Tony Soprano: biography, characteristics and life principles. Actor who played Tony Soprano

"The Sopranos" is a cult American crime-drama television series created by David Chase. The plot as a whole is based on how Tony Soprano, a mafia boss from northern New Jersey, tries to maintain a balance between the demands of a criminal organization and his personal life, while also struggling with his own panic attacks. Let's remember this legendary series and find out what its actors are doing now.

22) Steve Buscemi - Tony Blundetto
Tony Blundetto was the nephew of Tony Soprano. After 17 years in prison, he wanted to start an honest life, but he is again drawn into the criminal world, and then Uncle Soprano himself kills him. Even before The Sopranos, Buscemi starred in such acclaimed films as Reservoir Dogs, Fargo, and The Big Lebowski. The actor still stars in TV series and receives new offers.

21) Frank Vincent - Phil Leotardo
After the death of Johnny Sack, Phil Leotardo became the boss of the New York crime family. After losing his brother, he made Tony Soprano's life a living hell. Frank Vincent played the role of Leotardo in the fifth and sixth seasons of the series. Before starring in The Sopranos, the actor became famous for his roles in Martin Scorsese's films Raging Bull, Goodfellas and Casino. After the cult series, he starred in the film Chicago Funeral and the television series Stargate Atlantis.

20) John Ventimiglia - Arthur Bucco
Arthur Bucco was a childhood friend of Tony Soprano and the owner of the Nuovo Vesuvio restaurant. Artie is naive and far from the criminal world. This character appears throughout the series from the first episode to the penultimate one. Artie was played by actor John Ventimiglia, after the series he played cameo roles in the films “Blue-Eyed Mickey”, “Icy” and “Notorious”.

19) Joe Pantoliano - Ralph Cifaretto
Ralph was part of the New Jersey crime family. He is characterized as an excellent provider with an unstable psyche and a passion for violence. Even before The Sopranos, actor Joe Pantoliano could boast of a successful career, because his filmography included such films as The Goonies, The Matrix, and The Fugitive. And after the series, “How to Succeed in America” and “Doctor Vegas” were waiting for him.

18) Federico Castelluccio - Furio Giunta
Federico Castelluccio played the role of Furio Giunta, an assassin, bodyguard and personal driver of Tony Sporano. Castelluccio not only starred in such famous films as “How to Know Your Saints” and “The Singer,” but also paints stunning films.

17) Vincent Curatola - Johnny Sack
John "Johnny Sack" Sacrimoni was the boss of the Brooklyn Lupertazzi crime family. In the story, he is arrested by the FBI and goes to prison, where he dies of cancer. Vincent Curatola played Sack for all 6 seasons. Before The Sopranos, the actor had only episodic roles, and after that he starred in Hungry Ghosts and Casino Robbery.

16) Matt Servitto - Agent Dwight Harris
FBI agent assigned to Tony Soprano's case. A minor character during the first five seasons, but becomes a major character in the sixth season, as a de facto ally of Tony Soprano during his war against Phil Leotardo. After filming The Sopranos, Matt Servitto starred in the series Blue Bloods and Banshee.

15) Joseph R. Gannascoli - Vito Spatafore
Vito Spatafore was a member of the DiMeo crime family and an underling of Tony Soprano. He was a homosexual, but carefully hid it from the clan. This later became one of the reasons for the conspiracy against Vito, but Phil Leotardo killed him. From seasons two to six, Spatafore was played by Joseph R. Gannascoli. After the television series, the actor continues to act in films.

14) Vincent Pastore - "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero
He was one of Tony Soprano's close friends and made really good money. He began his criminal career by stealing cats. In the story, he betrays his friend and starts working for the FBI, for which Tony himself killed him. Before “The Sopranos” with the participation of Vincent Pastore, the films “Goodfellas”, “Carlito’s Way”, “Jokers” were released, and after that the series “Basis for Life”, “Law and Order”, “Everybody Hates Chris”.

13) Steve Schirripa - Bobby "Bacala" Baccalieri
Bobby "Bacala" Baccalieri Jr. was a mob boss and later became second only to crime family boss DiMeo. He was also Tony Soprano's brother-in-law. Steve Schirripa played Baccalieri from the second to the final season. Before The Sopranos, he starred in the television series The King of Queens and Joey, followed by The Secret of My Parents and Fake Wedding, as well as the Clint Eastwood film Jersey Boys.

12) Aida Turturro - Janice Soprano Baccalieri
Janice Soprano Baccalieri (played by Aida Turturro) was the older sister of Tony Soprano and the wife of Bobby Baccalieri. Before her role in The Sopranos, which made her famous, the actress played in the films Manhattan Murder Mystery, Money Train and Sleepers. Aida continues to act to this day, appearing in many television shows.

