TWO VOICES FROM THE GOLDEN WEST

Last night The Italian Cultural Center of Chicago was delighted to host the tenor Marcello Giordani and baritone Marco Vratogna as they discussed their experiences in singing the roles of outlaw Dick Johnson and Sheriff Jack Rance in Puccini's La fanciulla del west (The Girl of the Golden West) at Lyric Opera of Chicago. Mr. Giordani enthusiastically explained how he started, almost by chance, his venture in the Opera world. Mr. Vratogna told differents anecdotes about his experience in the music world and shared how meeting Luciano Pavarotti was an eye-opening experience that inspired him to continue singing. The audience showed interest and enthusiasm and the event continued through the evening with a vibrant exchange between the two guests and their public.

Good morning Aman captures audience's interest

“The problem isn’t realizing dreams, the problem is having dreams”. This is a sentence that will resonate with any person who lost hope in life regardless of race, creed or political affiliation. It is also the focal idea behind “Good Morning Aman”, the Italian film directed by Claudio Noce and shown last night at the Italian Cultural Institute. The film tells the story of a friendship between two very different individuals, at first appearance at least.
The audience showed a great deal of interest and enthusiasm for the movie and agreed on how refreshing it was to see a film dealing with the issues surrounding immigration from a different angle, in particular the idea that people can feel like an “immigrant” even in their own country.

Discovering Carracci's Art

Tuesday night the Italian Cultural Institute had the pleasure to host a lecture about Ludovico Carracci’s paintings. The conference was held by Eve Straussman-Pflanzer, Associate Curator of European Painting and Sculpture before 1750 at the Art Institute of Chicago. She

accurately explained all the technical aspects of Carracci’style, such as the use of colour and the meaning of the lines and shapes. Historical circumstances were also mentioned, so that the public could go more deeply into the context in which Carracci was operating.

She examined Carracci’s responsibility for transforming Bolognese painting from

the staid and restricted Mannerist style of the last part of the 16th century into that

compelling blend of Classicism with naturalistic elements that would dominate 17th-

century Italian painting. The speech was accompanied by beautiful images of the

paintings of the artists, that kept up the audience’s attention minute by minute. At the end of the lecture, the Curator exhaustively answered to all the audience’s questions. 

Getting to know Maria Callas

The documentary “Maria Callas: La Divina” was shown yesterday at the Institute. Its screening was preceded by a brilliant lecture by Jesse Rosenberg, Associate Professor of Musicology at Northwestern University, who gave an extensive introduction about the American born Greek soprano. Professor Rosenberg talked about her personal and artistic life while expressing his admiration for her musical and dramatic talent. On the occasion, copies of the book "The Young Maria Callas,"edited by Bruno Tosi and published by Guernica Editions with the support of the Italian Cultural Institutes in North America, were freely given to the large audience present at the event.

Celebrating of one of the most original Italian artists: Caravaggio

Yesterday night the Italian Cultural Institute hosted a lecture on Caravaggio entitled "The Painter’s body" by the Assistant Professor of Italian Studies and Adjunct Professor of Art History at Northwestern University, Marco Ruffini. The audience was really enthusiastic and interested in discovering new and stimulating details about this innovating artist, thanks especially to the accurate and exhaustive explanations by professor Ruffini who mainly focused on the comparison between the art of Federico Zuccari and the innovation of the Lombard genius. This lecture was presented on the occasion of Caravaggio's 400 years death’s anniversary, and on the occasion of the sensational discovery of the artist’s remains in Porto Ercole in Tuscany. This event was also presented in conjunction with the 2010 Chicago Humanities Festival's theme “The Body.” 

European Jazz Festival: Great Success for Marraffa / Braida Duo

Chicago Cultural Center was crowded yesterday in occasion of the European Jazz Festival. On the first of these two free nights of music, Edoardo Marraffa (tenor and sopranino saxophones) and Alberto Braida (piano) were invited to represent Italy and Italian jazz. The magnificent Preston-Bradley Hall was full with people involved into music and jazz improvisation lovers.

The extraordinary natural acoustics of the Hall magnified Marraffa and Braida’s interplay: the delicate, tradition-rooted pianism of Alberto Braida intermingled with the more radically experimental and aggressive sounds produced by Edoardo Marraffa’s saxes. The result, aggressive and enchanted at the same time, literally hypnotized the audience.
It comes then as no surprise that they got a long round of applause at the end of their exhibition. The two musicians too seemed to be very satisfied with their first Chicago experience!

 

Aldo Cazzullo: Viva l'Italia!

Aldo Cazzullo was at the Institute yesterday to present his latest books “L’Italia de Noantri. Come siamo diventati tutti meridionali” and “Viva l’Italia!.” The public’s response was enthusiastic : an intense debate followed, concerning various aspects of contemporary Italian society.

Since Aldo Cazzullo, as a journalist and correspondent for the Italian newspaper “Corriere della Sera”, was in Chicago to follow the mid-term elections, he was obliged to leave as soon as the debate was closed, so that he could write his article.

Flick or treat? - Opera by Dario Argento

The last event about Verdi’s Macbeth took place yesterday at the IIC with the screening of “Opera”. This horror movie, by Italian director Dario Argento, tells the story of Betty, a young opera singer, who gets her big chance when the previous star of a production of Verdi's Macbeth is run over by a car. She accepts, although the play is notorious for bringing bad luck, and becomes the target of a psychopath. This misterious assailant stalks Betty, capturing her by tying her up and taping pins to her eyelids, so she is forced to watch as he violently murders the people around her.  The killings are very shocking and bloody and create an unforgettable atmosphere of dread and fear, in a classic Argento - Style, which the audience at the Institute seemed to enjoy. Some of the guests came in costume and a special refreshment with gummi eyes, cookies and skeleton candies was offered. This was an occasion of celebrating a Halloween, an American tradition, in an Italian way!

Cooperation between Italy and Switzerland

Yesterday the Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago showed how strong the ties are between Italy and Switzerland. The lectures given by Marco Cameroni and Paola Piffaretti about 17th century Swiss-Italian artists who worked in Italy, rounded up a multi-language audience which was very satisfied to discover Ticino, an Italian-speaking region of Switzerland,  which gave birth to many talented people.  As the event was organised on the occasion of the 10th Italian Language Week, both lectures were given in Italian. An English translation of the speeches was at the audience's disposal. The meeting was organized by the Italian Cultural Institute in collaboration with Consulate General of Switzerland in Chicago. A reception followed, with traditional Swiss specialties and wines graciously offered by the Consul General of Switzerland, Giambattista Mondada.

Once You Are Born You Can No Longer Hide draws a wide audience

Such a great audience yesterday at the Italian Cultural Institute for the screening of “Quando sei nato non puoi piu’ nasconderti” (Once You Are Born You Can No Longer Hide)!  The conference room was crowded with people and students from Loyola University and Harold Washington College, interested both in the Italian language and in the ticklish theme of immigration. The movie, directed by Marco Tullio Giordana, made the audience laugh at the very beginning, depicting in a flimsy way the life of a young and well-to-do Italian boy ; later moved it, showing the terrible conditions in which immigrants attempt to reach Italy. This was the second movie of a series dedicated to the Italian Language Week. Two more are scheduled: “Io, l’altro” (I, the Other) by  Mohsen Melliti on Nov 18, 5.30 pm and “Good Morning Aman” by Claudio Noce on Dec 15, 5.30 pm.