Sunday, June 30, 2013

The Jewish Experience of Italy

Before I left for Italy I had designed a plan to create about two dozen new shows and new series of episodes. One such series began on Friday, June 28. Based on the interviews we did of the people at the Synagogue of Florence, Emanuele Viterbo, Secretary (Director) of the Jewish Community, Sara Cividalli, President of the Congregation, and Renzo Funaro, Chief Architect in charge of renovations and reconstructions. It is fun to hatch an idea, execute it in Italy through photos and videos, and then design the appropriate show for the entertainment and education of my audience. It is now an even greater delight to plan an actual trip to Italy. That is, after all, why I do this. Heaven knows I do not make money from the entire endeavor and indeed spend large sums. I do it because it is fun !!!

Anyway, the videos carried the show, although as I always do when talking about a project that we carry out in Italy, I like also to tell the story of how the whole idea came about. I try very hard not to spend too much time on the latter, because then the essence of the show, the video interviews, have to be rushed, which is, of course, counterproductive. In this regard the plan worked to perfection. I was able to perform exactly as I would have wanted. Ellen and I at this point can practically predict how long each will be. If you look on Youtube at the lengths of each show, you will see that the average is somewhere in the 57 minutes range for the past several months. The only glitch was starting the musical introduction, and having Ellen tell me to start again, because she had failed to initiate the picture part of the broadcast. I edited that from Youtube, but people seeing the show in the Hudson Valley (Woodstock primarily but eventually all the other locations to which I send copies), will see the music begin, a black screen, stopping and starting all over again; that is unless the station itself can modify the DVD. Otherwise it was a fine show.

The story of the Jewish People in Italy, as everywhere in the world, is a fascinating story interwoven with the history of the cities in which they lived. One of the striking things that people might notice and certainly caught my attention is that the synagogue of Florence is large, beautiful, and graces the landscape in the eastern portion by its majesty, just as the Dome of the Cathedral does to the western. When my audience views the Venice show next Friday, they will see synagogues which basically blend into the city, with nothing to distinguish them from the general area in which they exist. Venetian synagogues were built hundreds of years ago when Jews had every reason to remain as discreet as possible amid the ever present threat of suppression. The Florence synagogue was built in the 1870's, not only without that constraint, but also amid the excitement of the Risorgimento or Unification of all the disparate city-states into one country, Italy, a time when Florence, as the capital of the new country, was spreading its wings. Almost simultaneously, the Ghetto was demolished to make way for the new Piazza Repubblica to commemorate this great honor and David Levi donated a lot of money for the constriction of the stunning synagogue.

Nonetheless, the pride, history, and culture of the Jews in Venice is no less admirable as the audience will see when I interview the Chief Rabbi of the Venetian Community, Rabbi Benyamin, the President of the Congregation, Mr. Corrado Calimani, and a volunteer, Ms. Gaia Rava. Equally impressive they tell their own stories of struggle and triumph in the city whose Jewish confinement gave birth to the word "ghetto" itself. Of course, I also introduce the show with the journey to find the story to tell and the actual trip from our hotel atop the Palazzo Bembo. Then the interviews, followed by a few other things. Again, I owe a great debt to the people who made the time to show us extraordinary hospitality during our visit, just as I do to the people in Florence. When all is said and done, and we visit Florence and Venice once again, I hope to return to these venues to reiterate that appreciation.

Saturday, June 22, 2013

April Blood and Other Historical Moments

One of the episodes about which I focused on last night's show was the Pazzi Conspiracy, the plot to assassinate Lorenzo (Il Magnifico) de' Medici and his brother Giuliano on Sunday, April 26, 1478. The details of which are clearly outlined in a book I once read, April Blood, by Lauro Martines. Without going into great detail, let me just say that this episode in Florentine history is in itself an amazing story hatched by a cadre of enemies of the Medici family, not only members of the Pazzi family, but members of the church and others as well. The murder of Giuliano and narrow escape of Lorenzo with only minor wounds reshaped the fabric of the Florentine political power base from that point on. I suggest that anyone who has an interest in Italian history should look into the details of the plot, the building up to the actual moment, which ironically occurred in the Florence Cathedral, and the stunning aftermath. The expression, "truth is stranger than fiction," was never truer than it was on fateful day.

