Viva Verdi! Exposes how a legendary opera composer’s dream became a tangible reality at a retirement haven for musicians.
Giuseppe Verdi crafted some of opera’s most enduring works—La Traviata, Il Trovatore, Rigoletto, Aida, Otello, among others. Yet he regarded his greatest achievement not as a single masterpiece, but as a transformative project: founding a home for singers and instrumentalists.
Casa Verdi stands proudly on Piazza Michelangelo Buonarroti in Milan, welcoming more than 1,500 retirees since its opening more than a century ago. The Oscar-contending documentary Viva Verdi! invites viewers inside this exceptional residence where violinists, harpists, percussionists, pianists, and singers from soprano to bass share their golden years in a richly musical setting.
“When I walked in for the first time, I could hear almost like sonic colors floating through the hallways,” writer-director-producer Yvonne Russo recalls during a panel at Deadline’s Contenders Documentary virtual event. “I just knew, wow, this place is magical. Verdi willed his fortune to create this home, and there’s nothing else like it in the world.”
The film, produced by La Monte Productions, Simon Says Entertainment, and Wanbli, introduces viewers to residents including Claudio Giombi, Lina Vasta, Anthony Kaplen, Chitose Matsumoto, and others. Matsumoto, a Japanese singer-pianist who built her career in Italy, tells the filmmakers she would have been homeless without Casa Verdi. Writer-producer-EP Christine La Monte explains what Casa Verdi means to its guests.
“First of all, you see these little Verdi stars in every room,” La Monte notes. “All of the residents say, ‘My dreams have come true here. I don’t have to think about work. I can collaborate with other artists.’ It’s a dream fulfilled for them all.”
Emmy-winning British composer Nicholas Pike composed the score for Viva Verdi!, including the aria “Sweet Dreams of Joy” performed by soprano Ana María Martínez at the film’s end. Pike describes the moment of inspiration as unusually effortless, suggesting a channeling of Verdi’s genius.
“Christine gave me this 12-minute clip of the film—so full of life,” Pike says. “It was so inspiring that I walked over to the piano behind me and wrote the piece. That doesn’t happen every project. Often you have to search for inspiration, but this was immediate.”
Check back Tuesday for the panel video.