11) Tony Sirico - Peter Paul "Paulie" Galtieri
Peter Paul "Paulie" Galtieri was a ruthless gangster and murderer. This hero had neither a wife nor children, he earned good money and brought Tony a lot of profit. Before his role in The Sopranos, actor Tony Sirico starred in the films Goodfellas, Bullets Over Broadway and Dead Presidents. Sirico did not give up his acting career and even voiced Vinnie Griffin in the animated series Family Guy.

10) Nancy Marchand - Livia Soprano
Livia Soprano was the protagonist's domineering and ruthless mother. When Soprano placed his mother in a nursing home, she ordered his murder. Nancy Marchand played in the first two seasons of the series; even before the start of season 3, she died of cancer. Marchand's acting career spanned five decades and she won four Emmy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

9) Steve Van Zandt - Silvio Dante
Silvio Dante was Tony Soprano's right-hand man and owned the strip club The Bada Bing. At the end of the season, Dante suffered gunshot wounds and fell into a coma. Throughout all seasons, the role of Silvio was played by Steve Van Zandt. Moreover, the role of his on-screen wife was played by his real Maureen Van Zandt. Steve became not only a famous actor, but also a musician and composer. Plays guitar in the E Street Band.

8) Dominic Chianese - Corrado "Junior" Soprano
Uncle Tony and boss of the New Jersey crime family. Chianese became famous back in the 70s, playing in the films “The Godfather Part II,” “Dog Day Afternoon,” and “All the President’s Men.” And after “The Sopranos,” he expanded his filmography with the television series “Heat,” “Blue Bloods,” and “The Good Wife.”

7) Drea de Matteo - Adriana La Cerva
Longtime girlfriend and later fiancée of Christopher Moltisanti. She loved jewelry, furs and cocaine. She contacted the FBI, for which she was killed. Drea De Matteo won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her portrayal of Adriana in 2004. Later she starred in the TV series “Sons of Anarchy”, and now plays with Jennifer Lopez in “Shades of Blue”.

6) Michael Imperioli - Christopher Moltisanti
One of the main characters of the series. He was a protégé of Tony Soprano and a member of the DiMeo crime family. Moltisanti was played by Michael Imperioli for all 6 seasons. Like many on this list, before The Sopranos he starred in Goodfellas. He continues to act, even wrote and directed the film “Hungry Ghosts.”

5) Robert Iler - Anthony Soprano Jr.
The only son and youngest child of Tony Soprano. All he inherited from his dad was selfishness and panic attacks. This role went to Robert Ayler. After filming, the young actor repeatedly had problems with the law, and was even accused of illegal possession of marijuana. The last time he played a cameo role in the TV series “Law and Order” was in 2009.

4) Jamie-Lynn Sigler - Meadow Soprano
Tony Soprano's daughter, who has always been on good terms with her father. She is beautiful, responsible, strives for knowledge and is not afraid of work. The role of Meadow was made famous by Jamie-Lynn Sigler. In 2004, she played in the film “The Rise and Fall of Heidi Fleiss”, later there were “How I Met Your Mother” and “Ugly Girl”. In 2016, Sigler admitted that she suffers from multiple sclerosis.

3) Lorraine Bracco - Jennifer Melfi
Dr. Jennifer Melfi, to whom Tony secretly went for sessions. Before The Sopranos, Lorraine Bracco starred in Scorsese's Goodfellas. Now she can be seen in the detective series Rizzoli and Isles.

2) Edie Falco - Carmela Soprano
Loving Tony Soprano, caring mother of Tony Jr. and Madow. Edie Falco is the only actress to win an Emmy for both Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series and Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series. Since 2009, she has played the lead role in the medical comedy "Nurse Jackie."

1) James Gadolfini - Tony Soprano
The main character of the series, the boss of the Italian-American mafia family DiMeo. Either he is a wonderful husband and a caring father, or a ruthless killer, cheating on his wife and trying to strangle his own mother with a pillow. The iconic role was played by James Gadolfini, for whose performance he was awarded three Emmy and Golden Globe awards. He is also known for the films “The O.C.” with John Travolta and Salma Hayek and “All the King's Men” with Sean Penn and Jude Law. James' life was tragically cut short on June 19, 2013 while on vacation in Rome. After the death of the actor, two more films were released with his participation - “Enough Words” and “Common Fund”.

Biography of the criminal life of Anthony Soprano - all the criminal details of the DiMeo family

Anthony Soprano is the de facto boss of the New Jersey DiMeo "family", although he is technically only the acting "acting boss". This complex title is explained by the fact that the official boss is Dominic "Ackley" DiMeo, who is serving a life sentence, and the official "acting boss" is Corrado "Junior" Soprano, who is in a mental hospital.

EARLY YEARS

Anthony Soprano was born into a family with close ties to the mafia. His father, Giovanni "Johnny Boy" Soprano and uncle Corrado "Junior" Soprano were soldiers and later caporegimes in the DiMeo crime "family".

