#Piero Chiara

[ma-pi-ma]

Quando una donna chiede a un uomo che cosa pensa, vuol dire che di quell'uomo le sta a cuore anche il meglio, cioè i sentimenti e magari anche le idee.

Piero Chiara, da Il cappotto di astrakan

[somehow---here]

Ogni parte di me capiva, veniva a sapere, si investiva di una realtà che solo la mente rifiutava, mentre una spina lentamente mi entrava nel cuore.

Piero Chiara, da "Una spina nel cuore", 1979

[particellare]

L'uovo al cianuro - Piero Chiara

[personal-reporter]

Antonio Pascale vince il Premio Chiara 2022

Antonio Pascale vince il Premio Chiara 2022

Con il saggio “La foglia di fico” edito da Einaudi, lo scrittore Antonio Pascale ha vinto l’edizione 2022 del Premio Chiara, tenutasi nella Sala Napoleonica di Villa Ponti, a Varese. Nato a Napoli nel 1966, Pascale  è vissuto a Caserta, poi a Roma, dove lavora come scrittore, saggista, autore teatrale e televisivo e ispettore presso il Ministero delle politiche agricole alimentari e…

[viendiletto]

Nel ricordo di Marinella… Una scelta di volontariato

“Mi aggiravo tra la folla, attratta da quella moltitudine vociante, dalle bandiere e dai labari delle nostre città istriane, fiumane e dalmate. Era il 1997, si ricordavano nella piazza principale di Trieste i 50 anni dall’esodo, anche i miei cinquant’anni essendo nata nel 1947. Ma il mio pensiero era fisso su mio padre. Vedi – gli dicevo col cuore gonfio – finalmente parlano di noi. Ma lui era mancato qualche tempo prima senza smettere di sentirsi fuori dal coro, un alieno…” 

Fu così che, durante quell’esperienza pubblica, Fioretta Filippaz, nata a Cuberton, esule a Trieste dal 1956, si rese conto di sapere ben poco della propria storia e del destino di tanta gente che come lei era stata costretta all’esodo dall’Istria.

Decise così di fare la volontaria?

“Quel ’97 fu per me uno spartiacque importante, i miei genitori non c’erano più ma le domande che avrei voluto rivolgere a loro, erano veramente tante. Allora presi informazioni e mi ritrovai all’IRCI che allora aveva sede in P.zza Ponterosso, nell’ufficio di Arturo Vigini, con lui c’era anche la figlia Chiara. Mi presentai e dissi che avrei voluto rendermi utile, partecipare dopo tanto silenzio. Non cercavo un lavoro di concetto, mi bastava anche semplicemente imbustare e affrancare gli inviti per le numerose iniziative dell’ente o per spedire la rivista Tempi&Cultura. Così ho cominciato”.

Una “volontaria”, oggi una del gruppo che segue l’attività dell’IRCI in via Torino, accoglie i visitatori delle mostre che si succedono numerose durante l’anno a cura di Piero Delbello e con il supporto del presidente Franco Degrassi, raccontando un esodo per immagini, attraverso i suoi personaggi, a volte famosi, a volte sconosciuti…

“Viene sempre tanta gente, chiede informazioni, racconta la propria storia, queste sale diventano un contenitore di tante vicende mai emerse, di tante storie familiari mai portate alla luce. Molti arrivano con fotografie, locandine, documenti per il museo. Per noi volontari è una responsabilità, ma anche un profondo desiderio di condivisione. Vede, questo documento alle mie spalle nell’ambito della mostra ‘Come ravamo’ è quello della mia famiglia, è lo storico dell’anagrafe dal quale hanno cancellato Marinella…”.

Chi è Marinella? È una delle storie emblematiche dell’esodo, quella di una bambina che non ce l’ha fatta, in quell’inverno polare del ’56. Aveva appena un anno e una polmonite se la portò via, “morta di freddo” sentenziarono i medici dell’ospedale che non furono in grado di salvarla.

“Ero già grandicella e Marinella me la portavo in braccio, le davo il biberon, la cambiavo, me ne occupavo per alleviare il lavoro di mia madre che doveva pensare a tutta la famiglia, al marito e ai cinque figli. I suoi occhi erano per me, con i sorrisi e i primi borbottii, una gioia infinita: non sono mai riuscita a dimenticarla, a farmene una ragione”.

Per quanti anni siete vissuti in quella baracca?

“I miei genitori dodici anni, finché io e mio fratello non siamo riusciti a terminare le scuole nel collegio dove eravamo stati trasferiti per poter avere un’istruzione e migliori condizioni di vita”.

Vita?

“Quando la famiglia vive separata tutto è molto duro. Mio padre a Cuberton era un bravo contadino, da esule poté fare il manovale, la qualifica di profugo non era servita a nulla. Aveva sperato di entrare in fabbrica, ma nessuno ci aiutò. Ricordo che spesso diceva con convinzione, non sembrava neanche un lamento ma una semplice constatazione: ‘noi ne vol, proprio noi ne vol’ e così continuò per anni sentendosi fuori luogo, forse sconfitto. Quando ebbi diciannove anni, ci diedero una casa comunale, una sessantina di metri per la nostra famiglia numerosa, ma era comunque un miglioramento. Andai a lavorare alla Modiano”.

In che veste?

“Alle macchine per la stampa, ci ho lavorato fino alla pensione. All’inizio vista con sospetto, la nostra presenza di esuli a Trieste veniva ancora considerata un peso, ma noi istriani siamo lavoratori, disciplinati, vivaci, con il tempo mi sono conquistata le simpatie delle persone che hanno saputo apprezzare il mio impegno”.

E la famiglia?

“Mi sono sposata a 25 anni, per qualcuno era quasi tardi, per me anche troppo presto, vista la tragedia che avevamo vissuto in famiglia, non mi sentivo pronta”.

Non era solo per Marinella?

“Soprattutto per lei il cui sguardo non ho mai smesso di cercare, ma anche per tutto ciò che avevo visto al campo di Padriciano: la gente si lasciava morire, di disperazione, per mancanza di qualsiasi prospettiva, in quelle baracche dove non si poteva accendere un fuoco per scaldarsi. La mia casa era rimasta a Cuberton. Ci sono tornata per andare al cimitero. L’ho vista da lontano, diroccata, non ho avuto il coraggio di avvicinarmi”.

Nessuna assistenza psicologica in tutti questi anni?

“Nessuna. E ce ne sarebbe stato bisogno”.

Che cosa ha rappresentato il Giorno del ricordo?

“La possibilità di parlare, andando nelle scuole, fornendo testimonianza sui giornali, le televisioni. Gli italiani hanno iniziato a conoscere squarci della nostra vicenda. Ogni anno mi invitano a Cremona, in Umbria, nel Veneto, con le docenti è scattata un’amicizia importante. Dopo che Simone Cristicchi ha raccontato di Marinella nel suo spettacolo Magazzino 18, l’interesse è diventato maggiore, mi chiedono di raccontare. Lo faccio per i miei genitori, per restituire dignità a tanta gente, per rivivere il ricordo di Marinella, doloroso, ma necessario. I ragazzi delle scuole mi hanno omaggiato dei loro lavori di gruppo che custodisco gelosamente. È incredibile con quanta pietas abbiano saputo raccontare le nostre vicende, anche quelle più difficili. Mi fanno tante domande”.

E Padriciano?

“Ho accolto le scolaresche per tanti anni insieme a Romano Manzutto, finché l’associazionismo ha deciso di formare dei giovani perché raccontassero la nostra storia”.

In maniera più asettica?

“Certo hanno avuto modo di studiare, approfondire, possono rispondere a tante domande, non certo a quelle sull’esperienza diretta che rimane di chi l’ha vissuta veramente, ormai non siamo tantissimi, il tempo decide per noi”.

