1 00:00:01,120 --> 00:00:04,120 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff you missed in history class from house 2 00:00:04,160 --> 00:00:14,360 Speaker 1: stuff Works dot Com. Hello Love Podcast. I'm Holly Frown 3 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:19,720 Speaker 1: and I'm Tracy Wilson. Tracy question, Yes, do you're like opera? 4 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:25,280 Speaker 1: I would like to like opera? Right, Well, I love opera, 5 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:30,680 Speaker 1: but I'm always a little bit um reticent to verbalize 6 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:32,680 Speaker 1: that to people that know a lot about opera, because 7 00:00:33,159 --> 00:00:35,879 Speaker 1: what often happens is that they're then like excited and 8 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:37,880 Speaker 1: off at a gallop, wanting to talk about like different 9 00:00:37,880 --> 00:00:40,960 Speaker 1: performances and you know, some very technical things, and I'm 10 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:42,680 Speaker 1: kind of like, no, I just like to listen to it. 11 00:00:42,720 --> 00:00:44,800 Speaker 1: But I'm not really what you would call an opera scholar, 12 00:00:44,920 --> 00:00:48,159 Speaker 1: even on the most mild degree. But I really enjoy it. 13 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:49,879 Speaker 1: And there are a lot of aspects of opera that 14 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:51,800 Speaker 1: are actually inner daily lives and we don't even know 15 00:00:51,840 --> 00:00:54,640 Speaker 1: about um. And today we're going to talk about a 16 00:00:54,760 --> 00:00:59,280 Speaker 1: very famous opera house that has a legacy that touches 17 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:02,760 Speaker 1: Probably anyone hearing this is life, whether they realize it 18 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:05,479 Speaker 1: or not. If you grew up watching Bugs Bunny, if 19 00:01:05,600 --> 00:01:08,520 Speaker 1: you grew up watching television or film, you have heard 20 00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:10,280 Speaker 1: some of the work that came out of this sort 21 00:01:10,319 --> 00:01:14,920 Speaker 1: of hotbed of you know, really amazing cultural development. I 22 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:17,399 Speaker 1: will make a brief aside about how one of them 23 00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:19,679 Speaker 1: got involved in my wedding, sort of when we get 24 00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:21,720 Speaker 1: to that part and we're talking about the La Scala 25 00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:25,200 Speaker 1: Opera house a La Scala, which is one of the 26 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:27,959 Speaker 1: most renowned opera houses in all the world. It is 27 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:31,080 Speaker 1: Italy's crown jewel of the arts. Really, But as I said, 28 00:01:31,080 --> 00:01:33,280 Speaker 1: even if you only have a passing knowledge of opera, 29 00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:36,160 Speaker 1: or really you don't think you have any knowledge of opera, odds, 30 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:38,240 Speaker 1: are you know a name or two connected to the 31 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:41,920 Speaker 1: history of this legendary place, Because it's one of those 32 00:01:41,959 --> 00:01:45,279 Speaker 1: amazing icons that really actually touches and sort of ties 33 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:48,600 Speaker 1: together a lot of different pieces of history on the timeline. 34 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:51,920 Speaker 1: So there are things that you may not associate with 35 00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:54,800 Speaker 1: opera that we'll kind of get connected here. So we 36 00:01:54,840 --> 00:01:56,919 Speaker 1: will start with how it got built in the first place. 37 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:02,680 Speaker 1: On February six, eleventeen seventy six, the Royal Ducal Theater 38 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:06,160 Speaker 1: burned to the ground in a fire. Since the theater 39 00:02:06,280 --> 00:02:09,040 Speaker 1: had really been the heart of opera in Milan, they 40 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:11,680 Speaker 1: needed to build a replacement, and at the time, the 41 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 1: Royal House of Austria was actually ruling over Milan, and 42 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:20,200 Speaker 1: Empress Maria Theresa spearheaded this plan to replace this lost 43 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:25,000 Speaker 1: cultural landmark. And again to place Maria Theresa in context, 44 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:27,239 Speaker 1: she was the mother of the famed Queen of France, 45 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:30,560 Speaker 1: Marie Antoinette, as well as the mother of the Holy 46 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 1: Roman Emperor Leopold the Second. She had many many other 47 00:02:33,600 --> 00:02:36,560 Speaker 1: children and really kind of uh populated a lot of 48 00:02:36,600 --> 00:02:39,760 Speaker 1: royal houses throughout Europe. So that's the first person who's 49 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:41,240 Speaker 1: kind of connected to this that you might not have 50 00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:45,079 Speaker 1: known about. The architect chosen for the task of designing 51 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:49,160 Speaker 1: the new opera house was Giuseppe Pimarini. Pimorini is now 52 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:52,160 Speaker 1: considered one of the great Neo classical architects, and he 53 00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:56,200 Speaker 1: was no stranger to high profile gigs. He had also 54 00:02:56,440 --> 00:02:59,440 Speaker 1: worked on the Royal Palace of Milan as well as 55 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:02,720 Speaker 1: the Maria to raise the hall of the Broadens National Library, 56 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:07,120 Speaker 1: also in Milan, and the cost of construction for this 57 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:09,680 Speaker 1: new theater was funded by the people who had actually 58 00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:13,880 Speaker 1: already owned private boxes in the destroyed Ducal Theater, and 59 00:03:13,919 --> 00:03:16,760 Speaker 1: in return these donors got renewed ownership of their boxes. 