Tony admired his father and decided to follow in his footsteps. But his parents insisted that he get a higher education. Tony studied for three years and dropped out of college, but managed to gain some cultural knowledge.
Together with his childhood friends, many of whom were also relatives of the mafia, he began to commit petty crimes. Tony had outstanding leadership qualities. The only person in his company who surpassed him in leadership was Jackie Aprile. His older brother, Richie Aprile, was a gang soldier and important breadwinner.

Tony and Jackie's youth gang also included Silvio Dante, Ralph Cifarreto and Tony Blundetto. Tony began courting his future wife Carmella while still in school. In addition, people close to him are his school friend Artie Bucco, a restaurateur, and Chris Moltisanti, a younger cousin whom Tony considers to be his nephew. Tony also has fond memories of his uncle, Junior Soprano, who spent more time with him than his father and taught him to play baseball. The nickname is simply the first letter of the name "Tony".

CARIER START

Tony joined his father's team and began to master the "basics of the trade" under the guidance of soldiers Paulie "Walnuts" Gualtieri and Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero. But he, along with Jackie Aprile and other childhood friends, dreamed of a quick career in the mafia. The young people conceived a daring plan that threatened very serious trouble. In the late 1970s, they robbed the Big Game of Poker, a regular card competition run by caporegime Michele "Feature" La Manna. Sicilian La Manna arrived in the States as an adult, and became one of the most powerful capos in New Jersey. The impudent people would have been in trouble if not for their family ties.

Richie Aprile and Johnny Boy Soprano stood up for the youngsters, and they got away with it, although, of course, they had to return the money. But the main thing is that they became famous and earned admiration for their audacity. Jackie Aprile and Tony Soprano became the "rising stars" of the New Jersey mafia.

In 1982, Tony “made bones” - he committed his first murder. He did this on behalf of his father and under the supervision of Paulie Walnuts. Tony soon became a "made" soldier.

PANIC ATTACKS

Tony has a slight mental disorder. Occasionally, he experiences attacks—panic attacks—that result in him losing consciousness or being close to fainting. Undoubtedly, this is very inconvenient for the boss of the “family”, so he began to see a psychiatrist. But this is also a risk: if his colleagues find out about his visits to the psychiatrist, he will have problems. However, panic attacks also brought benefits to Tony. Due to the attack, he missed the planned raid, which failed. As a result, he remained free, and his cousin Tony Blundetto received 17 years. Because of this, Tony always felt guilty towards his cousin.

In addition, Tony has a very tense relationship with his oppressive, grumpy mother, who criticizes him all the time. The doctor believes that this is one of the reasons for his panic attacks.

ELEVATION

In 1986, Johnny Boy Soprano died suddenly of emphysema. With the support of Paulie Walnuts and "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero, Tony inherits his father's team. The other team in the "family" is led by his uncle Junior.

In 1995, family boss Ackley DiMeo received a life sentence. He appoints Jackie Aprile, who also managed to become a capo, as the “acting boss”. This greatly upset Junior, who at that time was the oldest and most respected member of the “family” (of those at large) and was himself a contender for this post.

Jackie was an extremely effective leader, but in 1999 he died suddenly of cancer. He, along with captains Raymond Courtauld, "Larry Boy" Barese and Jimmy Altieri, wanted Tony as boss. Tony himself is not averse to it, but such a decision pits him head-to-head with Junior. Tony doesn’t want an internecine war, and besides, he has sentimental feelings for his uncle. Therefore, he came up with a Machiavelli-style move: his uncle receives the title of boss, but all important issues will be decided behind his back by Tony together with the caporegime. An added benefit is that Junior acts as a lightning rod, diverting the attention of the feds.

Since that time, Tony has been the de facto leader of the DiMeo “family.” He has to go through many conflicts and crises, losing loved ones and risking his life.

SOPRANO- (Italian soprao, from sopra - above, above), the highest singing (mainly female or children's) voice. There are dramatic, lyric, coloratura, lyric-dramatic and other varieties of soprano. The range of the soprano is from the first octave to the third octave.

In the Russian musical tradition, the following classification of soprano voice varieties is accepted:

This classification method is applicable in all types of vocal art - opera, chamber music, choral singing. However, in opera art a different, more detailed classification is often used. (from lower case to top)

*Classification*	*By range*	*Timbrally*	*Features of tone and color*

dramatic soprano		Tight lower case.
lyric-dramatic soprano	B small octave - up to III octave	Tight lower case.	Ability to perform dramatic and lyrical roles.
lyric soprano	up to the 1st octave - up to the 3rd octave	The lower register is somewhat dull, sounds better in the upper register .	Softness of timbre, expressiveness in the cantilena.
lyric-coloratura soprano	to the 1st octave - myth of the 3rd octave	.	Transparency of timbre, ability to perform lyric and lyric-coloratura parts. Head notes
coloratura soprano	up to the 1st octave - beans# 3rd octave and above	Freedom of sound in the upper register .	Metallic tone color. Head notes. A coloratura soprano is more agile than a lyric coloratura soprano.