The fact is that a lot of what I alluded to on the show bears closer scrutiny by anyone who has enjoyed reading this blog and watching my shows over the past year and a half. All of the famous palaces of Florence have their stories, and reading about them in greater detail would contribute to a fascinating way of reliving the incredible history of one of the world's great cities. I have spent considerable time studying the Sassetti Chapel in the Church of Santa Trinita with the extraordinary fresco cycle by Ghirlandaio. Through his realistic portraits of notable Florentines, painting biblical scenes for the wealthy patrons of Florence in the 15th century (and placing them into his work), he serves as a valuable historian who portrays Florence's storied past with stunning realism. His unique perspective provides the viewer with a wonderful view of life during the early Renaissance complete with an understanding of what the people looked, dressed, and acted like five hundred years ago. I have been contemplating a future show either about Ghirlandaio or perhaps the general concept of the painting portraits of Florentine notables during the 15th century, calling it something akin to one of my favorite shows, Florence, Then and Now. That show focussed on the photography of the Alinari Brothers, whose pioneering discoveries gave us an interesting picture of Italy in the 19th century. The show about the art of Ghirlandaio, and others such as Botticelli, Masaccio, Filippo Lippi, and others might be called A Fifteenth Century View of Florence focussing not only on the portraits, but also well-known scenes around the town.

In fact while in Florence a few weeks ago, I bought two books on the photography of the Alinari Brothers and others and will be presenting several shows on Florence, Then and Now during the coming year. Next week I venture into a story of the Jewish people in Italy through the eyes of several members of the communities of Florence and Venice. Please honor us by tuning in. Grazie.

Friday, June 21, 2013

A Long Time in Development and the Future

It's amazing how long it sometimes takes to develop a show. In this case I started many months ago, kept revising, studying, and even today a few hrs before broadcasting, I was still making changes. The show started out as a pleasant look at the biggest and most interesting palazzo, and wound up being a focus on the influence of the Medici in Florence during the 300 yrs of their "rule". Of course, as in some Italian city-states at the time, there was no recognized king per se. Florence prided itself on being a republic, and therefore had an elected body with a "mayor" known as the gonfaliere; however, the Medici exerted such strong influence over this body and indeed all of Florence, that they were the de facto leaders of the city. Many cities were controlled by the wealthy families. The Medici stamp can be found on almost every palazzo and therefore also every wealthy family, be it friend or foe. These turned out to be most interesting for me to study and I tried to include as much of that concept as possible during the show. One flaw in the show I noticed later, I always make misstatements, and this show was no exception. I indicated early on that Nero preceded Augustus as Emperor of Rome in the first century BC when in reality he came later than Augustus in the first century AD. Sorry about that. Yet another example of how flummoxed one can get doing a live show of one hour in length, but no excuses, I apologize for placing Nero in the wrong century.

As always I placed a lot of material into one show, and as it turned out, too much. That is the remnant of the basic insecurity I started out with almost two years ago when development of the show began. I have to learn to cut and trim and not make each show so long. In time perhaps I will. This show concludes, for a while anyway, the old shows I had created prior to our recent trip. Now begins the Florence/Venice programs photographed and videoed recently. I will start with Venice, but deviate slightly as I do the Jewish Experience in Italy and start with Florence. Then I will shift gears to Venice and stay on the Venice theme for several months, from the Jews in Venice to the Venice Biennale to some of the evocative scenes of the world's most unique city. In this regard I have some excellent themes, such as Neighborhoods of Venice, a Boat Ride Down the Grand Canal (really several videos combined into one show), Everyday Life in Venice, a Story of Three Hotels (the three places we stayed during the 7 days and why we stayed in so many places for such a short time), and several others. The show about the Palazzo Bembo I will create on my own, but the artists of the Venice Biennale at Arsenale and Giardini will be developed by Laura. Then in a few months, it will be back to Florence for some fine shows. That's the next year's line-up.

So on we go for the next 33 shows. I say 33, because that will bring me to 100 all together, always one of my goals; then we'll see what happens. Thanks for staying with me through thick and thin, and I hope you will enjoy the next phase of this total experience.

Friday, June 14, 2013

Back in the Studio Once Again

So, after the fact, everything went well, almost anyway. The show came off without a hitch system wide, electronically everything worked well. All my trepidation vanished as the show began, and as usual I was relaxed and calm starting as I wanted with a talk about the trip we just had taken to Florence and Venice, a summary of some of the upcoming shows in the next several months, and a relaxing meander through some of the most beautiful and famous streets in Italy. Beginning with some famous streets around the world, then moving into Ancient Rome with some history (which I read in that I had created this show months ago and forgot most of the details), and then a quick tour of my favorites in all the country I have visited. I topped off the show with a great video of a gondola riding down a side canal with singing gondoliers and happy tourists riding happily through the side canals of Venice. Ending on that note, the closing sequence finished off my first live show in a month, my longest layover. The only mess up was in my haste to leave the studio, I left my cables there ! Ellen just called to tell me she has them safely tucked away for next week, so all I have to do now is to relax until then. Fat chance.

