Piacenza a place where Giuseppe Verdi lived during his boyhood, holds the great man is high esteem, as it shows in this loving homage to the composer by Italian director Marco Bellocchio in this wonderful documentary. Of course, Verdi went away from Piacenza as he became well known, but mention his name in the city and you will find a lot of his fans that obviously cherish his memory, even today, after almost a century after the death of their beloved composer.
We are taken to meet some of his admirers, many of them lovers of his operas that gather to talk about the maestro and sing some of his well known arias. Then, we are taken to an audition at the Comunali, the theater where most of his operas are performed to watch an audition. A young soprano, Eleonora Alberici is invited to perform in front of the directors of the theater. She wants to sing "Traviata", perhaps Verdi's most beloved work. The young woman shows determination even when her delivery lacks the appropriate technique. Asked after her aria what are her plans she explains the would like to make her debut with that opera, and names the others she would like to do, as she grows up.
Several arias from that opera are performed by some local singers. There is a moving account of an older baritone that sings Gremont's plea to Violetta in letting her beloved Alfredo be free. Violetta's death bed song is sung by all the invited sopranos where the director moves from each one to make a cohesive study in one of the saddest arias of any opera.
Excellent job by Marco Bellocchio.
We are taken to meet some of his admirers, many of them lovers of his operas that gather to talk about the maestro and sing some of his well known arias. Then, we are taken to an audition at the Comunali, the theater where most of his operas are performed to watch an audition. A young soprano, Eleonora Alberici is invited to perform in front of the directors of the theater. She wants to sing "Traviata", perhaps Verdi's most beloved work. The young woman shows determination even when her delivery lacks the appropriate technique. Asked after her aria what are her plans she explains the would like to make her debut with that opera, and names the others she would like to do, as she grows up.
Several arias from that opera are performed by some local singers. There is a moving account of an older baritone that sings Gremont's plea to Violetta in letting her beloved Alfredo be free. Violetta's death bed song is sung by all the invited sopranos where the director moves from each one to make a cohesive study in one of the saddest arias of any opera.
Excellent job by Marco Bellocchio.