60 00:03:16,760 --> 00:03:18,480 Speaker 1: So in the new theater, they would once again have 61 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:21,480 Speaker 1: a box, as well as partial ownership of the land 62 00:03:21,480 --> 00:03:25,320 Speaker 1: where the theater was built. And prior to the theater 63 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:28,600 Speaker 1: going up, the Church of Santa Maria alas Scala had 64 00:03:28,639 --> 00:03:30,800 Speaker 1: been standing on that land and had to be demolished 65 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:33,680 Speaker 1: to make way for the new facility, and the name 66 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:38,760 Speaker 1: uh La Scala was retained as a way to kind 67 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:41,320 Speaker 1: of honor that church. It took a little more than 68 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:45,000 Speaker 1: two years to build the new building, and on August three, 69 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:49,440 Speaker 1: seventy eight, Milan's new opera house, Teatro alla Scala, which 70 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:52,520 Speaker 1: translates to the theater at the Stairway, opened its stores. 71 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:58,320 Speaker 1: The first opera performed there was Antonio Salieri's Euroba Revealed. 72 00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:02,400 Speaker 1: Mattie over Azzi wrote the libretto, which centers on the 73 00:04:02,440 --> 00:04:06,240 Speaker 1: story of Zeus's former lover Europa. The plot begins with 74 00:04:06,280 --> 00:04:10,040 Speaker 1: Europa being kidnapped but just before her wedding and forced 75 00:04:10,080 --> 00:04:13,440 Speaker 1: into marriage with the King of Crete. After lots of 76 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:16,600 Speaker 1: dramatic twists and turns, Europa is placed on the throne 77 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:19,520 Speaker 1: of Tire, although she quickly turns over the seat of 78 00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:22,960 Speaker 1: power to essay Oh and his new love Semila after 79 00:04:23,120 --> 00:04:27,159 Speaker 1: she performs their marriage, and so h Loscala continued to 80 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:30,960 Speaker 1: offer operatic performances to great success for many years. So 81 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:36,039 Speaker 1: again that was late seventeen hundreds when it reopened its doors, 82 00:04:36,200 --> 00:04:38,400 Speaker 1: or when it opened its doors to replace the previous theater. 83 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:41,119 Speaker 1: But then in the early eighteen hundreds there were several 84 00:04:41,160 --> 00:04:44,040 Speaker 1: developments that happened that really sort of changed the complexion 85 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:49,080 Speaker 1: of Lascala's artistic offerings and their focus. First, in eighteen twelve, 86 00:04:49,200 --> 00:04:52,840 Speaker 1: an opera by Joachino Rossini debut and it was called 87 00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:56,000 Speaker 1: The Touchstone. It was the story of love tested by 88 00:04:56,080 --> 00:04:59,920 Speaker 1: multiple suitors, with a libretto that was written by Luigi Romanelli. 89 00:05:00,640 --> 00:05:03,520 Speaker 1: This sparked a move to what's called opera syria or 90 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:06,880 Speaker 1: serious opera, and the style focuses more on the solo 91 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:10,280 Speaker 1: voice and bel canto or beautiful singing, although that's not 92 00:05:10,320 --> 00:05:12,680 Speaker 1: what it was called until a whole lot later. To 93 00:05:12,760 --> 00:05:17,440 Speaker 1: explain bocanto, will quote New York Times music writer Anthony Thomasini, 94 00:05:17,720 --> 00:05:20,680 Speaker 1: who wrote the following in two thousand eight, and it's 95 00:05:20,800 --> 00:05:24,560 Speaker 1: narrowest since belcanto opera refers to the early decades of 96 00:05:24,640 --> 00:05:29,480 Speaker 1: nineteenth century Italian opera, when Rossini, Bellini, and Donizetti dominated 97 00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:33,799 Speaker 1: the field, but the overall concept of belcanto started much earlier, 98 00:05:33,839 --> 00:05:37,119 Speaker 1: with a consensus among opera enthusiasts that there was nothing 99 00:05:37,200 --> 00:05:40,599 Speaker 1: more ravishing than a beautiful voice singing a beautiful melodic 100 00:05:40,680 --> 00:05:45,320 Speaker 1: line beautifully, especially a melodic line driven by sensitive musical 101 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:49,839 Speaker 1: setting of a poetic and singable text. So whereas prior 102 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:53,800 Speaker 1: operas had really included more chorus and orchestra elements, uh 103 00:05:53,800 --> 00:05:55,800 Speaker 1: this style kind of put those in the background. It 104 00:05:55,880 --> 00:06:00,760 Speaker 1: favored a single exquisite voice for pieces of performing, and 105 00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:04,400 Speaker 1: Rossini's opera was instantly successful, and it was performed dozens 106 00:06:04,400 --> 00:06:07,120 Speaker 1: of times over the course of its run. With Opera 107 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:10,799 Speaker 1: Syria now at the forefront of Malone's opera culture, Rassini 108 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:13,640 Speaker 1: had lots of additional works performed at Las Scala over 109 00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:18,120 Speaker 1: the next thirteen years. These included ill Turco in Italia 110 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:21,720 Speaker 1: or The Turkey in Italy, his version of Cinderella Il 111 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:24,960 Speaker 1: Barbieri to Sivilia, or The Barbara of Seville, which you're 112 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:28,479 Speaker 1: familiar with if you've watched Lots of Bugs, Bunny and Otello, 113 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:32,279 Speaker 1: among others. So as a brief aside, I will tell 114 00:06:32,279 --> 00:06:34,919 Speaker 1: you that the Rabbit of Seville is my absolute favorite 115 00:06:34,920 --> 00:06:37,400 Speaker 1: bugs Bunny cartoon of all time. I also