few days ago we heard the Leoncavallo's Chatterton, directed by Maestro Silvano Screen. From the review published in the pages of Opera Turandot Master was put in touch with us and we took advantage for us to explain some aspects of his work, mainly dedicated to the discovery of long-forgotten works from mass production. Here's the wonderful interview that the grandmaster has granted us.
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Thank you, Master, for his availability. We came to this interview through a review of Leoncavallo's Chatterton she rightly felt it had "ammoridire. Before the questions, I would like to make a clarification. He was able to get myself noticed that the work of Leoncavallo was made after many years of silence, of absence from the scene and record production. This aspect has been overlooked in the review and instead deserved a greater depth. We love the work we would like all the works were rediscovered and listen to all offers. A few years ago, we rediscovered by Wolf-Ferrari's Sly, first with Carreras, Domingo then. In these days we found a lost manuscript of Mercadante, who will create the Maestro Muti. His work with the Chatterton enter into this strand and for that I owe a thank you on behalf of us all. Clearly the careful restoration is the first of many other considerations and that before any other aspect we should be grateful to you for allowing us to hear what in effect is the first work by Ruggiero Leoncavallo.
We come to the questions now.
Opera Turandot
in the insert of the box we have read some simple information, but not too much. Tell us how you did this project, the reason for the choice of this work, the difficulties encountered, perhaps in the libretto or the score.
Maestro Silvano Screen
The choice fell on Leoncavallo for my interest in discovering new works of the past and symphonic poems, and my proposal to the publisher Bongiovanni containing countless music he has chosen Leoncavallo also under that ZAZA than two years before he had a fair sales results.
My proposals contain at least 10-15 different songs and the publisher chooses according to its criteria. In the score
no problem being encountered was taken at the conservatory in Bologna, published in print by Germans.
SOME PROBLEMS Photocopiers (made by the scribe to write everything by hand), which inevitably contains errors then write Devons identified during the tests by making challenges for the Director, who is running for the first time. But this is a valid issue in all editions of the first performance.
TLT
In parallel with this work the record Chatterton was also brought to the stage?
Maestro SF
Unfortunately not. I offered to various institutions but nobody wants to spend on new production if the proposal is made in a disinterested manner if it was done by customary institutions that are special to donate proceeds from here and there, then it would be much easier.
But I do not belong in this round. However I am working to take it to the end of 2010 in a concert in Poland, Belgium and Italy.
Fit stage is possible if some body or sponsor to help me.
TLT
Tell us about the interpreters. As to the selection process? Participate in a project like this could be a great opportunity, do you?
Maestro SF
soloists fact, precisely because of the opportunity to show off in a record production of a great composer, they all came for free without receiving anything (they were reimbursed by the publisher, the cost of trips and full-day stay required), which is very productive because people who work for free means that it is interested in music as such and work where everyone identifies herself in her role not for money but for cultural interest is much better than when you are working mainly for money. In fact, some felt soloists belonging to agencies working in the Public Lyrical, had a refusal to participate in spite of the positive interest of the singer.
It required a search to an area of \u200b\u200bgreat soloists that contains entries unknown to agencies, but musically sound, almost a transaction Talent Scaut to each soloist.
TLT
Chatterton is the first work by Leoncavallo, written when he was young. The lack of maturity of the composer at times you feel. She has recovered comuqnue an important piece of Italian opera. As has been placed before the score? He made a faithful version, (taking advantage of the fact that there were other interpretations to mediate), or left the same a certain freedom of interpretation, to himself as the interpreters?
Maestro SF
I'm used to interpret works of music ever made and today, my record production with over 80 cd is 80% in the first round the world, and this is a great satisfaction because the timing, interpretation, etc.. is given only by a careful reading of the score that contains within it the answer to every problem interpreter, just knowing how to read well and everything is clear.
My ambition, outdated, and that will remain with me in the grave, would be to record some music (symphonic and operatic) common habitual repertoire for the sole purpose of revolutionizing many prevailing practices in performance practice today that are clearly in conflict with the essence of such intimate music that would be made a certain way, but no one has the courage to depart from the tradition of most. I remember my teacher
S. Celibidache in 1978 when I said "a director must have the courage to change the score if the type of composition writing demands it, because the composer is a man and can be mistaken for routine, to fatigue, to hurry etc.etc. is always the music that is performed to decide how and habits of other directors ... "
TLT
How long have you worked on this project?
Maestro SF
About a year between retrieval score, photocopying, recording the orchestra, the chorus of soloists, editing, mixing, editing.
TLT
Tell us about future projects. There will be other news? other works to be recovered?
Maestro SF
I recall many other works also ready in the drawer (eg Maruzza of P. Floridia , which was antagonistic to Puccini as the successor to Verdi at the Ricordi) and others, but the market is in sharp decline and my usual publisher no longer wishes to proceed (for now) because the CD market has been significantly reduced after the entry of the DVD. And a first look at the economic side publisher.
I made many attempts to bring my skills to new registrations in many other publishers record specifying the cost of operation (having very low cost because it interests me above all do) but no one has even responded to an initial phase trattavia, silence .
Each new CD that I produced for me is like a child born at that moment, and I want to be as prolific, but the economic conditions of the publishers do not. Neither the state shall facilitate such initiatives by promoting the production of rare historical recoveries, and cc.ecc. It seems that nobody is interested in any of this. Sometimes I think that's just me and you, as fans, and some others, we live in a virtual way, but as we enter the real world are setbacks.
