Giuseppe Verdi
on the bicentenary of his birth
VIVA VERDI !
a week of celebrations
4-9 February 2013
at the Italian Cultural Institute
39 Belgrave Square London SW1X 8NX
Lectures, opera and rehearsal screenings, interviews.
www.icilondon.esteri.it
VIVA VERDI !
a week of celebrations
4-9 February 2013
Under the patronage of the Italian Embassy in London
A word from H.E. the Italian Ambassador
At the beginning of the 20th Century, a few years after Giuseppe Verdi’s
death, Giacomo Puccini wrote a Requiem in the composer’s memory thus
projecting Verdi’s immense musical heritage into the modern era.
This year, on the bicentenary of Giuseppe Verdi’s birth, the leading
British musical institutions will celebrate his art which, through the
universal language of music, still manages to reach a very large audience.
The Italian Cultural Institute in London will also celebrate the event, with
a Verdi Week: lectures, screenings, studies and discussions, all dedicated
to the composer.
This programme will make the British audience aware of the various
celebrations planned and will encourage the exploration of Verdi’s
birthplace: the landscapes, the atmosphere and the tastes.
On behalf of the Italian authorities, may I thank curator Gaia Servadio for
putting together a programme which alternates fascinating lectures with
valuable films supplied by RAI Television and the Teatro alla Scala. The
whole programme is based on the relationship between the great Italian
composer and this country which loved his art and which inspired him in
many ways.
And so, Viva Verdi!, the cry of the Italian patriots that echoed throughout
the Risorgimento and the process of national unification, this year will
mark the close friendship between Italy and Great Britain, nourished by
mutual admiration of each other’s cultural heritage.
Alain Giorgio Maria Economides
2
A word from Verdi
One fine morning an employee of La Scala came to see me and said very
abruptly, “Are you the maestro from Busseto who was to be given an
opera?… Come to the theatre, the impresario wants to see you…”. “Is
that possible?” said I, and the other replied, “Sir I have been ordered to
send for the maestro from Parma. If you are the man, come along”.
It was snowing heavily and Merelli, the impresario, took me by the arm
and invited me to go along with him to his dressing room at La Scala. On
the way, he chatted and he talked to me about the trouble he was having
with the new opera. “Just think “, said Merelli, “a libretto by Solera,
stupendous! Magnificent! Extraordinary! Grandiose, striking, dramatic
effects: beautiful poetry! But that stubborn composer just won’t listen and
declares that the libretto is impossible! I have no idea how I can get
another one at such a short notice!”.
“I can help you out“, I stated. “You gave me the libretto of Il proscritto
didn’t you? I haven’t written a note; I let you have it back”.
“Oh splendid, that’s a real stroke of luck”. As he said so, we reached the
theatre. Merelli called Bassi, the poet, stage-manager, librarian, etc... and
sent him straightaway to look in the archives for a copy of Il proscritto.
He found one. But at the same time Merelli picked up another manuscript
and showed it to me, exclaiming: “Look, here’s Solera’s work! Such a
beautiful subject... Take it… Read it…”, “What on earth for?... No, I’ve
no desire to read librettos”.
“Set it to music! Set it to music!”
And so saying he took the libretto and thrust it into my coat-pocket,
seized me by the shoulders and not only pushed me out of his dressingroom but locked the door in my face.
As I walked, I felt seized with a kind of undefinable uneasiness, a
profound sadness, a genuine anguish, took possession of my heart. I went
into my room and, with an impatient gesture, I threw the manuscript on
the table and, remained standing before it. In falling, it had opened by
itself without knowing how my eyes fixed on a page and on this verse
Va, pensiero, sull’ali dorate
Va, ti posa sui clivi e sui colli
But firm in my resolution to compose no more, I shut the book and went
to bed. But Nabucco ran in my head, I could not sleep. I got up and read
the libretto not once but twice, three times, so that in the morning I was
able to say that I knew Solera’s poem by heart.