Dal campo di Padriciano molti partirono per gli altri continenti…

“Avevamo considerato anche questa ipotesi, ma cinque figli piccoli a carico erano una condizione che non favoriva il giudizio dell’emigrazione. Mio padre era una persona di grande cuore, certo avrebbe fatto fortuna, ma era convinto che nessuno avesse compreso che non eravamo venuti via se non perché fosse impossibile rimanere. Questa sensazione non lo abbandonava mai e forse gli toglieva la forza di tentare altre strade. Non ne abbiamo mai parlato successivamente. Ma mi accorsi del suo dolore quando giunti al cimitero di Cuberton, al momento di decidere di andare a mangiare qualcosa insieme, mi pregò di riportarlo velocemente oltre confine. La paura non li aveva ancora abbandonati e non l’avrebbe mai fatto fino alla fine”.

Di cosa avevano paura?

“Di restare e di tornare. In Istria tutto era cambiato e quindi non ritrovavano più la loro dimensione, c’era stata la dittatura che aveva spaventato tutti. In Italia avevano dovuto imparare a vivere il quotidiano, in Istria pagavano le tasse e basta, non erano abituati ad andare per uffici, fare domande, ottenere il riconoscimento dei propri diritti. Quando Marinella morì nessuno venne a manifestare la propria solidarietà, non fecero che cancellare il suo nome dal nostro stato di famiglia”.

Quale spiegazione riesce a darsi oggi?

“Lo dico spesso e l’ho anche scritto: fummo accolti con fastidio e indifferenza, eravamo un corpo estraneo che tentava di inserirsi in un tessuto sociale che non voleva intrusioni”. Dire che la storia si ripete è anche troppo ovvio.

Intervista di Rosanna Turcinovich Giuricin a Fioretta Filippaz per La Voce del Popolo, 5 gennaio 2020

[listerbirdloml]

The Death of Your Dog, The Stretch of Our Skin.

Summary: At fourteen, Rowan's dog died. At fifteen, Jimmy's grandmother died. And now, at twenty, Lister has lost his father.

Characters: Alister 'Lister' Bird, Jimmy Kaga-Ricci, Rowan Omondi, Piero Ricci, Chiara Ricci, Graham Duncan, Mention of Cecily Wills and Louise Bird.

Warnings: Death of an animal, grief, self effacing thoughts, strong language, minor violence, someone says the wh*re word, someone also tries to say a racial slur but they do not manage to.

Ships: Bicci kiss teehee

Word Count: 4.6k

just a little thing I wrote about the ark boys comforting one another through different types of grief. PLEASE BE KIND IVE NEVER PUBLISHED ANY WRITING BEFORE LMAO

Tilly Omondi.

When they were fourteen, Rowans dog died. 

It had been a truly unremarkable day at school. They played in the music room, ate their lunch, attended their afternoon lessons, and then walked to Rowans. He had the better gaming system out of him and Jimmy, and he even had the new Red Dead Redemption game. He’d gotten his mum to buy it the day it came out, and now they were all excited to see how it was. Especially Lister, since he didn’t have a play station or anything of his own.

As they walked down the road to Rowans, conversation flew freely among them. Per usual, it was dominated by Lister and whatever random topic entered his mind. Jimmy was content to sit back and listen, chipping in whenever he thought of something relevant to say. Meanwhile, Rowan was more than happy to shut down particularly stupid conversations Lister started or rise up to the challenge whenever Lister turned to teasing him. 

When they arrived at Rowans home, the three boys began untying their show laces and shucking off their winter coats. It wasn’t exactly freezing anymore, but it was cold enough for the jackets to still shelter them from the Kent winds. Earlier in the winter, Rowan noticed Listers coat wasn’t the warmest, so he’d given him one of his own under the guise of wanting to get rid of it.

When Rowan opened the door, the lack of four legs bounding towards them was immediately noticeable. Tilly, the Omondi family dog, was a little white Jack Russell with the sweetest of nature. She was a lap dog at heart, rarely barking. She was always found greeting anyone who entered their home at the door, her little tail wagging while she waited to be greeted in return.

"Mum?" Rowan called out pensively, thinking perhaps she’d taken an impromptu walk with the little dog. There was noise from the kitchen, as though someone was startled at the idea of Rowan being home at the time he was.

"Hi sweetheart." Came the call from Rowans mother, but she didn’t leave the kitchen. Lister thought he could hear a waver in her voice. But then again, he was starting to believe he was hardwired to detect the negative emotions people portrayed. even if they weren’t there. "Uh, Ro, can you come to the kitchen, please?" Rowan glanced at his two friends who waited in the doorway, all three clearly confused. With a gesture signalling the other two to wait, Rowan headed down the hallway and disappeared into his kitchen.

Standing just the two of them, Lister suddenly ran out of words. He was entirely focused on a loose thread in his school shirt, and Jimmy was too nervous to start a conversation himself. If it wasn’t in band practise or their shared history lesson, Jimmy found it difficult to talk with Lister. He found the other equally intimidating as he was admirable.

The blonde had definitely made huge progress with his confidence around the two friends, but deep down he was still pretty shy. He still held the fear that he was only there because he knew how to play the drums. He was a friend of convenience until Jimmy and Rowan could afford another drummer or even meet a better one. A drummer who wasn’t self-taught like he was, someone who could actually afford the lessons needed to become successful. While he still had these fears and and worries, he had begun to use them for the better. He was worried about being replaced in their band, and so he practised as hard as possible. He was worried about being replaced in their lives, and so he made as big a space for himself as he could. A space big enough that they would sorely miss him should he leave it.

"So uh-" Biting the bullet, Lister had gone to say something. But as he did, Rowan reappeared down the hallway, shoulders slumped, and face a mixture of shock and tears. All trace of nerves or awkwardness had immediately subsided from the two left in the hallway, both meeting Rowan half way. Jimmy put a hand on his shoulder, his own face contorted with worry. Lister didn’t doubt that Jimmy had thought up every single worst-case scenario he could.

"Tilly died."

There were two sharp inhales, and then silence.

Neither seemed particularly sure how to continue, but they both knew that their friend needed them. And so in a fluid motion, Lister and Jimmy had wrapped Rowan in a big group hug, pretending not to notice the way his body was wracked with sobs.

"There was a- a car." Rowans explanation was met with shushes. Lister knew that talking about it more would just upset Rowan, and he had plenty of time in the upcoming days to process the loss. Right now, he was allowed to just feel it. Feel it, with the safety of his two closest friends.

They stood in the Omondi garden, with Lister on one side of Rowan and Jimmy on the other. They both had a head leaning on Rowans shoulders, arms around his middle as he cried. His mother and sister had cried too, but nowhere near as much as Rowan. He had always been particularly close to the little dog.

His dad had just rested Tilly in the ground and let Rowan lay her favourite toys and treats with her before he began to refill the dirt.

Lister had never been to a funeral. Neither had Jimmy.

When Lister was ten, his grandmother on his dad's side passed away. Even though he had been very close with her, his dad didn’t want him at the funeral. He didn’t want Lister to have to stay the few days at his new home; his wife and new kids clearly objected to the older boy’s presence in what was their family home. It wasn’t exactly like he could own a pet either, the landlord of the flat he lived in with his mum was very clear about that.

Jimmy had never been to a funeral because no one in his family had died yet. There had been the rare distant aunty or several times great grand-something or other, but no one closely related to him. The thought alone of losing anyone in his family made him want to lie in the ground alongside Tilly.

"It’s okay, mate." It was Lister speaking, which wasn’t always the safest bet in a rocky situation. But Rowan was too upset to form words, and Jimmy was too scared he’d say the wrong ones.

There’s silence between the trio for a moment, until Lister starts speaking again. "Hey Jim?"

"Yeah?"

"Can dogs go to heaven?"

"Well... they’re creatures made by God? So, I would assume so."

