Gli amori difficili di Italo Calvino – Isabella Ragonese Rodrigo D’Erasmo

“GLI AMORI DIFFICILI” by Italo Calvino

Original music by Rodrigo D’Erasmo

Research on the texts by Isabella Ragonese

The stories in Gli amori difficile, written between 1949 and 1967, capture the youthful flair of Calvino, who always declared that he felt more like a writer of short stories than novels. This collection, which has become a cult in his work, is a journey through numerous “adventures”: from the Bather to the Soldier (brought to the big screen by Nino Manfredi), from the Poet to the Two Spouses (also transformed into a ballad by Cantacronache and into an episode of the film Boccaccio ‘70 by Monicelli). A unique opportunity to rediscover Calvino – 2025 will mark the 40th anniversary of his death – through the voice of Isabella Ragonese and the soundscapes of Rodrigo D’Erasmo, who will be on stage with her in an intimate and moving dialogue.

ISABELLA RAGONESE

Actress and playwright.

She is a versatile artist who has written, directed and performed in several plays, such as Che male vi fo and Bestino, winning several competitions for emerging artists, including first prize at the national INDA (Istituto Nazionale Dramma Antico) competition in 1998.

She made her film debut with Nuovomondo by Emanuele Crialese, and then starred in numerous films, including Tutta la vita davanti by Paolo Virzì, which earned her a nomination for the Nastro d'Argento as best leading actress, and La nostra vita by Daniele Luchetti, with which she won the Nastro d'Argento as best supporting actress. In the theater, she has staged works such as Mamùr, Lady Grey and Taking care of baby, and has also acted in highly important shows such as African Requiem by Stefano Massini. In 2012, she received the “Shooting Star” award at the Berlin Film Festival as best European talent and in 2014 she also participated in Italia Numbers, a reading concert with Cristina Donà. He has acted in successful television productions such as Il commissario Montalbano and Rocco Schiavone. In 2015 he starred in the film Abbiamo parla by Sergio Rubini, which also became a theatrical show, Provando... bisogna parla, on tour in 2016. In the same year he shot the films Sole cuore amore by Daniele Vicari and Il padre d’Italia by Fabio Mollo, and was on the set of the Rai fiction Rocco Schiavone directed by Michele Soavi, as well as participating in the film Questione di Karma by Edoardo Falcone. In 2017 he was on stage at the Piccolo Teatro in Milan with Louise e Renée directed by Sonia Bergamasco and in the second season of the Rai fiction Rocco Schiavone 2. In 2018 he shot the TV film Tutto il giorno davanti for Rai and, in 2019, the film Mio fratello rincorre i dinosauri by Stefano Cipani, followed by the TV series La guerra finita and the third season of Rocco Schiavone. In 2020 she was involved in three film productions: Il giorno e la notte by Daniele Vicari, Lei mi parla ancora by Pupi Avati and Yara by Marco Tullio Giordana, while for TV she worked in the fourth season of Rocco Schiavone. In 2021 she starred in the TV series Il Re, produced by Wildside and directed by Giuseppe Gagliardi, which was revived for a second season in 2022. Also in 2022, she starred in the film Come pecora in mezzo ai lupi, directed by Lyda Patitucci. In 2023 she returned to the stage with the drama Clitennestra, directed by Roberto Andò, for which she spent 2024 on tour. She recently received the Nastro d'Argento Award for the series Il Re, and was nominated for a David di Donatello as best leading actress for the film Come pecora in mezzo ai lupi.

RODRIGO D’ERASMO

He is a classically trained violinist, multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer, he has collaborated with international artists such as Mark Lanegan, Muse, Damon Albarn and Rokia Traoré. Since 2008 he has been the violinist of Afterhours, with whom he won the critics' award at Sanremo 2009 and the Tenco award in 2012. In 2011 he was awarded by the M.E.I as best musician of the year.

He was a producer for the 10th, 11th, 13th and 14th editions of X Factor, in Manuel Agnelli's team. Since 2014 he has conducted the Sanremo orchestra for artists such as Diodato, with whom he won the Festival in 2020 with Fai Rumore. In 2021 he was the conductor and arranger of 4 competing artists. He has composed soundtracks for cinema, including the short film Chiusi Fuori (2021) and documentaries such as C’era 2 volte Rodari, Fantastic Mr. Fellini and Art Raiders. In 2022 he released the album Songs in a Conversation, a tribute project to Nick Drake with Roberto Angelini, and directed the show Scopate Sentimentali with Filippo Timi and Mario Conte. He also composed the soundtrack for the documentary Sergio Leone - L’italiano che inventò l’America, awarded at the Soundtrack Stars Award at the Venice Film Festival. In 2023 the soundtrack for the film Caracas by Marco D’Amore was released, and in 2024 the soundtrack for Non dirmi che hai paura by Yasemin Şamdereli was published, presented at the Tribeca Film Festival 2024.