Purgatorio Archives - Page 2 of 21

Bad Dante Bad English Bad Opera Chamber Opera, Production Company Spreafico Eckly (2022)

March 26, 2022 By Harrison Betz, FSU '25

“Bad Dante Bad English Bad Opera is a new version of Dante’s classic Purgatory from The Divine Comedy. The strict verse form from the original Italian version has been maintained, but the text has been rewritten into anti-academic “street language” English.

“From a stripped-down stage, four singers/actors and three string players present the first nine cantos of Purgatory: Antepurgatorio. Here, in transit between hell and paradise, Dante meets the souls who are waiting to atone for their sins. Human emotions such as imperfection, justice, confusion, and tolerance are explored in a smart, refreshing, and humorous way.

“The chamber opera Bad Dante Bad English Bad Opera is created by Spreafico Eckly, the Bergen-based production company of writer and theatre director Andrea Spreafico, and composer and artist Matteo Fargion.” [. . .] —Bergen International Festival (retrieved March 26, 2022)

The opera will have its world premiere at the Bergen International Festival on June 7-8, 2022. Learn more about the opera and watch a trailer here.

Purgatorio: A Journey Into the Heart of the Border Film, dir. Rodrigo Reyes (2013)

January 12, 2022 By Harrison Betz, FSU '25

“Reyes’ provocative essay film re-imagines the Mexico/U.S. border as a mythical place comparable to Dante’s purgatory. Leaving politics aside, he takes a fresh look at the brutal beauty of the border and the people caught in its spell. By capturing a stunning mosaic of compelling characters and broken landscapes that live on the US/Mexico border, the filmmaker reflects on the flaws of human nature and the powerful absurdities of the modern world. An unusual border film, in the auteur tradition of camerastylo, Purgatorio ultimately becomes a fable of humanity, an epic and visceral experience with powerful and lingering images.” –description on Kino Lorber (retrieved January 12, 2022)

Watch a trailer for Purgatorio on Vimeo here.

Purgatorio Album, Metamorfosi (2016)

January 8, 2022 By Harrison Betz, FSU '25

Italian progressive rock band Metamorfosi released their album Purgatorio on October 14, 2016. The album’s tracklist features several references to the second half of Dante’s Divine Comedy including “Paradiso Terrestre”, “Porta del Purgatorio”, and “Beatrice”. The band previously released albums titled Inferno and Paradiso (see our post on those works here).

Babilonia Teatri

November 28, 2021 By Hannah Raisner, FSU '25

“Purgatorio è i nostri segreti e i nostri desideri.

È un sacco da box che oscilla sopra le nostre teste. Le sue oscillazioni ci sfiorano e ci accarezzano. Ci cullano e ci sbattono. Non sono oscillazioni regolari, né continue. Sono scosse come quelle della corrente alternata. Il pendolo ci ricorda che la nostra parabola non è infinita. Ogni attimo il tempo di oscillazione diventa sempre più breve fino alla stasi. Alla pace.

Purgatorio non mette in scena Dante ma ne sposa l’epica. Ci ricorda l’unicità di ogni vita e la sua grandezza. Di ogni vita che abita il palco mostra l’essenza per godere della sua necessaria irripetibilità.” –Babilonia Teatri

This theatrical piece will be discussed by scholar Sara Fontana in her contribution to the forthcoming volume Dante Alive.

The Divine Comedy NFTs

November 3, 2021 By Harrison Betz, FSU '25

“THΞ DIVINΞ COMΞDY project consists of 700 NFTs with randomly combined Canti of Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso as a celebration of the 700th anniversary of Dante Alighieri’s death.

“The Divine Comedy represents a 14th-century vision of the afterlife, describing Dante’s journey through the three realms of the dead: Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. Today Dante’s masterpiece is widely considered to be the pre-eminent work in Italian literature and one of the greatest works of world literature.

“ti_series is a collective of friends, crypto art lovers, having the aim of creating some of the most fascinating series stored on chain.”[. . .] –ti_series, OpenSea (retrieved November 3, 2021)

For more information about ti_series and their work, view their Twitter page here.

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