The Politics of Verdi’s Cantica

205 Pages·2016·2.33 MB·English

by  Roberta Montemorra Marvin

The Politics of Verdi’s Cantica
The Politics of Verdi’s Cantica treats a singular case study of the use of
music to resist oppression, combat evil, and fight injustice. Cantica,
better known as Inno delle nazioni / Hymn of the Nations, commissioned
from Italy’s foremost composer to represent the newly independent
nation at the 1862 London International Exhibition, served as a national
voice of pride and of protest for Italy across two centuries and in two
very different political situations. The book unpacks, for the first time,
the full history of Verdi’s composition from its creation, performance,
and publication in the 1860s through its appropriation as purposeful
social and political commentary and of its perception by American
broadcast media as a ‘weapon of art’ in the mid twentieth century.
Based on largely untapped primary archival and other documentary
sources, journalistic writings, and radio and film scripts, the project
discusses the changing meanings of the composition over time.
It not only unravels the complex history of the work in the nineteenth
century, of greater significance it offers the first fully documented
study of the performances, radio broadcast, and filming of the work by
the renowned Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini during World War II.
In presenting new evidence about ways in which Verdi’s music was
appropriated by expatriate Italians and the United States government
for cross-cultural propaganda in America and in Italy, it addresses the
intertwining of Italian and American culture with regard to art, politics,
and history; and investigates the ways in which the press and broadcast
media helped construct a musical weapon that traversed ethnic, aesthetic,
and temporal boundaries to make a strong political statement.
ROYAL MUSICAL ASSOCIATION MONOGRAPHS
General Editor: Simon P. Keefe
This series is supported by funds made available to the Royal Musical
Association from the estate of Thurston Dart, former King Edward
Professor of Music at the University of London. The editorial board is
the Publications Committee of the Association.
Recent monographs in the series (for a full list, see the end of this book):
Heinrich Schenker and Beethoven’s ‘Hammerklavier’ Sonata
Nicholas Marston
Regina Mingotti: Diva and Impresario at the King’s Theatre, London
Michael Burden
Brahms Beyond Mastery: His Sarabande and Gavotte, and its Recompositions
Robert Pascall
The Politics of Plainchant in fin-de-siècle France
Katharine Ellis
Skryabin, Philosophy and the Music of Desire
Kenneth M. Smith
ROYAL MUSICAL ASSOCIATION
MONOGRAPHS
24
The Politics of
Verdi’s Cantica
ROBERTA MONTEMORRA MARVIN
First published 2014 by Ashgate Publishing
Published 2016 by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017, USA
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
Copyright © Roberta Montemorra Marvin 2014
Roberta Montemorra Marvin has asserted her right under the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the author of this work.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any
form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented,
including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system,
without permission in writing from the publishers.
Notice..
Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used
onlyfor identification and explanation without intent to in fringe.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
The Library of Congress has cataloged the printed edition as follows:
Marvin, Roberta Montemorra.
The politics of Verdi’s Cantica / by Roberta Montemorra Marvin.
pages cm. – (Royal Musical Association monographs)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4094-1785-9 (hardcover) 1. Verdi, Giuseppe, 1813–1901. Inno delle
nazioni. 2. Music–Political aspects–History–19th century. 3. Music–Political
aspects–History–20th century. I. Title.
ML410.V4M28 2014
782.42092–dc23
2014000533
ISBN 9781409417859 (hbk)
Contents
List of Figures and Tables vii
List of Music Examples ix
Acknowledgments xi
Abbreviations and Sigla xv
A Note on Translations, Titles, and Bibliographic Citations xvii
1 Introduction 1
2 Verdi’s Cantica: Behind the Scenes 19
3 The Public Face of Verdi’s Cantica 37
4 Toscanini’s “Weapon of Art” 69
5 Toscanini’s Film: Voices of Protest and Veiled Messages 83
Appendix A Texts for Verdi’s Works on Toscanini’s Programs 127
Appendix B Film Scripts and Commentaries 135
Bibliography of Sources Consulted 161
Index 175

List of Figures and Tables
Figures
3.1 Cover of the first edition of Inno delle nazioni, Milan:
Ricordi, 1862 (plate no. 34275) 50
4.1 Program for Toscanini’s July 26, 1915, Concert in Milan 70
4.2 Program for Toscanini’s January 31, 1943, NBC
Radio Broadcast 72
Tables
3.1 Text modifications in the London publications of
Cantica   49
3.2 Music performed before and after the Inaugural
Concert for the London International Exhibition,
May 1, 1862   53
3.3 Performances of Inno delle nazioni in London in 1862   62
5.1 Introductions for individual Italian film participants   98

List of Music Examples
1.1 Inno delle nazioni, “Gloria pei cieli altissimi” passage,
mm. 36–39 (chorus) 15
1.2 Inno delle nazioni, “In questo dì giocondo” passage,
mm. 48–56 (chorus, soprano line) 15
1.3 Inno delle nazioni, “Signor che sulla terra” passage,
mm. 138–146 (solo tenor) 16