Varenna (Lecco), on the occasion of the bicentenary of the birth of Antonio Ghislanzoni: a series of initiatives at Villa Monastero

The Province of Lecco, on the occasion of bicentenary of the birth of Antonio Ghislanzoni (Lecco, 1824 – Caprino Bergamasco, 1893), hosts a Villa Monastero of Varenna alcune startedve which highlight the most original contribution offered to the Italian cultural and artistic experience of the second half of the nineteenth century by the man of letters of Lecco origin.

Poet, writer, journalist, theater critic and, in his youth, opera singer, Antonio Ghislanzoni he linked his name to the history of Italian opera by signing the libretto of Giuseppe Verdi's Aida (1871, Italian premiere 1872), with whom he also collaborated for the second version of Forza del Destino (1869).

Though today he is remembered mainly for his cooperation with Verdi, Ghislanzoni has offered a non-negligible contribution in various fields. As librettist, worked with significant composers such as Ponchielli, Gomes, Petrella, Catalani; Puccini and Mascagni set some of his lyrics to music in his youth. Directly or indirectly, Ghislanzoni was in contact with the most important representatives of Italian opera in the second half of the 19th century.

This experience is remembered in the first appointment: Sunday 26 May at 16.00pm since Botanical garden of Villa Monastero with the concert L'opera per tutti, dedicated to the popular dissemination of the great Italian opera in transcriptions for wind orchestra. The protagonist of the concert is the Giuseppe Verdi Philharmonic of Lecco-San Giovanni, one of the oldest associations in the area, directed by Mauro Bernasconi.

Less known is the creative side of Ghislanzoni linked to an expressive dimension typical of the literary current of Scapigliatura: the grotesque, humorous, surreal, linguistically and dramaturgically adventurous dimension, which finds surprising results in some booklets. This production is essential to complete the knowledge of the musical activities of the Scapigliati and it can be considered, in some respects, more modern and original than the 'serious' one.

These themes will be at the center of Emilio Sala's lectio magistralis entitled Antonio Ghislanzoni and modern musical humour, scheduled for Saturday 1 June at 16.00pm of Fermi room Villa Monastero. Emilio Sala, One of the leading experts on nineteenth-century Italian opera, is professor of musicology at the University of Milano It deals with the relationships between music and various forms of entertainment from both a historical and theoretical perspective. He is a member of numerous scientific committees; his latest book, "Opera, neuter plural. Glossary for 21st century music lovers”, was published by the publishing house Il Saggiatore. In 2014 he was awarded the international prize “Luigi and Eleonora Ronga” of the National Academy of the Lincei for works of Musicology and in 2024 he became a member of the European Academy.

Saturday 1 June ends at 17.30pm with a concert which summarizes the seething moment of Italian literary and musical culture in which Ghislanzoni lived. The Quartet “Franco Faccio" proposes a program that opens with the very rare “Quartet in G major” by Franco Faccio, leading figure of the Italian Scapigliatura, fraternal friend and collaborator of Arrigo Boito, composer and founder of modern orchestral conducting in Italy.

The program is completed by the fascinating composition “Chrysanthemums” by Puccini, which will be reused by the author in the last act of “Manon Lescaut”. Il “Franco Faccio Quartet” it is made up musicians of the Teatro alla Scala who have participated or participate in all the activities of the Theater, the Philharmonic and chamber groups of various formations, with the aim of proposing, among other things, the Italian chamber repertoire which has not yet enjoyed the deserved valorization. The members of the group are: Kaori Ogasawara violin, Antonio Mastalli violin, Claudio Pavolini viola, Gabriele Garofano cello.

Participation in cultural initiatives is free, upon payment of the entrance ticket: entrance ticket to the Botanical Garden for the concert on May 26th; entrance ticket to the Botanical Garden and the House Museum e reservation required for the lectio magistralis e the concert on June 1st, by writing an email to resmusica@alice.it.

For more information:

Phone: 0341 295450
E-mail: villa.monastero@provincia.lecco.it
Website: www.villamonastero.eu
Facebook: @villamonastero.lc
Instagram: @villamonastero_official