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La Grande Bellezza

“Io adoro i trenini”, I adore congas (in Italian “little trains”), Jep says. “My trenini are the most beautiful in all of Rome because they take you nowhere…” I’m blown away, puzzled, sad, and hopeful all at once as the final credits of the film transport me under and beyond i ponti romani, the Roman bridges.

It’s a trick….È un trucco. If you desire answers in life, you will find them hidden under the bla bla bla bla bla bla bla. They are all sedimented under the chatter and the noise, silence and feelings, emotions and fear.

“Il fatto che tu non abbia capito non vuol dire che nessuno possa capire.” Just because you didn’t understand, it doesn’t mean that nobody can understand.

“Diamo sempre il meglio con gli sconosciuti”, we always give our best with strangers.

There’s much competition in our society to appear different and at the same time a desperate need to belong to the same trenino, making you no different than anybody else. This is where human weaknesses are at their best: menzogne, vacuità, lies, emptiness. Nobility and clergy included, of course.

An illusion of movement as time passes, uno scatto fotografico alla volta, one photo click at a time, until we regretfully come to realize that nothing ever changes if there is no personal evolution. Precious opportunities are missed, unless we question ourselves, our direction, and our company.

“Roma mi ha deluso”, Rome has disappointed me. Disappointment comes from the choices we make as individuals and as a community when they are generated by a lack of responsibilty and by false ambitions that come from the ego and not from the heart, whether we are in Rome or Nepi or any other city. Roma, la città eterna, the eternal city, center of the world for centuries, is just a symbol of the decandence of our times. “Roma o morte”, Rome or death, was pronounced by Giuseppe Garibaldi whose intent was to tear Rome from the Pope. However, to conquer Rome, it was necessary to wait for the entire European geopolitical landscape to change. And the change eventually came.

“Perché non hai scritto più libri?” “Cercavo la grande bellezza, ma non l’ho trovata…”
“Why haven’t you written anymore books?” “I was looking for the great beauty, but I didn’t find it…

The night obscures, the morning clarifies, and at the age of 65, overwhelmed by regrets, sleeping on a sofa bed, un divano-letto, he finally chooses to see la grande bellezza of everything that surrounds him: youth, nature, love, and Rome. He’s ready to admit the answer to the question that troubled him all his life, “Perché Elisa mi lasciò?” Why did Elisa leave me? He lost the woman who loved him by choosing the easy way: deceiving himself and embracing fear over courage, indifference over love.

“Dunque, che questo romanzo abbia inizio”, may the novel begin…

This is a deleted scene of the film, una scena tagliata del film, with Giulio Brogi, that I really like.
Buona visione!

“Abbiate rispetto della vostra curiosità. Assecondatela. Molti la frenano.”
“Perché la frenano?”
“Perché….sono pigri, moralisti, indolenti. Sono scettici. Oddio, anche ignoranti.”
Translation:
“Have respect for your curiosity. Indulge in it. Many hold it back.”
”Why do they hold it back?”
“Because….they’re lazy, moralists, indolent. They’re skeptical. Gosh, even ignorant. “

Baldassare Galuppi: the forgotten composer

The history of the Basilica of San Marco has a long list of famous composers who were working there. People like Galuppi, Claudio Monteverdi, Antonio Lotti, Andrea Gabrielli and his nephew, Giovanni Gabrieli. Before we talk about the development of the Polychoral style (ie, a style of composition with more than one choir) we must speak of the architecture of the basilica, because the architecture has had a great influence on composers.

by Scot Buzza on February 24, 2014

Until a year ago Baldassare Galuppi, one of the forgotten composers (i compositori dimenticati), was unknown to me.

I learned about Galuppi and other forgotten Venetian composers, thanks to my student, Scot Buzza, a Cincinnati conductor and musicologist, who has recently transcribed their lost choral works (opere corali) from manuscripts found in archives in Paris, Dresden, Munich, and Venice.

Scot explained to me that what Galuppi had been able to accomplish musically went far beyond the more popular composers such as Verdi. This is an article written by him where he explains the history and significance of the forgotten composers’ works in la Basilica di San Marco.

Buona lettura!

Mirella

Photo: Scot Buzza, Basilica di San Marco, 2013

I want to talk a little about the development of a new genre of music, in which the building of St. Mark had a big role, namely the development of the concerto and the concept of cori spezzati.

The current basilica was constructed in 1617 in Byzantine and gothic styles. It is located near Piazza San Marco and was constructed in the shape of a crucifix. The ceilings are very high, and made of stone, of course. Acoustically, this is ideal for music, for reasons of resonance – musicians do not need artificial means to amplify the sound. Even the arches in the ceiling create an acoustic effect. But the part of the architecture that interests us is the numerous balconies, also called “galleries.” (gallerie) You can see that they are quite large, with plenty of space for people.