Beverly Seals (real name Bella Silverman) is one of the greatest singers of the 20th century, “the first lady of American opera.” A columnist for The New Yorker magazine wrote with extraordinary enthusiasm: “If I were to recommend the sights of New York to tourists, I would rank Beverly Seals as Manon in the very first place, well above the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building.” Seals' voice was distinguished by its extraordinary lightness, and at the same time, charm that captivated listeners, stage talent and charming appearance.

Enchanting Seals in Mozart's Merry Widow

Aria Casta Diva from Bellini's opera Norma is one of the most difficult sopranos in the repertoire. And let's compare different performers who decided to sing this aria.

Sings Beverly Seals

But the great one sings this aria Maria Kalas

And finally Montserat Caballe

And this is how he sings this aria Anna Netrebko

And this Galina Vishnevskaya

The voices of Italian soprano singers are distinguished by their bright timbre, great richness, and depth of sound. The famous Italian soprano singer was Amelita Galli-Curci. After her departure from the stage, the title of “first soprano of the world” was challenged by Renata Tebaldi and Maria Callas.

This is how he sings Renata Tebaldi

Renata Tebaldi was born on November 2, 1922 in Pesaro, the same city as Gioachino Rossini.
Once in an interview, Tebaldi was asked to name the largest singer of our time. She replied: “Of course, it’s me!”, and for a few moments enjoyed the surprise of the tactless journalist, who did not expect such a jab at Callas from her, and then added with a smile: “You see, I’m one meter seventy-four tall, can you?” name one more soprano taller than me? By these standards, Tebaldi was ahead of most of her partners, some even by a head.

Joan Sutherland--the greatest Australian opera singer. A lyric-dramatic soprano with a phenomenal vocal technique that amazed for many decades with her virtuoso command of both her voice and her interpretation of operatic parts... She died on October 10, 2010 in Geneva at the age of 84.

Leontyne Price(Price) (b. 1927) - American opera singer.

When asked whether skin color could interfere with the career of an opera performer, Leontyne Price answered: “As for admirers, it doesn’t bother them. But for me as a singer, of course.

RENEE FLEMING is an American opera singer who has been called "the gold standard of the soprano", "the face of America today in the field of classical vocal" and "one of the few true superstars of our time."

In the opera "Eugene Onegin" the final scene is a vocal, acting and staging masterpiece. Renee Fleming is Tatiana's best performer.

http://video.yandex.ru/users/zemlja-zarnetskaja/view/191

Maria Guleghina- one of the most famous sopranos in the world. After her debut at La Scala in 1987, the singer rarely visits Russia; her schedule is booked for years in advance. She is a welcome guest in all opera houses of the world: during her career, Maria sang in the most striking productions of the Metropolitan Opera, Covent Garden, Tokyo, Egypt, Vienna, and Paris.

Maria Agasovna Guleghina(real surname - Meitardjian) born in 1959. She began her professional career at the State Opera Theater in Minsk, then moved to Europe in 1987, a year later she made her debut at La Scala in the role of Amelia in Un ballo in Masquerade with Luciano Pavarotti, directed by Maestro Gavazeni. The strength, warmth and sincerity of her voice, and wonderful acting skills, made her a welcome guest in various theaters around the world. During her career, Maria sang at the Metropolitan Opera, Covent Garden, Tokyo, Egypt, Vienna, Paris and many world capitals...

Italian Barbara Frittoli- opera diva, famous throughout the world. She is called the silk soprano of Italy. Barbara Frittoli was born in Milan, studied at the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory. Her international career began in 1989 after her debut at the Teatro Comunale in Florence in Bucchi’s opera “Il giuoco del barone”. Her track record is unusually long. The most significant were the performances with Riccardo Muti

Annick Massis deservedly considered the first soprano in France. She masters an extensive repertoire - from works by Handel and Rameau to virtuoso roles from the bel canto era, French lyric opera and works of the twentieth century.

Her voice - a light, sonorous soprano with radiant highs and extraordinary nimbleness, allowing it to span three octaves - is a little cold, just like she herself is cold. But again, this gives her a charming resemblance to the Snow Queen.

Amazingly beautiful soprano - Anita Cercuetti(Anita Cerquetti) Her name is little known in Russia.

At the anniversary evening of Elena Obraztsova, Casta Diva was sung by an Azerbaijani star Dinara Alieva.

Dinara Aliyeva's voice captivates with its beauty, her singing delights with its deep velvety timbre, and her vocals amaze with her skill. Music lovers, critics and the press admire the artist's artistic talent and brilliant stage skills and evaluate her talent as a rising star of the world opera stage, possessing charisma and style in performing a variety of music and repertoire.

Cecilia Bartoli- one of the most sought-after and highly paid opera singers in the world.

