L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 22 L'Italo-Americano o f A n t o n i o B a r e z z i , t h e d i r e c t o r o f t h e l o c a l Philharmonic Society. The patronage of Barezzi quickly developed into a true per- sonal one, as Verdi married Margherita Barezzi and, in time, had two children. But while Verdi's climb to fame and fortune was rather con- sistent, his personal life was not, as his wife and children succumbed to illnesses that took all three of them away l e a v i n g t h e y o u n g m a n bereft of reason for some time. But Barezzi continued h i s s u p p o r t a n d i n t i m e introduced the young talent to Vincenzo Lavigna and the musical world of Milan. Even though Verdi's trip was financed by the Grand D u c h e s s o f T u s c a n y ( t h e w i d o w o f N a p o l e o n B o n a p a r t e ) , V e r d i ' s f i r s t entry into the musical circles of the grand city of Milan was not successful since he was refused entry as a stu- dent at the Conservatory. He would never forget that so, when he became successful, he always had the perfor- mances of his opera at La Scala cost the management more than the production l i c e n s e s p a i d a t o t h e r venues. As his rise to fame was consistent, he soon became the companion of a noted s o p r a n o o f t h e d a y , G i u s e p p i n a S t r e p p o n i . Theirs was a typical profes- sional engagement with her s i n g i n g r o l e s i n S t . Petersburg sometimes, while he was premiering new com- positions in Paris and else- where. But their profession- a l e n g a g e m e n t c a l e n d a r s were soon arranged to cor- rect this and, for some eight years, Giuseppina helped Verdi manage his musical engagements. In 1851, Verdi bought a house in the village of Sant'Agata on the out- skirts of Busseto that once was lived in by his father. Giuseppina and Verdi spent forty-six happy years togeth- er there until her passing in 1897. But she died as his wife as they had finally got m a r r i e d q u i e t l y o n 2 9 August 1859 after a pleasant afternoon ride in Collonges- sous-Salève, a village then part of Piedmont. Today visits are allowed i n f i v e o f t h e f i r s t f l o o r rooms of the house, known as Villa Verdi. One of the first is Strepponi's bedroom decorated in green velvet with a dressing room featur- ing a small piano. Passing t h r o u g h t h a t , y o u ' l l f i n d Verdi's bedroom with a side study where he managed his accounts. The windows of the grand living room look into a small park full of vari- ous exotic trees, which Verdi h a d p l a n t e d , a s w e l l a s a two-foot-high stone monu- ment, Giuseppina and Verdi e r e c t e d i n m e m o r y o f a beloved dog. The tour ends with this grand room, which c o n t a i n s f u r n i t u r e t a k e n f r o m t h e H o t e l d e M i l a n where Verdi died after suf- fering a stroke on January 27, 1901. On leaving the estate, you should not miss the monu- ment dedicated to the mae- stro in the main square of B u s s e t o , a c i t y t h a t a l s o houses Casa Barezza, which contains a collection of all the correspondence Verdi wrote before and after strug- gling to establish himself. Not to be missed are also the c h u r c h e s o f S a n t a M a r i a d e g l i A n g e l i a n d S a n Michele Arcangelo, where the young Verdi played the organ, as well as the 300 seats Teatro Giuseppe Verdi that the municipality built with financial support from their famous genius. ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS ACTIVITIES Piacenza will astound tourist sfor all of its medieval and modern beauty. After taking in the city, a fifty-minute car ride will finally bring the music enthusiast to Verdi's "territory:" Le Roncole, Sant'Agata and Busseto Continued from page 20 Piazza Duomo, in Piacenza, and the cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta and Santa Giustina (Photo: Alessandro Mascheroni/Dreamstime) A small pier on lake Massaciuccoli, in Torre del Lago (Photo: Ivan Spasic/Dreamstime)

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