One L of a Lesson

One of the most rewarding things about working in Italy apart from the food, wine and the culture, is that the people are so welcoming and helpful. When I first studied with the staff at La Scala, I spoke no Italian. I had a phrase book in one pocket and a dictionary in the other. I spent three weeks in the picturesque village of Barga outside Lucca and as very few people there spoke English either I learned some words or I starved. Birra – beer – was one of the first words to sink in! Of course I made some howling mistakes. It is amazing how a slight change in pronunciation can completely change the sense of shat you are trying to say. For example I saw on the menu of a pizzeria the word falo. The stress is on th second syllable and my trust dictionary told me that it meant “bonfire” – lovely, I adore spicy foods. So I boldly asked for a fallo. Unfortunately, thelonger pronunciation of the double “I” has its impact on the meaning, which in this case turned out to be either “error” or “phallus”. After ten minutes of general mirth followed by a quick lesson, all was okay. That’s what I love about Italy. No matter what they are doing, Italians will help you, especially if they see that you are trying your best and are willing to learn.

I am blessed to be able to do this job and the way the Italian public have taken me in is truly gratifying. I am now preparing operas for Genoa, Turin, Milan, along with contracts for Montpellier, Madrid and two more operas in the UK in 2005 and 2006. I often wonder how a “north-east lad” from a small pit village got into this business – especially considering I trained as a furniture designer and cabinetmaker! I think that this was all chosen for me rather than me having much to do with it. But then, all that is entirely another story...

Ian Storey www.ianstorey.com