"Me too! I think if any creature on earth should enjoy an eternity of peace and happiness, it’s dogs. Not humans." He turned his body to face Rowan. "And when your time comes, you can wave up at her."

There’s silence before Rowan chokes out a loud and abrupt laugh. He covers his mouth, his shoulders shaking from laughter even as the tears freely flow down his cheeks. Jimmy can’t help but begin to chuckle too, even if he himself had been tearing up. And when Lister joined them, they came together again in a group hug, sandwiching Rowan.

Joan Ricci.

Jimmy wasn’t in school today.

While Lister himself had missed more classes this year than possibly anyone else in their school, and Rowan wasn’t immune to the odd sick day, Jimmy was never sick. And even if he was, he made his way to school for fear of missing anything important and having his schoolwork snowball.

The most concerning thing about his absence, however, was that he hadn’t responded to any texts from the two boys. He hadn’t even read their group chat either. And now, at four o’clock in the afternoon, the two were headed to the Ricci house, sat on the bus in silence. Thankfully, Lister no longer felt awkward in the presence of one of them alone. He still felt incredibly aware of the split between them, between childhood best friends and drummer, but it no longer prevented him from connecting with either Jimmy or Rowan.

He had just come to accept that he would forever be the odd one out. the one who lived on the council estate, the one whose mum had him as a teen, the one with an estranged dad. He could never compare to Jimmy and Rowan, with their private music lessons and middle-class homes. The kind that weren’t even attached to the houses next to it and were made of the fancy looking red brick.

"What if he's, like, dead?" Rowan interrupted the silence, looking down at his still-unanswered text to their friend. Lister sighed and lightly shoved the bassist on the shoulder. They were almost at the bus stop near Jimmy's grandparents home.

"Mate, you sound like Jimmy when you think like that. 

With a reluctant sigh of agreement, Rowan followed Lister out of their seats and down the aisle of the bus to wait at the door for the driver to let them off.

As they walked the last few minutes to the Ricci household, Lister could feel dread settling in his stomach. He didn’t know what for, or why it decided to make itself at home in his gut, but he almost had to stop walking. Something was wrong. Something was really wrong. He wasn’t sure if it was with Jimmy or what, but he was definitely more eager to pick up the pace to the Riccis to ensure their singer and best friend were okay.

The first thing they noticed about the Ricci household was the cars parked outside. Neither of Jimmy's grandparents could drive anymore, and Jimmy wasn’t even old enough for a provisional licence yet, let alone a car.

But for some reason, there was four or five cars around the driveway and road in front. Lister glanced at Rowan, the taller one seeming confused as well. But instead of looking at Lister, he kept walking, jogging up the steps, and ringing the doorbell. Lister soon joined him, hands wringing together uncharacteristically. Through the stained glass of the front door, he was sure he could hear soft murmurs from the living room. way more voices than the three inhabitants of the Ricci home. Soon a figure from the inside was moving down the hallway to open the door, and it was immediately apparent it wasn’t Pierreo or Joan. This person moved far too quickly, and before Lister could say anything else, the door was opened.

It was a woman that Lister had never met before, but he could tell instantly who she was. She was tall, about the only thing that didn’t resemble their friend. But the shape of her eyes, the curve of her nose, and the slant of her jaw was almost entirely Jimmy. The grumpy frown was the splitting image.

She had only glanced at their uniforms before she sighed and went to shut the door. "Jimmy can’t come out right now."

"Wait!" Lister cried out, sticking his foot in the doorway. The woman looked mildly infuriated, and distantly, Lister couldn’t help but think this was a terrible first impression with Jimmy's mother. "Is he okay? He hasn’t answered us, and he wasn’t at school. We were just…" Lister trailed off as he caught sight of Piero walking out of the living room.

"Pierro?" Rowan called out, and Lister could hear the apprehension in his tone. The old man’s face had sunken even since they’d seen him at the weekend. They’d been celebrating Rowans fifteenth a week early, and Joan had managed to get out of bed to bake him a huge cake before they had band practise. But now, Pierros eyes looked red-rimmed, and he was leaning heavily on his walking stick with every step.

"Boys," he sighed, joining his daughter in the doorway. Lister was the closest to him, with his foot still in the door. Pierro opened up the arm not relying on the cane, and Lister quickly accepted it for what it was: a hug.

"Is Jimmy okay? Did something happen?" It was Rowan again, and as he pulled away from the old man and glanced at Jimmy's mum, who still stood watching, Lister couldn’t blame the worry in his voice. If Rowan was feeling anything as unease’d as Lister in the presence of the usually aloof CEO, then Lister was unsure how Rowan was so well at hiding it.

"Boys." It seemed that Pierro couldn’t say anything else; his voice was fading. "This morning… Joan passed this morning."

The dread in Listers stomach had spread to his whole body, his heart aching as it pounded a mile a minute in his chest. He couldn’t form words, but tears had begun to well in his eyes.

"What? no… No she… What?" Rowan was scrambling to find the right words. He hadn’t begun to cry yet, but Lister knew it was from shock. His own tears were spilling onto his cheeks already.

"I’m sorry, boys." Pierro shook his head, and as though they were driven by the same force, Rowan and Lister descended on the old man with bone-crushing hugs. He tried his best to reciprocate them, but Lister could feel the quiver of his hands and the shallowness of his breath.

When they pulled apart, Lister wiped at his face a little too aggressively, but his shoulders were still high to his face, and he was still shivering from the force of his tears.

"Jimmys upstairs. I think he might like to see the both of you."

 

When they opened the door on the furthest end of the upstairs corridor, they noticed the lights were off and the curtains were drawn. There was a figure sitting up on the bed, a blanket draped over their head as they seemingly stared into space.

Pushing the door over further, the creak of it and the intrusion of the hallway light made Jimmy turn his head, the blanket falling to instead rest on his shoulders. His face was void of emotion, but even from where he stood in the doorway, Lister could see how puffy and red it looked compared to normal. Cheeks that still carried baby fat were raw with tears and the motions of wiping them away. Rowan and Lister had only just managed to compose themselves.

No one of the trio said anything; instead, the two newest additions to the room made their way over and sat on either side of the singer. He managed a small smile, trying to convey his appreciation for their attempts at comfort.

"She died." He croaked out, looking between them. Lister had a hand up to Jimmy's face, carefully moving some of Jimmy's shaggy hair out of the way of his face and behind his ear.

"We know, Jimjam." His voice was so foreign, even to himself. It was soft in a way he didn’t know he possessed anymore. He couldn’t help but think he almost sounded like his mum. The hand that had been fixing Jimmy's hair now rested gently on his shoulder, and he used it to bring the smaller one into a hug.

They could feel Rowans arms wrap around them, Jimmy circled. If Lister wasn’t the token atheist of their little group, he would think that it was symbolic or something. The wings of an angel maybe.

They should write a song about that.

Alister Bird.

Bringing a hand up to his earpiece and pulling it out, the full noise of the crowd hit Lister instantly. It was the end of their first show back, and now only Lister stood on the stage. Jimmy and Rowan had already made their exit, and now, standing up from his drum kit and holding his sticks in the air, it was Lister's turn.

He was panting, and he’s sure he looked like a sweaty mess, but the crowd was losing their minds, and he had never felt more alive. He jumped down from the platform where his drum kit was stationed and exited off the side of the stage towards Rowan and Jimmy, who were waiting for him. They both were panting and sweaty, but the grins on their faces resembled their thirteen-year-old selves so much that Lister didn’t care about it when he dragged them into a group hug, jumping up and down from excitement.

"That was fucking class." Lister managed out, his arm still wrapped around Jimmy's shoulders when they pulled away, his boyfriend (boyfriend!) leaning onto him.

"Profound as always, Alister." Rowan teased, the both of them pretending to fight for a moment or so longer before they were all ushered away from the backstage area and towards the dressing rooms.

