Carpaneto, May 15 2005

CARPANETO FINALLY GOT TO KNOW BEPPE CANTARELLI

The first time I've heard the name "Beppe Cantarelli" it was back in December 2003; a friend of mine told me about the Recital "Mentre Il Silenzio (While Silence)", with the comment: "It is not for every one..." I went, I listened and...I have been listening Beppe Cantarelli ever since.

Then, a few months ago, my colleague M. Teresa Viaroli came up with the idea to gift Carpaneto's fellow citizens with the great opportunity. In this town, as a matter of fact, only a minority of people knew Beppe Cantarelli; the majority had done the same thing that I did: it never enquired on the value of the artist who had composed for some of the greatest interpreters, it never enquired in order to discover the composer of the "Magnificat" that had fascinated the entire world. Notwithstanding the fact that he did perform not far away from Carpaneto, but it has never been preceded by major uproars, and therefore from Carpaneto only very few conoisseurs were able to attend. Not even the singers from the "S. Fermo Choir," whom Maestro Massimiliano Pancini was preparing for this event, were fully aware of the valuable experience that was waiting for them. Then the musician came to meet them at rehearsal and the first barriers did fall down: "He is a nice guy...," "He makes himself available...," "He is not full of himself..." Carpaneto was beginning to know Beppe Cantarelli.

When the first posters-billboards start appearing around town (a little bit disturbing, to be quiet honest), that face incomplete, with shades caused by the long hair, did attract so mysteriously the attention of many people.

I do not know why last night so many people were at Carpaneto's Church: maybe they've accepted some aquaintances' invitation, maybe they have been attracted by such a different event, maybe they were just curious, maybe they were looking for something to help meditate...

And Beppe had made his voice to be heard: it was not a Concert that got started, but a "Canto."
Beppe did not described events, Beppe did not pray, Beppe was "Singing" the Passion of Christ
All of a sudden it came to my mind the ancient poems: "Sing to me, oh Divine..."
There it was, Beppe "Was Singing:" his was the Canto of the poet who acts as intermediary of voices too high and too deep to be heard daily.
My friend's words came back to me: "It is not for every one..."
It was true! Beppe's "Canto" was not a canto for every one.
Beppe's "Canto" was the "Canto that belongs to every one" because it was "Jesus' Canto," it was the canto of that Jesus of which we are all a part of.
And everyone felt he or she was part of the mystery of Christ's Love.

We did prepare a little reception after the concert; a little one as we've expected the participation of a small group of admirers but...lots of people showed up, with a smile in their eyes, and in their heart the desire to prolong that experience of sharing.
People of all different ages came, happy to be there...
Reserved persons came who, almost on the side, participated also with their silence...
Young people came...(-Claudio, a Conservatory student who was following every step of the maestro...-Giuseppe, a university student, who shyly offered to the musician his CD featuring his productions as a young songwriter...-Matteo, a modern and athletic eighteen years old who, in charge of the interview to the artist, was absorbing his words with an uncommon participation...-Alessandra, sixteen, who couldn't contain her emotion...)

By then I was sure: CARPANETO FINALLY GOT TO KNOW BEPPE CANTARELLI; has meditated and prayed under the guidance of his words and music and, as Don Angelo put it, his Canto della Passione "did not leave us the same as we were."

Milena Farinelli




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