|
| Above: The former residence of Giuseppe Verdi, the "Villa Verdi" at S. Agata |
Unfortunate news has traveled down the wire from Italy regarding the current state of the iconic composer Giuseppe Verdi's former home-turned-museum. After failing to meet their €100,000 goal to repair serious damage to the structure though a crowd funding campaign and with no remaining member of the Verdi's descendants, who presently own the relic (complete with intimate objects belonging to the composer, left in the same state Verdi left them after his death some 121 years ago - a stipulation left by the composer in his will)[1] able to buy out one another, Italian news media reports the home is set to be put up for sale, likely via auction, pending an order issued by the Court of Parma and with the State first exercising its right of pre-emption.
I wish to thank those viewers who shared the article previously posted on Unraveling Musical Myths regarding the dire state of the museum - your passion for Verdi, his music, and legacy allowed for a stalling fundraiser to kick up into high gear once more and secure for the descendants (Carrara) Verdi some €12,494.
Unfortunately, this fundraiser, launched by Verdi's great-great grandson, Angiolo Carrara-Verdi, was very poorly advertised outside of Italy by the mainstream press.
It appears this decision is final - potential donors visiting the official fundraiser website for the museum are greeted with the notice "Project Completed."
Speaking regretfully with the local Italian newspaper, Libertà, Angiolo laid bare the feelings of the descendants Verdi:
“There is much regret... it was only a matter of time. Not being able to find an agreement, the villa has met this unpleasant end...I respected the wishes of the maestro...I hope that whoever [buys it] in the future treats it in the same way, as a home. It can’t just become a cold museum.”
READ (previous article on this story at Unraveling Musical Myths, 30 July, 2020):
MUSEUM / FORMER RESIDENCE OF VERDI, "VILLA VERDI" IN DIRE FINANCIAL STRAITS, LAUNCHES CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGN IN EFFORT TO PREVENT PERMANENT CLOSURE TO PUBLIC
Above: Leontyne Price sings her farewell performance as Aida at the Met in
1985. I find the aria "O Patria Mia" to be quite fitting for the subject
matter at hand. Just as Price, as Aida, bids a symbolic adieu to her native
land, so too, do fans of Verdi - especially those residing in Italy - lose a
part of their culture as the composers' former residence is set to leave
family hands.
Footnotes:
[1]Includes the Viennese Fritz piano on which Verdi composed Il Trovatore and La Traviata, and the gloves worn by the composer to conduct his famous Requiem Mass for the for Italian poet Alessandro Manzoni on the occasion of its premiere in Milan in 1874. In fact, virtually every item contained within the residence has been left untouched by the composers' descendants, who have personally financed and maintained the structure, leaving the home - and the contents within it - exactly as Verdi had left it.[2]Italian press article
[3]Most recent article (as of the time of this posting) from Italian newspaper "Libertà" (31 May, 2022)
[4] Original article from Libertà announcing the sale of Villa Verdi (27 May 2022)
-Rose.
No comments:
Post a Comment