By Evan Harmonique
The “Opera is in the Air Italiana” was very lovely. It was performed by the Opera Italiana Orchestra composed of members from the MET Opera, NY Philharmonic, and students from various local music schools, conducted by Alvise Casellati, with Soprano Latonia Moore, Tenor Kang, and Bass George Andguladze. The concert took place at the Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park in Manhattan. This was the first concert that I had witnessed live. I was more connected to the symphonic pieces and not as much to the opera pieces. My partner was also there with me, and he is a big fan of opera who has seen them before, and he enjoyed it so much. It was very cool to see Italian heritage and music be celebrated in this way. It was impressive seeing a musical prodigy’s work being honored and played at the concert. It was also so nice seeing my Music and Western Society Professor at the Borough of Manhattan Community College, violist, Ina Litera, perform.
Alvise Casellati, the conductor of the performance, is originally from Italy. He is the Founder and Music Director of Opera Italiana is in the Air, created in 2017 with the mission of making the beauty of Italian opera accessible to everyone. This tells us his love and appreciation for Italian opera and music, and this influences us, especially those who aren’t familiar with Italian works, to look at it with an open-minded lens.
It was an intimate setting, held outdoors. The concert was free, but some VIP members and individuals connected to the performers were seated beside the stage. The remaining audience members either stood or sat a little farther away. While there were still a considerable number of people present, it didn’t feel overcrowded, which contributed to the intimate atmosphere. It was encouraging to see so many people eager to enjoy the performance, and I definitely felt welcome. There were also individuals handing out small flyers about the event.
The concert featured a diverse catalog, showcasing the brilliance of both historical and contemporary compositions. Highlights included Goffredo Mameli’s Canto degli Italiani (Italian National Anthem), Giuseppe Verdi’s Hymn of the Nations and the US National Anthem, along with operatic masterpieces like Pietro Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana Intermezzo, Alfredo Catalani’s La Wally, and Gioachino Rossini’s Guglielmo Tell Overture. Notable works such as Giacomo Puccini’s La Bohème, which tells the timeless story of love among young Parisian artists, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Don Giovanni, a tale of the libertine Don Juan and his ultimate descent into hell, captivated the audience with their enduring appeal. However, the most striking moment of the evening was the premiere of Echoes of the Land by child prodigy Isaac Thomas, whom Maestro Casellati regards as the “Mozart of our times.”
The work I heard and liked the most was the Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana by Pietro Mascagni. It portrayed the emotion of the message so well and it was very moving. The instrumentation of strings and harp played together was enchanting and melancholic. Mascagni was born on December 7, 1863, in Livorno, Italy.
Cavalleria Rusticana takes place in a Sicilian village on Easter Sunday in the late 19th century. Turiddu serenades his mistress, Lola, while Santuzza, in love with him, searches for Turiddu at his mother’s tavern. She reveals to Mamma Lucia that Turiddu has been unfaithful, having returned to Lola after serving in the army. Tensions rise when Turiddu confronts Santuzza, denying his feelings for Lola. After a tense encounter with Alfio, Lola’s husband, Turiddu challenges him to a duel, aware that his actions could lead to tragedy. The Intermezzo occurs after the confrontation between Turiddu and Santuzza. The story culminates in a tragic ending, with Turiddu’s death leaving Santuzza and Mamma Lucia devastated.
Pietro Mascagni’s music remains captivating and emotionally resonating for several reasons. Mascagni introduced verismo (realism) in opera, which focused on everyday life and real human emotions. Cavalleria Rusticana is a prime example, depicting a dramatic love triangle in a Sicilian village. His compositions are known for their intense emotional depth and dramatic narratives. Additionally, The Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana is particularly famous for its lyrical beauty and has been widely used in films and other media. Mascagni’s works often reflect the culture and traditions of Italy and his ability to convey the essence of Italian life and landscapes through music makes his compositions timeless. Although Mascagni is best known for Cavalleria Rusticana, he composed a variety of operas and other musical works like the L’amico Fritz, which was a romantic comedy, lightweight but with a tinge of melancholy, Guglielmo Ratcliff, a long Gothic melodrama and, Iris, a unique opera set in Japan.
All the performers were very skilled and proficient in what they did. It engaged me as a listener. The orchestra was dressed in collared shirts, while the opera singers wore suits and dresses. Opera Italiana in the Air is designed to bring classical Italian opera to diverse audiences in a celebratory yet refined setting. It seemed timeless, reflecting the cultural and emotional depth of Italian opera. It was dramatic, emotional, beautiful, expressive, and moving. Chloe Melas hosted the event, and she presented well and engaged humor in her talks which was refreshing and engaged the audience in a light-hearted way, which I always love. This casual nature harmonized well with the event’s formality, effectively balancing its significance. All the pieces in the program created a cohesive experience, even with the changes between instrumental and opera pieces. The performers did speak to the audience. It was nice to hear Maestro Caselatti talk about his passion for Italian opera and why such a performance is being held in the first place.
This was a pleasant event and a good opener to the world of live opera and instrumental music. It would be worth repeating, though I would prefer to see and listen to more instrumental music as that is what I really felt connected to and spoke to me. I would recommend it to a friend, especially someone who hasn’t delved into the big world of classical music. I think many of my peers, especially younger folks, have not explored it widely and it would be an amusing discovery for them to find something that they don’t usually listen to and find comfort in.
WORKS CITED
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