Photo: Scot Buzza, interior of the Basilica di San Marco, 2013

Beginning as early as the seventeenth century with Andrea Gabrieli , the galleries have been the inspiration for a new style of composition, where the composer uses two choirs that do not sing together. The style is called “Venetian Polychoral style” or “cori spezzati.” The effect for listeners is quite impressive, because in the context of a single work, first one choir sings on one side, then the other choir sings from the other side, and then sing together. Later, the Polychoral style reached an excess, with works such as “Spem in Alium”, which was composed of 40 individual voices divided into eight choirs! Here’s the score … you can listen to the recording of work.

As you can hear, with so many voices the effect is total chaos. It is very difficult to hear the text of the piece. Eventually the Council of Trent condemned the Polychoral style. But another development took place in influencing the history of music even more significant: in the case, the galleries of St. Mark have created the genre of the concerto. Today, by definition, a concerto is a work where a soloist plays the most interesting parts, accompanied by the orchestra. But this genre originally developed because there were instruments in the galleries of Saint Mark which accompanied the singers.

Photo: Scot Buzza, Manuscript of Baldassarre Galuppi,
Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana, Venezia, 2013

After a while there developed a practice of letting the musicians play without the singers, but still in the galleries, and again divided into two groups. To make a more dramatic contrast, they created a larger group, and a smaller group. In churches without galleries they did the same, but on the floor of the church. The first works that were concerti as we consider them today, were of a genre called “concerto grosso”. This is a concerto with a small group of 2 or 3 soloists who always played together. Later this concept became the concerto in the modern sense. But the most interesting thing is that all this is developed because of an accident of architecture.

Scot Buzza has had an international performing career that includes solo appearances with orchestras in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and Venezuela. He has held positions as principal violist of orchestras in Tokyo, Japan and Barcelona, Spain. As a chamber musician Mr. Buzza has performed worldwide, and his recitals have been broadcast on Radio France, PBS, Radio Amsterdam, Tokyo NHK and Radio Catalunya (Spain).
Buzza is a graduate of Yale University, where he held simultaneous fellowships in both the School of Music and the Department of Slavic Languages and Linguistics. He currently teaches a full course load in Aural Skills and Music History in the Department of Music at Northern Kentucky University, and taught the Sacred Music curriculum at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music from 1999 to 2012. From 2001 to 2013 Buzza directed the sacred music at Xavier University, where he founded and directed three choral ensembles. Since 2009 he has taught conducting and music history at the KIIS Institute in Salzburg, Austria, and assumed directorship of the program in 2013.
Scot Buzza’s interest in the musicology, history and research of sacred music was stimulated by his work transcribing and performing unpublished manuscripts of psalm motets of 18th century Venetian composer Baldassare Galuppi. He began researching sacred music of the Venetian settecento in 2008, which ultimately lead him to pursue his Ph.D. in musicology at the University of Kentucky.

How to use the verbs piacere and mancare in Italian

Come si usano i verbi piacere e mancare?

English follows

Allora, come si usa il verbo piacere? E’ una domanda che ricevo spesso. Credo che sia una buona idea rivedere come usare il verbo “piacere”, e verbi simili come “mancare” “servire”, “interessare”, ecc.

Per esempio, in italiano “mancare” può essere usato in diversi modi con vari significati. Vedremo il caso in cui significa “desiderare” indicando impazienza per qualcosa.

In questo caso segue una costruzione particolare che è comune anche ad altri verbi come “piacere” (vedi l’elenco sotto): ciò che ci piace è il soggetto mentre la persona che esprime apprezzamento diventa un pronome indiretto.

Mi (pronome indiretto) manca (verbo) l’Italia (soggetto).
Mi manca l’Italia.

È importante prendersi un momento per ripassare i pronomi indiretti e ricordare dove sono inseriti in una frase. Vedi la scheda in basso. Esistono 2 forme di pronomi indiretti: forma atona e forma tonica. La forma tonica è solitamente usata per enfatizzare.

So, how is the verb “piacere” used? It’s a question I get often. I think it’s a good idea to review how to use the verb “piacere”, and similar verbs like “mancare”, “servire”, “interessare”, etc.

In Italian “mancare” can be used in several ways with various meanings. We’ll learn how to use it when it means “to miss/to long for”, indicating impatience for something.

In this case it follows a particular construction that is also common to other verbs such as “piacere” (see list below): what we like is the subject while the person who expresses appreciation is expressed with an indirect object pronoun.

Mi (indirect object pronoun) manca (verb) l’Italia (subject).
I miss Italy.