In spite of all this I felt no disposition to change my determination and I
went back to the theatre to return the manuscript.
3
Set it to music!
I will have nothing to do with it!
Set it to music, I say, set it music.
I returned home with Nabucco in my pocket. One day one verse, next day
another, here a note, and there a phrase…little by little, the opera was
composed.
With this opera it can truly be said that my artistic career began.
**
***
4
THE PROGRAMME
The homage we pay to Giuseppe Verdi on the bicentenary of his
birth is a small token of what Italy owes to one of her most
beloved sons, a cherished genius and also a man of the people,
an upright inflexible character and an example to us all.
The world loves Giuseppe Verdi and the English love him in
particular, some of the best books on Verdi were written by
British scholars and many great interpreters of his music were
also British. Verdi loved the English too and that is why we base
the programme this week on the relationship between the two,
with Ronald Harwood, a leading playwright; and Daniel
Snowman, the well known political historian; Alessio Vlad
examines the two versions of Simon Boccanegra, a
‘Shakespearean’ opera which was wonderfully played by
Maestro Antonio Pappano at Covent Garden in 2012, to be
repeated this year. I myself will look at Verdi’s path in London,
yesterday and today.
In addition we will show some unique performances, rehearsals
at La Scala and try to steal some secrets from the safe of the
great Maestro’s private life.
Gaia Servadio, Curator
Monday 4th February
4,00- 6,30pm Screening of Riccardo Muti conducting
Rigoletto. Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro alla Scala (1996).
With Renato Bruson, Roberto Alagna and Andrea Rost with the
Chorus and Orchestra of the Teatro alla Scala. Directed by
Gilbert Deflo.
Courtesy of RAI radiotelevisione italiana
5
7,00pm
Lecture by Sir Ronald Harwood Working
Alongside Verdi. Quartet, the drama adapted by R. Harwood
from his own play, now a film directed by Dustin Hoffman, is
the theme of this talk.
The famous quartet from Rigoletto’s last act made even the
enraged Victor Hugo gasp with admiration.
Drinks and refreshments
Tuesday 5th February
4,00- 6,50pm
Screening of Un Ballo in Maschera
conducted by Maestro Claudio Abbado with Elena Obratzova,
Piero Cappuccilli. Chorus and Orchestra of the Teatro alla
Scala. Directed by Franco Zeffirelli (1978).
Courtesy of RAI radiotelevisione italiana
7,00-8,00pm
Screening of The Private Life of Giuseppe
Verdi, a BBC4 documentary to set the week alight. Written and
narrated by Gaia Servadio. It contains a relevant interview with
Maestro Carlo Bergonzi on Verdi’s vocality.
Courtesy of Merton Media
Wednesday 6th February
4,15-5,00pm
Screening of Riccardo Muti rehearsing
Rigoletto at the Teatro alla Scala (1994).
5,20-6,30pm
Screening of the rehearsals of Nabucco.
Maestro Riccardo Muti conducts with Renato Bruson and
Ghena Dimitrova. Chorus and Orchestra of the Teatro alla Scala
Courtesy of RAI radiotelevisione italiana
6
7,00pm
Lecture by Gaia Servadio Verdi and the
English. When the young Verdi arrived in London he did not
expect to see such a vast metropolis; he was to open at Her
Majesty’s Theatre with I Masnadieri, at the same time he was
composing Macbeth. How the taste for Verdi’s music and the
interpretation of his message has changed.
Thursday 7th February
4,15- 6,30pm Screening of Maestro Riccardo Muti
conducting Il Trovatore, with Leo Nucci, Salvatore Licitra,
Violetta Urmana and Barbara Frittoli. Orchestra and Chorus
from the Teatro alla Scala (2001).
Courtesy of RAI radiotelevisione italiana
7,00pm
Lecture by Doctor Daniel Snowman Verdi and
Victoria or the opera-loving Empress and the unwilling emperor
of music.