Jimmy held a firm grip on his hand, and when they found an area secluded enough, he used it to detour them into a hidden crevice. His hands balled into fists around Listers shirt, and he used it to push him against the wall.

Lister laughed, but his chest was still heaving. "Jimjam, slow down." He could see the way the singers eyes drooped, the way they seemed fully focused on the way Listers lips moved around his words. He kept leaning in to try and kiss them, but Lister was feeling mischievous. He kept holding the singer away.

"Lis, I swear to God." He had a glare on his face, trying to appear intimidating. He failed to realise that to Lister, he did the exact opposite. Feeling empathy for the clearly desperate singer and giving into his own urge to kiss his boyfriend stupid, Lister leaned down and pressed their lips together.

He could feel Jimmy relaxing in his hold. He could feel the heat radiating from the frontman's body after the long show, and he could still hear the commotion of the crowd as the lights were turned on and they were ushered out of the venue. It was hard for Lister to believe that he was lucky enough to experience this. Not just the resurrection of his passion for music, but also the chance he’d been given to live a life by Jimmy's side. He’d lived in the frontman's shadow all these years, but now he had been given permission to love him. To kiss him freely without the guilt of another drunken mishap. To hug him without feeling that he had ill intentions.

He hoped the way he held Jimmy could convey all this. It was difficult to show the full extent of your love with only one arm around the middle. To share your soul with someone in the hopes they’ll accept it and, in turn, share their own.

His hands were in Jimmy's hair now, tugging at the strands on the back of his neck. Jimmy's hair had thankfully recovered from the years in which he straightened it, and now it was styled in its more natural waves. It was thick and bushy, and when Lister needed something to do with his hands, he would try to braid it. It wasn’t quite long enough for that, though, as Jimmy still preferred it short.

"Mr Bird."

The voice made both stars jump, with Lister keeping hold of Jimmy until he could see who it was who had interrupted them. He only hoped to God that it wasn’t a fan. But then again, not many Ark fans were middle-aged, bald white men with security written in bold letters over their chests. If this was a disguise to get backstage, it was a damn good one.

"Sorry to bother you, sir. But there’s a gentleman here who says he needs to talk with you." The man held a hand to his earpiece, turning away slightly as he likely received more information. Lister's thoughts had begun to run wild. He wasn’t sure who it could possibly be. He hadn’t spoken to any hookups in months and hadn’t initiated any since he and Jimmy had been talking. The guard turned back to them, ignoring Jimmy entirely. "A Graham Duncan, sir."

While it was clear the name didn’t ring any bells to Jimmy, Lister had sucked in a breath through his teeth so deeply that Jimmy could feel his chest move with it. Lister gently nudged at Jimmy's shoulder, urging him to back up so that Lister could move away from the wall.

"How did he get in?"

"His ID, Mr. Bird. Miss Cecily has a list of approved names, and he was on it, sir."

Lister sighed and rubbed at his forehead, post-show high clearly gone as he looked back to Jimmy.

"There he is!"

There’s excitement in the voice, but the room is silent around him. Rowan was sat on the couch farthest from the door, Lister stood from where he’d been sitting on the sofa, and Jimmy still sat next to his old spot. The father and son stared at each other for a few tense moments. Listers face was unreadable as he crossed his arms over his chest. Graham looked as though he'd been here to joke around with his son, coming close and punching him lightly on the shoulder.

"What you been up to then, boyo?" Lister could see Rowan raise an eyebrow at this, his face screaming, 'What does it look like we’ve been up to?' But Graham didn’t seem bothered by waiting for a response from Lister. He looked around at the two other members of the band, likely not wanting a crowd for his conversation with his oldest son.

"What do you want?" There was no pleasantry in Listers tone. He felt no need to pretend. To act like he and his dad had spoken since he’d turned ten, since his half brother was born and he himself was thrown to the side. Lister was the child born from a teenage mistake to the woman Graham had married for only two years before cheating with another woman. He wasn’t something Graham wanted to remember. And yet, he stood in their dressing room as though they were old buddies.

Graham laughed, spluttering on words for a moment as he clearly struggled to find what to say. "I can’t come see you then?" He landed on, earning a scoff from Lister, who walked away from the older man and made his way to the refreshment table in the corner. It was obvious to those who knew him that he was acting on instinct. Looking for something to drink. Looking for something to take the pressure of the situation off. But of course, there was no alcohol on the table anymore. Just water and juice. The juice would have to do.

"Ally, don’t be like that. You’ve no seen your auld man in donkeys, and this is how you want to act?"

"Lister." It was Rowan who had corrected him, sitting up on the couch and levelling Graham with a glare. While he knew very little of Listers family, he knew that this man was no father. He had just so happened to be Listers biological parent. There was nothing more between them.

"What do you want?" Lister asked again, holding the juice bottle to his lips and drinking almost half of it in one go.

Graham once again looked like he was about to obfuscate, but dropped it when Lister went to turn away from him again. "The house, Alister. It’s gone up... Me and Maria are struggling."

Rowan and Jimmy looked at each other, utter disbelief written over their features. The gaul of the man who had neglected their friend since he was a toddler to then come to him and ask for financial aid?

It would appear Lister also caught the irony, laughing bitterly as he finished the rest of his drink. "The house I have never been to? The house the woman you cheated on my mother with asked you to buy, so that you could play happy families while me and mum rotted away in a fucking council flat?" With each sentence, Listers voice rose higher and higher. "That fucking house?" He rounded the sofas to once again stand in front of the now angry man.

"You can fuck right off." Lister hissed, pointing to the door.

"I am your father, Alister. I helped raise you. You might look back on it now and scoff with all your multi-millions, but it was the damned best I could do." He was shouting too now, poking lister repeatedly on the chest. Rowan and Jimmy had stood up, fearing the worst with Lister's temper.

"You gave my mum fifteen fucking quid a month."

"It was all I had, Alister!" But Lister wouldn’t accept that. He threw the bottle across the room, watching as it grazzed past his father's head.

"Get out!"

"You are fucking pathetic. Your mother did about as much as I did, and you bought the stupid bitch a house? You give her money so she can prance about like she wasn’t some little fucking whore. And now, you’re acting like some big rockstar." He looked at Rowan and Jimmy. "But its just you and two fucking da-"

Graham Duncan didn't get to finish whatever hateful words he had wished to shout, as Lister had slammed his fist right into the centre of his face, feeling satisfied at the crunch of bone he felt and the cry that carried out through the room. The older man seemed to be torn between hitting back and staggering away, but the door was already open, and security was swarming Graham, dragging him out.

"Lis." Jimmy’s hand was on Listers shoulder from behind him, and Rowan was also taking a step closer so that he could make sure his friend was okay. Listers shoulders were hunched, and his face contorted as though he were in physical pain.

"Why... why doesn’t he care? Why does he..." He had begun to cry, and Jimmy was quick to tug him down by the shoulders in a hug. He rubbed at the drummer's back as he cried, shushing him gently to try and calm him down. Rowan also had a hand on Lister's shoulder.

"It's okay, Lis. he's gone." The bassist reassured. The drummer turned his head to look at Rowan, a small and appreciative smile on his tear-stained face.

"Well, he seemed lovely." Jimmy sighed, and Lister couldn’t stop the wet laugh he let out, rubbing at his eyes.

"A fucking delight, right?"

The three of them can’t help their giggles. Rowan quickly checked Lister's fist to be sure he hadn’t hurt it.

No matter how much it had hurt Lister to be confronted by his father, he felt comfort in the fact that he’d always been right about the man. He didn’t care about Lister or his mother. He only cared about himself and what he could get out of people. Perhaps it was a good thing that Lister had been raised by his hard-working and considerate mother. As much as he used to long for a father in his life, he knew now he was better off without him. It was his job to grow up to be a better man. not because of his father, but to spite him, to show him that not everyone was doomed to fall headfirst into the bottle and to never make it out. No. he had reason to live. to live happily.

