L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 2023 www.italoamericano.org 6 NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS August 2, 1921, in a hotel o v e r l o o k i n g t h e G u l f o f Naples — a place he had cho- sen as his Neapolitan home — he was deeply loved. His m e l o d i o u s v o i c e a n d t h e intensity of his singing would be part of Italy and Ameri- ca's collective memory for years to come, even without the gloss of magazine covers or today's social media. He belonged to everyone, even if he himself was unaware of it. His funeral was yet anoth- er testament to this: "his" Metropolitan Opera closed for three days in mourning. At his Naples funeral, "the whole world was present." Rare images show a hearse pulled by three pairs of hors- es in Piazza del Plebiscito, escorted by an endless line of w r e a t h s , l e a d i n g t o t h e Cimitero del Pianto. More- o v e r , h i s e m b a l m e d b o d y remained on display until 1 9 2 7 — a f o r m o f s e c u l a r veneration. On the 150th anniversary of his birth, Italy celebrated Caruso's myth by opening t h e C a r u s o M u s e u m i n Naples, a permanent exhibit at Palazzo Reale. It's not a traditional display of memo- r a b i l i a b u t a " c h a m b e r o f w o n d e r s , " a s i t h a s b e e n described, featuring 3D ani- mations, multimedia plat- forms, and musical and cine- matic installations offering an immersive auditory and visual experience. S p a n n i n g 5 0 0 s q u a r e meters, the museum houses 3,500 digitized documents a n d 1 1 0 r a r e o r i g i n a l exhibits, including costumes, p o s t e r s , b a n n e r s , p h o - t o g r a p h s , g r a m o p h o n e s , reels, and original furnish- ings. These serve as a tribute to "the immense artistic lega- cy of the Neapolitan tenor. His life story, from the San Carlo all'Arena neighbor- hood to international spot- light is a vivid example of an extraordinary life. Naples, his birthplace and the setting for his early artistic endeav- ors, offers one of its most illustrious sons the recogni- tion he rightly deserves. The best way to honor him — as the mayor of Naples, Gae- tano Manfredi said — is to immortalize his incredible talent." H i s v o i c e , p a r t i c u l a r l y abroad, was and still is syn- onymous with arias, operas, melodies, and national clas- sics. "The global popularity of Neapolitan songs is inti- mately tied to his name, his personal experiences and c o n n e c t i o n w i t h N a p l e s informed his entire creative output. Yet, Caruso had a c o m p l i c a t e d r e l a t i o n s h i p with the city. He took Naples to the world, and now, on the 150th anniversary of his b i r t h , N a p l e s h e a l s t h i s w o u n d b y h o n o r i n g h i m with a museum located in t h e s a m e c o m p l e x a s h i s b e l o v e d T e a t r o d i S a n C a r l o , " M i n i s t e r o f C u l - t u r e G e n n a r o S a n g i u - liano said, during the rib- bon-cutting ceremony of an e x h i b i t i o n s p a c e t h a t " m e n d s t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p between the singer and his city." General Director of Muse- u m s M a s s i m o O s a n n a , added that the exhibit not only gives "due prominence to a figure representative of contemporary artistic cul- ture, who was recognized globally, returning to Naples after taking his art around the world," but also repre- sents "a significant mile- stone for the national muse- um system, which aims to enhance public knowledge and enjoyment of museums and cultural sites, making them accessible to a wide audience." Take, for instance, the 43 audio stations where visitors can listen to Enrico Caruso's v o i c e , t h e s i x i n t e r a c t i v e deep-dive stations, the eight " p h i g i t a l " s t a t i o n s w h e r e p h y s i c a l o b j e c t s i n t e r a c t with digital storytelling, the t h r e e u l t r a - p a n o r a m i c t a b l e s , t h e f i v e n a r r a t i v e d i s c s , a n d a m u l t i m e d i a platform that connects the m u s e u m t o o p e r a h o u s e s around the world. This is the result of 23 international collaborations and a team of 115 people who contributed to the creation of the Caruso Museum. Even the choice of Palaz- zo Reale as a location was not arbitrary, either. Mario Epifani, the Palazzo Reale di Napoli director said: "It's n o t j u s t a m o n u m e n t a l building, a series of lavishly d e c o r a t e d a n d f u r n i s h e d halls. Due to its size, loca- tion, and history, it repre- sents a symbol of Naples and t h e h i s t o r y o f I t a l y a n d Europe, as well as an identi- ty landmark for the city. For this reason, the ministry felt that Palazzo Relale was the most fitting venue to cele- brate a distinguished Italian like Enrico Caruso. Palazzo Reale also serves as a true g a t e w a y t o t h e s e a — t h e very sea Caruso crossed to f i n d h i s u l t i m a t e s u c c e s s overseas." L a u r a V a l e n t e , t h e m u s e u m ' s c u r a t o r , o b s e r v e d : " C a r u s o i s a n e m b l e m a t i c f i g u r e o f t h e noble and legendary Italian identity, with a dual soul as both a renowned lyric tenor who achieved great success in major theaters around the world (including La Scala in Milan and the Metropolitan O p e r a i n N e w Y o r k f r o m 1 9 0 3 t o 1 9 2 0 ) , a n d a n unmatched interpreter of t h e t i m e l e s s m e l o d i e s o f Neapolitan songs. He was also the first recording artist t o s e l l a m i l l i o n r e c o r d s , earning him a place among the most beloved voices in music history." Palazzo Reale gathers this v a s t a n d d i v e r s e l e g a c y : "Cuban cigars and Wiscon- sin jams, Alaskan anchovies and Italian olive oil, stamps featuring his portrait printed worldwide, and even aster- oids, Tuxedos Tobacco, cof- fee, and American corn— there's no product on the m a r k e t t h a t h a s n ' t b e e n named in honor of this illus- trious Neapolitan. He won the unconditional admira- tion of kings and queens, without ever forgetting the least fortunate, the migrants for whom he sang in places w h e r e t h e y g a t h e r e d t o breathe in the nostalgia of home through his songs. His revolution lies in having pas- s i o n a t e l y e m b o d i e d r u r a l I t a l y ' s s e n t i m e n t w h i l e singing with the formal and substantive nobility of the old school," Valente further stated. T h e i n i t i a t i v e b e n e f i t s f r o m c o l l a b o r a t i o n s w i t h partners from around the w o r l d , s t a r t i n g f r o m t h e Ricordi and Puccini Archives to major opera houses with their valuable archives, such as San Carlo, La Scala, and t h e M e t r o p o l i t a n . I t a l s o i n c l u d e s t h e C i n e t e c a d i B o l o g n a , M o M A – T h e Museum of Modern Art, BFI National Archive, and Gos- fil'mofond, with their extra- ordinary work of restoration and vocal synchronization o n E d w a r d J o s é ' s 1 9 1 8 film, My Cousin. This 49- minute black-and-white film features the real voice of the tenor synced with the silent film images, allowing audi- ences to hear the sequence where he sings the famous a r i a V e s t i l a Giubba from Pagliacci. Here is Caruso's voice. Here is Caruso, the actor: one gem after another, a true surprise for those who will visit la sua Napoli. Caruso nel Rigoletto di Giuseppe Verdi e, a destra, la locandina della stagione operistica 1903-1904 del Metropolitan Opera House, dove Caruso salì sul palco in Cavalleria Rusticana e I Pagliacci (Photos courtesy of Museo Caruso-Palazzo Reale di Napoli) The Caruso Museum is not a traditional display of memorabilia but a "chamber of wonders," featuring 3D animations, multimedia platforms, and musical and cinematic installations offering an immersive auditory and visual experience CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

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