It’s important to take a moment to review the indirect object pronouns and to remember where they are placed in a sentence. See the chart below. There are 2 forms of indirect object pronouns: forma atona and forma tonica. The forma tonica is usually used for emphasis.

SINGULAR forma atona	SINGULAR forma tonica
before the verb	before/after the verb
mi (to/for) me	a me (to/for) me
ti (to/for) you	a te (to/for) you
gli (to/for) him	a lui (to/for) him
Le/le (to/for) you (formal m. and f.)	a Lei/a lei (to/for) you (formal m. and f.)
PLURAL forma atona	PLURAL forma tonica
before the verb	before/after the verb
ci (to/for) us	a noi (to/for) us
vi (to/for) you	a voi (to/for) you
gli (to/for) them	a loro (to/for) them

Ricorda:

– Il verbo essere è l’ausiliare al passato prossimo: “Mi sono mancati i miei amici”. oppure “I miei amici sono mancati a me”.
– Il verbo mancare è singolare se seguito da un infinito: “Mi manca mangiare gli spaghetti”.
– A seconda della forma di pronome indiretto che stai utilizzando, la posizione dell’oggetto e del soggetto può essere invertita: “Mi manca l’Italia” o “L’Italia manca a me”.

Remember:
– The verb essere is used as the auxiliary in the passato prossimo tense: “Mi sono mancati i miei amici.” or “I miei amici sono mancati a me”.
– The verb mancare is singular when followed by an infinitive: “Mi manca mangiare gli spaghetti”.
– Depending on which form of indirect pronoun you are using, the position of the object and the subject can be inverted: “Mi manca l’Italia” or “L’Italia manca a me.”

Un elenco di altri verbi che seguono la stessa regola:

A list of other verbs that follow the same rule:

piacere – to like, to be pleasing
bastare – to be sufficient
attrarre – to attract
occorrere – to need
succedere – to happen
restare – to remain
servire – to serve
interessare – to interest
disgustare – to disgust
parere – to appear
sembrare – to seem
volerci – to take

Ecco un esercizio per fare fare pratica e non diemnticare di scrivere delle frasi nei commenti!

Here’s an exercise to help you practice and don’t forget to write some sentences in the comments!

📝 ESERCIZIO: COME USARE MANCARE (clicca qui) 📝

10 Ways to Laugh in Italian

What do you do when everything is going wrong? (quando tutto va storto) In Italy we laugh to keep from crying! (ridiamo per non piangere) Armed with a sense of humour, everything is easier even after the heavy storms that flooded many Italian cities this past week, among which the capital (la capitale), whose manholes (tombini) haven’t been cleaned since the Roman Times! (dai tempi dei Romani).

But with Carnevale approaching we are reminded that in Italy comedy and drama go hand in hand. An example of this is La Commedia dell’Arte, a colorful theatrical art form which began in the 16^th century. What made it so special was that there was no need for spoken language (la lingua parlata), therefore all social classes, regions, dialects came together and enjoyed the comic plots based on skillful mime, stereotyped stock characters, masks, physical gestures, improvised dialogues and clowning. Some of the characters that reigned La Commedia dell’Arte are: Arlecchino, Columbina, Pulcinella, il Dottore, il Capitano and Pantalone.

However, if you’re lucky to be in Italy in February/March, don’t miss (non ti perdere) some of the most famous carnivals which are held in Venice, Viareggio, Ivrea, Cento, Gabettola and Acireale.

And don’t forget to carry some Italian expressions of laughter with you!

What’s your favourite expression? Try making a sentence!

1) morire dal ridere – laugh to death

2) ridere a crepapelle – laugh out loud

3) sbellicarsi dal ridere – crack up laughing

4) ridere sotto i baffi – to snigger

5) schiantarsi dal ridere – to knock yourself out laughing

6) ridere di cuore – laugh wholeheartedly

7) ridere alle spalle – laugh at someone’s back

8) ridere con gusto – laugh with gusto

9) ridere da pazzi – laugh like crazy

10) ridere per non piangere – laugh to keep from crying

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Michelangelo’s Visual Grocery List

How to communicate if you don’t speak or read a language? Draw it! (disegnalo) Michelangelo, of course, knew that well. It was actually a common practice in the old days to hand-draw (disegnare a mano) items for the illiterate, such as Michelangelo’s servant in this case.

I was still living in Florence when I embarked in an adventure to retrace Michelangelo’s steps while I was reading “The Agony and the Ecstasy” by Irving Stone. I learned much about il Grande Genio; that he was a humble and poor man (un uomo umile e povero), who only obtained wealth in his later years and that paper was a necessity but also a luxury (una necessità ma anche un lusso) for him; therefore, it would never go wasted. He would save and recycle scraps of paper to draw and write on. He would also destroy his sketches (i suoi schizzi) as he only wanted his polished works to be seen. I don’t think he would be happy to know that his grocery list has now gone viral on the internet! He had un caratteraccio, a temper, that’s for sure! But that is what made him great.

