An Italian Recipe: People, Food, and Music

It’s Italian Heritage Month and though I’m not Italian, I enjoyed the festivities that took place October 10th in room 264 at the Aaron Copland School of Music during free hour.  Sponsored by John D. Calandra Italian American Institute, the Office of COO/VP Elizabeth Hendrey, and the Aaron Copland School of Music, the concert featured both current vocal students and alumni of the music school.  The program went as follows:

“Libiamo” (from La Traviata) … Giuseppe Verdi
Stefanie Izzo & Victor Starsky

“Donde lieta usci” (from La Boheme) … Giacomo Puccini
Amelia Lubrano

“Ideale”
Victor Starsky

“Mira, o Norma” (from Norma) … Vicenzo Bellini
Stefanie Izzo & Francesca Lunghi

“Quando m’en vo” (from La Boheme) … Giacomo Puccini
Stefanie Izzo

“Con te partiró” … Francesco Sartori
Amelia Lubrano & Victor Starsky

“Somebody, Somewhere” (from The Most Happy Fella) … Frank Loesser
Stefanie Izzo

“Mamma” … Cesare Bixio
Francesca Lunghi

“O sole mio” … Eduardo di Capua
Victor Starsky

“E un anathema” (from La Gioconda) … Amilcare Ponchielli
Amelia Lubrano & Francesca Lunghi

What I was reminded of during this concert was my two weeks in Italy.  I had gone to Perugia for a music program and met many vocal students.  There were things I learned in Italy about the art of singing that I saw in this concert.  Not many people realize that vocal students have to learn how to express the song’s emotion.  The singers don’t stand on stage and just sing to the audience.  Victor Starsky and Stefanie Izzo were great examples of how singers must act out the song through facial expression and body language.  Though most of the songs were sung in Italian (the one exception being Frank Loesser’s), the audience was still able to get an overall idea of what the song may have been about – Was it a sad song?  Was it a flirty song?

My favorite pieces in this performance happened to be the duets.  One duet that was obviously one of my favorites was “Con te partiró” made famous by Andrea Bocelli.  It’s such a dramatic piece of music that the audience, or at least I, can’t help but want to sing along – if only I could!  Another duet that I absolutely loved was “Mira, o Norma.”  Stefanie and Francesca, both sopranos (I believe, the program does not specify), had such good chemistry.  Their voices mingled in the high registers and created an amazing vibrato.

Overall, the performance was a great escape from busy college life.  The length, only about forty-five minutes, was perfect for a harried student who wanted to just sit down and enjoy some beautiful music sung by some extremely talented students and alumni.

Too bad I couldn’t stay for a cannoli during the reception held afterwards – I had to run to class!

Canzone Italiana
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
12:15 – 1:30 PM
Music Building, Choral Room

Marina B. Nebro