Freitag, 6. Mai 2022, 18:30 Uhr – Institut für Musikwissenschaft, Hörsaal 1

The present talk will focus on the impact the warfare and subsequent change of government had on Milan’s cultural/musical production between 1796 (Italian Campaign and Napoleonic occupation) and 1802 (proclamation of the so-called ‘Italian Republic’). In particular, it will comment on how Milan, despite being traditionally described as a hub of Italian nationalism and ‘national’ music (especially, musical theatre) can be considered a powerhouse for the production of transnational cultural outputs. Starting from some preliminary considerations on the transnational nature of the Austro-Lombard court of the Archduke Governor Ferdinand Karl and his bride the Princess Maria Beatrice of Este, the paper will consider the intervention of the republican government on Milan’s cultural and musical scene, both within and beyond traditional venues. Both the measures implemented in the opera houses (especially, but not solely, La Scala), and in the city’s public spaces will be discussed, from the impact on the theatrical repertoires to the republican festivals. as well as the meaningful transfers and exchanges between them. The paper will conclude by proposing some meaningful historiographical observations, and by suggesting further avenues for research.