Our speaker will be club member, and unabashed opera enthusiast, Vito Tamboli.  But Vito gives us fair warning by saying that in this presentation the topic may be treated, at least to some peoples’ way of thinking, a bit irreverently, but always con amore and a sense of fun.

In our October program we will listen to a famous aria (or part thereof) from each of the four giants of Italian opera:  Gioacchino Rossini  (Il Barbiere di Siviglia), Pietro Mascagni (Cavalleria Rusticana),  Giacomo Puccini, (Madama Butterfly), and Giuseppe Verdi (La Traviata).  In his presentation, Vito will discuss the history of each work and provide a bit of information about the composers and some of the more famous performers. 

Vito Tamboli is a retired business executive, a retired Colonel in the US Army Reserve, and an adjunct professor at the SLU Business School.  In addition to being a frequent contributor to Il Pensiero, he makes regular host appearances on the Italian Radio Show on Sunday afternoons.  Members may recall his last year’s presentation on the Battle of Monte Cassino.
 

His greatness is the result of his ability to arrive at universal principles from the study of the past applied to contemporary needs.  He did not follow the trends of his days, but maintained his originality and became the dominant figure in his field throughout his lifetime and the following centuries until the present.

Palladio built villas, palaces and churches.  All his churches were built in central cities, especially Venice.  All his palaces and civic structures were built in Vicenza and other small towns of Veneto.  The Venetians were probably more alert than the mainlanders to signs of financial instability and did not start any palaces after 1560.  On the contrary, Palladio’s patrons wanted their homes to be a public affirmation of their wealth and status and most of them managed to finish the façade and entranceway, but in the majority of the cases did not have the means to complete them. 

Palladio’s first and best known public commission was La Basilica, the great meeting hall of Vicenza’s Council of the Four Hundreds.  The magnificent building dominates La Piazza dei Signori, where he also built La Loggia del Capitaniato.  Other important palaces by Palladio adorning the streets of Vicenza are Palazzo Thiene, Palazzo Chiericati, Palazzo Iseppo da Porto, Palazzo Barbaran da Porto, and Palazzo Valmarana.  The Teatro Olimpico was designed by Palladio but completed after his death by Vincenzo Scamozzi, who took great liberties with the original plan.  Palladio, however, is probably best known for the ville he built on the Veneto countryside. 

By this time the great maritime power of Venice had been affected by three major events:  the capture of Costantinople by the Turks in 1453; the discovery of the New World in 1492; and the discovery of a new sea route around the southern tip of Africa by Vasco de Gama in 1497.  As a result, the wealthy merchants of Venice seeking more stable investments began to acquire properties on the mainland.  Palladio saw the need and came up with the solution, designing the type of buildings that were grandiose and economical, that could house in one complex the residence of the landlord and storage for the animals, the harvest, and the tools.  The result are the ville, which in later centuries would be adopted by the British squires and the American plantation owners, country gentry who had social situations and needs nearly identical to their predecessors in the Veneto.
 

The director will be elected for a three-year term commencing at the January 2000 meeting.  Interestingly, he or she would be the first Board Member elected to office in the new millennium.  At the September Board meeting, the President appointed a Nominating Committee responsible for conducting the election and for preparing a list of members who wish to be candidates for the position. 

The names will be announced to the membership at the October meeting, with the elections taking place at the November meeting.  In addition, candidates can be nominated from the floor at the time of the election in November.  The Nominating Committee consists of the following members: Marie Wehrle, Chair (644-1645); Carolyn Stelzer (772-3355); Nick Mazzola (481-6508); Norman Merlotti (644-4068), and Judy Ronzio (772-8380).  Any member interested in becoming a Club director should inform a Nominating Committee member as soon as possible. 

An explanation is due concerning the fact that this election will be held in November rather than in October as specified in our by-laws:  we failed to notify our members in time, therefore, in order to give adequate notification, the Board has decided to hold the election in November rather than in October.  In the future, elections will be in October.

