lifestyle WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2013 MUSIC & MOVIES

OperaA file photo shows the hall of the Giuseppe Verdi theater in Busseto. master Verdi ‘still alive’ in Italy, 200 years on

pera maestro Giuseppe Verdi, whose ‘Aida’ and ‘Rigoletto’,” Rossin told AFP. His part- Verdi. Behind it is the local theatre, which was bicentenary is being celebrated tomor- ner said she was “very emotional”. “Our three payed in part by the composer himself. A little Orow, is “still alive” in Italy-especially for sons are at the conservatory and we know further is Sant’Agata, the villa where he ended the inhabitants of his native village of Busseto. how difficult it is to choose music and study up spending most of his life, which can also be The world famous composer’s family home is when you are not from a rich family,” she said. visited. The maestro could have chosen to live surprisingly humble. On a crossroads, the gro- Verdi only managed to complete his musi- in Milan, the home of the La Scala opera cery owned by his parents is on just one floor cal studies thanks to the patronage of a house, once he became famous but he pre- wealthy merchant from Busseto after his tal- ent was noticed by his teacher at school, an organist at the local church. The house of his rich patron, Antonio Barezzi, is in the centre of the village on what is now Giuseppe Verdi Square and is open to the public. The young Verdi-known as “Peppino”-gave his first con- cert within these walls and taught piano to Barezzi’s daughter, Margherita, his future wife. In front of Barezzi’s house is a statue to A file photo shows a statue of Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi in front of the Verdi theater in Busseto, near Parma. said. “When we chat at the bar, we always ask which is performing Verdi’s opera “Simon ‘What would Verdi have said, what would he Boccanegra”. “I was born with this music, grew have done?’” The composer of the famous up with it,” he told AFP, adding that what he A bedroom in the native house of Italian arias “La donna e’ mobile” and “Va Pensiero” appreciated most in the music was its “great composer Giuseppe Verdi. will be honored with a series of concerts vitality, great force”. ferred to stay in the Emilia Romagna region around the world on Thursday. Rossin said that Verdi’s powerful political where he was born. “For us, for the inhabitants Among them will be a performance of and social messages-he was one of the lead- and has a handful of rooms, including a small of Busseto, he was not a genius of music, Verdi Verdi’s “Requiem” by the Chicago Symphony ing lights in the “Risorgimento” that led to the stable. was above all one of us. Orchestra conducted by the award-winning unification of Italy-are often ignored. “His cry Mario Rossin and Laura Manfrenatto, a cou- He is alive, still alive,” said Gian Paolo Riccardo Muti-to be relayed on live streaming of rebellion would be lost today with the polit- ple who have come to visit from Rovigo near Laurini, a local painter sipping an aperitif. A on the Internet. ical class currently in charge,” he said. “No one Venice, said they wanted to be present for the group of young local residents nod in agree- “Verdi represents our musical identity card cares about others these days. That is the great 200th birthday of “our Verdi”, born on October ment. “When we pass in front of the villa, we in the world,” said Jader Bignamini, a 37-year- drama. We would need a Verdi today.” — AFP 10, 1813. “It is thanks to him that our country A room in the native house of Italian com- look to see if he has woken up. When we are old conductor at the Teatro Regio in Parma, is known in the whole world with operas like poser Giuseppe Verdi. on the square, we speak to his statue,” Laurini Rumour has it: Rocker Graham Parker is back