love What's 116 00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:39,839 Speaker 1: Opera Dock, But in the opera arena, the Rabbit of 117 00:06:39,839 --> 00:06:41,880 Speaker 1: Seville just works for me, largely because of all of 118 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:46,240 Speaker 1: the great Um Charlie Chaplin callbacks they do so much. 119 00:06:46,240 --> 00:06:48,360 Speaker 1: So that is still from that cartoon is what was 120 00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:52,719 Speaker 1: on my wedding invitations. That's all I'm saying. So I 121 00:06:52,760 --> 00:06:55,600 Speaker 1: owe a little bit to Rossini there. The other significant 122 00:06:55,600 --> 00:06:58,800 Speaker 1: development for Las Scala during this time was the staging 123 00:06:58,839 --> 00:07:03,360 Speaker 1: of several ballets Salvatore Vigano and Carlo Blassie and Vegano 124 00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:05,960 Speaker 1: shifted the focus of ballet to a narrative style with 125 00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:09,520 Speaker 1: his choreography. In this case, the dance told a story 126 00:07:09,600 --> 00:07:11,720 Speaker 1: in one arc, rather than just being a series of 127 00:07:11,760 --> 00:07:15,440 Speaker 1: sort of well staged movements. His choreo drama, as it 128 00:07:15,480 --> 00:07:17,840 Speaker 1: came to be called, had been developed in Vienna before 129 00:07:17,880 --> 00:07:21,720 Speaker 1: he debuted to Italian audiences, and once he started having 130 00:07:21,760 --> 00:07:24,360 Speaker 1: showings at La Scala, it became very very popular, and 131 00:07:24,400 --> 00:07:26,640 Speaker 1: he ended up working at the famous opera house for 132 00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:30,480 Speaker 1: more than fifteen years, and during this time while he 133 00:07:30,520 --> 00:07:34,840 Speaker 1: was there, he staged, among others, Otelo didalo la Vestal 134 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:38,360 Speaker 1: which is the Vestal Virgin and Itani which is the Titans. 135 00:07:38,880 --> 00:07:41,800 Speaker 1: Carlo Blassie was a dancer and a student of Vigano, 136 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:45,520 Speaker 1: and in addition to continuing this narrative tradition of his 137 00:07:45,640 --> 00:07:50,600 Speaker 1: mentors choreography, he was also rigorous in systematizing the technique 138 00:07:50,600 --> 00:07:53,840 Speaker 1: of ballet. He performed all over the world as a dancer, 139 00:07:53,880 --> 00:07:56,280 Speaker 1: and he wrote his first treatise on dance while working 140 00:07:56,320 --> 00:08:00,200 Speaker 1: in Milan with Las Scala in eighteen twenty. His most 141 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:03,040 Speaker 1: famous writing on the art was The Code of Terpsickory, 142 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:07,800 Speaker 1: and in addition to advancing ballet technically, Lassie also promoted 143 00:08:07,800 --> 00:08:10,720 Speaker 1: the idea that artists could be cultured and familiar with 144 00:08:10,760 --> 00:08:13,800 Speaker 1: all of the arts, not just their own. Yeah, he 145 00:08:13,840 --> 00:08:16,320 Speaker 1: really kind of fostered this idea that any dancers who 146 00:08:16,440 --> 00:08:19,040 Speaker 1: were working with him needed to also be reading literature, 147 00:08:19,160 --> 00:08:21,240 Speaker 1: they needed to be studying music, they needed to be 148 00:08:21,400 --> 00:08:25,040 Speaker 1: really well rounded kind of Renaissance people in that regard. 149 00:08:25,640 --> 00:08:28,320 Speaker 1: Um and the work of both Vegano and Blassie established 150 00:08:28,360 --> 00:08:30,840 Speaker 1: Las Scala in the world of ballet as well as 151 00:08:30,880 --> 00:08:33,480 Speaker 1: the world of opera, uh where it had already been 152 00:08:33,480 --> 00:08:35,760 Speaker 1: succeeding and it sort of built its reputation as a 153 00:08:35,840 --> 00:08:42,120 Speaker 1: theater were just excellence prevailed amongst all manner of the arts. 154 00:08:42,200 --> 00:08:47,000 Speaker 1: So during that time too, particular composers became just prolific 155 00:08:47,120 --> 00:08:51,280 Speaker 1: at Las Scala. The first was Gaetano Donizetti, and he 156 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:55,040 Speaker 1: premiered his opera Shiarra a Sara Fina in October of 157 00:08:55,120 --> 00:08:59,880 Speaker 1: eight two. The libretto was by Felice Romani. Because the 158 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:02,160 Speaker 1: work had just been rushed due to all kinds of 159 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:06,840 Speaker 1: problems and illnesses among the production members, the reception was mediocre. 160 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:09,880 Speaker 1: In spite of that, he continued to produce work for 161 00:09:09,960 --> 00:09:12,679 Speaker 1: Las Scala as well as for many other opera houses 162 00:09:12,720 --> 00:09:17,880 Speaker 1: for years afterward, including an opera entitled Lucrezia Borgia. He 163 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:23,480 Speaker 1: continued to serve the popularity of the bel canto style. Yes, 164 00:09:23,520 --> 00:09:25,440 Speaker 1: since I know we have a lot of Borgia fans 165 00:09:25,720 --> 00:09:28,280 Speaker 1: in the listening audience on to make sure they knew 166 00:09:28,280 --> 00:09:31,360 Speaker 1: that there's an opera about Lucrezia. Uh. The other important 167 00:09:31,400 --> 00:09:34,800 Speaker 1: composer from this time is Vincenzo Bellini, and he debuted 168 00:09:34,880 --> 00:09:38,679 Speaker 1: his opera Il Perata or the Pirates in seven at Lascala, 169 00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:42,640 Speaker 1: and Bellini's signature was really his amazing talent for writing 170 00:09:42,720 --> 00:09:46,920 Speaker 1: vocal melody that's been characterized as both pure and sensuous, 171 00:09:47,040 --> 00:09:50,720 Speaker 1: and his influence as a parent throughout the world of opera, 172 00:09:50,920 --> 00:09:53,920 Speaker 1: following him in the works of many other famous composers, 173 00:09:53,920 --> 00:09:58,920 Speaker 1: including Wagner, Chopin, and liszt So. While the entirety of 174 00:09:58,960 --> 00:10:02,520 Speaker 1: La Scala is very fluential, he in particular influenced several 175 00:10:02,640 --> 00:10:06,840 Speaker 1: composers that came after him, like Donizetti. Bellini was another 176 00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:10,280 Speaker 1: artist who was linked to the belcanto style, although Bellini 177 00:10:10,360 --> 00:10:12,640 Speaker 1: is generally believed to be the more gifted of the 178 00:10:12,679 --> 00:10:16,200 