It was 1921, 100 years ago. Enrico Caruso, one of the most famous singers in history, died in Naples. That same year Giuseppe Di Stefano and Franco Corelli, two of the great tenors of the last century, and the stars of legendary performances at Teatro alla Scala (Milan), were born.
To celebrate these great tenors who have been representing Italian culture around the world, join us for “Caruso, Corelli, Di Stefano (1921-2021): Italian Opera Legends”, a new virtual exhibition produced by La Scala Theater, curated by Mattia Palma and realized by La Scala Theatre Museum.
By blending real spaces and virtual architectural models, visitors can freely move around to explore the interior spaces of La Scala in 3D and, also, enjoy sound, video and photographic resources. The exhibition begins with the great Enrico Caruso, a sensitive and modern interpreter, not only capable of grasping the changes of his era – reflected by a shift in the sensibility and a more intimate and bourgeois interpretation of the lyrics – but also for being the pioneer in music recording. In 1902, recording his first 78 rpm in Italy, he became the first recording star of Italian and international music.
The exhibition continues with the presentation of the most important roles and interpretations of Franco Corelli and Giuseppe Di Stefano who, together with Maria Callas, were the most prominent figures in the operatic scene in the 1950s. Through press reports and stage photographs, this section of the exhibit refabricates the artistic climate of those years when La Scala and its artists were the leaders of Italian recovery between the post-war period and the economic boom.
Not to be missed is the grand finale, “The impossible concert”, a virtual performance of the interpretation by the three artists of “Vesti la giubba” (Put on the Costume), an aria from “Pagliacci” by Leoncavallo.
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Exhibit introduction by IIC Director Valeria Rumori