Opera night: Sicilian Vespers - Verdi

The historical event known as the Sicilian Vespers--precipitated by the oppressive rule of Sicily by the French king Charles I of Anjou--began on 30 March 1282 (Easter Monday) during the Vespers (evening prayers) in Palermo, Sicily.

It was incited when a French occupation soldier insulted a woman during the service at the Church of the Holy Spirit. It provoked a disturbance, which escalated into a riot, which--over the next four weeks--escalated into a violent uprising. The soldier and thousands of other French inhabitants (military and civilian alike) were killed as the island was overrun, culminating (albeit temporarily) in the overthrow of the foreign government.

Nearly 500 years later (1855), Verdi premiered an opera based on the event. Although Sicilian Vespers only loosely resembles history, and Austria, instead of France, was then in control of Sicily, its relevance to Italy's present moment was unmistakable.

For a detailed synopsis of the opera (recommended), see here.

Verdi has been called "the most political" of all the great opera composers, not alone because his works so frequently portray resistance to power and authoritarianism. His patriotic choruses became revolutionary anthems for the Risorgimento, especially "Va Pensiero" from Nabucco (in which Hebrew slaves dream of liberation from King Nebuchadnezzar).

This meetup will consist of a live viewing, accompanied by discussion and analysis.

About the production:

• In Italian with English subtitles
• Runtime: 2h 50m
• Stage Director: Pier Luigi Pizzi
• Recorded live at the Teatro Regio di Parma, 13 & 17 October 2010

Extracts:

• "Such a heartless massacre of hair! Such a Bartholomew’s Day and Sicilian Vespers of assassinated beards!" (White-Jacket, 85)
• "Launching my yawl no more for fairy-land, I stick to the piazza. It is my box-royal; and this amphitheatre, my theatre of San Carlo." ("The Piazza")

This meetup is part of the series The Risorgimento.