Speaker 1: two in the area of vocal harmonies. Yes, some of 179 00:10:16,240 --> 00:10:18,480 Speaker 1: his work is just really beautiful to listen to. And 180 00:10:18,520 --> 00:10:21,360 Speaker 1: like I said, I you know, my knowledge of music 181 00:10:21,440 --> 00:10:24,720 Speaker 1: theory and opera is very limited, but I still just 182 00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:27,240 Speaker 1: him always struck by how absolutely beautiful some of these 183 00:10:27,240 --> 00:10:30,839 Speaker 1: pieces are. Uh. And then there isn't we get to 184 00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:33,280 Speaker 1: a time when another really huge name that everyone will 185 00:10:33,320 --> 00:10:38,040 Speaker 1: probably recognize that attached to Lascala kind of emerges and 186 00:10:38,120 --> 00:10:42,240 Speaker 1: that is uh. In eight thirty nine, Oberto Conte di 187 00:10:42,640 --> 00:10:47,240 Speaker 1: San Bonifacio, the Count of San Benefestio, debuted at Lascala 188 00:10:47,320 --> 00:10:50,079 Speaker 1: and This was the first work of Giuseppe Giuseppe Verdi 189 00:10:50,160 --> 00:10:52,680 Speaker 1: to do so, and it kicked off a very long 190 00:10:52,760 --> 00:10:56,320 Speaker 1: career for him and many years of debuts by the 191 00:10:56,320 --> 00:10:59,680 Speaker 1: composer at the famed Milan Opera House, and in fact, 192 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:03,640 Speaker 1: uh Verdi is usually the most famous composer associated with Luscala. 193 00:11:03,720 --> 00:11:06,440 Speaker 1: Everyone sort of recognizes his name, even if they couldn't 194 00:11:06,480 --> 00:11:08,320 Speaker 1: maybe pull one of his tunes out of their memory. 195 00:11:09,120 --> 00:11:12,880 Speaker 1: Verity and Loscala became deeply linked to a degree beyond 196 00:11:13,080 --> 00:11:17,040 Speaker 1: that of any other composer. While working on his first opera, 197 00:11:17,120 --> 00:11:20,679 Speaker 1: he lost his infant daughter, and the second baby that 198 00:11:20,760 --> 00:11:23,520 Speaker 1: he had with his wife, a son, died roughly a 199 00:11:23,600 --> 00:11:27,120 Speaker 1: year after the debut of Oberto. It said that when 200 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:29,800 Speaker 1: Verdi's wife died while he was working on his second 201 00:11:29,840 --> 00:11:33,800 Speaker 1: opera and the work Giorno di Regno or King for 202 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:37,360 Speaker 1: a Day was not well received, it was the manager 203 00:11:37,400 --> 00:11:41,160 Speaker 1: of Luscala at the time who urged him to continue 204 00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:44,480 Speaker 1: composing and to find solace in his work instead of quitting, 205 00:11:44,559 --> 00:11:49,680 Speaker 1: which he had threatened to do. Yeah, so in that regard, Bartelreli, 206 00:11:49,840 --> 00:11:53,440 Speaker 1: who was the the manager of the theater at the time, 207 00:11:53,600 --> 00:11:57,760 Speaker 1: really kind of saved the creative life of verdi Um 208 00:11:57,840 --> 00:12:00,480 Speaker 1: and impacted him in a in a sort of reciprocal 209 00:12:00,520 --> 00:12:02,800 Speaker 1: way to the way that many of these composers were 210 00:12:02,800 --> 00:12:06,360 Speaker 1: impacting the opera house, because if he had quit, oh, 211 00:12:06,400 --> 00:12:09,000 Speaker 1: we would have been robbed with some beautiful stuff. Uh. 212 00:12:09,040 --> 00:12:13,160 Speaker 1: And while that second opera, uh Jeana Dao or King 213 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:16,320 Speaker 1: for a Day didn't go so well, his third work 214 00:12:16,400 --> 00:12:20,000 Speaker 1: that he did after that, Nabuco, debuted in eighteen forty two, 215 00:12:20,080 --> 00:12:22,320 Speaker 1: and this was really like the moment where he sort 216 00:12:22,320 --> 00:12:24,840 Speaker 1: of rocketed to stardom. And that may sound like a 217 00:12:24,880 --> 00:12:28,080 Speaker 1: weird phrase, but I mean at this point, particularly in Italy, 218 00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:31,520 Speaker 1: in Europe in general, but Italy especially, composers were kind 219 00:12:31,559 --> 00:12:33,880 Speaker 1: of like rock stars. I mean, they were basically the 220 00:12:33,920 --> 00:12:39,000 Speaker 1: celebrities of the day. And so his career really just 221 00:12:39,520 --> 00:12:43,120 Speaker 1: uh kind of shot on a almost vertical trajectory at 222 00:12:43,160 --> 00:12:46,079 Speaker 1: this point. And as a consequence, his career with Loscala 223 00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:48,960 Speaker 1: lasted more than fifty years. He did retire for a 224 00:12:48,960 --> 00:12:50,800 Speaker 1: little bit in the towards the end of it, and 225 00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:52,599 Speaker 1: then he ended up working on his last couple of 226 00:12:52,640 --> 00:12:56,200 Speaker 1: pieces as collaborations with another composer. But he sort of 227 00:12:56,240 --> 00:12:59,880 Speaker 1: became famous and then stayed famous for decades working with Loscala. 228 00:13:00,440 --> 00:13:03,240 Speaker 1: Perhaps his most famous opera, which was the Tale of 229 00:13:03,400 --> 00:13:07,600 Speaker 1: enslaved Ethiopian Princess Aida, was rare and that it didn't 230 00:13:07,600 --> 00:13:10,600 Speaker 1: premiere at Las Scala. It was first presented at the 231 00:13:10,679 --> 00:13:13,600 Speaker 1: Cairo Opera House in eighteen seventy one, and then it 232 00:13:13,640 --> 00:13:18,880 Speaker 1: premiered at La Scala shortly afterward. Yeah, there's a story 233 00:13:18,960 --> 00:13:22,680 Speaker 1: that he did not attend the Cairo Opera House premiere, 234 00:13:23,280 --> 00:13:25,240 Speaker 1: but what he heard about how it had gone did 235 00:13:25,320 --> 00:13:29,960 Speaker 1: not really delight him. It was mostly um dignitaries and 236 00:13:30,080 --> 00:13:33,839 Speaker 1: invite only and kind of higher echelonda society. And he really, 237 00:13:34,040 --> 00:13:36,280 Speaker 1: you know, appreciated that opera was one of those things 238 00:13:36,280 --> 00:13:40,360 Speaker 1: that could be appreciated by anyone. Uh. And so he 239 00:13:40,400 --> 00:13:43,800 Speaker 1: really sort of considered the La Scala premiere the premiere 240 00:13:43,920 --> 00:13:46,719 Speaker 1: because there were people from all layers of society, not 241 00:13:46,840 --> 00:13:50,880 Speaker 1: only they're sort of wealthy and famous and privileged. Uh. 242 00:13:50,880 --> 00:13:53,280 Speaker 1: And among the famous pieces that Verdi did debut at 243 00:13:53,320 --> 00:13:56,880 Speaker 1: La Scala during his fifty year run there were Giovanna, Darco, 244 00:13:57,080 --> 00:14:00,600 Speaker 1: Otello and