Wednesday, October 31, 2007

All Hallow's Eve

The Iron Maiden in the Candy StoreHalloween is not a tradition here in Italy but you wouldn't know it from the window displays in confectioneries, bars and pastry shops. Pumpkins, witches, ghosts and skeletons abound! The next two days will be the important one's - All Saint's tomorrow and All Soul's on Friday. In my acolyte days (not sure if I ever mentioned that I was an acolyte in the Anglican church for one period there) those were two of my favorite Feast Days. The glorious music and ritual of celebrating the Saints and commemorating the Souls of the Faithful Departed, at least in my parish, were theatre of the highest degree.
All Hallows Eve - Italian Style
All Hallows Ever - A Special Cake
All Hallows Eve - A Shop Window
And speaking of theatre - take that for a link William Zinsser! - Gallery Met and The New Yorker have joined forces and mounted an exhibition of work by New Yorker artists based on Humperdink's Hansel und Gretal. The online slide show highlights some of the work on display - William Wegman's contribution is a hoot and Gahan Wilson's take on the H&G saga is, as always, wonderfully macabre. And Roz Chast gives the tale her own particular twist.

And speaking of opera - zap again Zinsser! - I'll have a post up about Oberto in Bussetto (sounds like a title for a Greek tragedy) shortly.


31 ottobre - Santa Lucilla

5 comments:

Doralong said...

The stepmother bears a a bit of a likeness to Anna Nicole, no?

Willym said...

Doralong: I thought there was something about it but - much like the world's fascination with ANS - I couldn't put my finger on it.

Doralong said...

I never got it either ;)

evilganome said...

I loved the Wegman. I guess I had forgotten just how creepy that story is. I'll have to sit down with my unexpurgated copy of Grimm's tonight.

Willym said...

EG you're a brave man reading unexpurgated Grimm on All Hallow's Eve. I always loved the bit in Aschenbudl (Cinderella) where one of the ugly stepsisters cuts off her toes to try and fit the slipper and the other one cuts off her heel. Mutalation for beauty's sake even back then.