Sunday, October 3:  Columbus Day Corporation’s Annual Recognition Banquet will be held at Orlando’s Garden on Watson Road.  Price is $20/person.  For tickets or more information, contact Marianne Peri-Sack (837-8830) 

Sunday, October 10:  The annual Columbus Day Celebration will be held in Berra Park.  Festivities begin with a Parade starting at 12:00 PM from Southwest Bank.  The parade will wind its way through the Hill neighborhood to Berra Park for the Columbus Day festival.  As we do every year, the Italian Club will participate with a booth.  We could use some help with the booth.  If you are willing to work with us for an hour or two that afternoon, we would greatly appreciate it.  Please call Gene Mariani (352-5484) or Carolyn Stelzer (772-3355). 

Tuesday, October 12:  Wreath-laying ceremony at Columbus Statue in Tower Grove Park by the Federation of Italian-American Organizations at 10:30 AM.  For more information contact Gene Mariani (352-5484).

Sunday, October 24:  Misericordia Society’s 79th Anniversary Dinner Dance.  A Tribute to the Italian Churches.  The occasion will also serve as reunion for members of the former St. Charles Borromeo and Our Lady Help of Christian Parishes and for St. Ambrose Parish and will give special recognition to Rev. Msgr. Adrian Dwyer, Rev. Msgr. Salvatore Polizzi, Sister Felicetta Cola, and Sister Bridget Esposito.  At Carpenters Hall.  Price $30 per person.  For more information contact Marianne Peri-Sack (837-8830) 

John Karel, TGP Director, after his recent Italian Club presentation on Italianate design influences in the Park mentioned that every October 12 (the actual Columbus Day) a memorial wreath is laid at the statue in honor of Columbus and as a sign of respect for Shaw, the Park’s great benefactor.  John also commented, in passing, that no Italian-American community organization was represented at this ceremony. 

At this year’s ceremony, the Italian-American community will be well represented indeed.  Joseph Colagiovanni, Honorary Vice Consul of Italy, as representative of the Italian Government, will be present and so will Vincent Garozzo, President of the Federation of Italian American Organizations, Cav. Antonino Lombardo, publisher of Il Pensiero newspaper, and other representatives of various Italian organizations. 

In addition, through the efforts of Joseph Torrisi, children from the Dewey International School, Shaw School, and possibly St. Ambrose will attend the ceremony, as well as delegations from the Italian Community Band and the Knights of Columbus.  In addition to the wreath laying ceremony, a tree will be planted by TGP in honor of Columbus.  Incidentally, all of the above named individuals are members of the Italian Club.

The ceremony will be held at 10:30 AM, Tuesday, October 12.  The Columbus Statue is located near the Grand Avenue entrance to the Park.  Members are urged to attend. The ceremony will take about 30 minutes

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14.  Giovanni Della Casa (Mugello, Firenze, 1503 - Montepulciano, Siena, 1556) è ricordato principalmente per il Galateo.  Fu uomo di chiesa e come tale ricoprì alti incarichi:  commissario, nunzio apostolico e arcivescovo.
Le Rime, la raccolta dei suoi componimenti lirici, vennero pubblicate postume nel 1558 a sua richiesta.  In questo sonetto il poeta invoca il sonno, figlio della notte,  perché lo liberi dal dolore e dalle sofferenze.
 
 

O sonno, o de la queta, umida, ombrosa

notte placido figlio; o de’ mortali

egri1 conforto, oblio dolce de’ mali

sì gravi ond’è la vita aspra e noiosa²;

soccorri al core ormai, che langue e posa

non have, e queste membra stanche e frali³

solleva:  a me ten vola, o sonno, e l’ali

tue brune sovra me distendi e posa.

Ov’è ’l silenzio che ’l dì fugge e’l lume⁴?

e i lievi sogni, che con non secure

vestigia⁵ di seguirti han per costume?

Lasso, che ’nvan te chiamo, e queste oscure

e gelide ombre invan lusingo.  O piume⁶

d’asprezza colme!  O notti acerbe e dure!

¹dolenti.  ²dolorosa. ³deboli.  ⁴che fugge il giorno e la luce. ⁵con passi non sicuri.  ⁶letto.