Italian Historical Society of Americanewsletter
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Italian Historical Society of America Newsletter AUGUST 2015 BY JANICE THERESE MANCUSO VOLUME 11, NUMBER 8 Tutto Italiano Benvenuto a Tutto Italiano Aida, Don Carlo, Falstaff, La Traviata, Macbeth, Nabucco, Ortello, Rigoletto – some of the most popular operas in the world today – written, along with at least 20 others, by Giuseppe Verdi. Born in 1813 in the small village of Le Roncole (region of Emilia- Romagna), Verdi showed musical talent at a young age. When his family moved to the nearby town of Busseto, he gained support from the music director of the church and later, Antonio Barezzi, a local businessman. In 1932, Verdi applied to the Conservatorio di Milano but was rejected, with one reason being he was too old. (The school of music is now named Conservatorio G. Verdi di Milano.) With funding from Barezzi, Verdi stayed in Milan for three years, studying and attending performances at La Scala. Upon his return to Busseto, Verdi took the position of music director and married his childhood sweetheart, Margherita Barezzi, the daughter of his benefactor. He stayed in Busseto for three years, and then, with a desire to seek a career as a composer of opera, moved back to Milan, taking his wife and two children with him. His first opera, Oberto, opened at La Scala with great success; and he was contracted to compose three more works. His second opera was not well received; Verdi had lost his children and wife to illnesses and it greatly affected his work. He was persuaded to write a third opera, and Nabucco premiered in 1842 to rave reviews. Verdi wrote the music for 25 more operas in the following 29 years, ending with Aida in 1871, commissioned by the Viceroy of Egypt in celebration of the opening of the Suez Canal (1869). Ten years later, from 1881 to 1898, he composed five more operas. His Requiem Mass, completed in 1874 as a memorial to author Alessandro Manzoni who died in 1873, is generally not considered an opera. Verdi invested in real estate, purchasing several properties in and near Busseto; and he married a second time. He died in January 1901, and is buried with his second wife at Casa Verdi, a home he built in Milan for retired musicians. Casa Natale Verdi (Childhood home of Verdi, now an interactive museum) Important Homes of Verdi (Le Roncole and Busseto) Villa Verde (Home in Sant’ Agata) A stroll through Giuseppe Verdi’s Italy, wandering between Parma and Milan Museo Nazionale Giuseppe Verdi Festival Verdi (A Month-Long Celebration) Aida Grand March (YouTube Video) Verdi Square (New York City) A Master Carver Just as a composer forms sound into music, a stonecutter shapes rock into art. Italy is known for the beautiful sculptures – statues, buildings, fountains, and more – found throughout the country. While many masters stayed in Italy, some traveled to America and brought their craft with them. Luigi Del Bianco was one who made the journey to the new country. He first arrived when he was 17, traveling to Barre, Vermont where skilled carvers were needed. He returned to Italy during World War I, and later came back to America, settling in Port Chester, New York in 1921. It’s well documented that Del Bianco was the chief carver at Mount Rushmore, where he worked with the sculptor and designer Gutzon Borglum from 1933 to 1940. Yet, his work has received little acknowledgement, especially from the U.S. National Park Services. Next year marks the 75th anniversary of Mount Rushmore, and Del Bianco’s grandson, Lou, and other family members want “to give Luigi the recognition he so richly deserves during this celebration, by creating a documentary short film to gain public awareness.” Phase II of the funding campaign has just started. Funds “will be used to continue the production phase of our project …” To donate any amount, go to “Through Lincoln’s Eyes.” Luigi Del Bianco Official Website NIAF Photography Contest You don’t need to be a master photographer, but you do need to submit a “photograph that captures Italian and Italian American culture and values, living la bella vita, embracing the family, the community, determination and hard work, the importance of food, la bella figura, passion!” For more information, click here. Contest deadline is October 1st. Beautiful No special skills needed to enjoy this video. While it’s not specifically Italian, it may contain a scene from Italy. If not, it’s still Magnificent. Thanks for sending this, Ralph Buon anno, buon tutto, buona vita, Janice Therese Mancuso Author of Con Amore Thirty-One Days of Italians The Italian American Press *~<>~*~<>~*~<>~*~<>~*~<>~*~<>~*~<>~*~<>~*~<>~*~<>~*~<>~*~<>~*~<>~*~<>~ *~<>~* Please Note: On the date of publication, the links in this newsletter were current. In older newsletters, some links may be inactive if the URL has changed or is no longer available. ©2015 by Janice Therese Mancuso. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission except when quoted for promotional purposes. Publish with this credit: Excerpted from Tutto Italiano ©2015 by Janice Therese Mancuso. www.jtmancuso.com .