Falstaff, which was the last one. And he 245 00:14:00,640 --> 00:14:03,319 Speaker 1: wrote more than two dozen operas during his career, So 246 00:14:03,600 --> 00:14:05,520 Speaker 1: when you think about a fifty year career, that's an 247 00:14:05,559 --> 00:14:09,679 Speaker 1: opera every couple of years, uh, which is really quite 248 00:14:10,320 --> 00:14:13,760 Speaker 1: uh busy. I can't I certainly can't imagine doing it. 249 00:14:13,800 --> 00:14:15,720 Speaker 1: But that would be like an author writing a book 250 00:14:15,760 --> 00:14:17,920 Speaker 1: every two years, which some do, but very few keep 251 00:14:17,960 --> 00:14:20,880 Speaker 1: up that pace. Often mentioned a second only to Verity 252 00:14:20,920 --> 00:14:25,160 Speaker 1: among Italian composers, Puccini emerged as the composer celeb of 253 00:14:25,200 --> 00:14:28,520 Speaker 1: Lascala as the eight hundreds were ending, but he is 254 00:14:28,600 --> 00:14:31,560 Speaker 1: responsible for one of the most famous, if not the 255 00:14:31,600 --> 00:14:35,440 Speaker 1: most proud incidents at the theater. In December of nineteen 256 00:14:35,440 --> 00:14:41,120 Speaker 1: o four, Jacomo Puccini debuted Madama Butterfly. Although the opening 257 00:14:41,200 --> 00:14:43,840 Speaker 1: night was really something of a fiasco, and the word 258 00:14:43,880 --> 00:14:47,360 Speaker 1: fiasco gets used almost every time someone writes about this 259 00:14:47,440 --> 00:14:51,960 Speaker 1: particular event. Uh. It's a rather famous tale among opera 260 00:14:52,200 --> 00:14:56,520 Speaker 1: enthusiasts and opera fans because it's just so crazy. Uh. 261 00:14:56,600 --> 00:14:59,920 Speaker 1: And while Puccini was brimming with confidence regarding the qual 262 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:03,520 Speaker 1: pity of this particular work, the production itself was played 263 00:15:03,680 --> 00:15:08,000 Speaker 1: with problems, as the opera was only recently completed. When 264 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:11,600 Speaker 1: Puccini arrived in Milan for rehearsals, The singers got their 265 00:15:11,600 --> 00:15:14,680 Speaker 1: parts only a few pages at a time. On top 266 00:15:14,720 --> 00:15:16,880 Speaker 1: of that, music was not allowed to leave the theater, 267 00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:19,480 Speaker 1: and the press was not allowed to sit in on rehearsals, 268 00:15:19,480 --> 00:15:22,040 Speaker 1: which was the privilege they had enjoyed for a long time. 269 00:15:22,760 --> 00:15:26,560 Speaker 1: This only served to make critics angry and predisposed to 270 00:15:26,720 --> 00:15:31,280 Speaker 1: dislike the piece. And while the crowd on opening night, 271 00:15:32,040 --> 00:15:35,680 Speaker 1: according to at least some witnesses, was hostile from the 272 00:15:35,760 --> 00:15:40,560 Speaker 1: get go, the entrance of Butterfly is really when things 273 00:15:40,680 --> 00:15:43,680 Speaker 1: tarted to just go south in a hurry. And remember 274 00:15:43,760 --> 00:15:49,040 Speaker 1: that um opera huge in Italy at the time. Crowds 275 00:15:49,360 --> 00:15:52,320 Speaker 1: very familiar with the work of famous composers, and so 276 00:15:52,520 --> 00:15:56,960 Speaker 1: a portion of the melody that she sang sounded to 277 00:15:57,080 --> 00:16:00,280 Speaker 1: some people similar to an element from Puccini's previous work 278 00:16:00,400 --> 00:16:03,600 Speaker 1: La bo M, and some members of the crowd started 279 00:16:03,640 --> 00:16:06,120 Speaker 1: to call out what they felt was lazy composing, and 280 00:16:06,120 --> 00:16:09,360 Speaker 1: they started yelling during the performance bo M bo M 281 00:16:09,400 --> 00:16:10,920 Speaker 1: because they were trying to point out that he was 282 00:16:10,960 --> 00:16:14,800 Speaker 1: sort of plagiarizing himself. At this point, the crowd became 283 00:16:14,880 --> 00:16:19,520 Speaker 1: polarized between supporters and detractors, and attend he started yelling 284 00:16:19,560 --> 00:16:21,440 Speaker 1: at each other in the stage so much that no 285 00:16:21,440 --> 00:16:25,520 Speaker 1: one could hear the singing, and during the intermezzo, when 286 00:16:25,560 --> 00:16:28,760 Speaker 1: performers had been placed around the theater with bird whistles 287 00:16:28,800 --> 00:16:33,400 Speaker 1: to create this realistic soundscape of dawn breaking, Heckler's in 288 00:16:33,400 --> 00:16:36,560 Speaker 1: the audience saw this bird song as their cue to 289 00:16:36,640 --> 00:16:40,320 Speaker 1: make other animal noises, so they you know, started doing 290 00:16:40,320 --> 00:16:43,320 Speaker 1: all kinds of other bizarre and rude noises and just 291 00:16:43,360 --> 00:16:47,200 Speaker 1: basically kind of having their own little heyday with things. 292 00:16:47,680 --> 00:16:51,600 Speaker 1: And the entire opera went on this way, uh, with 293 00:16:51,680 --> 00:16:54,800 Speaker 1: an unruly crowd basically bent on ruining the debut. And 294 00:16:54,840 --> 00:16:58,600 Speaker 1: there's some debate over sort of what really caused the 295 00:16:58,680 --> 00:17:01,680 Speaker 1: sort of rabble rousing. Uh. There are some stories that 296 00:17:01,720 --> 00:17:04,879 Speaker 1: say that Puccini's rivals sort of were working prior to 297 00:17:04,960 --> 00:17:08,640 Speaker 1: this debut really trying to like jab at the critics 298 00:17:08,640 --> 00:17:10,639 Speaker 1: and point out how poorly they have been treated in 299 00:17:10,680 --> 00:17:13,120 Speaker 1: not being allowed into rehearsals and kind of stirring the pot. 300 00:17:13,480 --> 00:17:15,800 Speaker 1: But others just say, like there there was just this 301 00:17:15,960 --> 00:17:19,359 Speaker 1: general sense of distrust of the whole thing, in part 302 00:17:19,400 --> 00:17:22,000 Speaker 1: because of that and because nobody had heard the music. 303 00:17:22,160 --> 00:17:24,400 Speaker 1: This was again a time when it was so popular 304 00:17:24,440 --> 00:17:26,639 Speaker 1: that sheet music would be sold kind of to the 305 00:17:26,680 --> 00:17:30,359 Speaker 1: general public to consume, much the same way you would 306 00:17:30,359 --> 00:17:34,280 Speaker 1: buy an album of a band that you were going 307 00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:37,560 Speaker 1: to see before the concert happened, and none of that 308 00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:39,639 Speaker 1: was allowed since the music had been held so tightly. 