L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MAY 18, 2023 www.italoamericano.org L'Italo-Americano 2 A symphony orches- tra is composed of dozens of elements p l a y i n g a w i d e variety of instru- ments: violins, violas, cellos, double basses, harps, flutes, horns, clarinets, percussion, trumpets, oboes, bassoons, and piccolos. Unlike opera, which involves staging a true spectacle with singers, sets, and choreog- raphy, symphony orchestra pro- ductions exclusively focus on the performance of symphonies and repertoire pieces, sometimes with the presence of a choir. When we enter a theater, ready to listen to the harmonious way all these instruments blend together, we should do so on tiptoes, with respect. Behind every aria, melody, or intermezzo, there is tremendous work. Years of study and sacrifice, but also a burning passion for the noble and centuries-old art of music and its many composers and performers. But how many of us truly know what lies behind scores and sheet music? Where does the piece begin and the interpretation start? How much does the conductor influence the performance and how faithful or innov- ative is an execution compared to the original? We don't want to start a competition among connoisseurs. Rather, we want to highlight the lack of education we've been all suffering from, since the moment it was decided that instrumental music is somehow an elitist choice. Just like theater and opera, orchestra music lost its public, shared, and social connotation — the same connotation our modern concerts have — and turned into a trendy event of sorts. But this is also an invitation to reclaim as ours a precious her- itage, which now has exceptional interpreters: let's get reac- quainted with music and allow ourselves to be amazed by its power. In the age of streaming, can we tell the instruments of an The magic of the orchestra: a "didactic" experience to rediscover From the Editor orchestra apart? Are we familiar with the "American" seating arrangement preferred by conductors, or the "German" one favored for historical performances? Can we even differentiate a philharmonic orchestra from a symphonic orchestra? The first term often indicates an associative structure among the mem- bers of the orchestra, as in the case of the Orchestra Filarmoni- ca della Scala, formed by the musicians of the Orchestra of Tea- tro alla Scala. Established on January 25, 1982, it was founded by Claudio Abbado with the musicians of La Scala, following the model of the Vienna Philharmonic, to develop the symphonic repertoire within the context of the operatic tradition of the Milanese theater. The statute remarks that only the orchestra professors employed by Teatro alla Scala can be members. On the other hand, "symphonic" indicates a large-sized orchestra that can include instruments from all families, and whose mem- bers are usually selected through auditions. Today, it typically consists of more than forty musicians and sometimes exceeds one hundred. The golden age of the orchestra has long passed. This type of instrumental ensemble became common in the second half of the seventeenth century. As an institution, it originated in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in Europe before spread- ing to the rest of the world. The major leap occurred after the Baroque era when the traditional distinction between melodic instruments (violin, flute, oboe) and harmonic or supportive instruments (harpsichord, organ, lute), which could play multi- ple notes together, was overcome. These instruments created chords that filled the space between the lower sounds (played by the double basses, cellos, and bassoons) and the higher ones. Starting from the mid-18th century, the orchestra was orga- nized in its definitive form: the fixed group of strings was joined by wind instruments, then trumpets and timpani were added. This was the era of Franz Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Ludwig van Beethoven, who increased the number of wind instruments (three horns in the Third Symphony, four horns in the Ninth Symphony), introduced new ones (piccolo, contrabassoon, three trombones in the Fifth Symphony), and reinforced the percussion section (Ninth Symphony). Among the composers who later experimented with new instruments in the orchestra and distinguished themselves in the conception of new timbral effects Hector Berlioz (who wrote a famous treatise on orchestration and how to make the best use of the timbre and color of instruments), Richard Wagner, Gus- tav Mahler, and Richard Strauss are worth mentioning. Wagner is credited with the use of the "mystic gulf" — the orchestra pit — where conductors take their place to improve acoustics and ensure the visibility of the stage to the audience. It was then that, due to the increasing complexity of orchestral writing and the greater number of instruments used, the role of the conduc- tor emerged, with the task of coordinating the musicians and interpreting the piece. In the past, this task was often entrusted solely to the concertmaster. In an orchestra, the number of musicians must exceed ten, and above all, each of the different musical parts mustn't be assigned to a single instrument: multiple musicians must read the same score and play the same notes in unison. Is this mere pedantic knowledge? No. Rather, it is where we can begin to reclaim a part of our heritage we often no longer feel as our own. A sincere pity, because listening to an orchestra is a magical, engaging experience, it is like an embrace. It is sim- ilar to a contemporary concert but profoundly different at the same time. Witnessing the birth of melodic harmony and grad- ually understanding the impact of orchestration; the touch of the conductor's baton; the personality of the leader of each indi- vidual section, who in turn have their unique touch. It is all part of an initiatory adventure. Truly, an experience to rediscover. Simone Schiavinato, Editor Simone Schiavinato NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS P.O.BOX 6528, ALTADENA, CA 91003 Member of FUSIE (Federazione Unitaria Stampa Italianaall'Estero), COGITO L'Italo-Americano 610 West Foothill Blvd. Unit D, Monrovia, CA 91016 - Tel.: (626) 359-7715 PLEASE SEND CORRESPONDENCE TO P.O. BOX 6528, ALTADENA, CA 91003 www.italoamericano.org L'Italo-Americano Newspaper (a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization), www.italoamericano.org, is the largest and longest-running Italian newspaper in America, not to mention the cultural and news resource for all things Italian in the US. A bilingual newspaper which repre- sents an historical landmark for the Italian American Communities in the West Coast and throughout the US. L'Italo-Americano benefits from subsidies by the Italian Government, Memberships and Donations intended to support and not interrupt a mission that began in 1908 to preserve and promote the Italian language and culture in the USA Periodicals postage paid at Monrovia, California 91016, and additional mailing offices. PUBLISHER Robert Barbera Grande Ufficiale EDITOR IN CHIEF Simone Schiavinato ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER Patrick Abbate EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Barbara Minafra COPY EDITOR Francesca Bezzone LOS ANGELES CONTRIBUTOR Silvia Nittoli SAN FRANCISCO CONTRIBUTORS Serena Perfetto SEATTLE CONTRIBUTOR Rita Cipalla CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Mariella Radaelli, Matt Walker, Francesca Bezzone, Luca Ferrari, Stefano Carnevali, Paula Reynolds, Nicoletta Curradi, Generoso D'Agnese, Jessica S. Levy, Fabrizio Del Bimbo, Maria Gloria, Chuck Pecoraro, Anthony Di Renzo Serena Perfetto, Kenneth Scambray, Chiara D'Alessio © 2020 L'Italo-Americano Membership: One year $59 - Single copy $2.25 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to L'Italo Americano PO Box 6528 Altadena, CA 91003 P.O.BOX 6528, ALTADENA, CA 91003

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