About 40 of these quiz questions dealt with "general knowledge" mostly based on Italian culture. It would have helped if I had been raised here...gone to school here...sumthin'. But I wasn't. Which meant I walked out of the exam after its completion feeling about as clever as a box of hair.
I am quite sure my answers to the remaining 20 or so were correct. And of course they were, they were based on the material we were supposed to be studying for the past 4 months.
Now I wonder...am I stupid, am I ignorant, or was I simply unlucky? Perhaps the others are more dense, despite having actually spent their whole lives here. I am leaving it up to destiny at this point. I really could not have done any more than I already have, and I was the only foreigner taking the exam so I was also at a gross disadvantage. I studied my butt off, I took Italian Lit and History, I read the papers every day and watch the news...how much more Italian General Knowledge do I need???
We'll see.
Now, for a column I would like to incorporate here which will also help me to write more consistently...here is your weekly Music History Lesson:
Today's topic is :
Amilcare Ponchielli
Have you ever heard the "Camp Granada" song or "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh"?Well, it's an Allen Sherman parody taken from the ballet "Dance of the Hours" from the opera 'La Gioconda' by Mr. Ponchielli.
This is about the best thing Ponchielli ever did, or rather the most famous, though it's a shame because in his day he was about as celebrated as Verdi.
He was born the 31st of August 1834 in Paderno Fasolaro near Cremona. Quite the young prodigy, he was whipping out symphonies by the age of 10.
The young lad spent nine years in Milan and after his studies at the Milan Conservatory, he went on to take small jobs in Cremona and Piacenza.
In 1856, he wrote his first opera, based on the Manzoni book The Betrothed, which was later received well in Milan for the opening of the Teatro del Verme in 1872. To follow would be a ballet, and then the opera which would put him in the history books, 'La Gioconda.' Boito wrote the libretto for this opera based on the Victor Hugo tragedy, Angelo, Tyran de Padoue.
It opened at La Scala April 8th, 1876.
From here on his works could never top the success of this majestic opera. He was appointed maestro of the Bergamo Cathedral and died from pneumonia in 1886, being only 51.
His composition led to developments in the romantic, melodramatic style, paving the way for composers like Puccini and Leoncavallo.
1 comment:
I know everyone says crap like this, but it's often true: you probably did better than you think.
And never underestimate the intelligence of a box of hair.
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