"Il loggionista impenitente" is a declaration of love to melodrama (Italian and otherwise)

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In times when the absence of thought inevitably fuels ulterior motives, there are evenings when a gentleman must acknowledge that the possibilities of unravelling overly intricate skeins are reduced to a minimum. In these cases, there are two remedies: alternatively, a cup of tea, or a book by PG Wodehouse. Well, to be safe in those moments I resort to both. So I find myself at Blandings Castle, in the company of a large group of characters, whose common trait is a deep, rooted, unshakeable lightness. And so far, so good. Except that every time I come across Sir Galahad Threepwood (Gally for the aficionados, brother of the ninth earl, the real owner of the hovel), I invariably see Alberto Mattioli in him! It's a condemnation, believe me. But there's nothing to be done, they are unconscious identifications against which little or nothing can be done. And so, the other evening, I opened my Wodehouse comfort book, and after a few minutes I noticed on the bedside table the new “ Il loggionista impenitente ”, the latest work by Gally-Mattioli, precisely. And so I left Blandings and landed in theaters all over Italy (or rather, all over Europe), guided by a corrosive but never rude pen. The volume, not even too thin, is a kaleidoscope on opera theater and its recent applications. Strengths and weaknesses, none excluded. Without too many discounts, as in the age-old style of the house.

They are collected in a system of heterogeneous writings, children of different occasions and times . But, precisely, reorganized in a system that makes them not only enjoyable, but also "current", despite - as mentioned - some of them originate from events or shows of some time ago. In short, they range from great figures in the world of opera, to reviews of interesting performances, passing through controversies that, over time, have affected the world of melodrama. What is surprising, to paraphrase the author, is that Mattioli's writings manage to talk to us about opera without locking us in the Indian reservation of culture, without removing us from the challenges of contemporaneity. In short, in the backlight (and sometimes in full light) there is always real life, beyond the single performance, or the episode that originates the occasion. The gaze is never limited to our home, because melodrama is not just an Italian phenomenon. Indeed, today more than ever it is abroad that it is experimented and innovated . And it is no coincidence that the average audience is under eighty years old. In short, a very enjoyable read, not necessarily only for lovers of the genre. And so almost two hours have passed. The tangle that had brought me first to Wodehouse, and then to our unrepentant gallery-goer, has not unraveled, but I still go to bed with a smile and a newfound dose of good humor. Of course it is not the solution to everything, but you know, smiling frequently at least prevents the formation of wrinkles .

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