A VERDI SINGALONG AT THE FILM FORUM

Giuseppi Verdi

We celebrated President's Day at the Film Forum watching a "lost and found" documentary about the birthplace of Giuseppe Verdi--Parma, renowned not only for prosciutto but for their total dedication to opera, particularly the club of 27 Verdi enthusiasts, each one "owning" one of of the master's 27 operas. After the film, the audience sang along with a group of professional singers "Va Pensiero", also known as "The Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves" from the opera Nabucco. George Hemcher played the piano and we all sang our hearts out in this ode to freedom. Who could have thought of such a celebration but film-maker August Ventura, whose film about these appassionati, entitled "27",  is in the works. No wonder the show was sold out!

Last night's film, entitled "In the Mouth of the Wolf", was introduced by George Malko its Co- Producer. As you probably already know, this is an English translation of the expression opera singers use to wish one another good luck--"In bocca al lupo". The film was created over a half century ago and aired on television during an epoch when there were very few channels and cultural programs were not as rare as they are now. The film disappeared.

The film follows soprano Margherita Roberti (nee Margaret Jean Roberts from Iowa) who went to Parma to open the season as the leading lady of Luisa Miller. The 16mm film we saw was resurrected from Ms. Roberti's private collection. What a treat for the audience! We followed her through the streets of Parma and into the Teatro Regio, watching the rehearsal process and observing the trials and tribulations of the artists and the involvement of the production team. 

The major issue was the fear on the part of the artists of the reaction of the loggionisti, the appassionati who crowd into the upper levels of the theater just waiting for a singer to make a mistake so they can hiss and boo. There is a warning "groan" and the severe reactions occur only on the second mistake! What a tough audience! It was pointed out that American audiences are overly kind and will give an extra big hand to a singer who misses a note and soldiers through to the end. The disapproval of these loggionisti has been known to ruin many a career and driven singers to despair.

The film was narrated rather cynically by an American man who moved to Parma because of his opera-singer wife and opened a bar; the bar was filled with men arguing about opera the way Brooklynites argue about baseball. Parma eats, drinks and sleeps opera.  Everyone sings.  Policemen sing while directing traffic; street-sweepers sing as they sweep; children in school want to be opera characters.

 Mr. Ventura's film, the rushes of which we have seen and thrilled to, shows how this fanatic culture, although waning somewhat, is still alive and well in Parma. There is a club with 27 members, each one of which assumes the name of one of Verdi's 27 operas. Those Parmigiani take their opera very very seriously. We rarely attend filmings but rest assured when Mr. Ventura's film comes out, we will be there! Meanwhile, we can listen to Verdi's glorious output and join with him in the belief that the arts preserve our humanity against the incursions of politics.

There is one tiny factoid we wish to share with you, something we did not know.  In pre-Euro days, Verdi's photo adorned the 1000 lira note in Italy. This note was worth but a dollar but Verdi's music is priceless.

(c) meche kroop

VERDI'S ENDURING LEGACY

August Ventura

Giovanni Reggioli and Victoria Cannizzo

Last night was well spent, enjoying all kinds of stimulation--intellectual, musical, and gastronomic.  The occasion was the Thirteenth Annual Savoy History Lecture, delivered by writer-filmmaker and Verdi scholar August Ventura. It was entitled "Exploring Giuseppe Verdi's Enduring Legacy: Italy's Risorgimento, Unification under the House of Savoy, and Beyond."

A wealth of fascinating details were covered, illustrated by means of film excerpts curated by Mr. Ventura and accompanied by some superlative singing by soprano Victoria Cannizzo. Ms. Cannizzo has a warm and generous sound, a gracious stage presence and fine technique. She produced a lovely legato line with plenty of resonance.

Aida, as we learned from Mr. Ventura, was commissioned for the opening of the new opera house in Cairo, but also had a veiled message for Verdi's homeland, as did many of his operas. Ms. Cannizzo  sang "O, patria mia", the heroine's song of despair over never seeing her homeland again. The final note was beautifully floated.

Ms. Cannizzo also sang "Mercè, dilette amiche" from I Vespri Siciliani, an altogether lighter aria in bolero rhythm which showed off the artist's skill with fioritura and a light-hearted style. Accompanying her on the piano was Giovanni Reggioli.

There were some highly valuable take-home points made by Mr. Ventura regarding Verdi's role in the unification of Italy. Today's opera audiences in the United States do not seem to be terribly interested in contemporary political issues, presumably because we have a high degree of freedom.  But the 19th c. Italian people lived under highly resented Austrian domination in a plethora of nation-states, scarcely aware of their common culture and language.

Verdi worked mightily with his librettists to get what he wanted--stories that would galvanize the Italian people to unify and to throw off the yoke of their colonizers. How skillful he was in slipping his messages past the Austrian censors!

Today it is easy to recognize that the chorus of the Hebrew slaves wanting freedom from their Babylonian oppressors stands in for all oppressed people. "Va pensiero" from Nabucco, one of Verdi's earliest successes, could be considered the anthem of the Risorgimento.