"If I ever become a dad, I am never asking him for advice." Lister sniffed out, Rowan and Jimmy laughing as they pulled him in for a group hug.

[fashionbooksmilano]

I mondi di Marco Polo

Il viaggio di un mercante veneziano del Duecento

a cura di Giovanni Curatola, Chiara Squarcina

testi di Michela Agazzi, Alvise Andreose, Eugenio Burgio, Stefano Causa, Rossella Cester, Arabella Cifani, Cristina Crisafulli, Giovanni Curatola, Daniele D’Anza, Piero Falchetta, Marco Guglielminotti Trivel, Vasco La Salvia, Michele Nucciotti, Zara Pogossian, Sabrina Rastelli, Chiara Squarcina

Magonza Editore, Arezzo 2024, 400 pagine, 20x28cm,ISBN 978-88-31280-99-0

euro 38,00

email if you want to buy booksinprogressmilano@yahoo.it

Il catalogo della mostra di Palazzo Ducale a Venezia (6 aprile – 29 settembre 2024) è il libro ufficiale delle celebrazioni dei 700 anni dalla morte di Marco Polo, e ripercorre – attraverso studi inediti e opere preziose quanto eterogenee – la vita, i viaggi e le scoperte del più grande esploratore di tutti i tempi, con attenzione inoltre alle interpretazioni contemporanee che molti artisti hanno dedicato a questo personaggio.

Il volume, che si presenta come opera di riferimento su Marco Polo, mette in scena l’amore per la conoscenza del mondo e dell’altro, attraverso una galleria di immagini, opere e reperti provenienti dall’Armenia, dalla Cina, dal Qatar, dal Canada, dalla Francia, da molte collezioni e altre importanti istituzioni nel mondo.

Le varie sezioni del volume – con dei focus sulla cartografia, sulle aree di interesse dei viaggi di Marco Polo e delle scoperte mai pubblicate sinora sulla sua casa a Venezia – permetteranno di rileggere la geografia fisica, politica e umana degli incontri di Marco Polo in Asia.

17/04/24

[sayitaliano]

Sanremo 2023 - the post!

Hello everyone! Here you’ll find this year’s Sanremo’s stuff and news (I’ll be uploading this post through all the week). The Festival will start on tuesday February 7th at 8:30 pm (it’ll probably have a 5 minutes “anteprima = preview” every night), and end on saturday February 11th, when the final will be broadcasted.

/ Official website / you can find loads of videos and interviews here + the latest news. You can already find the presentation videos of the songs made by the artists.

Rai’s website dedicated section (here) | youtube playlist

TikTok official channel: @/sanremorai Instagram official: @/sanremorai Twitter official: @/SanremoRai Facebook: festivaldisanremo

Also this year we’ll have the PrimaFestival, the small show broadcasted on Rai1 at around 8:30 p.m. (February 4th - February 11th). The host are Andrea Delogu (actress), gli Autogol (Youtube/Actors’ group of comedians and radio hosts) and Jody Cecchetto (gamer/speaker).

I’m not sure if it's gonna be like the usual Dopofestival, with the analysis of the show at the end of each night, but Fiorello is going to be live with a show "VivaRai2...Viva Sanremo di notte!" right sfter the end of each evening on RaiUno. Seeing it's Fiorello, I believe it's gonna be a bit different than usual.

CasaSanremo- A website about Sanremo and all the artists who will take part, with more infos and interviews (also Italian places and food specialties will be shown). Follow them also on their Social Media Channels, usually they make live video/interviews/shows on FB for example.

On Sorrisi&Canzoni you will find also other infos about Sanremo and every lyrics’s explanation (ofc ask me if you need a translation)

The # on this blog is #sanremo 2023, #sanremo 23, #sanremo 73, you can black any of these (the first one in particular) if you want.

To watch it live:

Raiuno -> just click on the first video on the left, or here, to open the Raiuno streaming immediately (I added the whole Rai channels things in case you had troubles connecting directly and wanted to try from there). The RAI's geoblock is usually removed for Sanremo's week, no need to create accounts or whatsoever to enjoy Sanremo online!! Remember you can rewatch the whole event and each performance on Raiplay few minutes after it has happened (and the whole week will be avaiable as well for basically the whole following year).

FESTIVAL LIS - songs and whole exhibition explained in signs language

FANTASANREMO - this year as well you can play while enjoying your Sanremo! How does it work? Every person "buys" 5 artisti and marks one of them as a captain. As last year, artists will have to do or say something while on stage to help you gain points (and also classification will have a say).

I’ll try to write down some more infos/links through the week.

——-

Hosts & Guests + Other Stuff

This years’ host will still be Amadeus (who choose the songs taking part into this Sanremo), a TV and radio host. He will be accompanied by Gianni Morandi (singer) who will co-host with him all the evenings; as in the past 3 years, they'll be accompanied also by a different co-host woman each night: Chiara Ferragni (online business woman; first and last night); Francesca Fagnani (journalist, tv host; second night); Paola Egonu (volleyball player, model; third night); Chiara Francini (actress, tv host, writer; fourth night). Some of the one-night guests during the week will be: Mahmood and Blanco, i Pooh, Massimo Ranieri, Al Bano, Gianni Morandi, Black Eyed Peas, Maneskin... This year too there will be singers perfoming on a boat and in live stream with the Sanremo stage: Salmo, Fedez (husband of Chiara Ferragni), Takagi & Ketra e Guè. In the square outside the Theater, there will be the exhibitions of Piero Pelù, Francesco Renga and Nek, Achille Lauro, Annalisa and La Rappresentante di Lista (these too will be broadcasted on Sanremo).

How it works

There will be 28 singers in the ARTISTI (artists) section. It will be the only section, as last year. 22 artists were chosen by Amadeus, while the other 6 are the winners of Sanremo Giovani (held in December 2022). The winner of the competition will represent Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest: if he/she/they won’t accept, the choice will be another artist, usually the 2nd classified or the next (the first one accepting). On the 4th night, there will be the usual “covers” night.

Day 1 - co-hosts: Gianni Morandi, Chiara Ferragni. Prob. guests: Mahmood and Blanco, i Pooh, Salmo, Piero Pelù; Elena Sofia Ricci (actress), Roberto Benigni (actor) We’ll listen to 14 songs (in order of performance: Anna Oxa, Gianmaria; Mr. Rain; Marco Mengoni; Ariete; Ultimo; Coma_Cose; Elodie; Leo Gassman; I Cugini di Campagna; Gianluca Grignani; Olly; Colla Zio; Mara Sattei). We have a first rank of the 14 artists who performed tonight:

1. Marco Mengoni 2. Elodie 3. Coma_Cose 4. Ultimo 5. Leo Gassman 6. Mara Sattei 7. Colla Zio 8. I Cugini di Campagna 9. Mr Rain 10. Gianluca Grignani 11. Ariete 12. Gianmaria 13. Olly 14. Anna Oxa

Day 2 - co-hosts: Gianni Morandi, Francesca Fagnani. Prob. guests: Black Eyed Peas, Gianni Morandi, Massimo Ranieri, Al Bano, Nek, Francesco Renga; Angelo Duro (comedian), Francesco Arca and Mario Di Leva (actors); Drusilla Foer, Pegah The remaining 14 artisti (in order of performance: Will; Modà; Sethu; Articolo 31; Lazza; Giorgia; Colapesce Dimartino; Shari; Madame; Levante; Tananai; Rosa Chemical; LDA; Paola & Chiara) will perform tonight. We’ll have another rank of the 14 artists who performed tonight:

1. Colapesce Dimartino 2. Madame 3. Tananai 4. Lazza 5. Giorgia 6. Rosa Chemical 7. Paola & Chiara 8. Levante 9. Articolo 31 10. Modà 11. LDA 12. Will 13. Shari 14. Sethu

Complete rank after the first 2 nights (mix of votes):

Day 3 - co-hosts: Gianni Morandi, Paola Egonu. Prob. guests: Maneskin, Sangiovanni, Annalisa All the 28 ARTISTI will perform again their entry to the contest (in order of appearance: Paola & Chiara, Mara Sattei, Rosa Chemical, Gianluca Grignani, Levante, Tananai, Lazza, LDA, Madame, Ultimo, Elodie, Mr Rain, Giorgia, Colla Zio, Marco Mengoni, Colapesce Dimartino, Coma_Cose, Leo Gassman, I Cugini di Campagna, Olly, Anna Oxa, Articolo 31, Ariete, Sethu, Shari, Gianmaria, Modà, Will).