I now will perform the show I also created months ago, Palazzi of Florence, mostly an historical perspective on some of the most famous in the city of wealthy bankers during the 15th and 16 centuries. In the meantime I will be composing six shows, two on the Jewish Experience of Italy focussing on interviews I did in Florence and Venice. The next four will center on video interviews with the artists who appeared in the Venice Biennale at the Collateral Event at the Palazzo Bembo. My gaze in general now turns to organizing all the photos and videos I have accumulated over the past 2 weeks trip to Italy and will keep me very busy. These perhaps two dozen shows with be spread out over the next 6 - 8 months interspersed with several I had already planned from the past year, including some analysis of the great art of Italy with my friend and compatriot, Ric Hirst. I even promised Franc Palaia a visits to his hometown of Poughkeepsie for a tour of Little Italy in that city in the Hudson Valley. So the next year promises to be a wonderful tour of still greater things related to Italy.

Stayed tuned and buona notte.

Uniqueness, but Not Much More

I have never written a blog so close to a live broadcast, so for my loyal followers, I just thought that would be a good idea, unique and I hope interesting to know my thoughts, what goes on in my mind before a show, just before a show. Of course, being whom I am, I am a little anxious. Anxiety follows me everywhere I go and rears its ugly head in everything I do. As my shrink tells me, it is just who I am, and I have learn to accept it and deal with it - the essence of my therapy over the past 18 months.

If I analyze why I am currently anxious, one can point to a number of reasons. First, of course is that I am always a bit nervous, every show. Not bad, and as many professional athletes indicate, it gives them an edge to be a little tense. Second, I have not performed live in four weeks, the longest period of time I have gone. Third, the show was prepared a long time ago and the initial interest has worn slightly. Of course, once I get into it, I will find the enthusiasm I always seem to have. Fourth, during the first few minutes of the show I will try to give a preview into the upcoming shows based on my recent, and arguably most amazing of my 21 excursions to Italy. I only hope I can capture the magic and transfer that to my audience, always a problem. Fifth, of course, yet another "of course", with the broadcasts one never knows when the system will break down, so after last week that is always an issue. However all this can be taken and indeed accepted in the correct context. Other than performing and entertaining my audience, i.e. you, the most important part of this endeavor, there is no life or death situations riding on this whole venture. I do not get paid, nor will my life affected in any measurable way. I will simply come home, have something to eat, while watching, probably my favorite thing on TV (DVD actually), The West Wing. I finished my 7th go around last week, so I will have to begin again; not much of a problem, since I worship that show.

Of all the issues mentioned above I want to perform the show as perfectly as I designed it, so that is my biggest concern. My visual images will help me focus. One of my "friends" (not really a friend any more) told me I show too many images. My response was, "try to sustain a one hour show and we'll talk again after YOU had the experience." The images help me to relax and focus, although the Bart and Tobe Show a few months back had few images, but then again, Bart and Tobe helped me to relax and focus. Ellen, my engineer and close friend also helps me, but most of all my love for Italy sustains me, and that is always something to fall back on. So here I am telling you my innermost thoughts, and have no qualms about that, as you are my devoted audience, some, I suppose for the whole time (thank you). For the next hour I don't know what I will do, perhaps put my head back and doze for a while, or read my latest book, a great, and very long biography of my favorite person who ever lived, Lincoln. Or I may just stare into space, always a good way to clear my mind. I will almost certainly leave for the studio a bit earlier than normally, because that always relaxes me, just being back in the studio, small, sometimes cramped, but my second home nonetheless.

So I hope you watch the show, either live or on Youtube later tonight, and enjoy it very much, as much as I enjoy letting you in on my thoughts. I will write the follow up tomorrow or perhaps if I have time, tonight.

Monday, June 10, 2013

A Man With a Plan

Not having to plan the next show certainly has its advantages. I have used the time well trying to decide which of the multitude of broadcasts I would do first, second, etc. I made a decision, which in all likelihood I will stick with. Here is the tentative list for the first six of these shows:

Show # 68: The Jewish Experience in Italy, Part 1: Florence
Show # 69: The Jewish Experience in Italy, Part 2: Venice

Show # 70: The 55th Venice Biennale, the Palazzo Bembo Exhibition, Part 1
Show # 71: The 55th Venice Biennale, the Palazzo Bembo Exhibition, Part 2
Show # 72:  Will be Part 3
Show # 73:  Will be Part 4

Each of the Bembo shows will focus on the 17 interviews I did with the artists. Even if you have no interest in art, these are fascinating talks with people from all over the world just talking about their passion in life. People from Australia, China, Korea, Germany, etc. They are very interesting and if you like the Alan's Italy TV Show you will like these shows.

After that I don't know except that I will probably do a series of shows on Venice focussing on the following themes:

Night time in Venice - focussing on photos we took in the evening. Venice at its most serene, beautiful, and eerie.
Three Hotels - focussing on the three different places in which we stayed while in Venice and their neighborhoods.
A Ride Down the Grand Canal - showing a series of videos taken by me of the embarkation, ride, and disembarkation from a vaporetto while traveling down the Grand Canal.
Venice Scenes - showing different fascinating views as I did in Venice Scenes Part 1 a while back.
Neighborhoods in Venice - breaking down Venice into its districts, San Marco, Castello, Rialto, Canaregio, San Paolo, Dorsoduro. This could be 2 shows.
Everyday Scenes in Venice - showing the side of Venice tourists rarely take notice of, laundry hanging out of windows, children playing, people just being neighborly with their friends, local restaurants, etc.