Similar evidence can be found in other operas such as Macbeth into which Verdi inserted a chorus of politically oppressed folk, a scene outside of Shakespeare's play.  Likewise, we can see the same theme in Attila.

Another very interesting point was made by Mr. Ventura.  In our culture, information and attitudes are disseminated electronically. The entire world was clued into the Arab Spring almost instantaneously. In 19th c. Italy this "viral spread" took place through music. People heard music in the opera house, then sang it at home and in the streets. Opera was a most effective tool for popularizing ideas inasmuch as the Austrians were in control of the press.

Verdi's humanitarian ideals have particular resonance in our own time with people all over the world chafing under the yoke of terrorism and fleeing their homelands. The human cost of war and fighting for freedom as expressed in his operas are no stranger to our own time with military men returning home damaged and troubled. Verdi indeed speaks to us today as loudly as he did to his contemporaries. If only we would listen!

This brief report can scarcely do justice to Mr. Ventura's ambitious and comprehensive lecture. We would also like to mention that the Dynastic Orders of the Royal House of Savoy are among the oldest orders of chivalry in the world, dating back a millennium. The American Foundation of Savoy Orders sustains the humanitarian goals of the House of Savoy.


(c) meche kroop

SYNERGY

Students at Classic Lyric Arts

We have spilled plenty of (electronic) ink touting the glories of the total immersion summer programs of Classic Lyric Arts.  Ten lucky emerging artists get the chance to study in a small town in France for nearly a month under the tutelage of master teacher Michel Sénéchal.  They are immersed in the language and culture and return home transformed by the experience, having reached a new level of proficiency. They are not just singing in French; they are making the French language sing.

Twenty equally fortunate young artists receive similar training in Italy in the Emilia-Romagna region, imbibing pasta and wine along with the grand historical tradition conveyed by master teacher Ubaldo Fabbri.

We have heard and thrilled to the results but never had a clear picture of what this intense training looked and sounded like.  Last night's program at Opera America remedied that lack.  The result of an inspired collaboration between Artistic Director Glenn Morton and film maker August Ventura (two endlessly positive and creative men whom we are privileged to call friends) we were finally able to appreciate not just the outcome but the process of learning.

Mr. Ventura gave an inspired talk about Mr. Morton's vision, comparing it to that of the Roman god Janus in that he is able to relate to opera's glorious past and also to project into the future what is necessary to protect that patrimony.  He showed the three short films he created in which the audience could glimpse snatches of lessons from the great masters and coaches.  Mr. Ventura's point about the importance of preservation of a nation's past from apathy and from the danger of destruction by outside forces was very well taken.

But the proof of the pudding, so to speak, is in the singing and several former and present students delighted the audience by demonstrating the facility they gained during their residencies abroad.

Accompanied by the lyrical arpeggios of alumna Laetitia Ruccolo, soprano Dorothy Gal sang Antonia's aria "Elle a fui, la tourterelle" from Offenbach's Contes d'Hoffman in fine French style with the long lyric lines that we so love.  Yes indeed, she "made the French sing" with some lovely word coloring.

Soprano Nadia Petrella knocked our proverbial socks off with the eerie first act aria "Regnava nel silenzio" from Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor.  The feelings seemed to come from deep within and anticipated Lucia's instability of character. She fearlessly  attacked the high notes. This was exactly the way we want this aria to be sung. Michael Stewart was her able accompanist and they worked beautifully together.

Jia-Jun Hong gave a passionate and spot-on performance of the Marcello song "Il mio bel foco", accompanied by Fabio Bezuti. Mr. Hong was seen in the film as one of a group of Chinese singers who attended the Italian program.  How pleased we were to learn that Italian opera is held in high regard in China!  The students were incredibly enthusiastic about the training they received.

The fine tenor Vincent Festa delivered "É serbato a questo acciaro" from Bellini's I Capuleti ei Montecchi.  The performance was filled with "garlic" and we loved the way he handled the upward skips.  The cantabile and the cabaletta were equally impressive, as was Ms. Ruccolo's piano.

From Verdi's Ernani, baritone Baejoon Lee sang "Oh de' verd'anni miei", accompanied by Mr. Bezuti.  It is a fine sturdy sound and we will look forward to hearing more of Mr. Lee after his summer in Italy. A good Verdi baritone is always welcome.

As a special treat, Mr. Morton took to the piano bench to accompany two international stars, romantic tenor Leonardo Caimi and soprano Donata D'Annunzio Lombardi, on the CLA staff in a coaching capacity.

Mr. Caimi employed his marvelous sound with its generous amplitude and passionate spirit for Cardillo's "Core 'ngrato".  His style and fine legato phrasing made us feel as if we were Italian for those few minutes.

Ms. Lombardi achieved the same effect in Tosti's "Amour, amour" but in this case we were seeing France through Italian eyes.  It is easy to see why she is famous as an interpreter of Tosti's songs.  We have also witnessed her coaching at a prior event and her skills are remarkable.

We refer you to www.classiclyricarts.org where you too may see film clips of this outstanding program.

(c) meche kroop