The Brontës at Casa Verdi

Maddalena De Leo has sent us the following report of a recent meeting of the Italian Brontë Society:

A MUSICAL MEETING AT CASA VERDI IN THE NAME OF THE BRONTËS

A very interesting meeting of the Italian section of the Brontë Society was held in the centre of Milan on Saturday 11^th October at 4 p.m. in Casa Verdi, the rest home for retired musicians built at the beginning of the XXth century by Giuseppe Verdi himself. The author of Traviata and Rigoletto left all his musical rights and wealth to this institution and also lies buried there in a crypt together with his second wife Giuseppina Strepponi.

In so a suggestive place it was a must to choose ‘The Brontës and Music’ as a theme for the meeting and after gathering in the magnificent red saloon on the first floor, the Italian BS members: Mrs. Franca Gollini, who introduced the Brontë Society, Mrs. Raffaella Pazzaia, who organized the meeting, Maddalena De Leo, Giuseppina Verga, Paolo Mencarelli, Daria Innocenti and all other people present could enjoy a short talk by Professor Maddalena De Leo right about the Brontës and their relation with music soon followed by a wonderful concerto by the ‘Gondal Trio’ (Paolo Mencarelli – cello, Maddalena Main – violin, Emanuele Ardica - piano) who played some compositions by Beethoven and Mendelssohn Bartoldy, namely Trio op. 70 ‘Gli Spettri’ [Geistertrio] and Trio op. 66.

The atmosphere conveyed by that brilliant music was magic and the three musicians played it in a very clever and involving way. As usual the meeting ended enthusiastically with a little party held in an elegant room nearby where all at ‘Casa Verdi’ could taste the exquisite chocolate cakes home-made by some of our Italian BS members.

Maddalena De Leo

More information about the Gondal Trio on these previous posts of ours.

Categories: Music, Talks