Thursday evening Prof. Joseph Sciorra, Ph.D., Director for Academic and Cultural Programs at the John D. Calandra Italian American Institute, Queens College (CUNY), presented a short, but fascinating multimedia presentation on the preservation of Italian Immigrant Music Making at the Center for Italian Modern Art (421 Broome St.) in Manhattan. Utilizing electronic slides of old sheet music and portraits of some of the many musical artist discussed, as well as audio samples of Neapolitan and Sicilian popular music from the early twentieth-century, Prof. Sciorra brought to light the rich, but often neglected, history of Italian immigrant music making. He also underscored the invaluable service the Calandra Institute provides in preserving this important cultural legacy.Unexpectedly, famed film director Martin Scorsese greeted the attendees and introduced Prof. Sciorra via video conference.
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| Martin Scorsese addresses the audience from his study |
Following the lecture was a brief Q&A session with Ernie Rossi, beloved proprietor of E. Rossi & Company (193 Grand St.), Little Italy’s celebrated music publisher founded in 1910 by his grandfather, Ernesto Rossi. Ernie spoke about his family’s role in publishing and distributing Italian music. A talented musician and songwriter in his own right, Ernie performed two of his own songs for the audience: “The Other Side of Forever” and “Fa Amore Con Te.” |
(L) Master of ceremonies Nicola Lucchi, Managing Director of CIMA.
(L) Guest speaker Prof. Joseph Sciorra |
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| Eduardo Migliaccio "Farfariello" (1880-1946) as Emperor Haile Selassie |
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| Concetta and Eduardo Rossi with salesman in hat |
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| Ernie Rossi discusses the history of Italian music in Little Italy, New York |
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| Ernie performs a couple of songs for the audience |
Before leaving guests were able to view the museum’s current exhibition, Staging Injustice: Italian Art 1880-1917, curated by Giovanna Ginex. The exhibit will run until 18 June 2022. A few highlights are pictured below. |
| Sulla fossa (On the Graveyard Pit), 1876, bronze, Achille D'Orsi |
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Venditore di cerini or Il cerinaio (The Match Seller),
1872-1878, oil of canvas, Antonio Mancini |
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(L) Un panattiere. Lavoro notturno (The Baker: Night Work), 1891,
bronze, Antonio Carminati. (R) La ruffiana or La mezzana
(The Procuress), 1883-1885, painted plaster, Medardo Rosso |
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| Abbandonati (Abandoned), 1903, oil on canvas, Luigi Nono |
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| Madre (Mother), 1917, oil on canvas, Adriana Bisi Fabbri |
