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Post by the Scribe on Nov 21, 2012 14:26:08 GMT -5
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Post by the Scribe on Nov 21, 2012 15:48:10 GMT -5
The setting of this opera reminds me a bit of my favorite story. It is a story I keep going back to when I reflect on my life and how it may have been different (I recently turned 59). It always grounds me and points out what is truly important. At least to me. I was lucky to have learned this early on in my life.
SMALL COASTAL VILLAGE
Once upon a time there was an investment banker. He lived in New York City, was phenomenally successful, and made a ton of money. But his life was busy, noisy, and very stressful.
So, once a year, he would leave the city and go down to a small coastal village in Mexico. For two weeks he would rest, relax, and allow himself to be rejuvenated.
One day he was standing on the pier just before lunch, looking out to sea, when he noticed a small fishing boat coming in to dock. He thought this was a little strange, because most of the fishermen used to stay out late into the afternoon so they could catch as many fish as possible, before coming in and preparing the fish for market.
Curiosity overcame him. So he walked over to where the fishing boat was about to dock. Looking into the boat, he saw just one fisherman and several large yellow-fin tuna.
"How long did it take you to catch those fish?" he said to the fisherman.
"Not very long, "the fisherman replied with a smile.
"Is there something wrong with your boat?" the American asked.
"Oh, no, “the fisherman said. "In thirteen years I have never had a problem with the boat."
The American was a little perplexed, so he asked the fisherman, "Why don't you stay out there longer and catch more fish?"
The fisherman smiled again and said, "I have plenty for my family's immediate needs. Some of the fish we can eat, and the others we can sell or trade for the other things we need."
"But it's not even lunchtime. What do you do with the rest of your time?"
"In the morning," the fisherman explained, "I like to sleep late. When I wake I fish a little, mostly just for the pleasure of fishing. In the afternoon I play with my children and take siesta with my wife. In the evenings I have dinner with my family. And then, when my children are sleeping, I stroll into the village, where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos."
The American scoffed and said, "I'm a Harvard MBA and I can help you."
The fisherman was a little skeptical, but nonetheless he obliged and asked, "How?"
"You should fish longer every day, "the American counseled, "late into the afternoon. This way you will catch more fish, make more money, and you can buy a bigger boat. With the bigger boat you will catch even more fish, make even more money, and then you can buy another boat and hire another man to work the second boat."
"But what then?" the fisherman inquired.
"Oh, we are just getting started," the American volleyed. "With two boats you'll catch even more fish and make even more money, and before you know it, you'll have a whole fleet of boats and every man in the village looking for work will come to you."
"But what then?" the fisherman persisted.
"Well then, you can begin to ship your fish to different parts of the world. Down into Asia and Australia and up into North America. And as demand grows for your fish, you can leave Mexico City, move to Los Angeles, open a distribution plant there, and begin to ship your fish to Europe and every corner of the globe."
But what then?" the fisherman asked again.
The American continued, "By then your business will be one of the great ventures of the industry. You can move to New York City and manage your empire from the epicenter of the business world."
"How long will all this take?" the fisherman asked.
"Twenty-five, maybe thirty years," the banker explained.
"But what will I do then?" the fisherman asked.
The American's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. "That's the best part," he said. "When the time is just right, you can go down to Wall Street, list your business as a public company, offer an IPO, and make millions and millions of dollars."
"Millions?" the fisherman asked.
"More money than you ever dreamed you could earn in ten life times, “the American explained.
"But what then?" the fisherman asked.
The American didn't know what to say. He had reached his climax. He was stumped. But then a thought crossed his mind and triggered an idea, and he turned once more to the fisherman and spoke.
"Well then, you could move to a small coastal village... You could sleep late... You could fish just for the pleasure of fishing... In the afternoons you could take siesta with your wife... In the evenings you could have dinner with your family... and then you could stroll into the village and sip wine and play guitar with your amigos..."
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Post by the Scribe on Nov 21, 2012 17:34:45 GMT -5
Il Postino/The Postman was also a popular movie from which this opera is based: 
Il Postino: The PostmanFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (Redirected from Il Postino (The Postman))
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Michael Radford
Produced by Mario Cecchi Gori
Vittorio Cecchi Gori
Gaetano Daniele
Starring Philippe Noiret
Massimo Troisi
Maria Grazia Cucinotta
Music by Luis Enríquez Bacalov
Cinematography Franco Di Giacomo
Distributed by Miramax Films
Release date(s) September 1, 1994 (1994-09-01) (VFF)
September 22, 1994 (1994-09-22) (Italy)
Running time 108 minutes
Country Italy
Language Italian
Box office $21,848,932
Il Postino: The Postman (Italian: Il postino) is a 1994 Italian film directed by Michael Radford. The film was originally released in the U.S. as The Postman, a straight translation of the Italian title.
However, since the release of Kevin Costner's post-apocalyptic film of the same name, the film has been released on DVD as Il Postino: The Postman.
The film tells a fictional story in which the real life Chilean poet Pablo Neruda forms a relationship with a simple postman who learns to love poetry. It stars Philippe Noiret, Massimo Troisi, and Maria Grazia Cucinotta. The screenplay was adapted by Anna Pavignano, Michael Radford, Furio Scarpelli, Giacomo Scarpelli, and Massimo Troisi from the novel Ardiente paciencia by Antonio Skármeta. In 1983, Skármeta himself wrote and directed the film "Ardiente paciencia" (English translation: "Burning Patience), which he later adapted to the novel of the same name in 1985.
