Sintesi dell'intervento tenuto da Michael Malkiewicz, al convegno Atlante Neobarocco, Siviglia 26 -27 novembre 2004

On 1st of February 2004, Janet Jackson was singing together with Justin Timberlake at the Super Bowl halftime show in Houston, Texas. At the end of their duet, singer Justin Timberlake snatched off a part of Jackson's bustier on stage, revealing one of her breasts. Although this scene was performed as if it would have been an incident, the complete revealing was 'of course' perfectely planned. At least, the incident, for which Janet Jackson had to apologize next day,was succsessful.

The video-clip (still available in the internet) clearely shows that the screaming public was enthusiastic about this unexpected view. In addition, many newspapers and TV stations even in Europe commented this event.
Back to the 18th century: When Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was in Paris, he met the important dancer and choreographer Jean Georges Noverre. Their only common production was the ballet “Les petits riens” (KV 299b), of which at least half of the music is by Mozart. The music as well as the anacreontic subject matters are still very close to the baroque ballet de cour. The ballet consists of three different scenes, of which the story line is delivered in the “Journal de Paris“ (12th June 1778). The last scene is focussed on the revealing of the breast of a travestied sheperdess. As a pretended shepherd he/she reveales her breast, disenchanting his/her two female lovers („Les deux bergères deviennent amoureuses du berger supposé, qui, pour les détromper, finit par leur découvrir son sein“). As reported, also here the public was vey enthusiastic about the unexpected view („Nous devons remarquer qu’au moment où la demoiselle Asselin désabuse les deux bergères, plusieurs voix crièrent bis”).

Apart form the unveiled breast, there are much more and even less accidental coincidences between 18th century staging and 20th century Pop Culture. The use of song, dance, costume, light, and stage-machinery, as well as the necessity to stimulate the public always with new effects, are not only common to the Baroque Music- and Dancetheater but also pivotal elements of the 20th century Pop Culture.
In contrast to the Pop Culture, the contemporary Baroque Music- and Dancetheater is wedged between modern production (“Regietheater”) on the one side and „Historical Performance Practice“ on the other side. In contemporary theatrical productions of the Baroque Period, there must always be decided, which parts should be done „historically“ (i.e. orchestra on period instruments), and where the rupture with the past shall put, to keep the performance up-to-date. The Pop Culture staging has the benefit that it is not yet entangled in the corset of it’s own history. No discussion of „Historical Performance Practice“ is known to the Pop Culture. Somehow, the Pop Culture and its protagonists seem to be more “baroque” than many of the “original” Baroquetheater Performances.

Michael Malkiewicz