The Washington herald., 1913-08-31
STARS join IN
Verdi TRIBUTE
All Italy Celebrates Centenary
Of Celebrated COmpos-
er's Birth.
500 In THE ORCHESTRA
Festival to Continue for Month, Every
Town to Have Day for OBJ
servance.

Rome. Aug 9o.-From King down to
the humblest citizen, all Italy is engaged
in making Verdfs birth centenary the
greatest national event Of the year.
The celebration, which began a week
ago at Parma, near which place the
great composer was born, will continue
the whole month OF September in every
town In the kingdom. Great as was the
success which attended Verdis work
during his lifetime, nothing better re-
veals the exalted place he occupies in
the hearts of the people OF Italy than
the present celebration, in which the en-
tire nation is participating with unprece-
dented enthusiasm.
Impartial observers remark that even
the golden jubilee Of Italy's independ-
ence IN 1911 failed to arouse the enthusi-
asm Of the nation TO the extent that the
Verdi centenary does.
Seventy Stars Volunteer.
One OF the features of the celebration
is the large number of lyrical artists who
have volunteered their services for the
production OF the whole Verdi repertoire,
comprising more than a hundred operas,
In the Fornese Theater at Parma. Just
now Conductors Toscanini and Campa-
nini' w.fo are both from Parma, are at
the head OF the largest lyrical company
ever assembled in any part OF the world
II has seventy stars, including Adelina
Patti. whose devotion to the dead COM
poser outlived her days on the stage, and
Caruso. to whom one day in Milan Verdi
predicted a brilliant future
other artists Of worldwide fame here,
who are to sing the roles they helped to
create. are Cavalieri. Carolyn White,
Ricardo Martin, Allan Hinkley, Adelina
Agostinelli, and the baritones Sammar-
co, Titta. Ruffo, and PM Corsi-
Orchestra of 500.
The orchestra includes a hundred pro-
fessors from all the opera houses and
musical academies in Italy, which will
be brought up to 500 on the day that
Yerdis famous Requiem Mass is to be.
executed.
The centennial festivities began with
an open-air performance in the Old
Roman arena of Verona. which proved a
great success, and will be soon followed
by open-air representations of other
operas.
The local authorities decided that public
interest demanded a second performance
OF the Verdi masterpiece, only to find a
third necessary. Today the fifth is being
arranged, so great is the crowd.
The Queen Dowager Margherita. ;he
Duke Of the Abruzzi, the Count of Turin
and a large number OF weIl-known ger
sons attended the unprecedented specra-
Gle at these performances.
The tenor Zanacello was Radamys and
Marie Gay was Aida, while as many as
200 persons moved at one time cu the
huge stage.
Verdian Exhibition.
The Verdian exhibition of theatrical
costumes OF the sixth, seventh, and
eighth centuries was opened at Parma
by Public Education Minister Credaro.
1t is attracting all music lovers, including
hundreds of Americans.
Among tine objects exhibited is a full
orchestra of the year 1909, with Iie-sl=e
figures and musical instruments OF the
time lent by the FIorentine Museum
Other interesting exhibits are the manu-
scripts Of nearly all the Verdi operas
and Nerdis own wardrobe, showing Tie
court dresses Verdi wore when on his
tours OF European courts.
Following close on the centenary festivi-
ties a monument built by national sub
scription will be unveiled at Parma.
The site is in the square facing the
railroad station. which has been trans
by nearly 200 columns, extending
for over 600 feet. In the center is a
statue Of music, surrounded by twelve
figures representing the heroes and hero
ines of Verdfs most famous operas.
The monument is the work of the
sculptor Hector Ximenes, who is the
creator of the Varszzano monument in
New York. A second monument to Verdi
will be unveiled soon in San Francisco
Funds for it were subscribed by Italians
residing in California.