Classification after tonight:

Day 4 - co-hosts: Gianni Morandi, Chiara Francini Prob. guests: Peppino di Capri, La Rappresentante di Lista, Takagi & Ketra; cast of "Il Mare Fuori" (RaiUno TV serie) The 28 artists will present the songs’ covers, each of them will perform together with a guest.

Covers' list (in order of appearance):

Ariete & Sangiovanni - "Centro di gravità permanente" (Franco Battiato)

Will & Michele Zarrillo - "Cinque giorni" (Michele Zarrillo)

Elodie & BigMama - "American woman" (Lenny Kravitz)

Olly & Lorella Cuccarini - "La notte vola" (Lorella Cuccarini)

Utimo & Eros Ramazzotti - Medley di Eros Ramazzotti

Lazza & Emma & Laura Marzadori - "La fine" (Nesli, reinterpretata da Tiziano Ferro)

Tananai & Don Joe & Biagio Antonacci - "Vorrei cantare come Biagio" (Simone Cristicchi)

Shari & Salmo - Medley di Zucchero "Hai scelto il diavolo in me"

Gianluca Grignani & Arisa - "Destinazione paradiso" (Gianluca Grignani)

Leo Gassmann & Edoardo Bennato & Quartetto Flegreo - Medley di Edoardo Bennato

Articolo 31 & Fedez - Medley Articolo 31

Giorgia & Elisa - "Luce (Tramonti a nord est)" (Elisa) / "Di sole e d'azzurro" (Giorgia)

Colapesce Dimartino & Carla Bruni - "Azzurro" (Adriano Celentano)

I Cugini di Campagna & Paolo Vallesi - "La forza della vita" (Paolo Vallesi) / "Anima mia" (I Cugini di Campagna)

Marco Mengoni & Kingdom Choir - "Let it be" (The Beatles)

Gianmaria & Manuel Agnelli - "Quello che non c'è" (Afterhours)

Mr. Rain & Fasma - "Qualcosa di grande" (Cesare Cremonini)

Madame & Izi - "Via del campo" (Fabrizio De Andrè)

Coma_Cose & Baustelle - "Sarà perché ti amo" (Ricchi e Poveri)

Rosa Chemical & Rose Villain - "America" (Gianna Nannini)

Modà & Le Vibrazioni - "Vieni da me" (Le Vibrazioni)

Levante & Renzo Rubino - "Vivere" (Vasco Rossi)

Anna Oxa & Iljard Shaba - "Un'emozione da poco" (Anna Oxa)

Sethu & Bnkr44 - "Charlie fa surf" (Baustelle)

LDA & Alex Britti - "Oggi sono io" (Alex Britti)

Mara Sattei & Noemi - "L'amour toujours" (Gigi D'Agostino)

Paola & Chiara & Merk & Kremont - Medley di Paola & Chiara

Colla Zio & Ditonellapiaga - "Salirò" (Daniele Silvestri)

Top 5 covers (all the other entries are considered as 6th): 1. Marco Mengoni & Kingdom Choir 2. Ultimo & Eros Ramazzotti 3. LAzza & Emma Marrone & Laura Marzadori 4. Giorgia & Elisa 5. Mr Rain & Fasma

We’ll also have a new general rank.

Day 5 - co-hosts: Gianni Morandi, Chiara Ferragni Prob. guests: Gino Paoli, Salmo, Depeche Mode, Ornella Vanoni, Achille Lauro; Aeronautica Militare's Band; Luisa Ranieri (actress); probably Ukraine president's message. All the 28 artisti will perform again their songs (in order of appearance: Elodie, Colla Zio, Mara Sattei, Tananai, Colapesce Dimartino, Giorgia, Modà, Ultimo, Lazza, Marco Mengoni, Rosa Chemical, I Cugini di Campagna, Madame, Ariete, Mr Rain, Paola & Chiara, Levante, LDA, Coma_Cose, Olly, Articolo 31, Will, Leo Gassman, Gianmaria, Anna Oxa, Shari, Gianluca Grignani, Sethu) and after midnight (prob. more like 1.15/30 am.) we’ll know the competition’s first 5 classified and all the special awards winners. The first 5 classified will perform again and get new votes to decide the final standings. The winner will go to the ESC2023.

And the winner is: Marco Mengoni!

Final standing:

1. Marco Mengoni 2. Lazza 3. Mr Rain 4. Ultimo 5. Tananai 6. Giorgia 7. Madame 8. Rosa Chemical 9. Elodie 10. Colapesce Dimartino 11. Modà 12. Gianluca Grignani 13. Coma_Cose 14. Ariete 15. LDA 16. Articolo 31 17. Paola & Chiara 18. Leo Gassman 19. Mara Sattei 20. Cola Zio 21. I Cugini di Campagna 22. Gianmaria 23. Levante 24. Olly 25. Anna Oxa 26. Will 27. Shari 28. Sethu

Marco Mengoni will take part at the ESC 2023! Other Awards: - Premio della critica "Mia Martini" : Colapesce Dimartino - Premio della sala stampa "Lucio Dalla" : Colapesce Dimartino - Premio miglior testo "Sergio Bardotti" : Coma_Cose - Premio miglior composizione musicale "Giancarlo Bigazzi" : Marco Mengoni

------------------------

Artists (+ lyrics):

Anna Oxa - "Sali (Canto dell'anima)"

Ariete - "Mare di guai"

Articolo 31 - "Un bel viaggio"

Colapesce Dimartino - "Splash"

Colla Zio - "Non mi va"

Coma_Cose - "L'addio"

Elodie - "Due"

Gianluca Grignani - "Quando ti manca il fiato"

Gianmaria - "Mostro"

Giorgia - "Parole dette male"

I Cugini di Campagna - "Lettera 22"

Lazza - "Cenere"

LDA - "Se poi domani"

Leo Gassmann - "Terzo cuore"

Levante - "Vivo"

Madame - "Il bene nel male"

Mara Sattei - "Duemilaminuti"

Marco Mengoni - "Due vite"

Modà - "Lasciami"

Mr. Rain - "Supereroi"

Olly - "Polvere"

Paola & Chiara - "Furore"

Rosa Chemical - "Made in Italy"

Sethu - "Cause perse"

Shari - "Egoista"

Tananai - "Tango"

Ultimo - "Alba"

Will - "Stupido"

[all the lyrics can be found on this page]

(will edit with more updates, corrections and links as we get closer to the event)

[princesssarisa]

Opera on YouTube 6

Pagliacci

Franco Enriques studio film, 1954 (Franco Corelli, Mafalda Micheluzzi, Tito Gobbi; conducted by Alfredo Simonetto; no subtitles)

Tokyo Bunka Kaikan, 1961 (Mario del Monaco, Gabriella Tucci, Aldo Protti; conducted by Giuseppe Morelli; Japanese subtitles)

Herbert von Karajan studio film, 1968 (Jon Vickers, Raina Kabaivanska, Peter Glossop; conducted by Herbert von Karajan; no subtitles)

Franco Zeffirelli film, 1983 (Plácido Domingo, Teresa Stratas, Juan Pons; conducted by Georges Prêtre; English subtitles) – Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, Part VI