TLT
Leave aside for a moment the work on Chatterton. Tell us about you, Maestro.
Maestro SF
I usually say it is not the person who should talk about (I'm the best, most competent and so on. Etc.) But the others have to talk to me if they deem it useful and valid. Only in this way wins a prestige not ephemeral. I often say to myself as a friend: "I am a mediocre director" because of conscious and aware of the goals and achievements of great value as Celibidache, Walter, Solti , etc.. But he immediately adds: "But I have seen around in too many opera companies, far worse than me" (D. Rubboli stated in his review after the recording of Chatterton "a little-known director, but so many of our directors . opera houses are not even worthy of the pages revolve "Sic!
However, I believe that the demand is for illustration of getting things done rather than making judgments on the merits.
would explain my business very long 60 years to come, however summarize:
musical studies with 4 qualifications and the thing I'm most proud of, having been a pupil of S. Celibidache at the end of 70 years and have had strong encouragement from him and appreciation for the "Italian innate talent," he said.
The study started in the direction of conservatism in the '70s was so bad that we could manage only 5 minutes every 2 weeks, all the rest theory. So much so that I did this argument, having found that the direction we learn almost only with practice. I join some contest of direction (even though she was, then, is still not prepared) and in the screening test to prove I have an orchestra with at least 30 minutes or the equivalent of 12 weeks of academy or three months. I went there (Aidem, Besancon, Ravello, etc..) Aware of being deleted right away (and it did) but at least I had worked with the orchestra to the extent appropriate. Then I started to manage alone without going into the Italian opera houses, the door is closed unless you are well presented by someone, and I began to organize tours of orchestras in eastern Italy with the primary purpose of learning the conducting as I am a manager and director.
A bit 'like old times in the nineteenth century which was also manager of the musician himself (Mozart, Bottesini, etc.. Etc...) And then I started a professional ascent has given me many rewards, knowing that direct an Otello at La Scala or in a small town in the province, as the difference there was only the economic side (huge in the first, almost nil in the second) but as a commitment to music is the same.
In 1983 I began my collaboration with the editor Bongiovanni with the first LP (symphonies with works by Spontini) and since then I have continued with the recording of more than 90 CDs in almost all first world recovery. It was the first director of many compositions on various authors ( Busoni, Bellini, Mercadante , Cimarosa, Bottesini , Smareglia , Floridia, Leoncavallo, Ponchielli and finally Catalani referred to in these days is out of the biography in which P. Petronius quotes quote: "A special thanks goes to M ° S. Screen, it is difficult to say what should the Italian musical culture to this teacher, who with his precious recordings has created a genuine rediscovery of much of Italian symphonic music and opera 800 , fall into oblivion as ever, even rediscovering many symphonic works unpublished Catalani [...]. Trieste in July 2009). All this has given me great satisfaction, greater cachet of a high that I could get in official institutions.
However, we are in a crisis of culture and in recent times the job has fallen a lot and I am planning to mo 'recovery, to produce some works Leoncavallo, Ponchielli and rare, as part of European funding for culture, but even here if you are not protected hopes are slim.
Now if you allow me I would like to ask a question to you:
Banks, private sponsors, foundations of all kinds are interested in restoring works of art, archaeological sites, etc.. why do not you put promoters in this area not only architectural monuments but also the music / culture?
What difference does a church to be restored or an opera by (I quote at random a) E. Muzio (only student G. Verdi) that no one knows? Me neither! And if Green has the only student chosen as a motivator will be valid as well.
Obtaining sponsorship to enable us to continue in this rediscovery of past works, the costs of which it is produced in the form of private law (as I always have) are 7.8 times lower than market costs of an institutional record.
Your journal could be the promoter of the initiative (with the help of my best advice and collaboration) announced a competition for the roles of the work, etc.etc. 12-14 months time and could leave the work CD.Magari recorded in the booklet showing all the names of those who contributed to this discovery and I believe that not a few lovers of opera are potentially interested in tying their names to be important Music appreciation.
It 's a challenge !!!!!! (answer here, briefly, we think, we like challenges and it is likely that this will be accepted!)
TLT
His favorite composer? And the work?
Maestro SF
is difficult to say, almost everyone has attractive features, but I can say the best work Verdi's Otello and La Bohème in the alternative, you know why? When I run I will (always) in some passages the chills and goose bumps, which does not happen very rarely and with other titles.
TLT
To close, we return to Chatterton. Bring out the points strength of this production. We will listen again, because it has a value that goes beyond the single production, but we want you to try to explain to others what listeners will find closer to its realization.
Maestro SF
THE STRENGTHS ARE linearietà the composition, behavior that takes hours idyllic hour dramatic, tragic hours in the best tradition of Italian opera. With a compositional writing "classical" but then-oriented style that will be typical of Leoncavallo, having already within the seeds for Pagliacci.
The orchestration, beautifully made, and the melodic line "Italian" in no way inferior to other more famous works. Note the tenor aria "Addio tranquil haven" that would be enough to verify the years of writing than "Farewell ASIL" the Butterfly to deduce who is the inspired and the inspiration of Leoncavallo and Puccini. "You only stay with me" to find all content of the seeds of later realism.
TLT
We can do is thank you once again for the time he has spent. We admire his commitment to the rediscovery of works by opera lovers out of print and we will do everything to back up such initiatives, encouraging, where possible, the best possible visibility.
