Italy / Italia

This entry on the Rome 2016 Congress has arrived from Antony Gordon, Heathfield, United Kingdom

The following reflection on Rome 2016 has come in from Marianna Zsoldos, Head of the Music and Foreign Language Department at Bródy Sándor Public Library (Eger, Hungary).

The first Congress Diary entry from the 2016 congress in Rome has arrived from Hans Braun, Zentralbibliothek Solothurn (Switzerland).

Pity the composer who has the misfortune to produce a work whose popularity overshadows the remainder of his or her creative output. Take young Pietro Mascagni as an example. In an attempt to win some prize money, feed his family and gain the attention of publishers, he put his beloved magnum opus, Guglielmo Ratcliff, on hold in order to throw together an entry for a one-act opera competition. As a result, he not only became famous overnight, but also created the verismo movement in music. Within a few years, he became one of the wealthiest composers in the world.