La Gazzetta di Venezia (the predecessor of the current local daily Venetian newspaper Il Gazzettino), is an excellent source of information for the day-to-day monitoring of the performing arts in Venice in the second half of the 19th and early 20th century, which included: operas, plays (and their musical intermezzos), concerts, serenades on the Grand Canal, brass bands, café and beer hall ensembles, musical banquets, end-of-term pupils’ concerts (from nursery to grammar school!) and film (from the early 20th century on). This daily information give us a better idea of the “depth” and nature of cultural consumption practices, the marketing system for opera and performances in derived forms (e.g. arrangements for brass bands and cafe ensembles). The study will focus on topics such as: the mass spread of Verdi-type opera as a symbol for the excellence of the Risorgimento, embraced by all social classes; the monopolistic policies of the few musical publishers; and the after effects from the system of consumption on the style of Italian opera itself.
The project aims to monitor the changes in practice and taste but, most importantly, the constant features in the type of events and musical repertories, as well as offer new insights into some aspects of the production chain in the opera industry.


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