For more than two decades, Cecilia Bartoli has undoubtedly been one of the most famous opera singers in the entire world. Each of her works - be it a concert program, a new role on the opera stage, the release of an album by the DECCA record company, with which the singer has an exclusive contract - arouses great interest.

It is Cecilia Bartoli who holds incredible “records” - more than 8 million albums sold, more than 100 weeks on the international pop charts. Her many prestigious awards Golden Disc, four awards Grammy(USA), ten awards Echos and one - Bambi(Germany), two awards Classical Brit Awards(Great Britain), Victoire de la music(France) and many others reflect the enormous success of such works as, for example, the disc Opera proibita(“Forbidden Opera”), as well as solo albums dedicated to A. Vivaldi, K. Gluck, A. Salieri.

Cecilia Bartoli - Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, current academician of the Rome Academy of Santa Cecilia, Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters (France), Knight of the Order of Merit (France), honorary member of the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal Academy of Music Sweden. Cecilia Bartoli was recently awarded the prestigious Italian Bellini d'Oro, an Honorary Gold Medal for her services to the arts, one of the highest honors awarded by the Spanish Ministry of Culture. In addition, she was awarded the Gold Medal of the City of Paris.

In 2012, Cecilia Bartoli took over as artistic director of the Salzburg Festival. She noticed it.

2012 is gone. And music critics unanimously recognized Yulia Lezhneva as the discovery of the year, one of the most promising Russian sopranos. Its timbre is called mother-of-pearl, and interpretations of baroque music are already compared with reference ones. She was born in 1989 into a family of geophysicists in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. At the age of 5 she began learning to play the piano and sing. In 2004 she graduated with honors from the A. Grechaninov Music School in piano and vocals. From 14 to 18 years old she studied at the Academic College of Music at the Moscow State Conservatory named after P.I. Tchaikovsky in vocal and piano classes.

Listen to Yu. Lezhneva’s concert, and if I find Casta Diva performed by her, I’ll post it.

Julia looks like porcelain, without emotions. In this sense, she is far from Netrebko.

In conclusion, she sang Casta diva: all the delight, the thoughts rushing like lightning in her head, the trembling like needles running through her body - all this destroyed Oblomov: he was exhausted.

I.A. Goncharov "Oblomov"

What is this aria of the Chaste Virgin about?

Chaste Virgin! You shine silver with a wondrous gaze
This centuries-old sacred forest.
Turn your imperishable face to us,
Illuminate with clear light.

Chaste Virgin, subdue the burning of passions,
And die off your daring ardor
There is blissful peace on earth,
Just like in heaven, see.

In original

Casta Diva, che inargenti
queste sacre antiche piante,
a noi volgi il bel sembiante
senza nube e senza vel...

Tempra, o Diva,
tempra tu de’ cori ardenti
tempra ancora lo zelo audace,
spargi in terra quella pace
che regnar tu fai nel ciel...

Fine al rito: e il sacro bosco
Sia disgombro dai profani.
Quando il Numeirato e fosco,
Chiegga il Sangue dei Romani,
Dal Druidico delubro,
La mia voce tuonerà.

Cadrà; punirlo io posso.
(Ma, punirlo, il cor non sa.
Ah! bello a me ritorna
Del fido amor primiero;
E contro il mondo interior...
Difesa a te sarò.
Ah! bello a me ritorna
Del raggio tuo sereno;
E vita nel tuo seno,
E patria e cielo avrò.
Ah, riedi ancora qual eri allora,
Quando il cor ti diedi allora,
Ah, riedi a me.)

Literal translation

Oh, chaste Goddess who makes silver
these sacred ancient plants
Turn your beautiful face towards us,
Without clouds and without cover

Die Goddess
Kill ardent souls
Quench also your brave zeal
Scatter peace on earth
And make him king in heaven

Finish the ritual: and the sacred grove
Will be cleansed from filth
When the Divine, angry and gloomy,
Will demand the blood of the Romans
From the Druid Temple
My voice will boom.

It will fall! I could punish him
But whether to punish, the heart does not know

From the first true love
And against the whole world...
I will protect you.
Oh! The beautiful comes back to me
I calm down from this ray
And, living in your womb,
I will find both my homeland and paradise.
Oh, come back to what was then
When I gave you my heart
Come back to me.)

This opera is rarely performed not only here. So listen to Bellini’s “Norma” recorded from the La Fenici Theater in Venice.

Like the rest of the world, Bellini himself considered Norma a masterpiece. If there were a shipwreck, the only one of his operas that would need to be saved, he said, was Norma.

Characters:

NORMA, priestess of the Druid temple (soprano)
OROVEZ, Norma's father, high priest (bass)
CLOTHILDE, Norma's friend (soprano)
POLLION, Roman proconsul in Gaul (tenor)
ADALGIZA, maiden in the Druid temple (soprano or mezzo-soprano)
FLAVIUS, centurion (tenor)

Time of action: around 50 BC Scene: Gaul.

