Discovering the land of Monteverdi and Verdi

Transcription

1 COMUNE DI CASTELVETRO PIACENTINO COMUNE DI PODENZANO COMUNE DI VILLANOVA SULL ARDA Discovering the land of Monteverdi and Verdi From Recitarcantando to opera: curiosities, anecdotes and atmospheres of the masters life and land

2 The land of Monteverdi and Verdi In Cremona: St.Abbondio Church Cathedral St.Agostino Church Violin-makers workshops Ponchielli Theatre In Piacenza: Municipality Library Passerini Landi Former Hotel S. Marco Palace of the Province Town Theatre In Podenzano: Research Centre Verdi farmer and innovator - Loc. La Faggiola 2 In Castelvetro Piacentino: Croce S.Spirito Church In Villanova sull Arda: La stanza di Verdi (Verdi s room) Museum (in the hospital) Villa Verdi (St.Agata) In Parma: In Busseto: Verdi s birth-house (Roncole Verdi) Giuseppe Verdi Theatre Casa Barezzi Museum Renata Tebaldi Museum G.Verdi national museum in Villa Pallavicino Teatro Regio Casa della Musica Palazzo Cusani museo dell opera Casa del Suono Conservatorio di musica Arrigo Boito Casa natale e museo di Arturo Toscanini

3 Cremona In Cremona, on the 9 th of May 1567, was born Claudio Monteverdi and, with him, the famous recitar cantando, origin of the music theatre in the world. Two centuries and fifty years later, Cremona, was also the land of one of the most important composers of the world, Giuseppe Verdi, who was born on the 10 th of October 1813 in Busseto (Roncole). Busseto Birthplace of Giuseppe Verdi. In Busseto everything reminds you about him, his successes as composer but also his social commitment, his farming activities and cooking skills. He was in love with his land, its fruit and its good food. Castelvetro Piacentino Giuseppe Verdi went through the road of this village to go with his calash from Busseto or from St.Agata to the market in Cremona, visiting Sterzi family. In the church Croce S.Spirito, on the 8th of October 1837 he conducted his Messa Solenne for Festa della Madonna del Rosario. Piacenza In Piacenza, where Verdi was also provincial councillor for one year ( ), the Master spent some days during the trip from Milan to Genoa to solve some disputes concerning his properties. The Town Theatre, Opera Traditional Theatre located in the street dedicated to the master, keeps organizing Verdi s most important works. The first that was staged was Nabucco in Villanova sull Arda In St.Agata, a small village next to Villanova, Villa Verde is the house where the Master lived in the year of his maturity. Here he developed the different aspects of his personality, those clues that revealed his passion for food and nature and that leaked out from the pages of a life completely dedicated to music. Parma Giuseppe Verdi often visits Parma and receives honorary citizenship in 1872, when Aida was performed at Regio Theatre to the presence of the composer. Today the town hosts the prestigious Verdi Festival devoted to the great composer. On the 21st December 1628 the wedding of Odoardo Farnese was celebrated with the great music of Claudio Monteverdi. 3

4 The birthdays Claudio Monteverdi was born in Cremona on the 9 th May 1567 Claudio is the first son of Maddalena Zignani and Baldassarre Monteverdi, doctor and apothecary. His baptism certificate is stored in St.Abbondio Church in Cremona. We can image him when he was a young boy, singing in the cathedral s chapel, and then, later, as a musician of the compagnia di sonatori, ordinate a modo di orchestra founded by Marco Antonio Ingegneri, master of the cathedral s chapel. At that time, the town was full of violin-making workshops (i.e. Amati). They were regularly attended by several musicians who contributed to the development of violin-making techniques. A fertile environment of study and Counter-Reformation culture: in fact, Monteverdi, made his debut with Sacrae cantiuncalae e tre voci (1582). It was only the beginning of a surprising music activity that took him out of his birth-town towards Mantua and then Venice, composing madrigals, organizing balls but especially giving life to Orfeo (1607), that represented the birth of the music theatre in the world. In comparison with the complex mixture of the Renaissance, Monteverdi, with his recitar cantando, focused on the words and on the feelings they can express. This is a more expressive and easier musical accompaniment focused on the power of voice and the deep analysis of feelings: Orpheus disconsolate love, the journeys and the lost native country in Ulysses and the links among power, death and love in Poppea. A lesson of modernity that the composers of the next centuries will never forget, especially Verdi. 4

5 Giuseppe Verdi was born in Roncole di Busseto on the 10 th of October 1813 His father Carlo had a small inn and worked in the countryside, his mother was a spinner. The tradition says that, during the delivery, while St.Donnino celebrations were taking place, a group of itinerant music players played a music that was a good omen for the activity of the future Master. Verdi is definitely the most important Italian opera writer of the 19th Century, among the most famous in the world. Author of unforgettable music pages in which his excellent technical skills mixed with an exceptional dramaturgic capacity. Not may people know that Verdi was also a cook and farmer. He directly took care of his property where was built St.Agata villa. As a real ambassador of his land, he regularly sent his friends salami and cheese to testify his interest for good food. The farmer Giuseppe Verdi had a special relationship with Cremona where he regularly went on business: he arrived by his calash till Porta Po, during the market, to choose the best seeds. He liked local food, from pane portento to mostarda, from the nougat to marubini. In Cremona he met Ettore Sacchi contributing to the project of a bridge on the river Po. He stayed at the prestigious Albergo del Cappello, in Giudecca Street (today Verdi Street): his room was even offered with extra price to some ingenuous clients. He liked walking on Corso Campi watching the Cathedral, appreciating Perugino s piece in St. Agostino Church and the beauties of Cremona Art. In the town he was famous and appreciated, as it was often testified. Also Piacenza is part of Verdi s land. Verdi liked to stay in the Great Hotel San Marco. Next to Palazzo Gotico Verdi used to meet his friend Giovanni Zaffignani who was his guide in the town s tours and in the church of San Giovanni in Canale. He was also a friend of Piacenza stationmaster, Benedetto Mazzacurati, who generally hosted him with discretion; the chronicles say that Verdi met also the poet Giosuè Carducci at Piacenza station. 5

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7 9 th of May - 10 th of October: masters' birthdays Cremona, MONTEVERDI FESTIVAL ONDE SUSSURRANTI (whispering waves) In the day of Claudio Monteverdi s birthday, the opening event of one of the most important festivals of ancient music that has been taking place in Cremona for more than 30 years. An ideal journey that becomes a real journey on the water: an holiday on a ferryboat to discover the territory from an unusual perspective along the river Po, with concerts and shows in each stop and musical pills on the ferryboat. Busseto, FESTIVAL VERDI Great opera-music events to celebrate the genius of Giuseppe Verdi from Busseto to Parma. The events calendar will amaze you! Stay updated, link at the web sites!