An authentic pillar of international culture. What can we wish for maestro Roberto De Simone who turns eighty-nine today? First of all, good health and then to live a long time dedicating himself to his research and perhaps giving us some other works.
Since the 70s he has been the catalyst of the Neapolitan scene with the study of the popular world of Campania through the valorization of the peasant tradition and the rediscovery of fairy tales which culminated in the staging of “La Gatta Cenerentola”.
I am publishing an excerpt from the long interview he gave me almost twenty-five years ago after the dress rehearsal of La Gatta Cenerentola which was held at the Montil in Castellammare.
What does Cinderella symbolize?
Cinderella is one of the most widespread fairy tales in the European area, even an Englishman has collected three thousand variations. Personally, I broaden my scope by exploring it over time; in fact, some references are already found in the tale of the Cat and Aphrodite through which we arrive at Egyptian myths of a sacred nature. Cinderella represents femininity with all its meanings, with her being a mother, daughter, sister, wife, prostitute. In short, everything you want”.
Viviani's theatre, which she has staged on more than one occasion.
"I would not like to make a speech on Neapolitan or Italian theater as they are reductive but I would like to weave a plot of European scope. At this level an author can define himself as such only if his theater can belong to everyone. Simply speaking of Neapolitan theater, especially today that the mass media have eliminated distances, would mean reducing the historical significance of Viviane's work. Indeed, we should do everything to free it and detach it from any local connotation."
Maestro, is there a well-defined cultural project in Italy today?
“This is one of the darkest periods for our nation, there is a frightening cultural degradation. Not being a museum fact, culture lives in the moment in which schools and seminars for young people are activated. In particular for Naples and its province there is no cultural project and to develop it we need people who should know how to raise their voices when we witness failures. I have often attracted antipathy and enmity because I pointed out certain inconsistencies and I did not pay attention to whether they came from the right, left or center. When there are anomalous situations you have to report them and that's it, instead many remain silent out of prudence or politics, but that is not how culture is created”.
How would you define Totò?
“As a great theatre writer in the sense that his is a somatic writing, articulated on his body. This gives modernity to this character who is more alive than eloquent theatre authors. I repeat, it is a somatic literature, a theatrical writing of gesture. The same statement can be made with Chaplin, in fact the text recited by Charlot cannot be isolated from his person”.
What is the spark of art?
“Self-irony is the basis of both theater and literature as well as music. The greats teach us lessons in this sense. I think of Don Giovanni when Mozart makes fun of himself with the aria from The Marriage of Figaro. Or Stravinsky”.
And speaking of San Catello, the patron saint of the city of Stabia, what can you tell us?
"I dealt with it when I came here to Castellammare in the 70s to visit Annibale Ruccello. He is a very interesting saint, he has a very particular articulation of legends, myths, traditions".
Long live Maestro De Simone
Pierluigi Fiorenza
@ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Article published on 25 August 2022 - 17:48
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