Somewhere along the line we will return to the Venice Biennale Theme for a look at the "other" part of the exhibition known as the Exhibition at Arsensale and Giardini. Palazzo Bembo is one of the Collateral Events, palazzi around town with their own exhibitions. Pal Bembo is the biggest and best.

Then the Florence shows with the interview of the people from the 5 Star Movement. Actually this may come earlier as I promised them I would try to get it on the air sooner than later.

Then shows on Pistoia, Colle di Val d'Elsa, Citta della Pieve, Orvieto. And esoteric concepts such as the Sculpture in the Piazza della Signoria, Shopping in Florence, and another show as I did a ways back, Florence, Then and Now featuring the 19th century photos of the Alinari Brothers. I also will do a show featuring interviews I did at one of my favorite restaurants in Florence, La Grotta di Leo, where I have been dining for 18 years.

Sadly, I did not get any cooking videos. Sorry. I tried and failed again and again. I cannot always be successful, but I will try again next year.

Keep tuned in. Grazie per la lettura !

Friday, June 7, 2013

Cancelled Show

For the first time in months we had to cancel a show. When I arrived at the studio, Ellen told me there had been a power failure and everything was working strangely. After plugging in my computer, we realized the color was off, so we rebooted the broadcast system. Then the Tricaster failed to work and then the Focus also malfunctioned and we decided to cancel the live show. Meanwhile during all this I put my head down and fell asleep !!! I am totally exhausted and still jet-lagged from the trip, getting very little sleep at night, and am happy I didn't have to perform this evening. Tonight I will get to sleep early and try to get a lot of rest. Sorry for those of you looking forward to Show # 66 - The Roads and Streets of Italy, a.k.a. The Byways of Italy, now postponed until next week.

Thursday, June 6, 2013

How to Document A Trip Filled with Magic and Amazement

We returned from our trip to Italy and it will be very hard to put into words how utterly wonderful this experience was. Nonetheless, as many of you are aware by now, I do not have much trouble expressing myself, especially when things go well. This trip had two distinct parts, our usual vacation traveling around Umbria and Tuscany with an extended stopover in Florence, and the most unusual aspect of Laura being part of the Venice Biennale and my being a recognized correspondent. I will be translating these two distinct parts into at least 25 new TV shows, but possibly closer to 30 depending on what the photos and videos look like and how creative I can get.  This series which will hopefully begin in July will give a clear documentation of this journey, the latest and perhaps greatest of them all !

Although I have yet to organize actual shows or therefore create a schedule, it now appears likely after reviewing my video interviews that I will not do either Florence nor Venice as separate entities, but rather go by generalized themes. For example I can envision doing two shows on the Jews of Italy centered around several fascinating interviews I did with people at the two synagogues in Florence and Venice. Perhaps this will initiate the series. Then I would like to focus on the Biennale in Venice for probably two shows, and Laura Gurton's exhibition participation at the Collateral Event of La Biennale di Venezia for three. For the former we have several hundred photos of the art and for the latter about twenty on site gallery talks performed by the actual artists standing in front of their work. They range in time from a couple of minutes to almost a full half hour. After those shows I will focus on locations and in that regard I have many ideas for shows on Venice including a ride down the Grand Canal, everyday life in Venice through photos, a discussion of the neighborhoods, our experience with staying in three different hotels, a stroll through Venice at night, and several more shows entitled "Venice Scenes." For the Florence part I have wonderful interviews with the leaders of the Five Star Movement (Movimento Cinque Stelle), interviews at one of our favorite restaurants in town, La Grotta di Leo, and some well known venues around town. Then there are shows on towns in Tuscany, more Italy Then and Now centered around the Alinari Brother's 19th century photos of the country (similar to my Florence: Then and Now performed last year), and some analyses of art.

Despite my severe jet lag and trying to organize literally thousands of photos of the trip, I was behooved to write this blog to my loyal supporters to inform them of my plans. I hope you enjoyed having the best understanding of how my documentation of this extraordinary experience will unfold; several friends have asked me and can now begin reading this blog if they wish. Meanwhile on Saturday I will write about the show I will do tomorrow, Show # 66: Roads and Streets of Italy, my first live show since 3 weeks ago. It will focus on interesting and evocative streets in Italy and throughout history. I hope you tune in either live at Woodstock Public Access (who knows it may actually stream at 5 PM at Woodstocktv.org). I hope to see you then.