Brief summary of the opera:

The Druids are preparing an uprising against their enslavers and are waiting for a signal from the High Priestess Norma. In her heart, a sense of duty fights with love for the Roman military commander Pollio, the father of her children. But Pollio has fallen out of love with Norma and is infatuated with the young priestess Adalgiza. Norma gives a sign to revolt. Pollio is captured and faces death. At the last minute, Norma saves him by revealing her guilt (breaking her vow of virginity), and ascends to the stake. Shocked by her action, Pollio follows her to her death.

A few words about Vincenzo Bellini.

During his lifetime (1801-1835) he was called the creator of musical melodies. He lived only 33 years, writing 11 operas, the most significant of which was Norma.

On November 3, 1801, in Catania (Sicily), a son, Vincenzo, was born into the family of musician Rosario Bellini. He was six years old when he composed his “opus number one.” The boy studied music under the guidance of his grandfather, Vincenzo Tobia, since the Bellini family did not have the means for serious study. However, Vincenzo was lucky - he found a patron - Duchess Eleonora Sammartino.

The Duchess made an urgent request to her husband, and he recommended Vincenzo to submit to him, the governor of the province of Catania, a request for a scholarship in order to help the Bellini family with the expenses necessary for the education of their son at the Naples Conservatory. What could not be achieved for many years was resolved in a few days. In June 1819, Bellini was enrolled in the conservatory.

A year later, an exam took place, which everyone was waiting for with fear: it was supposed to decide the fate of each of the students - which of them would remain in college and which would be expelled. Vincenzo passed the test brilliantly and, as a reward for his success, received the right to continue his studies for free. This was Bellini's first victory.

Solemn opening theater Carlo Felice took place in Genoa on April 7, 1828. Vincenzo Bellini’s opera “Bianca and Fernando” was then staged on its stage...

At the opening of the Carlo Felice Theater in Genoa, at a reception, Bellini met a young, beautiful, friendly lady with charming manners. The signora treated the musician “with such kindness” that he felt conquered. Giudita Cantu from Turin entered Bellini's life.

Social life in salons and growing fame more than once pushed Bellini into love affairs, which he considered “superficial and short-lived.” But this stormy romance, which began in April 1828, lasted right up to April 1833. A whole five years of experiences, mistakes, subterfuges, scenes of jealousy, mental suffering (not to mention the final scandal in her husband’s house) “decorated” this relationship, which deprived the musician of peace - later he would, without hesitation, call all this “hell.”

Productions of Bellini's operas were often accompanied by patriotic demonstrations: amid the growth of the national liberation movement in Italy, audiences found relevant political content in his operas.

Bellini is the greatest master of the Italian bel canto style. The basis of his music is a bright vocal melody, flexible, plastic, characterized by continuity of development. Outstanding Italian singers perfected their art using Bellini's works.

Always yours V.Zvonov

// Photo: personal archive of the team

Before the New Year holidays, the singers, together with their leader Mikhail Turetsky, gave an interview to StarHit, in which they shared why there is no place for intrigue in their team, when they manage to give birth to children and who resolves conflicts within the group.

– Girls, tell me, how friendly is the atmosphere in your group? Otherwise, the women's team is often compared to a serpentarium...

Iveta Rogova:– I can’t say that the women’s team is a snake’s ball. In our case, definitely not, because we have no time for envy and intrigue. We don’t even have a normal personal life, we’re at work. And, like real men, we forget about everything else. We cannot hide behind a soundtrack, like many of our artists, because we always sing live. We have such plowing - we work “by teeth”.

– We have gotten used to each other over the years – after all, Turetsky’s SOPRANO has existed for eight years. Despite the fact that everyone here is creative and emotional, you gradually understand when it is better not to touch a person, and when it is worth supporting him or, conversely, criticizing him so that he does not stop there and continues to develop.

– What causes conflicts? Who is the most emotional in the team? And who, on the contrary, always smoothes out rough edges?

Number of seasons Number of episodes Screenwriter Video resolution Sound On screens Episode duration Official website Status

Finished

IMDb

First season

At a family picnic, Tony fainted, the hospital told him that this was not a physiological abnormality, but a psychological one, and on the recommendation of his neighbor doctor, Bruce Cusamano, Anthony goes to see psychotherapist Jennifer Melfi. Tony cannot tell all the details of his life due to loyalty to his “family” and vow of silence. Dr. Melfi also immediately warned that if she learns anything about even possible harm to a person, she is legally obligated to report this information to the police. In the process of therapy, some details of Anthony's life are revealed, his attitude towards life, towards his family, towards his children and towards his mother, who makes him very nervous, since no matter what he does, no matter how he behaves, his mother Livia is always unhappy. Tony carefully hides the fact of visiting a psychotherapist from his friends and assistants.

In the first episode, most of the participants in the series are introduced. Tony's friends: Jackie Aprile, Silvio "Seal" Dante, Polly Galtieri, Salvator "Big Pussy" Bompensiero and Christopher "Chrissy" Moltisanti, as well as his family members - Livia Soprano (mother), Corrado "Junior" Soprano (uncle, older brother father), Carmela Soprano (wife) and children Meadow and AJ Soprano.

