“I met Franco Zeffirelli only recently, when starting on the book of his complete works, to be published by Umberto Allemandi. I experienced a whole series of emotions, from surprise to awe, from joy to curiosity. Being allowed to browse through his precious papers and seemingly endless archives – myriad files, research papers, designs, photographs and clippings from the world’s major newspapers – was a unique opportunity, one that let me travel a fraction of the human and cultural routes that make up his infinite artistic universe. With the help of the numerous images, I have tried not only to recreate the mutual respect and friendship visible in the photographs of the people with whom Franco Zeffirelli has shared his fame and international successes – from Maria Callas, his true Muse, to the orchestra conductors and other interpreters of ‘his’ countless operas – but also to show his willingness to take on any musical challenge during his long and fertile career. Zeffirelli, forever faithful to the classical, though never afraid to wander from the ‘norm’, travels the route from theatre to opera, from opera to cinema in an unrepeatable triumph of visual art. From Rudolf Bing to the stars of Hollywood, to those who worked to promote Franco’s art in America, from writers and intellectuals like Tennessee Williams, Edward Albee and Arthur Miller, whose theatrical works Zeffirelli staged throughout Europe years before, to the leading players and walk-ons, from sketches to the finished designs, all are part of the variegated mosaic that explains how Franco Zeffirelli captured and seduced his New York public. The book’s subtitle speaks for itself. Zeffirelli’s operas that pack the Met’s musical program, and have done so since 1964, are amongst the most repeated and loved. It is no accident. Franco represents Italy, and is an authentic paladin of its cultural heritage, a talent driven by the strict rules and perfectionism of a true professional – as he likes to define himself. He rides in the wake of Renaissance genius. With natural nonchalance, Zeffirelli, the lofty visionary, has succeeded in ferrying across the Atlantic the ‘popularity’ of an opera repertory that associates Verdi and Puccini with Shakespeare, with whom the West identifies. Passions and sentiments come together to reveal a deep knowledge of the human soul, its weaknesses and contradictions, thus emphasizing the exuberant vitality and inexhaustible creativity that is the real and defining point of what makes Franco Zeffirelli the artist that he is. For me, editing this book has been a rare privilege, for which I truly thank Franco Zeffirelli – the Maestro.” (Caterina Napoleone)
“I met Franco Zeffirelli only recently, when starting on the book of his complete works, to be published by Umberto Allemandi. I experienced a whole series of emotions, from surprise to awe, from joy to curiosity. Being allowed to browse through his precious papers and seemingly endless archives – myriad files, research papers, designs, photographs and clippings from the world’s major newspapers – was a unique opportunity, one that let me travel a fraction of the human and cultural routes that make up his infinite artistic universe. With the help of the numerous images, I have tried not only to recreate the mutual respect and friendship visible in the photographs of the people with whom Franco Zeffirelli has shared his fame and international successes – from Maria Callas, his true Muse, to the orchestra conductors and other interpreters of ‘his’ countless operas – but also to show his willingness to take on any musical challenge during his long and fertile career. Zeffirelli, forever faithful to the classical, though never afraid to wander from the ‘norm’, travels the route from theatre to opera, from opera to cinema in an unrepeatable triumph of visual art. From Rudolf Bing to the stars of Hollywood, to those who worked to promote Franco’s art in America, from writers and intellectuals like Tennessee Williams, Edward Albee and Arthur Miller, whose theatrical works Zeffirelli staged throughout Europe years before, to the leading players and walk-ons, from sketches to the finished designs, all are part of the variegated mosaic that explains how Franco Zeffirelli captured and seduced his New York public. The book’s subtitle speaks for itself. Zeffirelli’s operas that pack the Met’s musical program, and have done so since 1964, are amongst the most repeated and loved. It is no accident. Franco represents Italy, and is an authentic paladin of its cultural heritage, a talent driven by the strict rules and perfectionism of a true professional – as he likes to define himself. He rides in the wake of Renaissance genius. With natural nonchalance, Zeffirelli, the lofty visionary, has succeeded in ferrying across the Atlantic the ‘popularity’ of an opera repertory that associates Verdi and Puccini with Shakespeare, with whom the West identifies. Passions and sentiments come together to reveal a deep knowledge of the human soul, its weaknesses and contradictions, thus emphasizing the exuberant vitality and inexhaustible creativity that is the real and defining point of what makes Franco Zeffirelli the artist that he is. For me, editing this book has been a rare privilege, for which I truly thank Franco Zeffirelli – the Maestro.” (Caterina Napoleone)
Franco Zeffirelli Srl, 2008
A cura di:
Pagine: 160
Caratteristiche: ill. col., br.
Formato: 24x31
ISBN:
Settore:
Vedi:
