Passing Comments

Today is the anniversary of the birth of Antonio Vivaldi – March 4, 1678. He was born in Venice. Vivaldi is especially famous for his concertos. One of the most well-known is “The Four Seasons.” Another of his best-known works is “Gloria.”

In this video, cellist Yo-Yo Ma is performing selected segments from both these works.

Today Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli is to be given his own star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, ANSA.IT reports (Mar 2, 2010). Bocelli attributes the award to his popularity with the USA public, according to the article.

Excerpt:

After debuting at the Sanremo Song Festival in 1994, where he won the Newcomers section, Bocelli has gone on to sell 70 million albums worldwide – 24 pop, eight opera – and has performed at some of the world’s top music venues with the likes of Sarah Brightman, Celine Dion, Christina Aguilera and Laura Pausini.

As was the case with Pavarotti, Bocelli has been criticized by some for his popular cross-overs into pop music. When asked about this, according to the article, the singer dismissed the criticism, describing himself as a musician and “not genre specific.”

An Italian photographer, Pietro Masturzo, has won the premier award at the 53rd annual World Press Photo Contest. The photo was taken in Tehran last June. It shows a woman shouting in protest from a rooftop.

Last month, Pew Research Center published the results of a 2009 poll that reveals highly negative attitudes of many Europeans toward immigration, with Italians being the most unhappy (“Widespread Anti-Immigrant Sentiment in Italy” by Juliana Menasce Horowitz, Jan 12, 2010).

…in the fall of 2009, more than eight-in-ten Italians said they would like to see tighter restrictions on immigration.

Titled the Global Attitudes Project, the Pew surveys are conducted in 55 countries, and have been  ongoing for the past decade, according to the article.

I almost missed this, mamma mia! A last minute bit of web surfing turned it up. Today is the 2010 International Day of Italian Cuisines.

And the star of this day is tagliatelle al ragù bolognese. More often humbly christened spaghetti and meatballs in the U.S.  In England, absolutely irreverently, spag bol.

From the sponsors of the mouthwatering event:

“…hundreds of chefs, in more than 50 countries, will simultaneously prepare this dish to say “no” to the forgery and counterfeiting of Italian products and cuisine around the world.”

The sponsor is the GVCI (Gruppo Virtuale Cuochi Italiani) — English version is the Virtual Group of Italian Cooks. It’s a network of over a thousand professionals in Italian food and wine who work all over the world, according to the Group’s website.

Depending on where you are on the globe, you may still be able to find a restaurant participating in the event — see map of locations here.

If not, you can whip up your own dish of the tagliatelle at home. The authentic recipe is here — including the homemade pasta itself.

Into Rome yesterday for the 2:40 showing of “Avatar.”  Late to open in Italy, “Avatar” just arrived here on Friday.

Saw the film (English language version) at Warner Village cineplex next to the Piazza Repubblica. Being that it was afternoon, and a very dull gray, chilly afternoon at that — no crowds, walk in, no waiting, great seats.

I wanted to see it in the theater, as I’ve read many others did also, because of the visuals and special effects. This moviegoer’s opinion: rave reviews justified! Wasn’t walking on air on the way out, though. The film’s theoretical context is too true to present day, tragic, real world conditions.

Checking out critics’ reviews, I liked Robert Roger Ebert’s (Chicago Sun-Times, Dec 11, 2009) take:

“Avatar” is not simply a sensational entertainment, although it is that. It’s a technical breakthrough. It has a flat-out Green and anti-war message. It is predestined to launch a cult. It contains such visual detailing that it would reward repeating viewings. It invents a new language, Na’vi, as “Lord of the Rings” did, although mercifully I doubt this one can be spoken by humans, even teenage humans. It creates new movie stars. It is an Event, one of those films you feel you must see to keep up with the conversation.

“Avatar” is doing fantastically great in overseas boxoffice, much better than domestic performance in USA, according to this  update from the Hollywood Reporter (“‘Avatar’ still dominating overseas boxoffice” Jan 10, 2010):

Now the second-highest-grossing title ever worldwide, “Avatar” wound down a month of total foreign theatrical domination on the weekend with a boxoffice tally of $151 million – $8 million more than was reported Sunday and a 10% increase from the prior weekend — from 15,301 screens in 111 markets.

“Avatar’s” overseas cume (cumelative earnings) of $915 million significantly outpaces comparable domestic action, more than double its $430.7 million domestic take in the U.S. and Canada.

And that was a week ago.

Not all rosy reception in Italy, however. Parents groups staged a protest because “Avatar” was released here with a general admission rating, unlike the PG rating of most other countries (“Italian parents stage ‘Avatar’ protest” Variety, Jan 14, 2010):

In Italy, the “Avatar” general admission rating prompted the Italian parents org Moige to complain that “the decision represents a discrimination against the protection of Italian children,” citing the fact that U.S. President Barack Obama saw the film with his kids, Malia, 11, and Sasha, 8, in accordance with its PG rating.

This week Elisabeth Rosenthal wrote an informative and interesting article for the New York Times about official efforts underway in Venice to persuade the locals to drink tap water rather than bottled (“City Known for Its Water Turns to Tap to Cut Trash” June 11, 2009).

Italians are the leading consumers of bottled water in the world, drinking more than 40 gallons per person annually…

My translation

Questa settimana Elisabeth Rosenthal ha scritto un articolo molto informativo e interessante sul New York Times riguardo sforzi ufficiali in corso persuadere i veneziani bere acqua dal rubinetto invece dell’acqua in bottiglia.

“Gli italiani sono i consumatori principali nel mondo dell’acqua in bottiglia, bevendo più di 151.6 litri per persona annualmente…”

Franco’s correction of my translation

Questa settimana Elisabeth Rosenthal ha scritto un articolo molto informativo e interessante sul New York Times riguardo agli sforzi che il Comune sta facendo per persuadere i veneziani a bere acqua di rubinetto invece che dell’acqua imbottigliata.

Gli italiani sono i principali consumatori nel mondo di acqua imbottigliata, con una media annuale procapite di più di 150 litri…

Related article on Ariannaeditrice.it here (“Acqua in bottiglia: la vergogna dei canoni di concessione”
by Claudia Pecoraro, April 2, 2009).  Italian only.