An Italian Love Story, Set in Pittsburgh, to Celebrate Formation of Italian Republic

In celebration of Italy’s 66th Festa della Repubblica, commemorating the country’s formation as a republic, the Honorary Consulate of Italy in Pittsburgh and the Duquesne University Center for International Relations will host the U.S. premiere of Gabriele and Eleonora: A Scarlet Passion.

Gabriele and Eleonora

The performance will be staged on Friday, June 1, at 7 p.m. in the PNC Recital Hall of the Mary Pappert School of Music. This musical monologue tells the story of Gabriele D’Annunzio, an Italian poet, and his love affair with Italian actress Eleonora Duse. With a compelling tie to Pittsburgh, the entire show takes place in Room 524 of the Schenley Hotel, which stood on the location of the William Pitt Union in Oakland.

Duse gave the last performance of her life here in Pittsburgh at the former Syria Mosque in April 1924. Sick with tuberculosis and pneumonia, Duse was unable to travel home and died at the Schenley Hotel.

The show features the music of Chopin, Debussy, Rachmaninov and Beethoven.

Gabriele and Eleonora: A Scarlet Passion was written by and will be performed by Daniela Musini, an award-winning Italian author, actress, musician and acclaimed scholar of D’Annunzio.

The performance is free and open to the public with an at-will donation of $10.

For more information, contact ir@duq.edu.