Three years without la signorina Renata: on December 19, 2004, Renata Tebaldi ("la voce d'angelo" -- Toscanini's words) left this earth.
Teatro Regio di Parma and some private sponsors have decided to honor the magic of Tebaldi's voice by creating a museum that will present her memorabilia -- more than 50 original costumes, jewels, documents, even her famous vintage travel trunks.
Photographer/Designer/Professional Provocateur Oliviero Toscani will design the Museum. The management of Teatro Regio di Parma has explained that the beautiful castle of Torrechiara on the outskirts of Parma will be transformed into a Tebaldi museum. If you think that Toscani, between épater the public with campaigns centered around photographs of (ALL following links NSFW, repeat, NSFW) horses having secks, meaty human hearts, of pen1ses and newborn babies and men dying of AIDS, of hot priests kissing nuns, and anoxeric women posing as pin-ups, is also a devoted opera fan, think again:
"I never imagined that I'd be involved in a classical music project -- Toscani said -- I am not an expert in the field, I know the names of the biggest singers and conductors, but I never thought I'd be chosen for such a job: that's why I accepted, it's never too late to learn!"
We have no beef with Ollie, we might even like him, but please, please, no horse pen1ses for la signorina Renata's museum. Please.