Aldus Manutius, Humanist Printer from Bassiano!

In the previous post I addressed the complex topic of Humanism, and how we badly need to reclaim it to avoid sliding into a technocratic society. I listed Desiderius Erasmus as the most prominent humanist of the Renaissance and undisputed…

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In Defense of Humanism

It’s been too long since my last blog entry. In that post I wrote about the increasing isolation and polarization shaping our reality, and made a reference to the lack of real, meaningful communication that preceded WWII. It is fair…

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Gray and Gold

The past three months have been a whirlwind, due to the shock-and-awe policies set forth (but not always implemented) by the new administration. Whether real or theoretical, the effects of those policies have already started to trickle down our system…

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Pinocchio’s Magical Realism

My ever-so-imaginative Facebook feed today presented me with the following picture, made by the famous Italian illustrator Roberto Innocenti for a 1988 edition of Carlo Collodi’s Pinocchio

After Pinocchio refuses to take his medicine because it is too bitter…

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How It All Started, and Why I Love the Pipe Organ

 

When I began studying music, I did it all by myself; while my parents loved listening to classical music, they never expected me to take music lessons, let alone pursue a career in music. All they did was buying a…

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Saudade

The feeling of “sweet sadness / longing,” called “saudade” in Portuguese, is a well-established concept in immigration studies, where it is usually linked to the colonial empires built by Spain and Portugal in the 16th century. When I first read…

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Room for Reflection: An Introduction to My Blog

Ciao! 

In these posts I wish to share some insights on music-related matters and life in general. Honestly, I don’t know what this blog will become, how often I will post, or if anyone will ever read what I post…

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The Case for Bringing Art Songs and Opera to School

On October 16 and 17, 2024, at John Carroll University, where I have been teaching Italian language classes for around 6 years, 155 people, most of them students, were treated to a free performance of art songs and operatic excerpts…

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