309 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:41,919 Speaker 1: So it was kind of just this perfect storm of 310 00:17:41,920 --> 00:17:46,480 Speaker 1: people being grumpy about the premiere of Madama Butterfly. I 311 00:17:46,520 --> 00:17:52,040 Speaker 1: feel like it's like Spider Man Unlock the Dark, except 312 00:17:52,080 --> 00:17:54,040 Speaker 1: to the best of my knowledge, no one died in 313 00:17:54,119 --> 00:17:56,920 Speaker 1: terrible stunts. I don't think anybody died in Spider Man, 314 00:17:57,000 --> 00:18:01,600 Speaker 1: but there were some injuries. So the reviews were terrible. 315 00:18:01,840 --> 00:18:04,600 Speaker 1: But Puccini always thought that Butterfly was his best work, 316 00:18:04,680 --> 00:18:07,280 Speaker 1: and when he staged it the following year in the 317 00:18:07,320 --> 00:18:11,280 Speaker 1: northern Italian city of Brescia, people created it much more warmly. 318 00:18:12,119 --> 00:18:15,120 Speaker 1: It's really come to be recognized as the amazing work 319 00:18:15,160 --> 00:18:19,320 Speaker 1: that it is. Um sort of transcended that horrible opening, 320 00:18:19,440 --> 00:18:22,920 Speaker 1: and even despite the Butterfly incident, Puccini was really much 321 00:18:22,960 --> 00:18:25,840 Speaker 1: loved by Italy, and when he died uh some time 322 00:18:25,920 --> 00:18:29,399 Speaker 1: later in ur while he was working on his final opera, Toronto, 323 00:18:29,840 --> 00:18:32,639 Speaker 1: the entire country really mourned. Suddenly been described this as 324 00:18:32,640 --> 00:18:35,200 Speaker 1: a morning that went on for a couple of years. 325 00:18:35,240 --> 00:18:38,320 Speaker 1: They really felt the loss of this artist. So we've 326 00:18:38,359 --> 00:18:41,080 Speaker 1: talked a lot about composers up to this point, but 327 00:18:41,160 --> 00:18:44,160 Speaker 1: there have been other figures who had a significant impact 328 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:47,159 Speaker 1: on the development and direction of Las Scala through the years. 329 00:18:47,880 --> 00:18:51,399 Speaker 1: Our Turo Toscanini was appointed artistic director of Lascalan in 330 00:18:51,440 --> 00:18:55,280 Speaker 1: eighteen ninety eight, so as uh, you know, Verity's stuff 331 00:18:55,280 --> 00:18:57,879 Speaker 1: was wrapping up and Puccini was coming in uh and 332 00:18:57,920 --> 00:19:01,800 Speaker 1: Toskin Toscanini was renewed own as a conductor. He said 333 00:19:01,840 --> 00:19:04,560 Speaker 1: to have stepped in to conduct a performance of Aida 334 00:19:04,600 --> 00:19:07,200 Speaker 1: at the Rio de Janeiro Opera House as a last 335 00:19:07,240 --> 00:19:10,720 Speaker 1: minute fill in when he was only nineteen, and he 336 00:19:10,800 --> 00:19:13,920 Speaker 1: performed the entire opera from memory, and he had a 337 00:19:13,960 --> 00:19:16,720 Speaker 1: wonderful memory that apparently served him very well as he 338 00:19:16,760 --> 00:19:19,000 Speaker 1: got older, because he lost his eyesight and had to 339 00:19:19,040 --> 00:19:22,359 Speaker 1: start conducting exclusively from memory. But in terms of his 340 00:19:22,480 --> 00:19:26,040 Speaker 1: leadership role at Las Scala, he completely reorganized the entire 341 00:19:26,080 --> 00:19:28,919 Speaker 1: structure of the theater, both from an artistic and an 342 00:19:28,920 --> 00:19:33,280 Speaker 1: administrative perspective. He restaged many of the works of the 343 00:19:33,320 --> 00:19:39,240 Speaker 1: opera house's most famous composers, and his interpretations reinvigorated a 344 00:19:39,280 --> 00:19:41,639 Speaker 1: lot of pieces for the public. Ear He said to 345 00:19:41,640 --> 00:19:44,760 Speaker 1: have been able to pull the finest playing from the orchestra. 346 00:19:45,480 --> 00:19:49,240 Speaker 1: He also brought the performance of symphonic works into Lascala's 347 00:19:49,280 --> 00:19:52,680 Speaker 1: performance calendar, which allowed the orchestra to be the star 348 00:19:52,840 --> 00:19:56,919 Speaker 1: instead of the singers. Yeah, similar to how you know 349 00:19:58,440 --> 00:20:02,919 Speaker 1: the choreographers had have expanded Las Scala's repertoire to include ballet. 350 00:20:03,040 --> 00:20:06,960 Speaker 1: He really expanded it by not only staging operas but 351 00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:11,960 Speaker 1: also just huge symphonies. Uh. And then in more recent years, 352 00:20:12,040 --> 00:20:15,360 Speaker 1: Las Scala has had some off stage drama to contend with. 353 00:20:16,040 --> 00:20:18,120 Speaker 1: At the end of two thousand one, the theater concluded 354 00:20:18,119 --> 00:20:21,159 Speaker 1: its run of Hotelo and it temporarily closed its doors 355 00:20:21,200 --> 00:20:25,560 Speaker 1: for a pretty significant renovation. So from two thousand to 356 00:20:26,040 --> 00:20:30,119 Speaker 1: January two thousand to to late two thousand four, this 357 00:20:30,320 --> 00:20:33,639 Speaker 1: major construction project was underway, and there were really a 358 00:20:33,640 --> 00:20:38,800 Speaker 1: lot of fears uh among Italians and even worldwide among 359 00:20:38,840 --> 00:20:41,480 Speaker 1: people that were just huge fans and recognized the historic 360 00:20:41,840 --> 00:20:45,600 Speaker 1: and important nature of Las Scala that modernizing this facility 361 00:20:45,680 --> 00:20:49,000 Speaker 1: was going to destroy some of the building's heritage. Despite 362 00:20:49,040 --> 00:20:52,760 Speaker 1: the concerns, this entirely rebuilt stage let the theater perform 363 00:20:52,840 --> 00:20:55,600 Speaker 1: three different shows in a single day, and the sound 364 00:20:55,680 --> 00:20:58,680 Speaker 1: quality of the venue was improved when the heavy hallway 365 00:20:58,720 --> 00:21:03,359 Speaker 1: carpets were taken away. Seating capacity was expanded to two thousand, 366 00:21:03,480 --> 00:21:07,200 Speaker 1: one hundred five seats from one thousand, eight hundred and 367 00:21:07,400 --> 00:21:10,639 Speaker 1: during the restoration, a walled over fireplace was found in 368 00:21:10,640 --> 00:21:13,480 Speaker 1: one of the boxes along the second level, and the 369 00:21:13,560 --> 00:21:17,720 Speaker 1: boxes which used to be privately owned were all refurbished. Yeah, 370 00:21:17,760 --> 00:21:20,600 Speaker 1: they tried to um even though they were modernizing a 371 00:21:20,600 --> 00:21:23,680 Speaker 1: lot of stuff. They did sort of some complete kind 372 00:21:23,680 --> 00:21:27,159 Speaker 1: of historical restoration type decor and some of the boxes. Uh. 373 00:21:27,240 --> 00:21:29,880 Speaker 1: And on December five of two thousand four, the New 374 00:21:29,920 --> 00:21:33,480 Speaker 1: York Times reported that Lascala had reopened exactly on time, 375 00:21:33,840 --> 00:21:37,919 Speaker 1: just a little bit over budget, and with fantastic new acoustics. 