de se p i ado a que chama seu. Es a pessoa in e io é
impo an e, numa in inidade de aspec os. É nessa qualidade que emos libe dade men al e
polí ica e di ei os humanos. É o Eu in e io que ga an e o ca ác e único de cada um de nós e
é nela a base da iden idade, no mundo mode no.” (KRAMER 2009: 29).
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