Chrissy is Carmela's nephew, but Tony loves him so much that he can't call him anything other than nephew. Tony loves and cares for Christopher, entrusting him with small tasks, and Christopher himself wants to join the “organization.” Christopher also commits robberies with his friend Brandon "Chub" Filon.

The head of the family, Jackie Aprile, fell ill with cancer, and during his illness he handed over the reins to Anthony, which greatly upsets Junior. He believes that Tony is walking over heads, or rather through his head. One day, Christopher and Brandon robbed a Kamli truck owned by Junior, which made the latter very angry. Tony settled this conflict by saying that there wouldn't be another time like this. Brandon persuades Christopher to rob Junior again, but Chrissie refuses, so Philone goes on the case with other people. During the robbery, uncoordinated actions occurred as a result of which the driver died. Brandon, in a panic, goes to Christopher and asks him through his uncle to solve this problem. Christopher calls Tony, tells him how it all happened and asks him to get rid of them. Junior personally and his right-hand man Michael "Mikey" Palmisi showed up at Brandon Filone's apartment and "Mikey" shot him in the eye with the words "Hi Jack, bye Jack." After the death of Giacomo "Jackie" April, Tony becomes the "Boss", since no one can become a full-fledged boss. Ackley DiMeo, serving life in prison, remains the de facto boss of the DiMeo family. Only after his death will the DiMeo family be called the Soprano family. So, by the conspiracy of the caporegime - Jimmy Altieri, Raymond Curto, Laurence "Larry Boy" Barese, Junior was appointed "Boss" of the family, to play the role of a lightning rod for the FBI. Junior often visits Livia in a nursing home, where Tony has placed her against her will. Also, other capos settled their mothers in this establishment, and from time to time they held meetings there, without fear of FBI wiretapping. Junior learns about this from Livia, and, thinking that they want to remove him, he is going to remove his nephew. Livia understands what is going on, but tells Junior that she doesn't want to hear anything. During the attack, Tony was able to protect his life, killing one and wounding another participant in the attack. Having escaped with bruises and abrasions, Tony finds out who ordered him. The mother suffers a pseudo-stroke, and Junior is arrested by the FBI on indictments.

History of creation

Concept

Before starting work on The Sopranos, David Chase spent about twenty years producing various television series and writing scripts for them, and took an active part in such projects as The Rockford Files, I'll Fly Away and North Exposure. Initially, he was going to make a feature-length film about a gangster undergoing psychotherapy due to problems with his mother, but later, on the advice of his manager, Lloyd Brown, he decided to adapt the work to a multi-episode format. In 1995, he entered into an agreement with the Brillstein-Gray production center and wrote the original script for the pilot episode. In developing the plot, Chase used his personal experiences and memories of growing up in New Jersey, and tried to imagine his own family life in a criminal environment. For example, the complex relationship between protagonist Tony Soprano and his mother, Livia, is loosely based on Chase's relationship with his mother. At that time, the screenwriter himself used the services of a psychotherapist, so he decided to introduce Dr. Jennifer Melfi into the plot, who would listen to the protagonist’s personal problems from episode to episode. From a young age, Chase admired the mafia, grew up watching classic gangster films like The Public Enemy, was very fond of the crime series The Untouchables, and in real life he repeatedly dealt with people from the criminal environment. The plot was based on the activities of the real-life Decavalcante mafia family, New Jersey's premier organized crime group based in the city of Elizabeth. An Italian by birth (his real name is Decesare), Chase believed that the mafia environment would allow him to touch on the topics of ethnic self-identification of Italian-Americans, speculate on the nature of violence and many other problems.

Chase and producer Brad Gray, head of the Brillstein-Gray Center, pitched The Sopranos to several television networks. Previously, people from the Fox Broadcasting Company became interested in the idea, but after reading the script for the pilot episode, they still refused to continue working. Soon the unusualness and great potential of the show was noticed by HBO; then director Chris Albrecht ordered funds to be allocated for the filming of the first episode, describing his impressions in the following words:

I thought this show was about a guy in his 40s who inherited his father's business. He is trying to do business in modern realities. He faces all the problems that come with it. He has a power-hungry mother, from whose control he is trying to get out. He loves his wife, but at the same time he has affairs on the side. He has two teenage children, and he has to solve their problems too. He has a lot of worries, he is depressed, he begins to visit a psychotherapist, trying to find at least some meaning in his own life. I came to the conclusion that the only difference between him and everyone I knew was that he was the Don of New Jersey.

The pilot episode, originally called simply "Pilot", but renamed "The Sopranos" for the DVD edition, was filmed in 1997, with Chase himself acting as director. HBO management, after viewing the footage, postponed the show for quite a long time, ordering a full season of thirteen episodes only a year later. The premiere, therefore, took place on January 10, 1999, “The Sopranos” became the second after “Oz” HBO dramatic television series with an hour-long episodes.

