The librettos of several of the most famous Romantic operas contain references to disease. These operas can serve as valuable sources of information regarding how spinal deformities were understood during the nineteenth century by physicians and lay persons alike. Original librettos of the operas "Rigoletto" (1851) by Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) and "La Esmeralda" (1836) by Louise Bertin (1805-1877) were analyzed. In both operas, spinal deformities of Rigoletto and Quasimodo are a central issue. In detail, Quasimodo could suffer from von Recklinghausen's neurofibromatosis, while Rigoletto could be affected by sever adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. The plays are an expression of the nineteenth century attitude towards deformity: the hunchbacks are ridiculed and excluded from the society due to their deformity. Thus, they are forced by society to act as ugly and evil beings. Although both Rigoletto and Quasimodo show an intense love, at the end of each opera, they are defeated by loss of this love. This is an evident sign that, despite its willingness to tackle the subject, nineteenth-century society was not still ready to attribute success or human value to people affected by disabilities
Andreotti, M., Caruso, G., Massari, L., & Riva, M. (2018). Spinal Deformities in Romantic Operas. SPINE, 43(22), 1617-1618 [10.1097/BRS.0000000000002399].
Citazione: | Andreotti, M., Caruso, G., Massari, L., & Riva, M. (2018). Spinal Deformities in Romantic Operas. SPINE, 43(22), 1617-1618 [10.1097/BRS.0000000000002399]. | |
Tipo: | Articolo in rivista - Articolo scientifico | |
Carattere della pubblicazione: | Scientifica | |
Presenza di un coautore afferente ad Istituzioni straniere: | No | |
Titolo: | Spinal Deformities in Romantic Operas | |
Autori: | Andreotti, M; Caruso, G; Massari, L; Riva, M | |
Autori: | RIVA, MICHELE AUGUSTO (Corresponding) | |
Data di pubblicazione: | 2018 | |
Lingua: | English | |
Rivista: | SPINE | |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI): | http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/BRS.0000000000002399 | |
Appare nelle tipologie: | 01 - Articolo su rivista |