Cantanti mute. L'eredità dell'opera e il divismo femminile

The paper considers the relationship between Italian Opera and silent film, first from a technological perspective, so with attention to the role of the musicians, and finally through the paradigm of female stardom. In this way, paying attention to the character of the diva, it is possible to understand the differences between opera - where the singer's body was the vehicle of a complex and unified language, which referred at once to voice, gestures, characters, stardom, economic values, national identity, advertising - and cinema - where the star was completely devoid of voice, to the benefit of the body. Through analysis of several singers, who had gone into silent film (Rosina Storchio, Gemma Bellincioni, Lina Cavalieri) we understand how the cinema asked them to give up a part of their Diva personality, that of voice. In this way the relationship between cinema and opera, which also have much in common, reveals unresolved and problematic aspects.