Casting

Most of the show's actors, like their characters, are Italian-American, and many of them have previously starred together in various crime films and TV series. For example, 27 people from the cast of The Sopranos starred in the film Goodfellas in 1990, including the leading actors: Lorraine Bracco, Michael Imperioli, Tony Sirico. Eight actors participated in the 1999 comedy Blue-Eyed Mickey.

The team of actors was assembled as a result of a long audition, all the applicants were personally reviewed by Chase, and none of those who came were sure of their choice until the very end. In particular, Michael Imperioli, who played Christopher Moltisanti, beat out several competitors and noted in an interview: “He had a stone face, he endlessly gave advice, constantly asked to repeat certain things - usually this happens when the game is unsuccessful. I decided that he didn’t like it, he just said “Thank you,” and I left, thinking that I would never come back here. But then they suddenly called me.” James Gandolfini was invited to try out for the lead role after casting director Susan Fitzgerald saw his performance in a small fragment from the 1993 film Love Actually. Lorraine Bracco, who played the wife of the main gangster in Goodfellas, was originally planned for the role of Carmela Soprano, but later she asked to be given the role of Dr. Jennifer Melfi - the actress wanted to try something new, to test her abilities in a different role. Tony Sirico, who himself has a criminal past, agreed to play Paulie Galtieri on the condition that his character would not end up becoming a “snitch.” Steven Van Zandt, better known as the guitarist of the E Street Band, had no previous acting experience, but Chase was impressed by his performance at the 1997 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony and decided to cast him in the role of Silvio Dante, consigliere ) of the Soprano family, and the musician’s real wife, Mourin, was called to play the role of his wife, Gabriela.

Cast

Eddie Falco - Carmela Soprano
Michael Imperioli - Christopher "Chrissy" Moltisanti
Lorraine Bracco - Dr. Jennifer Malfi
Steve Van Zandt - Silvio "Sil" Dante
Tony Sirico - Peter Paul "Paulie" Galtieri
Robert Iler - Anthony "AJ" Soprano Jr.
Jamie-Lynn Sigler - Madow Soprano
Aida Turturro - Janice Soprano
Dominic Chianese - Corrado "Junior" Soprano
Drea di Matteo - Adriana La Cerva
Marchand Nancy - Livia Soprano

Crimes of actors

Series

In total, the series has 86 episodes, combined into six seasons. The first five seasons consist of thirteen episodes, while the sixth season consists of twenty-one episodes.

Notes

David Chase profile at HBO.com (English). HBO. Archived
Bert Ehrmann. The Sopranos - "Oh Poor You!" (English) . Fort Wayne Reader (March 20, 2006). Archived
David Chase Biography (1945–) (English). www.filmreference.com. Retrieved November 14, 2010.
Mark Lee. Wiseguys: A conversation between David Chase and Tom Fontana (English). Writers Guild of America (May 2007). Archived from the original on February 17, 2012. Retrieved November 14, 2010.
David Chase and Peter Bogdanovich. The Sopranos – The Complete First Season: David Chase interview. HBO.
Robin Dougherty. Chasing TV (English) . Salon.com (January 20, 1999). (inaccessible link - story) Retrieved September 22, 2010.
Will Dana."Sopranos" Creator Shoots Straight. Rolling Stone (March 10, 2006). Archived from the original on February 17, 2012. Retrieved November 11, 2010.
Matt Zoller Seitz. Boss of bosses (English). The Star-Ledger (March 4, 2001). Archived
Peter Biskind. An American Family (English). Vanity Fair (April 2007). Archived from the original on February 17, 2012. Retrieved September 22, 2010.
Michael Flaherty. Sopranos signoff marks end of era (English) . The Hollywood Reporter (June 8, 2007). Archived from the original on September 21, 2007. Retrieved November 11, 2010.
Ivor Davis. Sopranos star Lorraine Bracco thought her five minutes of fame had ended with Goodfellas. www.lbracco.com (July 18, 2004). (inaccessible link - story) Retrieved November 11, 2010.
Cast: The-Sopranos.com - Tony Sirico (English) . www.thesopranos.com. (inaccessible link - story) Retrieved November 11, 2010.
A Hit Man In More Ways Than One. CBS News (March 18, 2007). Archived from the original on February 17, 2012. Retrieved November 14, 2010.
Steven Van Zandt biography at Yahoo (English). Yahoo!. Archived from the original on February 17, 2012. Retrieved November 14, 2010.
Bill Carter. One Final Whack at That HBO Mob. The New York Times (June 10, 2007). Archived from the original on February 17, 2012. Retrieved November 27, 2010.
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Links

Official website of the series (English).
"The Sopranos" (English) on the Internet Movie Database.

The Sopranos
List of episodes Quotes Music in the series