Writer/star Massimo Troisi postponed heart surgery so that he could complete the film. The day after filming was completed, he suffered a fatal heart attack.
Contents
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Setting
4 Soundtrack
5 Reception
6 Awards
6.1 Academy Awards
6.2 BAFTA Awards
7 See also
8 References
9 External links
Plot
Pablo Neruda, the famous Chilean poet and communist, is exiled to a small island in Italy for political reasons. His wife accompanies him. On the island, local Mario Ruoppolo is dissatisfied with being a fisherman like his father. Mario looks for other work and is hired as a temporary postman with Neruda as his only customer. To get the job, he must declare himself a communist to keep the postmaster happy. He uses his bicycle to hand deliver Neruda's mail. Though poorly educated, the postman eventually befriends Neruda and becomes further influenced by Neruda's political views and poetry.
Meanwhile, Mario falls in love with a beautiful young lady, Beatrice Russo, who works in her aunt's village cafe. He is shy with her, but he enlists Neruda's help. Mario constantly asks Neruda if particular metaphors he uses are suitable for his poems. Mario is able to better communicate with Beatrice and express his love through poetry. Despite the aunt's strong disapproval of Mario, because of his sensual poetry (which turns out to be largely stolen from Neruda), Beatrice responds favorably.
The two are married. The priest refuses to allow Mario to have Neruda as his best man, due to politics; however, this is soon resolved. This was because Di Cosimo was the politician in office in the area with the Christian Democrats. At the wedding, Neruda receives the welcome news that there is no longer a Chilean warrant for his arrest, so he returns to Chile.
Mario writes a letter but never gets any reply. Several months later he receives a letter from Neruda. However to his dismay it is actually from his secretary, asking Mario to send Neruda's old belongings back to Chile. While there Mario comes upon an old phonograph and listens to the song he first heard when he met Neruda. Moved by this he makes recordings of all the beautiful sounds on the island onto a cassette including the heartbeat of his soon-to-be-born child.
Several years later, Neruda finds Beatrice and her son, Pablito (named in honor of Neruda) in the same old inn. From her, he discovers that Mario had been killed before their son was born. Mario had been scheduled to recite a poem he had composed at a large communist gathering in Naples; the demonstration was violently broken up by the police. She gives Neruda recordings of village sounds that Mario had made for him.
Cast
Philippe Noiret – Pablo Neruda
Massimo Troisi – Mario Ruoppolo
Maria Grazia Cucinotta – Beatrice Russo
Renato Scarpa – Telegrapher
Linda Moretti – Donna Rosa
Setting
Whereas the novel and the 1985 film were set in Chile, with Neruda living in his home at Isla Negra around 1970, Il Postino: The Postman moves the setting to Italy in about 1950. The film is set and was partially filmed on the island of Salina, of the volcanic Aeolian Island chain off the north coast of Sicily. After the film was released, the island's Pollara Beach suffered erosion from motorboats and vandalism from tourists.[3]
Soundtrack
Further information: Il Postino (soundtrack)
In 1994 to promote the film, Miramax published The Postman (Il Postino): Music From The Miramax Motion Picture, which besides the film's score, composed by Luis Enríquez Bacalov, includes Neruda's poems recited by many celebrities. There are a total of 31 tracks.
In 2002 CAM Original Soundtracks released a 17 track version of the score (CAM 509536-2) which was mastered in Dolby Surround.
The album won the Academy Award for Best Original Dramatic Score and the BAFTA Award for Best Film Music.
For the 2010 opera based on the film see Daniel Catan.
Reception
The film was very well received. Rotten Tomatoes reports that 92% of the critics liked the film, based on 25 reviews. It received a score of 81 on Metacritic, indicating "Universal Acclaim", based on 13 critic reviews.
Awards
Academy AwardsAt the 68th Academy Awards (1995), Il Postino: The Postman received five nominations and one Academy Award.
The film's score, composed by Luis Enríquez Bacalov, won the Academy Award for Best Music (Original Dramatic Score) and (as well as a BAFTA Award).
The film was also nominated for: Best Picture; Best Director (Michael Radford); Best Actor in a Leading Role (Massimo Troisi); and Best Writing (Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published).
In the categories for Best Actor and Best Writing, Troisi received posthumous nominations.
BAFTA Awards
The film won the BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language.
The film's score, composed by Luis Enríquez Bacalov, won the BAFTA Award for Best Film Music (as well as an Academy Award).
See alsoNotable film portrayals of Nobel laureates
References
1.^ The official Academy Awards database refers to it as The Postman (Il Postino)
2.^ A poster with the title The Postman is reproduced in its profile at the Internet Movie Database
3.^ Tourists threaten Il Postino beach
4.^ Il Postino: The Postman Movie Reviews, Pictures - Rotten Tomatoes (accessed on May 17, 2010)
5.^ Il Postino: The Postman Reviews at Metacritic (accessed on June 24, 2010)it's unfortunate the main actor looks just like Paul "ratboy" Ryan
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