Friday 8th February
3,45- 6,30pm Screening of Simon Boccanegra. Maestro
Claudio Abbado conducts Mirella Freni, Nicolaj Ghiaurov and
Piero Cappuccilli in this legendary Milanese production.
Giorgio Strehler directs. Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro alla
Scala (1979).
La Scala took this production to the Royal Opera House, Covent
Garden in the eighties.
Courtesy of RAI radiotelevisione italiana
7
7,00pm
Lecture by Alessio Vlad The Two Simon
Boccanegras. Years of experience and maturity, divide the two
versions of a ‘Shakespearean’ opera which is finally recognized
as one of Verdi’s masterpieces.
Saturday 9th February
Closing the week
4,00-6,30pm
Two episodes from a television serial
dedicated to the life of Giuseppe Verdi, directed by Renato
Castellani (co-production RAI/BBC/Bavaria Film, 1982):
Celeste Aida
Verdi composed Aida and The Requiem both of which he
dedicated to the soprano Teresa Stolz (in Italian).
and
Il vecchio mago
His last two masterpieces, Otello and Falstaff with Ronald
Pickup and Carla Fracci (in Italian).
Courtesy of RAI radiotelevisione italiana
7,00-8,10pm
Screening of La Traviata conducted by
Maestro Lorin Maazel with Angela Gheorghiu, Ramon Vargas
and Roberto Frontali. Orchestra and Chorus of Teatro alla Scala
(2007).
Courtesy of RAI radiotelevisione italiana
Free entrance
All events are on a first come, first served basis
8
H.E. the Italian Ambassador closes the Verdi week at the Italian Embassy
Verdi, the Man. His words, his music
Renato Balsadonna at the piano, Christopher Simpson recites Verdi’s words
By invitation only
**
***
CREDITS
The Italian Embassy in London, the Italian Cultural Institute in London, and the
Curator are grateful to the following institutions for enabling them to show some
exemplary performances of the works by Giuseppe Verdi and wish to thank those
who helped to make this event possibile:
RAI Cinema
Cecilia Valmarana
RAI Teche
Barbara Scaramucci, Viviana Nardomarino Pasqua, Francesca Maria Cadin
We thank RAI Teche for providing us the filmed materials
RAI Trade
Rita Lombardi
Teatro alla Scala
Stéphane Lissner, Sovrintendente
Maria Di Freda, Direttore Generale della Fondazione Teatro alla Scala
Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Maria Fiengo
Credits and thanks to Merton Media for The Private Life of Giuseppe Verdi. We
acknowledge Merton Media’s kindness.
As for the rights within the programme, the organizers have done their best to trace
their source and although unsuccessful, trust their cooperation for the success of this
cultural and non-commercial celebration.
9
CV of participants
Renato Balsadonna is a well known virtuoso pianist and conductor. Since 2004 he is
the Chorus Director at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. He has worked in
Basel and at the Royal Theatre of la Monnaie in Bruxelles where he started
collaboration with Maestro Pappano. He conducted also the BBC Singers and the
Netherland Radio Chorus.
Under his baton, in London, he conducted the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the
Royal Opera House Orchestra; besides other important operas he conducted
Massenet’s Don Chichotte (2012) at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. This year he will
record the entire cycle of Schubert sonatas for violin and piano with Peter Manning.
Sir Ronald Harwood CBE was born in Cape Town, South Africa in 1934 and came
to England in 1951. He is a playwright and screenwriter, the author of several novels,
a biography of Sir Donald Wolfit, and a history of the theatre. In 1996 he was
appointed Chevalier de l'Ordre Nationale des Arts et Lettres, and CBE in 1999. He
was knighted in 2010. His plays include The Dresser, Another Time, Taking Sides,
The Handyman, Equally Divided, Quartet, Mahler’s Conversion, An English Tragedy
and Collaboration. Films include The Dresser, Taking Sides, The Pianist, Oliver
Twist, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly and Quartet. He was nominated for an
Academy Award for his screenplays of The Dresser and The Diving Bell and the
Butterfly for which he also won the BAFTA. In 2002, he won the Academy Award,
Best Adapted Screenplay, for The Pianist.
