Carmine Gallone

With both Don Camillo and his communist archenemy Peppone away in Rome, the little Italian village of Brescello is at last a haven of peace. But this happy state of affairs doesn’t last long… The news that the villagers plan to demolish an ancient chapel and build a House of the People in its place soon reaches the ears of Don Camillo, now comfortably ensconced in the Vatican. Appalled by this proposed act of desecration, the priest hurries back to his former village and is soon caught up in yet another blood-and-guts tussle with the troublesome Peppone.Read More »

Just graduated from the Conservatory of Naples, Vincenzo Bellini meets Maddalena Fumaroli and immediately falls in love with her.
To make a musical portrait for her, he writes the romanza “Casta Diva”, of which he makes her homage.
Bellini is the most promising student of the Conservatory, but he only wants to return to Sicily and live with Maddalena. He thus refuses the offer of famous singer Giuditta Pasta to go to Milan with her.
Maddalena, however, doesn’t want that Vincenzo renounces to fame, and leaves.
Bellini hence goes to Milan with Giuditta, where he’s successful with the opera “Il Pirata”, and where he meets – and clashes with – Donizetti.
Maddalena, however, is always in his heart, so he leaves Giuditta and writes a harsh opera, “Norma”, which has no success. Maddalena, upon learning this, takes to Giuditta the romanza “Casta Diva”, which is added to the opera and leads it to success…Read More »

The film covers a hundred years in the lives of the Ricordi family, the Milan publishing house of the title, and the various composers and other historic personalities, whose careers intersected with the growth of the Ricordi house. It beautifully draws the parallel between the great music of the composers, the historic and social upheavals of their times, as well as the “smaller stories” of the successive generations of Ricordi.Read More »