Metropolitan Opera, 1994 (Luciano Pavarotti, Teresa Stratas, Juan Pons; conducted by James Levine; Spanish subtitles)

Ravena Festival, 1998 (Plácido Domingo, Svetla Vassileva, Juan Pons; conducted by Riccardo Muti; Italian subtitles)

Zürich Opera House, 2009 (José Cura, Fiorenza Cedolins, Carlo Guelfi; conducted by Stefano Ranzani; no subtitles)

Chorégies d'Orange, 2009 (Roberto Alagna, Inva Mula, Seng-Hyoun Ko; conducted by Georges Prêtre; French subtitles)

Gran Teatre del Liceu, 2011 (Marcello Giordani, Angeles Blancas, Vittorio Vitelli; conducted by Daniele Callegari; English subtitles – ignore the silly references to Norse mythology and aliens that the translator threw in, they're not in the actual libretto)

Latvian National Opera, 2019 (Sergei Polyakov, Tatiana Trenogina, Vladislav Sulimsky; conducted by Jānis Liepiņš; no subtitles)

Die Entführung aus dem Serail

Dresden State Opera, 1977 (Armin Ude, Carolyn Smith-Meyer, Barbara Sternberer, Rolf Tomaszewski; conducted by Peter Gülke; no subtitles)

Bavarian State Opera, 1980 (Francisco Araiza, Edita Gruberova, Reri Grist, Martti Talvela; conducted by Karl Böhm; English subtitles)

Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, 1988 (Deon van der Walt, Inga Nielson, Lillian Watson, Kurt Moll; conducted by Georg Solti; English subtitles)

Salzburg Festival, 1989 (Deon van der Walt, Inga Nielson, Lillian Watson, Kurt Rydl; conducted by Horst Stein; no subtitles)

Théâtre du Châtelet, 1991 (Stanford Olsen, Luba Orgonasova, Cyndia Sieden, Cornelius Hauptmann; conducted by John Eliot Gardiner; French subtitles)

Vienna State Opera, 1989 (Kurt Streit, Aga Winska, Elzbieta Szmytka, Artur Korn; conducted by Nicolaus Harnoncourt; Hungarian subtitles) – Act I, Act II

Teatro della Pergola, 2002 (Rainer Trost, Eva Mei, Patrizia Ciofi, Kurt Rydl; conducted by Zubin Mehta; Spanish subtitles)

Gran Teatre del Liceu, 2012 (Christoph Strehl, Diana Damrau, Olga Peretyatko, Franz-Josef Selig; conducted by Ivor Bolton; Catalan subtitles)

Bankhead Theatre, 2018 (David Walton, Alexandra Batsios, Elena Galvan, Kevin Langan; conducted by Alex Katsman; English subtitles)

Theatro São Pedro, 2023 (Daniel Umbelino, Ludmilla Bauerfeldt, Ana Carolina Coutinho, Luiz-Ottavio Faria; conducted by Cláudio Cruz; Brazilian Portuguese subtitles)

Un Ballo in Maschera

Tokyo Bunka Kaikan, 1967 (Carlo Bergonzi, Antonietta Stella, Mario Zanassi; conducted by Oliviero di Fabritiis; Spanish subtitles)

Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, 1975 (Plácido Domingo, Katia Ricciarelli, Piero Cappuccilli; conducted by Claudio Abbado, English subtitles)

Teatro alla Scala, 1978 (Luciano Pavarotti, Mara Zampieri, Piero Cappuccilli; conducted by Claudio Abbado; Italian subtitles)

Metropolitan Opera, 1980 (Luciano Pavarotti, Katia Ricciarelli, Louis Quilico; conducted by Giuseppe Patané; no subtitles)

Royal Swedish Opera, 1986 (Nicolai Gedda, Siv Wennberg, Carl Johan Falkman; conducted by Eri Klas; sung in Swedish; Swedish subtitles)

Salzburg Festival, 1990 (Plácido Domingo, Josephine Barstow, Leo Nucci; conducted by Georg Solti; Spanish subtitles)

Leipzig Opera House, 2006 (Massimiliano Pisapia, Chiara Taigi, Franco Vassallo; conducted by Riccardo Chailly; English subtitles) – Part I, Part II

Teatro Regio di Torino, 2012 (Gregory Kunde, Oksana Dyka, Gabriele Viviani; conducted by Renato Palumbo; no subtitles) – Part I, Part II

Chorégies d'Orange, 2013 (Ramón Vargas, Kristin Lewis, Lucio Gallo; conducted by Alain Altinoglu; French subtitles)

Arena di Verona, 2014 (Francesco Meli, Hui He, Luca Salsi; conducted by Andrea Battistoni; no subtitles)

Cavalleria Rusticana

Giorgio Strehler studio film, 1968 (Gianfranco Cecchele, Fiorenza Cossotto; conducted by Herbert von Karajan; no subtitles)

Metropolitan Opera, 1974 (Franco Tagliavini, Grace Bumbry; conducted by John Nelson; no subtitles)

Franco Zeffirelli film, 1983 (Plácido Domingo, Elena Obraztsova; conducted by Georges Prêtre; no subtitles)

Ravenna Festival, 1996 (José Cura, Waltraud Meier; conducted by Riccardo Muti; Italian subtitles)

Ópera de Bellas Artes, 2008 (Alfredo Portilla, Violeta Dávalos; conducted by Marco Zambelli; Spanish subtitles)

Zürich Opera, 2009 (José Cura, Paoletta Marrocu; conducted by Stefano Ranzani; no subtitles)

Chorégies d'Orange, 2009 (Roberto Alagna, Beatrice Uria-Monzon; conducted by Georges Prêtre; French subtitles)

Gran Teatre del Liceu, 2011 (Marcello Giordani, Ildiko Komlosi; conducted by Daniele Gallegari; Spanish subtitles)

Mikhailovsky Theatre, St. Petersburg, 2012 (Fyodor Ataskevich, Iréne Theorin; conducted by Daniele Rustioni; English subtitles)

Vienna State Opera, 2019 (Younghoon Lee, Elina Garanča; conducted by Graeme Jenkins; English subtitles)

[abatelunare]

- I denti degli uomini sono come quelli dei cani: se non mordono oggi mordono domani, dice mia zia.

Piero Chiara, Una spina nel cuore

[somehow---here]

Piero Chiara, "La stanza del vescovo", 1976

[corrierino]

La macchina volante Piero Chiara e Salvatore Sicilia Tratto dal Corriere dei Ragazzi nº 31 del 3 agosto 1975. Oggi sul blog.

[thegianpieromennitipolis]