376 00:21:37,960 --> 00:21:40,720 Speaker 1: So this all sounded great. Uh. The theater opened with 377 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:42,679 Speaker 1: the staging of the same opera which had run when 378 00:21:42,720 --> 00:21:47,960 Speaker 1: it first opened its doors in Saliaris, Europa, rick On Shuda, 379 00:21:48,520 --> 00:21:51,359 Speaker 1: and tickets for this performance ran into the thousands of 380 00:21:51,400 --> 00:21:55,280 Speaker 1: dollars range. People were very excited, uh to be part 381 00:21:55,400 --> 00:21:58,840 Speaker 1: of this new reopening. But just a year later, the 382 00:21:58,880 --> 00:22:01,680 Speaker 1: BBC ran a story that seemed to suggest a gloomy 383 00:22:01,800 --> 00:22:04,879 Speaker 1: future for the opera house. Budgets for the arts in 384 00:22:04,960 --> 00:22:08,320 Speaker 1: Italy were being splashed, and Las Scallet's future really didn't 385 00:22:08,320 --> 00:22:12,199 Speaker 1: seem all that secure. And the months preceding that article, 386 00:22:12,560 --> 00:22:14,679 Speaker 1: the head of the theater had been fired and the 387 00:22:14,680 --> 00:22:19,400 Speaker 1: conductor of fifteen years, Ricardo Muti quit. Uh. Yeah, Look, 388 00:22:19,520 --> 00:22:21,000 Speaker 1: there was a while where there was a lot of 389 00:22:21,040 --> 00:22:24,199 Speaker 1: head shaking and um, you know, sort of glowery faces 390 00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:26,840 Speaker 1: and people really thinking that La Scala had finally been 391 00:22:27,960 --> 00:22:30,200 Speaker 1: you know, after two d years kind of run into 392 00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:34,160 Speaker 1: the ground. But in fact, thankfully the theater has weathered 393 00:22:34,240 --> 00:22:38,240 Speaker 1: the storm. Uh, you know, through some some strong leadership 394 00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:41,679 Speaker 1: and some really devoted staff, it's been able to kind 395 00:22:41,680 --> 00:22:45,840 Speaker 1: of get through those rough times and put together business 396 00:22:45,880 --> 00:22:48,080 Speaker 1: plan that's kept it going. Uh. It's about to have 397 00:22:48,119 --> 00:22:52,000 Speaker 1: a planned change of leadership this year this coming October 398 00:22:52,440 --> 00:22:54,680 Speaker 1: went Stefon Listener, who has been there for a while, 399 00:22:55,080 --> 00:22:56,919 Speaker 1: is going to leave his position. He's going to the 400 00:22:56,920 --> 00:23:01,360 Speaker 1: Paris Opera Uh, and Alexander Pereira is going to take 401 00:23:01,400 --> 00:23:03,760 Speaker 1: over the position. He comes from. I believe an opera 402 00:23:03,800 --> 00:23:08,199 Speaker 1: house in Germany in addition to its theatrical opera productions. 403 00:23:08,480 --> 00:23:12,560 Speaker 1: Lascala also still houses its ballet company, a ballet school, 404 00:23:12,600 --> 00:23:15,520 Speaker 1: and a voice school. While the theater still does get 405 00:23:15,560 --> 00:23:18,479 Speaker 1: a government subsidy, the operating costs are also covered by 406 00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:23,560 Speaker 1: ticket sales and the municipal tax. So yeah, it's still 407 00:23:23,600 --> 00:23:26,080 Speaker 1: thankfully going strong. And it's one of those things I 408 00:23:26,080 --> 00:23:29,439 Speaker 1: wanted to cover because it is the artists that we're 409 00:23:29,480 --> 00:23:32,280 Speaker 1: sort of supported by this theater where have been so 410 00:23:32,359 --> 00:23:35,280 Speaker 1: impactful and and like I said, there are so many 411 00:23:35,320 --> 00:23:37,399 Speaker 1: songs that you hear that you don't even realize are 412 00:23:38,200 --> 00:23:42,439 Speaker 1: by composers that came out of Lascala, So it's important stuff. 413 00:23:42,600 --> 00:23:44,720 Speaker 1: Do you also have listener mail? I do have a 414 00:23:44,720 --> 00:23:49,200 Speaker 1: couple of pieces of listener mail. Uh. One is from 415 00:23:49,200 --> 00:23:53,959 Speaker 1: our listener Devon, and she was writing us about um 416 00:23:54,440 --> 00:23:57,000 Speaker 1: uh in response to our Battle of Blare Mountain episode, 417 00:23:57,040 --> 00:23:59,720 Speaker 1: but she's actually writing us in response to the listener mail, 418 00:23:59,760 --> 00:24:03,000 Speaker 1: and she is uh. You both mentioned owning some very 419 00:24:03,000 --> 00:24:05,760 Speaker 1: old sewing machines and said that relatively little maintenance is 420 00:24:05,800 --> 00:24:08,240 Speaker 1: required to keep them happy. I was wondering if either 421 00:24:08,280 --> 00:24:11,000 Speaker 1: of you could suggest any resources for light maintenance on 422 00:24:11,119 --> 00:24:14,920 Speaker 1: vintage or antique machines. I have a deluxe precision sewing machine, 423 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:17,320 Speaker 1: a clone of a Singer fifteen made in post World 424 00:24:17,320 --> 00:24:19,640 Speaker 1: War two Japan, and I'm having trouble with the upper 425 00:24:19,680 --> 00:24:22,360 Speaker 1: thread tension and have yet to find any useful advice. 426 00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:25,359 Speaker 1: It runs beautifully otherwise and was acquired cheaply. And my 427 00:24:25,440 --> 00:24:27,879 Speaker 1: understanding is that many many of these machines were made 428 00:24:27,960 --> 00:24:31,360 Speaker 1: under all kinds of brands, including Macy's and Sears. Mine 429 00:24:31,440 --> 00:24:34,439 Speaker 1: is branded simply Domestic, which I find very amusing and 430 00:24:34,440 --> 00:24:35,920 Speaker 1: I would like to be able to use it more. 431 00:24:36,840 --> 00:24:40,880 Speaker 1: I would suggest wherever you are at UH, doing an 432 00:24:40,880 --> 00:24:44,040 Speaker 1: online search for sewing machine service, and I would actually 433 00:24:44,080 --> 00:24:48,399 Speaker 1: shop around. Make sure you find somebody that UH is 434 00:24:48,480 --> 00:24:50,800 Speaker 1: familiar with all machines. You are exactly right. There are 435 00:24:50,800 --> 00:24:53,800 Speaker 1: many clones that were made UH, as we talked about 436 00:24:53,880 --> 00:24:59,240 Speaker 1: in our sewing machine Patent episode UH once the combination 437 00:24:59,280 --> 00:25:01,440 Speaker 1: patent had appened, and there were a lot of companies 438 00:25:01,480 --> 00:25:03,840 Speaker 1: that were sort of licensing, making different pieces of it, 439 00:25:03,880 --> 00:25:08,080 Speaker 1: and even making whole machines that were kind of duplicates 440 00:25:08,080 --> 00:25:12,440 Speaker 1: of some of these UH. Sometimes you get very lucky 441 00:25:12,480 --> 00:25:15,800 Speaker 1: and you'll find a sewing machine UH serviceman who will 442 00:25:15,840 --> 00:25:17,480 Speaker 1: do house calls, which is handy when you have one 443 00:25:17,520 --> 00:25:19,960 Speaker 1: of these bigger, older machines. I used to have a 444 00:25:19,960 --> 00:25:22,480 Speaker 1: guy here in Atlanta