L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2015 www.italoamericano.org 15 L'Italo-Americano Dear Readers, A n t o n i o L u c i o V i v a l d i (1678-1741) violinist extraordi- naire and one of the most prolif- ic well-known Italian composer who composed over 500 concer- tos, 12 operas, numerous orato- rios, lyrics and cantatas and my father Vincenzo (1896-1975) had something in common. It seems that both men had maternal grandfathers that were born in the ancient hill town of Pomarico, province di Matera, in the Basilicata region of Italy. It was "grazie" in part t o t h e e f f o r t s o f A n t o n i o Bonavista (1967-2011), a young professore who did research in the Historic Archives of the Biblioteca Nazionale di Torino and the Historic Archives of the Patriarcato di Venezia, that the B a s i l i c a t a a n d P o m a r i c a n e "roots" of Camilla Calicchio, the mother of Vivaldi, (Vivaldi's maternal grandfathers, Camillo C a l i c c h i o w a s b o r n i n Pomarico) came to light. I n 2 0 0 9 , t h e C o m i t a t o Vivaldiano di Pomarico was cre- ated. In 2011 unexpectedly, the young well respected professore passed away. Under new leader- ship, "Nuovo Comitato per le Celebrazioni Vivaldiane". the 2 0 1 5 , e d i t i o n o f P o m a r i c o Vivaldi Festival will take place this weekend, August 7-8-9 at the Corte Palazzo Marchesale di Pomarico. For more information visit www.pomaricovivaldifestival.co m. You can also call or write to Vivaldi Comitato Nuovo, Corso Garibaldi 17, Pomarico, Matera 75016. Telefono 011-39-0835- 552-668. *** U n t i l r e c e n t l y , A n t o n i o Vivaldi's biographical informa- t i o n h a s b e e n d e v o i d o f a n y mention of his Southern Italian "roots". Pomarico is the town in "Basilicata" where in 1649 a 22 years old musically talented tai- l o r b y t h e n a m e C a m i l l o C a l i c c h i o , " p e r t r o v a r e u n lavoro" left home for Venice. In Venice he met and married Zanetta Temporini and had a daughter named Camilla Calicchio. When Camilla mar- ried Giovanni Battista Vivaldi, her first child born in 1678 was a "bambino" named Antonio Vivaldi and Camillo Calicchio, orginally from Pomarico, Matera was his maternal NONNO. *** Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) entered the priesthood in 1703. Like his father, a Venetian vio- linist, he took to the violin like a d u c k t o t h e w a t e r s o f t h e Venetian Lagoons and quickly became a violin teacher, a con- ductor and a composer-in-resi- dence at the Pio Ospedale della Pietà, a Venetian conservatory for orphaned girls. Vivaldi was stunningly pro- lific, producing more than 500 concertos in his lifetime, more than any other known composer. Vivaldi's compositions have titles like The Night, The Storm at Sea and The Goldfinch, but his most famous is The Four Seasons, a catchy set of four concertos that remain one of the most popular pieces of Western Classical music today. Vivaldi revolutionized the role of the soloist giving it unprecedented importance with his extraordi- nary sense of drama and flour- ish. Vivaldi also had a huge influence on Johann Sebastian Bach and on the other composer of the classical era. *** T h e N u o v o C o m i t a t o Celebrazioni Vivaldiane di P o m a r i c o i n e f f o r t t o m a k e young people aware of the valu- able contributions to music and opera, mad by Antonio Vivaldi also wanted them to be aware of Vivaldi's local "roots" and how t h e n a s n o w f o r r e a s o n s o f "lavoro" his grandfather "fosse partito da una situazione di spae- samento, di dolore e da una con- d i z i o n e d i e m i g r a z i o n e " . Antonio Vivaldi's "roots" were not in Venezia but from Brescia (Lombardia) on his father's side and Pomarico on his mother's side. *** E a c h y e a r i n a d d i t i o n t o Vivaldi musical offerings there is a literary "concorso" and an a r t " c o n c o r s o " w i t h p r i z e s awarded. In the literary competi- tion, young people are invited to write compositions or portry that r e l a t e t o t h e a n n u a l F e s t a V i v a l d i T h e m e . A n e a r l i e r theme was "emigrazione" and youthful contestants had to go back in time in an imaginary " i n t e r v i e w " w i t h V i v a l d i ' s grandfather Camillo Calicchio, an excellent musician and tailor by trade and ask "Cosa l'ha spin- to a emigrare a Venezia" (what p u s h e d y o u t o e m i g r a t e t o Venice? *** Following is an excerpt from a winning entry when the theme was "emigrazione". Each year the cream of the literary crop are printed and published in an "Antologia di Testi Premio Letterario Pomarico Antonio Vivaldi". Cosa l'ha spinto ad emi- grare a Venezia? " M i c h i a m o C a m i l l o C a l i c c h i o , e r o r e s i d e n t e a Pomarico, un paese di collina in provincia di Matera. Mia figlia Camilla ha 9 figli tra cui uno diventato compositore e violin- i s t a f a m o s o : A n t o n i o L u c i o V i v a l d i . C o m e h o g i à d e t t o , a b i t a v o a P o m a r i c o e i l m i o lavoro era: il sarto. Per molti anni con la mia famiglia ho vis- suto li, poi a causa della carestia mi trasferii a Venezia. Come me tante altre persone sono emigrate p e r m a n c a n z a d i l a v o r o c h e p o r t ò t a n t a p o v e r t à . Viaggiavamo con treni a carbone e le nostre valigie erano fatte di cartone legate con una corda stretta. A Venezia ho continua- to a fare il sarto mentre mio gen- ero Giovanni Battista Vivaldi lavora come barbiere e come secondo lavoro fa il violinista e s u o n a n e l l a B a s i l i c a d i S a n Marco. Antonio, mio nipote è nato nel 1678. Nei suoi primi anni d'infanzia ha frequetato las- cuola della sua parrocchia poi a 13-14 anni entrò a far parte del conservatorio. Li ha iniziato a c a n t a r e e a s u o n a r e c o n s u o padre sempre nella Basilica di San Marco." *** T h e P o m a r i c o V i v a l d i Festival 2015 will open August 7th with opening greetings by C o m i t a t o P r e s i d e n t S e r g i o P i z z i l l i . A r t i s t G e n n a r o Scandiffio will inaugurate the Art Exhibit of student on the theme of Camillo Calicchio, tai- lor born in Pomarico and grand- father of Antonio Vivaldi. *** A "Tavola Rotonda" (round table) on "Pomarico at the time of Camillo Calicchio" will take place and documents and cos- tumes of the period in which he l i v e d w i l l b e o n d i s p l a y . A Vivaldi Musical Ensemble with first violinist Chiara Lupo will perform. Semi-finalists selected from over 800 entrants will per- form and prizes, which include 500, 150 and 100 Euro Borsa di Studio (scholarships), will be awarded on August9th at the Festival Finale. *** On August 9th, Closing Night of the Vivaldi Festival, there will be Greetings and Saltations by t h e n e w l y - e l e c t e d M a y o r o f Pomarico, Francesco Mancini. Award presentations and a diver- s i t y o f m u s i c a l s t y l e s f r o m Baroqye to Jazz will be per- formed. Antonio Lucio Vivaldi

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