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CARUSO, DI STEFANO, CORELLITHE LEGENDARY ITALIAN VOICES

One hundred years ago, in 1921, Enrico Caruso, one of the most famous singers in history, died in Naples. In that same year two tenors were born who would become both a musical point of reference for the 20th Century and the protagonists of some legendary shows at La Scala: Giuseppe Di Stefano and Franco Corelli.This anniversary is an opportunity to commemorate three tenors who represented the Italian culture in the world and transitioned the myth of the tenor into modernity.

INTRODUCTION

Enrico Caruso’s international career at the turn of the 20th Century is one of those rare cases in which the fame of an opera singer comes out from the restricted circle of his fans thanks to his ability to exploit a new invention: the record. Caruso himself was the voice of the first 78 rpm recorded in Italy, in 1902, proving how well art and progress can combine.

Giuseppe Di Stefano and Franco Corelli were two tenors with very different characteristics, despite their repertoire being very similar Di Stefano’s vocal softness and lyricism was in contrast with Corelli’s proverbial vocal power and whose ability to fade into “piano” and “mezzavoce” goes too often unmentioned.

The fact that both of them were considered paradigmatic interpreters of the same repertoire is proof enough of the infinite possibilities offered by all those masterpieces of which people think they already know everything about.

An exhibition that aims to celebrate these three legendary tenors can only start from Caruso, an artist capable of grasping the shift in susceptibility from the typical nineteenth-century tenor’s heroism to a more intimate, almost bourgeoise, interpretation as he demonstrated in Adriana Lecouvreur, Fedora and La fanciulla del West. The exhibition will then present Corelli and Di Stefano’s most important interpretations: those next to Maria Callas in the Fifties (La vestale and Poliuto - Corelli, La traviata and Lucia di Lammermoor - Di Stefano), but also their personal triumphs reported by the press and by the photos taken on stage that will help the visitors to immerse themselves in the artistic climate of those years in which La Scala and its artists were standard-bearers of the Italian upswing between the postwar period and the economic boom.In addition to this, a comparison will also be displayed between the three artists’ different interpretations of the same arias, e.g. "Vesti la giubba", a manifesto of Italian musical verism.

CONCEPT

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DESPERATE CHARACTERS

The creative team:Met General Manager Giulio Gatti-Casazza, playwright and director David Belasco, conductor Arturo Toscanini, and composer Giacomo Puccini (from left)

December 10, 1910, was perhaps the biggest night the Metropolitan Opera—then just 27 years old—had ever seen. !e world premiere of the latest work by the most successful opera composer of his day was a social and artistic event that had New Yorkers buzzing for weeks before and a"er. Everyone was talking about La Fanciulla del West.

!ree years earlier, Giacomo Puccini had come to New York to supervise the first Met production of Madama Butterfly. While he

GIRLCRAZY

was here, he went to see a Broadway play by writer-producer-director David Belasco (whose Madame Butterfly had provided the basis for the earlier opera). But instead of Japan, this one was set in California. Entitled !e Girl of the Golden West, it became the inspiration for Puccini’s next stage work. In the summer of 1910, the composer signed a contract with the Met—La Fanciulla del West, his “American” opera, would first be performed in America.

Giulio Gatti-Casazza, the Met’s general manager, spared no expense. Enrico Caruso, Emmy Destinn, and Pasquale Amato headed the cast, Arturo Toscanini was on the podium, and

Belasco directed. Fanciulla was a rousing success, and Puccini, who was in the audience for the premiere, later called it

“the best opera I have written.”One hundred years later, Fanciulla

is back at the Met for a special centen-nial run of performances. American diva Deborah Voigt stars in the title role of Minnie, the fearless bar owner and bible teacher. Marcello Giordani sings the bandit Ramerrez, also known as Dick Johnson, and Lucio Gallo is the sheriff, Jack Rance. Herewith, a collection of photos and clippings from the milestone first run—plus some thoughts from Voigt about her gun-toting, drink-slinging turn. —Philipp Brieler

