A pre-war television production of Ferruccio Busoni’s one-act opera, based on the commedia dell’arte.
The classic trickster Arlecchino (Robert Helpmann), returning from war, sets his sights on Annunziata (Maude Lloyd), the beautiful young wife of the elderly tailor, Ser Matteo del Sarto (William Parsons). Arlecchino’s own wife, Columbina (Irene Eisinger), is meanwhile entertaining her lover, the chivalric tenor Leandro (Jan van der Gucht). Through a series of elaborate deceptions and manipulations, Arlecchino manages to outwit Ser Matteo, evade the authorities, and generally cause chaos before making his escape.
This early, ambitious broadcast demonstrates the BBC’s pre-war commitment to bringing high culture to the television screen. Ferruccio Busoni’s one-act opera, a modernist interpretation of commedia dell’arte traditions, was an unconventional choice for the fledgling medium. The production was constructed not as a static opera but as a physical play, built around the dynamic performance of ballet star Robert Helpmann in the title role. Staging such a stylised piece for live broadcast was a significant technical and artistic challenge for the era.
Broadcast: BBC, 2 Performances, 12 February 1939, 1 March 1939
Written by: Ferruccio Busoni
Translated by: Edward J. Dent
Play production by: Stephen Thomas
Music by: Ferruccio Busoni
Main Cast: Robert Helpmann (Arlecchino), William Parsons (Ser Matteo Del Sarto), Maude Lloyd (Annunziata), Irene Eisinger (Columbina), Jan van der Gucht (Leandro), Dennis Noble (Abbot), Roderick Lloyd (Doctor), Douglas Allen (Bravo / Donkey), Wilfred Franks (Bravo / Donkey)
