Articles by: Joelle Grosso

Primo Levi is considered one of the most talented Italian authors of all time with his most notable work being “Se questo è un uomo” which recounts his experience as a Holocaust survivor. The memoir describes his initial arrest for being part of the anti-fascist resistance group during World War II as well as the experience that followed living in the Auschwitz concentration camp. In this masterpiece, Levi managed to beautifully express humanity during a time of complete inhumanity and barbarism. 

This week, two of the editors that worked on "The Complete Works of Primo Levi" came to the Italian Academy to have a conversation about Levi’s writing and his astonishing versatility. Ann Goldstein is an editor at The New Yorker as well as a translator for many notable Italian authors including Elena Ferrante. Marco Belpoliti is a professor at the University of Bergamo and also works as a contributor to several newspapers and magazines. 

The established editors praised Levi not only for being such a prolific writer but for producing so much great work in so many different styles. Belpoliti described his words as precise, humane, intellectual, as well as philosophical. He managed to combine political, scientific, and linguistic aspects into his literature which is not an easy task.

This allowed his audience to grow and include more people who can appreciate his work. Levi has published not only memoirs but novels, short stories, poems, essays, and commentary all throughout his lifetime as well. Goldstein said that “he was not recognized in all of his many guises until recently but to see all his different writing together, to see him as the witness, as the science fiction writer, as the autobiographical writer, to see all these things together shows the complexity of Levi as a writer.” Belpoliti put it best when he said that Levi is a “360 degrees writer.”

Levi was known, especially in the United States, mostly as a witness, as a Holocaust survivor which is something he didn’t want. “The Complete Works” enables people to see the parts of Levi that are not well known. These special components include all the sci-fi short stories, essays on current events, and even a story he wrote that was made completely out of palindromes. It is clear that he was a gifted writer and Goldstein adds that what “underlines all of his work is the dedication to the importance of language.” He strived for lucidity and precision in his writing, a quality that he attributed to his training and practice as a chemist. The goal is to be clear, to the point, and understandable by everyone but at the same time, there is nothing cold or detached in this clarity. According to Goldstein, “Levi has the tone of a scientific observer but he is never pedantic or condescending, he often manages to include humor in his words.”

Even though Levi passed away in 1987, his essence and his legacy lives on through his writing. "The Complete Works of Primo Levi" is on sale for those who are interested in learning more and getting into the mind of this great intellectual.

From February 3rd to February 21st 2017, Carnegie Hall and other major cultural institutions throughout NYC will be featuring tons of events in honor of La Serenissima’s legacy. However, the presentation of this schedule was held this Friday at the Italian Consulate and included special guests, Armando Varricchio, the Ambassador of Italy to the United States, and Clive Gillinson, Carnegie Hall's Executive and Artistic Director.

After offering his thanks, the Italian Consul General in New York, Francesco Genuardi, warmly welcomed Varricchio to say a few words.

"My role today is to stress the importance of this event, not just of the exclusive musical events, but also the importance of the city. Who doesn’t love the city of Venice? It is a tourist location, a spot for families, and for honeymoons," he said. "However, I would like to draw your attention to that for 1,000 years Venice has been a real cultural capital. Merchants of Venice were not just bringing in their finest garments and textiles, but they were also trading culture and connections," he continued. "With La Serenissima, that Carnegie Hall will host, we will have the opportunity to follow musical events and exchanges of cultural experiences,” he concluded.

Following the Ambassador, Gillinson introduced the details of the event to be held in February at Carnegie Hall, taking the time to honor the city of Venice.

“Anyone who has traveled to Venice knows that there is nowhere like it in the world. As beautiful as it is today, it is also a reflection of a bygone era, a remarkable product of its historic geographic connection between East and West, shaped by the many cultural, social, and political influences that have moved through the city over the centuries,” he said.

‘La Serenissima’, or ‘the most serene,’ was a title bestowed upon the ancient Republic of Venice as an indicator of their sovereignty. Over time, it has proven to be the perfect term to describe the city given that Venice for the most part has always been a peaceful place. Despite all the turmoil that affected other cities on the peninsula, Venice always managed to avoid conflict on their tiny island located far off the mainland. It flourished in every way possible until the arrival of Napoleon in 1797 which is what ultimately caused the fall of the Republic.

At their peak, Venice not only reached maritime supremacy, democratic progressiveness, mercantile power, and financial prosperity but it was also a huge center of cultural achievement and innovation. Carnegie Hall wanted to pay tribute to the extraordinary creativity of Venetians by holding a citywide festival honoring their art and music. 

Their achievements in painting are strongly connected with their organized expeditions to the East, the most famous Venetian explorer being Marco Polo. Thanks to their travels, the explorers were able to bring back certain pigments that were not available in other parts of Europe. This is why much of northern Italian art is characterized by color while the paintings in central Italy focus more on design and lines. Venice also has a rich history of music because it is the birthplace of opera. Antonio Vivaldi is the epitome of Venetian excellence and is still recognized as one of the best Baroque composers of all time. His influence is still felt today, his most famous work being a series of violin concertos called “The Four Seasons.” 

The amount of artistic masterpieces that Venice has gifted the world is remarkable given the physically constrictive nature of the city. It is important that institutes, such as the Italian Consulate and Carnegie Hall, take the time to celebrate these accomplishments to keep the Venetian tradition alive!