Opposite: Enrico Caruso as Dick Johnson and Emmy Destinn as Minnie in a scene from Act II of Fanciulla’s world premiere

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This proposal regards the planning and realization of a virtual exhibition (that can be visited remotely) dedicated to the three Italian tenors.The exhibition will be divided into several rooms. The virtual space will be interactive: it will allow the visitor to move around the various rooms and, through interaction with dedicated points (hotspots), to enjoy the themes and contents of each section.The setting will be that of Teatro alla Scala, recognizable to an international audience.The visitor will find himself transported to the Italian “ Temple of the Opera”.

VIRTUAL EXHIBITION

THE PROPOSALThe proposal includes the design and setting up of a virtual exhibition - which can be visited

remotely - dedicated to the three artists.

Many different areas make up the exhibition, where the virtual space is interactive: visitors will have the

chance to move around and use some "hot spots" to go more in depth into the topics and contents of

each section.

The exhibition is curated by Mattia Palma.https://www.cultweek.com/author/mattia-palma/

THE SETTINGThe exhibition is set inside the La Scala theatre, which can easily be recognised by an international

audience.

This venue conveys a message, as visitors will find themselves in the world's most renowned

"temple of opera".

The 3D-designed space will therefore be virtual, but real.

THE ITINERARYAt first, visitors are outside the Theatre, before they go in through the Foyer, open the mirrored

door and find themselves inside the Box of Honour. This is the point of observation of Teatro alla Scala.Visitors can experience an immersive visit from inside the Theatre.

The hot spot located on the stage can be activated to play the first introductory video about the

exhibition and the Italian opera in the world.

The curator will explain the meaning of the exhibition and show the exhibition route.

Duration of the video approx. 60-120".

FROM THE THEATRE TO THE FOYERVisitors will move inside the huge, Imposing, magnificent area of the Foyer.

The exhibition dedicated to the three tenors will be set up with light, non-invasive and mainly-

graphic totems designed by architect Lorenzo Greppi and creative director Marco Barberis.

The exhibition will include areas that are specifically focussed on the three tenors.

Like a real exhibition, the setting will be designed and integrated with explanatory graphics. Here

below are the modes of narration and use of the areas dedicated to the tenors:

Foyer

Totem

Di Stefano

Corelli

Caruso

SETTING UP AND USER EXPERIENCE

• an in-depth multimedia narration (a 3-minute video) on the artist, supplemented by

documents, photographs, drawings, librettos and letters. Reference: Rossini 150 years

Reference: https://vimeo.com/305450603

• Like in a real exhibition, the virtual space displays documents from the Historical Archive of

the Museum of Teatro alla Scala and from other archives.

For each document (7 STATIONS FOR EACH ARTIST) there will be several hot spots that

can be framed to:

- display a full-screen sheet with the picture of the document(s);

- show a short explanatory text that will also be read out;

- play the opera piece to which the documents refer.

FROM THE FOYER TO THE THEATRE

At the end of the visit, the three tenors will meet on the stage of La Scala theatre.

Curator Mattia Palma, music critic

Scientific Committee:- Dominique Meyer, CEO and Artistic Director of the Teatro alla Scala- Franco Pulcini, Editorial Director at Teatro alla Scala- Paolo Besana, Head of Press Office at Teatro alla Scala- Paolo Gavazzeni, Stage Director

General project coordinator:Donatella Brunazzi - Director of Museo Teatrale alla Scala

Art Direction and multimedia project development:Punto Rec Studios - Anna Martina (Editing), Marco Barberis (Art Director), Cristina Tedesco (Project Manager)

Graphic project :Lorenzo Greppi , Studio Greppi

Research of iconographic and sound materials:Luca De Zan- BravOPera

Archives Research Coordination:Matteo Sartorio - Museum Curator