Casa Buonarroti in Florence, an important museum, often overlooked by tourists, is where this document is archived. It was my final emotional stop. It’s the house he built and died in after revolutionizing the world for 88 years!

Here are the 15 grocery items written in 16^th century Florentine:pani dua (two loaves of bread)
un bochal di vino (a bottle of wine)
una aringa (a herring;a line like that over a letter or word stands in for an unwritten “n” or “m”)
tortegli (tortelli)

una salama (a salame)
quattro pani (four loaves of bread)
un bochal di tondo (a bottle of tondo, or full ‘rotund’ wine)
e un quartuccio di bruscho (a quarter of rough wine)
un piattello di spinaci (a plate of spinach)
quattro alice (four anchovies)
tortelli (tortelli)

sei pani (six loaves of bread)
due minestre di finocchio (two fennel soups)
una aringa (a herring)
un bochal di tondo (a bottle of tondo).

I find illustrations or drawing the vocabulary myself very useful to be able to memorize it better.

Are you a visual learner like me?

New Year’s Resolution: more Italian!

Do you want to learn or improve your Italian in the New Year? Certo! That’s a bellissimo New Year’s resolution!

Do you want to learn or improve your Italian in the New Year? Certo! That’s a bellissimo New Year’s resolution! (buon proposito per l’anno nuovo)… Include into your life more of everything in Italian: language, cinema, music, books, and food of course! Perhaps even a trip to Italy. I don’t think it could get any better!

The easiest way for me to stick to my goals (i miei obiettivi) is to keep them simple and fun. And this way, by the end of the year I sometimes exceed my initial expectations (supero le mie aspettative iniziali).

Here are some tips (alcuni consigli) to incorporate more Italian into your year:

1) Language – Every single day do some Italian. Learning a language requires daily practice. Only 15 minutes can make a big difference. But make sure you alternate different activities that you enjoy.

2) Music – I can’t live without music. It’s usually in the background (sullo sfondo) almost all day long. I find it the best way to learn a language. Language is music! Any music will do. Pump up the volume (alza il volume) and sing along!

3) Cinema – I love old Italian movies and I watch one almost every month. Italian movies allow you to immerse yourself in the Italian culture. If you’re a beginner, subtitles are fine, if you’re not, challenge yourself! Great Italian directors of the past are Visconti, Germi, Olmi, Fellini, Pasolini, and some recent ones are Golino, Moretti, Benigni, Comencini, Tornatore.

4) Books – Reading is very effective to increase your vocabulary and to practice the grammar with almost no sweat (senza sudore). If you don’t feel ready for a novel just yet, try reading a short story (un racconto) every month. The classics are usually not written in standardized modern Italian and they could be harder to understand. Some of my favourite modern authors are Elsa Morante, Italo Calvino, Alda Merini, Dacia Maraini.

5) Food – Every Sunday, (or even everyday!), why not prepare an Italian recipe in Italian? Or perhaps you can go out to an Italian restaurant. Practice reading the menu in Italian and speaking to the Italian waiter. If he doesn’t speak Italian, there might be some chatty Italians nearby!

Let’s combine duty and pleasure (uniamo l’utile al dilettevole)

What are your Italian resolutions for the New Year? Let me know in the comments!

Buon Anno!

Mirella

p.s. Animals are always very wise (molto saggi) not only when it comes to languages!

Top 10 Mistakes To Avoid When Learning Italian

I was inspired to write this handy little guide to help students improve the quality of their Italian learning practice. It is the fruit of my experience teaching Italian and English as a second language for over 10 years, and learning 4 languages during and after my bachelor’s degree in linguistics.

I’ve listed the 10 most common mistakes that I’ve noticed students make when they’re learning Italian. It might be the first time you’re exploring a second language, and you’re not sure what it entails, especially with a fascinating and complex language such as Italian. Perhaps you’ve been studying for a while and you feel that you are not advancing as much as you wish to. In this case, if any of the mistakes listed are true for you, then you’ll soon be back on track, as I’ve also added some tips to help you avoid or overcome il problema.

So whether you are starting from scratch or you need to refocus, I hope this guide encourages you to stay motivated and helps spark renewed passion in your viaggio della lingua italiana.

Non aspettare, don’t wait, subscribe to Una Parola Al Giorno newsletter by and you’ll receive the free e-book, “Top 10 Mistakes To Avoid When Learning Italian”.

Buono Studio!
Mirella