Vol. VI No. 1 - Modernist Magazines Project

LETTERS FROM ABROAD
a few of the interesting lectures given at the University for foreign students.
Prof. E. Bodrero gave one on the English poets in Italy before Sitwell days
when English poets knew more of Italians. Marinetti explained Futurist
lyrics, and Gherardo Dottori spoke of Futurist painting. You may not agree
with me, but I think Dottori is a fine painter and not only when judged by
Futurist standards.
Operas and concerts begin late in the season. Toscanini is to conduct at
the Scala a whole concert devoted to Schubert and Defauw, the Belgian
conductor, works of modern Italian and other composers. At the Milanese
theatres there are to be many new plays. Corradini's Charlotte Corday will
be given at the Olympia and as usual, many foreign plays (translated) will
be acted. At The Turin Theatre, Sem Benelli's company are to give Peer
Gynt, plays by Shakespeare and Shaw, and a new play by Sem Beneli, Orfeo
The Pitoeff company are coming, again, to Italy with two of Shaw's plays
'and, one by Tolstoi as well as La Double Inconstante by Marivaux, and
Le Medecin Volant by Moliere. For the first time the company of the
Kamerny Theatre of Moscow is coming to Italy with a repertory not yet
decided upon. Bragaglia will, of course, in Rome go on with the splendid work
of his Independant Theatre. *
And talking of the theatre I must tell you that the great Japanese actor
Sadanji Ichikowa, has been received by Mussolini. As he has acted the part
of Mussolini in a play about him in Tokio the meeting must have been
interesting to them both. He said after his visit "The atmosphere of greatness
and simplicity that I had tried to put into my impersonation of Mussolini
I found in reality when I faced the man."
Florence, for the moment, is also a sleeping beauty but, in the winter, the
town will wake to many exciting novelties. Very good concerts are to be given
(subscribed for for three years) at the Politeama Fiorentina, conducted by
Gui; and the various companies touring Italy will find their way to Florentine
theatres.
I do not know what news to give you of Naples where, archaeologically
speaking, it is still dig and wait, wait and hope. Lots more solid ground must
be moved before Herculaneum can give us, once more, something really
exciting.
And my last piece of news takes me back to Milan where Gio Ponti, the
young architect, has been chosen as director of the International Decorative
Arts Exhibition which is to be opened early next year, at Monza. He is one
of the most brilliant examples of Italian versatility for, besides being an
architect, he designs delightful motives for porcelain and furniture, frescoes
walls in tempera, and is also editor of Domus, the best Italian paper on
architecture and house decoration. I hope England will take an important
part in this exhibiton as under the new direction it is certain to be as
successful as it will be original and vital
BONAVENTURA.
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