Lasciatemi cantare
con la chitarra in mano
Lasciatemi cantare –
– sono l’italiano!
Let me sing
with a guitar in hand
Let me sing –
– I’m Italian!
This year’s Italian Culture and Language Day was opened by the comedy dell’arte, that is: the skeleton of the script, the meat of words, as Dr. Monika Surma-Gawłowska put it in her lecture on the incredible history of Italian improvised theater. The beginnings of street acting are presented, cleverly pulled by the nose by sixteenth-century charlatans, awakened by the audience thirsting for artificial blood, and finally spilled from Venice to all of Europe.
Sometimes it is better to listen to the hiss of a basilisk than to a singing woman, but our meeting was raised to the very gates of heaven with the help of elegant ladies and proud singers. The auditorium resounded with music, from baroque love songs like Caro mio ben performed by Martyna Raczek, through the nostalgic hit E Più Ti Penso, captivatingly sung by Casper the Grandpa, to the loud, full of Italian temperament Felicità, which sounded with the joyful voices of Ola Blitz Kwiek and Kwiek. and ending with the song L’essenziale in a charming interpretation of Karolina Krok.
Of course, it was not without the educational part, i.e. the presentation of students. The unification of Italy (Michał Morek and Nikodem Soroczyński), the union of Mickiewicz with Italy (and, undoubtedly, in Italy) (Aleksandra Ferek), Italian cinematography (Aleksandra Kwiek and Tomasz Mayka) and bold, controversial contemporary art (Weronika Bandarzewska) – all these topics they were eaten in one sitting and tasted almost as good as spaghetti alla carbonara. We were introduced to the brightest stars of the Apennine Peninsula, that is, all the devils living in theaters, including the most eminent composers, painters and photographers – with Olivier Toscani at the helm.
Curiosities were sprinkled from a sleeve. And yes, enthusiasts of Polish literature will surely be curious that the Italians were the first to transfer Quo vadis to the screens. And men fell in love with Italian medieval actresses so much that they poisoned them because of their fanatical love. And Rome was the only place that could keep our Prophet with it forever. And murderers in black gloves could only come out of Italian horror films.
Nessun dorma. Let no one sleep. The harlequin, swaying, disappears from the stage, love triumphs. We see you next year!
Report: Aleksandra Ambrożewicz, class 1c
Pictures: Karolina Chyb class 2c.