ecades on from his days as an for the first time in years and a funny, Snarling deemed unfashionable and the media angry young rocker, a role in a scene-stealing performance from Parker Parker burst onto the London scene in spotlight turned elsewhere. “I wasn’t nasty DHollywood movie playing an age- appearing as himself. the mid-1970s with a brand of hard- enough, I wasn’t dumb enough, too old- ing musician struggling to make a come- A DVD of the full Rumour show record- edged, soul-influenced music with lyrics style and too clever,” he said. Still his back has helped give a new lease of life to ed for the movie has just been released that railed against the world. The one-time records sold fairly well, peaking with Graham Parker. In the movie, Judd entitled “This is Live”. Parker was amazed petrol pump attendant snarled out defiant “Squeezing Out Sparks” in 1979. “So I was Apatow’s “This is 40”, the bid fails. In the that the London shows sold out so quick- songs and earned a reputation as a some- having a blast, being treated like some- real world, however, things are going ly, believing that getting the grizzled vet- what bitter and twisted character. “I was body, limo rides to (David) Letterman. pretty well for the 62-year-old London erans back together would not be a good trying to reinvent soul music with Meanwhile in the press it was like ‘we native. He’s brought out a well-received knew he was crap anyway’.” Worn out by The Weeknd Canadian recording artist Abel Tesfaye album, a documentary and a concert film the road, the Rumour disbanded in 1982. performs in concert as The Weeknd at Radio CIty Music with his reunited backing band, the Parker went on to work with others and Hall on Monday in New York. — AP Rumour. In late October they play their put out several strong albums. But by the first British dates in 31 years. The London late 1980s, he had slipped out of the main- show sold out straight away. stream. “This guy won’t go away. It’s like Whac- Sipping a cup of tea during the inter- ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ a-Mole - hit him on the head, but he keeps view - he had just got in from dates in coming back,” Parker told Reuters in an Japan and was leaving for Ireland the next casting Ehle as Anastasia interview. “It’s all come out in my favor in day - he looks back on his early years with many ways.” Parker has lived in upstate self-deprecating humor and said his angry Steele’s mother New York since 1988 and for years has reputation was “overstated”. “It wasn’t real- played mostly solo in small venues in the ly true, I got egged on,” he said. In a crowd- ennifer Ehle is in negotiations to play Anastasia United States. “It doesn’t quite seem real, sourced documentary that aired in March, Steele’s mother in Universal Pictures and Focus better things are happening than they admirer Bruce Springsteen commented JFeatures’ adaptation of “Fifty Shades of Grey,” an were a few years ago. But you don’t know that the young Parker was “caustic”. individual familiar with the project has told TheWrap. what’s around the corner and you better “There’s a hard edge to the songs that Dakota Johnson will star as Anastasia, while Charlie take it as it comes,” said Parker, who sports makes them a bit unpalatable,” Parker con- Hunnam will play kinky billionaire Christian Grey. Ehle a grey goatee and wears large red-framed ceded. “When I listen to something from has been offered the role of Carla, a strong Southern spectacles. ‘Howling Wind’, I think aw, that’s nasty.” woman who is used to being pursued by men, seeing The movie “This is 40” is a comedy On his new album, “Three Chords as how she’s on her fourth husband. about a record executive going through a Good,” Parker is mellower. In the song at its Sam Taylor-Johnson is directing the film from a family crisis while his independent com- heart, “Long, Emotional Ride”, he sings: “I script by Kelly Marcel, who adapted E L James’ erotic pany is failing. The character, played by business move. “When people used to say Dylanesque lyrics,” he said. Critics loved his never took one word of advice/Never in novel. Michael De Luca and Dana Brunetti are produc- Paul Rudd, pins his hopes on reviving the ‘Will you reform Graham Parker and the first two albums, “Heat Treatment” and my whole life/But now I wanna hear what ing the movie, which hits theaters Aug 1, 2014. Ehle career of a fading rock veteran. Apatow, a Rumour?’ I always said the only reason to “Howling Wind”, both from 1976, and his other people say.” The song was a result of recently played strong heroines in “Zero Dark Thirty” longtime Parker fan, got in touch to ask reform a band is to make lots of money shows with the Rumour were hard-driving, the response to the crowd-sourcing and “Contagion.” Her other credits include “The King’s him to play the part. Not only would he, and we wouldn’t be making our pensions, impassioned events. For a while he was appeal for the documentary, he said. “I Speech” and “The Ides of March.” She’ll soon be seen in Parker replied, he would bring along the like the Eagles or Duran Duran.” “I’m doing the next big thing. Bob Dylan was a fan realized people have cared about me for a “RoboCop” and the Kevin Costner drama “Black and Rumour, which he had just reformed to it for all the wrong reasons, which is and put him on the bill of his fabled long time. It was very moving and hum- White,” and joined the cast of the John Travolta heist record an album. The movie, a critical and music, music, music. So I feel a bit right- Blackbushe concert in 1978. bling. They wanted the story to be told. It film “The Forger” earlier Monday. Ehle is repped by ICM commercial hit, saw the Rumour play live eous.” But when Punk came along, Parker was blew me away.” — Reuters Partners and Independent Talent Group. — Reuters