LITERATURE, THEATRE AND MUSIC
A characteristic of Italian literature is its unique dual
tendency, in fact on one hand, it has homogenous cultural and linguistic
properties, whilst on the other hand the regional dialects and sub-cultural
variations give it a diverse flavour. Since the beginning of the 20th century
the Italian writers and poets such as Giosuè Carducci, Grazia Deledda,
Luigi Pirandello, Salvatore Quasimodo, Eugenio Montale and Dario Fo have been awarded the Nobel Prize for their outstanding achievements in
literature. Italo Calvino, as well as
contemporary authors such as Umberto Eco,
Antonio Tabucchi and Dacia Maraini have crossed national and cultural boundaries and appeal to readers all over the world.
Italians are generally very expressive
using countless gestures and pronounced
hand movements that often amaze foreigners. The art of “reciting naturally” is without doubt one the key components of Italian theatre.
Carlo Goldoni (1707-1793), considered one of the fathers of Italian theatrical comedy, substituted the more theatrical elements of improvisation, stereotypes and clowning in the art of comedy with character roles and situational realism.
Another notary in this field was Luigi Pirandello (1867-1936). His philosophy
was that everybody wears a mask when out in society: with his theatre
he tried to strip away this mask and reveal the real person behind. Italian theatre
in local dialects, made famous by the De Filippo brothers, is common in areas such as Napoli.
Noble Prize winner Dario Fo does not follow the traditional institution of
theatre, his style has strong expressions and a grand emotional pathos similar to that of the medieval court jesters. Giogio Strehler (1921-1997), who in the post war period together with Luchino Visconti became the founder of modern
theatre production in Italy, Luca Ronconi and Carmelo Bene are outstanding artist
that contributed to the renewal of Italian
theatre tradition that gave life to a new
theatrical scene. Through their revolutionary
approach that went against the norms and classical conformism of drama the
contemporary intellectual theatre was born.
Italian music is charming audiences now as in the past: the romantic operas of the 19th
Century remain so popular thanks to composers such as Gioacchino Rossini, Giuseppe Verdi, Vincenzo Bellini, Pietro Mascagni and Giacomo Puccini as well as highly accomplished singers such as Luciano Pavarotti and Cecilia Bartoli |