Da: SGUARDI SULL’ARTE LIBRO QUARTO - di Gianpiero Menniti 

LA REALTA' APPARENTE

Si può ancora oggi, discorrendo d’arte, essere platonici: ridurre la rappresentazione a imitazione di un’imitazione delle idee; oppure, considerare l’espressione artistica un accrescimento delle capacità di conoscenza del reale.  Non ho usato a caso le parole “rappresentazione” e “espressione”.  Platonicamente, la rappresentazione imita: la repraesentatio come ri-presentazione di un’immagine, re-ad-praesentare, rendere di nuovo presente.  Espressione, invece, è exprimere da cui deriva expressio che indica lo spremere, il fare uscire qualcosa da qualcos’altro. Dunque, imitare oppure trarre, trarre da sé, trarre rielaborando il fenomeno sensibile portandolo in una nuova forma alla percezione dei sensi, una forma che non è comune, che non è mera imitazione ma realtà nuova.  Il ritratto di una persona non è quella persona: è un’altra cosa, è un’altra essenza, è il percepito proposto in una nuova forma, è altro anche dall’oggetto imitato.  Lo stile diviene così il modo in cui un supporto (la tela) viene utilizzato per tracciare un segno originale.  Solo chi copia un dipinto imita: imita lo stile mediante la perfetta riproposizione di linee e colori.  Ma il dipinto originale non imita: è! L’atto artistico è pura creazione di una forma, ma è creazione intertestuale: è il pensiero dell’artista sulla figura divina della Madonna o del Cristo in croce, ma il pensiero dell’artista non è una tabula rasa poiché è costituito da una continua revisione della memoria di tutta la realtà percepibile attraverso i sensi.  Di qui lo stile che è unico.  E che si piega all’interazione comunicativa: atto creativo di un concetto sovrasensibile (l’immagine divina) in una forma comprensibile.  Poiché se chi scrive desidera farsi leggere, chi dipinge desidera farsi guardare. Ecco spiegata la ragione intrinseca di atto artistico attribuibile anche alle espressioni figurative vissute come banali (i rilievi dell’arte longobarda, l’altare di Rachis e molto altro) e che al contrario occorre definire sintetiche.  Quel sintetismo è coerenza espressiva: da una parte comunica l’essenziale e dall’altra satura ogni argomento sulla impossibile rappresentazione reale del soprasensibile. Se le cose stanno così, bisogna ammettere che il realismo pittorico e plastico altro non sono che il riflesso stilistico ed estetico di una lunga epoca, un’epoca che dalla fondazione della diffusa civiltà comunale in Italia e nelle aree più sviluppate del continente europeo, si è evoluta anche nelle forme artistiche e nel loro significato.  Quel significato che soggiace ad ogni segno e che non bisogna mai perdere di vista. L’atto artistico “significa” nello stesso momento in cui “è”. La ri-scoperta della prospettiva è dunque un fatto significativo oltre che di stile della rappresentazione.  Può risultare utile un esempio. Quando Piero della Francesca (1416 - 1492) dipinge “La flagellazione”, in una data incerta a cavallo del 1453, anno della caduta di Costantinopoli e dell’eclissi dell’Impero bizantino, non usa la prospettiva per un afflato geometrico ma per collocare due eventi distinti nello spazio pittorico, assegnando di riflesso all’organizzazione prospettica degli spazi un significato simbolico specifico.  A sinistra, la scena della flagellazione con Pilato vestito come l’imperatore bizantino – chiara comparazione concettuale tra le due figure, mentre il riferimento non è chiaro se possa essere attribuito a Giovanni VIII Paleologo oppure a suo figlio Costantino XI – mentre uno sconosciuto ripreso di spalle, vestito come un turco – forse è Maometto II, forse è suo padre Murad II che ad un passo dalla conquista di Costantinopoli decise di desistere - assiste alla scena ma accenna con la mano un gesto che potrebbe essere di clemenza ma che potrebbe anche connotarsi come atteggiamento di potere verso il Cristo (quindi verso il simbolo della cristianità rappresentata dalla città bizantina - sottoposto alle pene inflitte dai due carnefici.  La scena è posta a Gerusalemme, dunque è vissuta nel passato che si trasfigura nel presente attraverso una simbologia che non ha nulla da invidiare a quella rinomata medievale.  Una simbologia che si riafferma nella scena posta a destra nella quale, sullo sfondo di un paesaggio urbano, probabilmente italiano e visto di scorcio, tre figure sembrano assorte in una conversazione di alto profilo (citazione del tema delle conversazioni sacre): forse la metafora delle inutili discussioni in Occidente, a Ferrara e poi a Firenze, nel 1436, durante il Concilio che avrebbe dovuto sancire la riunificazione delle chiese scismatiche e la riedizione di una crociata per respingere gli ottomani e salvare Costantinopoli – simbolicamente anch’essa uno dei centri della cristianità in Oriente, area dove la fede era sorta – ovvero la trattativa tra un diplomatico di alto rango (a sinistra, forse il cardinale Bessarione) ed un “signore” italiano (siamo in un’epoca di dominatori combattenti nei novelli stati signorili italiani, da Federico di Montefeltro a Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta e Francesco Sforza, solo per citarne alcuni) che dovrebbe assumere il ruolo di difensore della cristianità.  In mezzo a loro, un giovane che sembra ascoltarli assorto, che ha lo sguardo lontano: forse il "Porfirogenito" (porta un abito rosso porpora ed ha un atteggiamento regale, di cortese distacco) che avrebbe dovuto riassumere per diritto dinastico il trono di Bisanzio.  Ecco, in questa semplificata ricostruzione del significato di un dipinto, sul quale si sono arrovellati e continuano a farlo illustri studiosi, c’è tuttavia l’esempio di quanto simbolismo si affermi in esso e di come la dimensione prospettica funga da “macchina del tempo” traslando l’evento contemporaneo in uno spazio-tempo intrecciato, come in due piani sequenza sovrapposti, usando con formidabile maestria l’atto di sintesi delle immagini sul supporto bidimensionale.  La pittura del ‘400 non sfonda la terza dimensione ma fonda un linguaggio per immagini del tutto nuovo, una sintassi diversa che aveva bisogno di una grammatica diversa, parole nuove per parlare ad un tempo nuovo, parole che cambieranno nel corso dei secoli ma che fermano l’attimo e lo colgono.  Certamente, questo nuovo linguaggio è misura della potenza espressiva che la tela rivela fissando un punto di vista obbligato ma potenzialmente infinito.  Eppure, non c’è nulla di progressivo in questo, non c’è un mondo in via di maturazione ma artisti che segnano la contemporaneità e la tramandano ad un pubblico che oggi si pone annose domande sul significato mentre all’epoca tutto era ben chiaro o volutamente ambiguo per essere compreso solo dalle élite cui la raffigurazione era destinata.  Se nell’arte si pone, gerarchicamente, un presente perennemente superiore al passato, non rimarrà nulla di essa.  Ogni atto artistico è contemporaneo, segna il proprio tempo e solo in questa dimensione deve essere riletto e rivisto.

In copertina: Maria Casalanguida, "Bottiglie e cubetto", 1975, collezione privata

[accademiadegliincerti]

Arnoldo Mondadori posa in una foto di gruppo a Villa Meina. Insieme a lui Piero Chiara, Riccardo Bacchelli, Giorgio Bassani, Carlo Betocchi, Dino Buzzati, Oreste del Buono, Salvator Gotta, Giuseppe Novello, Guido Piovene, Domenico Porzio, Vittorio G. Rossi, Mario Soldati, Giuseppe Ungaretti. Natale 1968.

[burlveneer-music]

Four Flies Records put out a best of their 2022 releases compilation in December

2022 has seen us unearth forgotten gems, make rare masterpieces available again, and release new exciting artists! So, as the New Year approaches, here’s a digital compilation of highlights from our physical 2022 releases! Our opener and closer come from Chiara Civello’s 12” maxi single “Sono Come Sono” – Neapolitan groove meets Brazilian funk in the original, to which Whodamanny’s remix adds irresistible tribal vibes. Next up is Jolly Mare’s fantastic retouch of the infectious Umiliani classic “Discomania”, followed by soulful Salifornia rapper Tonico 70. “Nuvole Che Passano” is a true gem taken from the first ever compilation of library music by Enzo Minuti, aka Ezy Minus, who is also behind the little psych-dub masterpiece “Black Lights”. The selection continues with a trio of giants: Alessandro Alessandroni (from our exclusive box set “Alessandroni Proibito”), Piero Umiliani (from the reissue of “Paesaggi”) and Berto Pisano (from “La Novizia”). Ike’s smooth neo soul leads us to Dedy Dread and Olivia Ruff’s warm groove and to Scerida’s cosmic-exotic dreamland (released on our imprint Edizioni Della Notte), before Moonbrew and Paolo Apollo Negri take us into space and Banda Maje draw us back into the funky sound of Salifornia. Find yourself craving for more? You can check out every Four Flies release here on Bandcamp!