L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2023 www.italoamericano.org 6 NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS able to transcend all language barriers, ultimately becoming a universal language in itself. This is why the recognition of Italian opera as an element of UNESCO's intangible cultur- al heritage is so important: it recognizes its unifying power, a n d i t s r o l e i n c r e a t i n g a world of emotions and beau- ty that everyone can under- stand and enjoy. But it is also a celebration of the dedicated efforts of many who have tirelessly championed its cause: because the path to UNESCO recognition was neither short nor straightfor- ward. It began in 2011 when solo opera singers joined forces to establish the Cantori Pro- fessionisti d'Italia associ- ation. Their mission extend- ed beyond their own careers, as they sought to create a platform for professional dis- cussions on opera's value, preservation, and dissemina- t i o n . T h e j o u r n e y w a s m a r k e d b y c o l l a b o r a t i v e endeavors and a deep com- mitment to showcasing Ital- ian opera's cultural impor- tance. It was also thanks to their efforts that the first proposal titled Opera Lirica Ital- iana, dalle Origini a un Percorso Europeo was p r e s e n t e d t o U N E S C O i n 2014; unfortunately, it was met with rejection. This set- back, however, only fueled the determination of those i n v o l v e d , a n d t h e i d e a o f making opera singing part of the UNESCO intangible her- itage gained tremendous sup- port from a wide range of individuals and institutions, from opera artists to workers in Italian theaters, students, professors at conservatories, a n d p a s s i o n a t e o p e r a e n t h u s i a s t s . R o b e r t o A b b o n d a n z a , p r e s i d e n t of Assolirica, the organiza- tion at the forefront of the second - and successful - can- didature, highlighted the sig- nificance of broadening the p r o p o n e n t c o m m u n i t y , involving institutional bodies t h a t p r o d u c e o p e r a a n d music in Italy. This collabo- rative effort was essential to achieving the remarkable recognition that Italian opera now enjoys. As he put it, "We understood that we needed to expand the community of proponents to include those institutional bodies that pro- duce opera performances and music in Italy. Assolirica took up the torch and worked to ensure that institutional enti- ties joined the proponent community, and together we could achieve this extraordi- nary recognition." The moment of triumph arrived during the 18th ses- sion of the Intergovernmen- tal Committee for the Safe- guarding of the Intangible C u l t u r a l H e r i t a g e i n B o t s w a n a , o n t h e 6 t h o f December: it was a resound- ing victory. The announce- ment, of course, was greeted with jubilation and a pro- found sense of pride. Gian- marco Mazzi, Undersecre- t a r y a t t h e M i n i s t r y o f Culture, declared to Il Cor- riere della Sera that it was "an extraordinary success for t h e o p e r a c o m m u n i t y , t o which we are dedicating sig- nificant energies. We need to unite forces for this art form, a pillar of our culture that speaks Italian more than any other." Marco Tutino, composer and one of the leaders of the committee advocating for the nomination also expressed his satisfaction, stating how he hopes this milestone "will have practical consequences for the world of opera, even in terms of greater political and institutional support." Tutino also underlined the essential connection between t h e I t a l i a n l a n g u a g e a n d opera singing, defining the latter as "an identity trait, d i f f e r e n t f r o m o t h e r s , " because "it arises from a lan- guage full of vowels, which allows for expansive melodic phrases." R e n o w n e d s o p r a n o Carmela Remigio also expressed to Il Corriere della Sera her happiness at the recognition, offering a mean- i n g f u l e x p l a n a t i o n o f t h e value of opera singing, which is, by its very nature "imma- terial; it fades away even as you listen to it, yet it touches you deeply." Remigio, just like Tutino, mentioned the k e y c o n n e c t i o n b e t w e e n opera singing and the Italian l a n g u a g e , w h i c h " h a s a u n i q u e c o l o r t o i t — i t ' s almost like a song in itself when spoken. If Italian is still somewhat known around the world, it owes much of that to opera and its librettos." B e a t r i c e V e n e z i , t h e Music Adviser to the Minister of Culture, added her voice to the celebration, underscoring the importance of this recog- nition for the opera commu- n i t y a n d a l l I t a l i a n s . S h e expressed hope that this sig- n i f i c a n t a c k n o w l e d g m e n t would inspire artistic direc- tors and theater managers to provide even greater support and appreciation for Italy's national artistic fabric. Last, but not least, Minister of Cul- ture Gennaro Sangiuliano underlined how this is not only a victory and a reward for opera singing, but for the country as a whole: "This is an official consecration of what we already knew: opera singing is a global excellence, one of the finest representa- tions of Italy across the plan- et." The UNESCO recognition of Italian opera as intangible cultural heritage marks an important moment for the preservation of the country's culture and stands as a sym- bol of Italy's contribution to the history of art and music. As we are about to begin a new year, let's take some time to enjoy our favorite arias, or to discover opera for the first time, always remembering how Italian opera managed to transcend borders, language barriers and, ultimately, time i t s e l f . E v e r - c h a n g i n g a n d eternal, mirror to the passing of times, it remained stable in its beauty and in the emo- tions it manages - and will always manage - to evoke. Of this new important achievement, Minister of Culture Gennaro Sangiuliano said: "This is an official consecration of what we already knew: opera singing is a global excellence, one of the finest representations of Italy across the planet" CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

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