who was amazing, and he would 445 00:25:22,480 --> 00:25:25,320 Speaker 1: do fifteen bucks a machine for any number of machines 446 00:25:25,359 --> 00:25:26,919 Speaker 1: at your house. Like, so I'd be like, I have 447 00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:29,120 Speaker 1: these four, they all need some work, and it would 448 00:25:29,119 --> 00:25:31,679 Speaker 1: be a sixty dollar service call. And everything worked perfectly 449 00:25:31,680 --> 00:25:34,679 Speaker 1: when he left and then he retired, and I cried, um, 450 00:25:34,720 --> 00:25:36,200 Speaker 1: But that's the scoop. I would look for a good 451 00:25:36,520 --> 00:25:39,080 Speaker 1: service person in your area, even though it's probably something 452 00:25:39,080 --> 00:25:42,040 Speaker 1: you can do yourself, if you're pretty crafty or you know, 453 00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:45,800 Speaker 1: kind of mechanically minded. With something that old, I always 454 00:25:45,840 --> 00:25:47,479 Speaker 1: like to get a pro involved first so they can 455 00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:50,200 Speaker 1: coach me through how to maintain it going forward. Mine 456 00:25:50,280 --> 00:25:52,919 Speaker 1: right now needs a new belt, So that's a scoop. Uh. 457 00:25:53,000 --> 00:25:56,800 Speaker 1: The other one is from our listener Catherine, and she 458 00:25:56,880 --> 00:25:59,840 Speaker 1: sent us a link to an article I just absolutely love. 459 00:26:00,680 --> 00:26:03,600 Speaker 1: She says, High Holly and Tracy, I ran in quotes 460 00:26:03,640 --> 00:26:06,320 Speaker 1: across this article see what I did there online, and 461 00:26:06,320 --> 00:26:08,000 Speaker 1: thought what you might be and thought that you might 462 00:26:08,040 --> 00:26:10,600 Speaker 1: be interested. I believe at least one of you mentioned 463 00:26:10,600 --> 00:26:13,560 Speaker 1: that you are a runner. Maybe I am Tracy has been. 464 00:26:13,560 --> 00:26:16,199 Speaker 1: I don't know how much she's running lately, but we 465 00:26:16,240 --> 00:26:19,680 Speaker 1: have we have run a half marathon together. So uh, 466 00:26:19,720 --> 00:26:22,600 Speaker 1: in any case, looks like shin splints afflicted humans along 467 00:26:22,640 --> 00:26:24,840 Speaker 1: before the current running craze, if only they had been 468 00:26:24,880 --> 00:26:27,600 Speaker 1: fitted properly for a pair of running shoes. And she 469 00:26:27,640 --> 00:26:31,119 Speaker 1: linked to this great article which is in Runners World, 470 00:26:31,560 --> 00:26:34,160 Speaker 1: but it is called a case of medieval shin splints 471 00:26:34,280 --> 00:26:38,520 Speaker 1: and basically, um, there was an article in Acta Orthopedica, 472 00:26:38,600 --> 00:26:43,040 Speaker 1: which is an orthopedics trade journal, and these researchers for 473 00:26:43,119 --> 00:26:47,879 Speaker 1: the University of Athens School of Medicine had studied the 474 00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:52,639 Speaker 1: skeleton that had been found in a Byzantine graveyard in Rhodes, Greece, 475 00:26:53,200 --> 00:26:56,680 Speaker 1: and they found that it had a medio tibial stress syndrome, 476 00:26:56,720 --> 00:26:59,520 Speaker 1: which we know more commonly as shin splints. And the 477 00:26:59,680 --> 00:27:03,679 Speaker 1: rees cher's talk about kind of the uh, the age 478 00:27:03,680 --> 00:27:05,800 Speaker 1: of the gentleman. He was between twenty and thirty years 479 00:27:05,840 --> 00:27:09,320 Speaker 1: old when he died, and they estimate his death on 480 00:27:09,359 --> 00:27:12,280 Speaker 1: the timeline between five and eight hundred years ago. And 481 00:27:12,359 --> 00:27:15,520 Speaker 1: even ocean splints are most you know, believed to be 482 00:27:15,560 --> 00:27:19,520 Speaker 1: thought of as exercise induced. They're basically, you know, any 483 00:27:19,880 --> 00:27:22,520 Speaker 1: the result of any kind of repetitive weight bearing activity. 484 00:27:22,640 --> 00:27:25,760 Speaker 1: So this could have been, uh, you know, anything that 485 00:27:25,920 --> 00:27:28,760 Speaker 1: involved repetitive loading of the lower legs, so it could 486 00:27:28,760 --> 00:27:30,920 Speaker 1: have been like pushing a plow or doing some other 487 00:27:30,960 --> 00:27:34,359 Speaker 1: sort of heavy farm work. But it was kind of 488 00:27:34,400 --> 00:27:36,720 Speaker 1: a fascinating thing. And we'll linked to this article because 489 00:27:36,720 --> 00:27:38,680 Speaker 1: it is a it's a short but really fun read, 490 00:27:38,960 --> 00:27:42,080 Speaker 1: and it links to the the Actor Orthopedica article if 491 00:27:42,080 --> 00:27:45,840 Speaker 1: you want more in depth medical stuff. Uh. And then 492 00:27:45,840 --> 00:27:48,199 Speaker 1: they make a Jeff Galloway joke, which if you are 493 00:27:48,240 --> 00:27:50,960 Speaker 1: a runner you will appreciate. If you would like to 494 00:27:50,960 --> 00:27:53,640 Speaker 1: write to us, you can do so at history podcast 495 00:27:53,640 --> 00:27:56,080 Speaker 1: at house stof works dot com. You can also connect 496 00:27:56,080 --> 00:27:58,800 Speaker 1: with us on Twitter at misst in history, on Facebook 497 00:27:58,840 --> 00:28:02,400 Speaker 1: at facebook dot COM's lash history class stuff at missed 498 00:28:02,440 --> 00:28:05,000 Speaker 1: in History dot tumbler dot com, a at pinterest dot com, 499 00:28:05,040 --> 00:28:07,800 Speaker 1: slash missed in History. If you would like to learn 500 00:28:08,240 --> 00:28:11,880 Speaker 1: more about opera in general, uh and another famous opera house, 501 00:28:11,880 --> 00:28:14,000 Speaker 1: you can go to our parent website, which how stuff Works. 502 00:28:14,000 --> 00:28:16,600 Speaker 1: Have taken the word opera in the search bar and 503 00:28:16,600 --> 00:28:19,280 Speaker 1: you will get how the Metropolitan Opera Works. Uh so, 504 00:28:19,359 --> 00:28:21,240 Speaker 1: it'll be sort of an American counterpoint to what we 505 00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:24,000 Speaker 1: talked about today, sort of the important things that the 506 00:28:24,040 --> 00:28:26,440 Speaker 1: MET has done throughout the years. You can also visit 507 00:28:26,480 --> 00:28:29,560 Speaker 1: us on our personal website, which is missed in history 508 00:28:29,600 --> 00:28:32,000 Speaker 1: dot com if you would like to just history it 509 00:28:32,080 --> 00:28:34,480 Speaker 1: up with us, or you can search almost anything your 510 00:28:34,480 --> 00:28:37,399 Speaker 1: heart can imagine at house to works dot com and 511 00:28:37,440 --> 00:28:43,880 Speaker 1: we hope what you do. For more on this and 512 00:28:43,960 --> 00:28:58,800 Speaker 1: thousands of other topics, is it How Stuff Works dot com.