Gaia Servadio BA has written for newspapers and magazines on music, politics and
literature. She has also worked for cinema, television, and is a regular broadcaster.
She has given lectures and talks at most British Universities including Oxford and
Cambridge, also in Italy, Australia, India and Canada.
Amongst her 21 published books, she published The Real Traviata, a biography of
Verdi’s wife Giuseppina Strepponi. The play Il dramma della signora Verdi was
staged at the Teatro Nuovo, Milano (2001) with Carla Fracci. She has written
librettos, lately a Cantata (La vera Traviata) for Maestro Angelo Inglese. A founder
member of Hans Werner Henze’s Montepulciano Festival, she was on the Executive
of the LSO for five years. She was Artistic Director for the Jeanetta Cochrane
Theatre, for the Syria Festival 2008, Artistic Adviser 2005-6 for Teatro Massimo,
Palermo, Artistic Adviser and General Secretary of Claudio Abbado’s Mahler and
Second School of Vienna Festival (London). In 2012 she was awarded the honour of
Commendatore al merito della Repubblica Italiana.
10
Christopher Simpson is an actor whose diverse array of roles in film swings from
playing the romantic lead as a Banglatown youth in Sarah Gavron’s Brick Lane, to a
Leeds drug dealer in Penny Woolcock’s Mischief Night. On TV, he played polar
opposites in the double role of twins Magid/Millat in White Teeth. Other TV
productions include State of Play and Second Generation. Theatre includes Forests
directed by Calixto Bieito, Dionysus in The Bacchae of Baghdad at the Abbey,
Pericles in Pericles with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and The Ramayana at the
National Theatre. He wrote and performed a song cycle called Very Present Tense,
which charts the passage of grief, and premiered as part of Liverpool's City of Culture
in 2008. He wrote and presented a documentary for BBC Radio 4 entitled Other,
exploring the mobile identities of people who have parents of different origins and
have grown up in a culture belonging to neither parent. In keeping with his fascination
with transformation and identity he also makes masks.
Daniel Snowman, a social and cultural historian, was born in London, educated at
Cambridge and Cornell, and at 24 was a Lecturer at the University of Sussex. For
many years, he worked at the BBC where he was responsible for a wide variety of
radio series on cultural and historical topics, and since 2004 has held a Senior
Research Fellowship at the Institute of Historical Research (University of London).
His most recent book The Gilded Stage: A Social History of Opera, has been
published throughout the English-speaking world, and is now available in Italian (Il
palco d'oro) as well as in Spanish and Chinese, and it will in due course appear in a
number of other languages.
Alessio Vlad is Artistic Director of the Opera Theatre in Rome and of the Teatro delle
Muse in Ancona. He is Musical Consultant of the Festival dei Due Mondi of Spoleto
and he has also worked as Artistic Director of the Carlo Felice Theatre in Genoa. He
has been Consultant and later Artistic Director of the San Carlo Theatre in Naples.
Under his directorship, both the Genoa and Ancona Theatre have twice been awarded
the Italian Musical Critics Prize Abbiati.
A conductor and composer, he has worked extensively with the late Leonard
Bernstein and has conducted operas and concerts all over Europe as well as in
America. He has recorded classical and baroque music with the Chamber Orchestra of
Santa Cecilia.
He has also composed scores for cinema and theatre, working in collaboration with,
amongst others, Bernardo Bertolucci – L’Assedio, 1999 Golden Globe for best film
score – Franco Zeffirelli – Six Characters in Search of an Author by Pirandello. His
recordings are published by EMI.
11