Nicola Maldacea Explained

Nicola Maldacea
Birth Date:29 October 1870
Birth Place:Naples, Italy
Death Place:Rome, Italy
Occupation:Actor
Years Active:1935-1956

Nicola Maldacea (29 October 1870 – 5 March 1945) was an Italian actor, comedian and singer, well-known for his expertise in the theatrical genre of 'macchietta', where he was one of the pioneer.[1] [2]

Career

Born to an elementary schoolteacher with origins in Cosenza, Nicola Maldacea embarked upon his theatrical career in his hometown, making his debut at a very young age on the stages of variety shows and café-chantants.[3]

Possessing a robust vocal prowess, Maldacea initiated his career as a canzonettista (a traveling singer of popular songs), performing in venues across the province of Naples. This eventually led him to write for theatrical companies helmed by Eduardo Scarpetta and Gennaro Pantalena, affording him the opportunity to gain recognition and eventually play at the Salone Margherita in Naples.[4]

The recitative style he adopted during his performances prompted Maldacea to provide a satirical interpretation conducive to caricaturing the characters he embodied. This gave birth to the macchiette genere, which Maldacea himself described as follows:[5]

In this context, critical reception leaned toward favorability praise. The Gazzetta Musicale di Milano (Musical Gazette of Milan), published by Ricordi in December 1903, rendered the following portrayal:[6]

In the era preceding the outbreak of the First World War, Maldacea garnered acclaim within the theaters Southern and Northern Italy, solidifying his status as one of the preeminent comedy actors in the country. Among his most renowned portrayals were characters and macchiette such as "Il Conte Flick", "'O jettatore", "il Superuomo", "'O Rusecatore" and "l'Elegante" with music composed by Vincenzo Valente and Salvatore Gambardella. These macchiette were frequently written by authors such as Salvatore Di Giacomo, Trilussa, Rocco Galdieri, and others, who frequently wrote specifically for Maldacea.[7]

He also appeared in cinema, in more than sixty films from 1935 to 1956.

Maldacea passed away in Rome on March 5, 1945. The city of Naples transferred his remains from Rome to the Cemetery of Poggioreale, Naples.

Selected filmography

YearTitleRole
1942Once a Week Signor Notti
1943Maria Malibran
1942Girl of the Golden WestCarmen
1941First Love
1940Lucrezia BorgiaCosimo
1939Naples Will Never Die
Marionette
The WidowGennarino
1938Naples of Olden TimesNicola
Luciano Serra, Pilot
1937The Ferocious Saladin
We Were Seven Sisters
I've Lost My Husband!Giuseppe
Fermo con le mani
1935The Joker King
Naples in Green and Blue

References

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Nicola Maldacea. Enciclopedia Treccani.
  2. News: Il papà della macchietta. Corriere del Mezzogiorno. Antonio Sacco. 29 October 2020. RCS MediaGroup. it.
  3. Book: Nino Masiello. Tempo di Maggio. Teatro popolare del '900 a Napoli. 1994. Tullio Pironti. 8879371304. it. 35.
  4. Book: Vittorio Paliotti. La Macchietta. 1977. 13. it. Bideri.
  5. Book: Sergio Lori. Il varietà a Napoli. Rome. Newton & Compton. 8-9. it. Come un disegnatore, mi ripromettevo di dare al pubblico un'impressione immediata schizzando il tipo, segnandolo rapidamente, rendendone i tratti salienti. Da ciò l'origine della parola macchietta, che è propria dell'arte figurativa: schizzo frettoloso, che renda con poche pennellate un luogo o una persona in modo da darne un'impressione efficace con la massima spontaneità caricaturale.
  6. Musica e Musicisti. Gazzetta Musicale di Milano. 12. December 1903. Ricordi & C. Nicola Maladacea. it. La macchietta non è cosa facile: richiede un grande spirito d'osservazione e d'intuito, una giusta misura ed una perfetta dizione. Maldacea sul palcoscenico è un cinematografo vivente: è il caricatuista e la caricatura. [...] il tipo unicamente vero per la riproduzione della macchietta [...] la voce, la scena, lo studio meticolosamente preciso nell'imitare, nei più minuti particolari, il personaggio che incarna; una rapidità prodigiosa nel cambiare truccatura, abiti accessori: insimma egli è un trasformista uso Fregoli, un dicitore compito..
  7. La Macchietta satirica e Nicola Maldacea. 37-40. Federico Petriccione. Comoedia. Rizzoli. January–February 1931. 1. Milan. it.