written by: Yvonne Russo and Christine La Monte
produced by: Christine La Monte, Yvonne Russo and Ron Simons
directed by: Yvonne Russo
rated: not rated
runtime: 77 min.
U.S. release date: October 3, 2025 (limited)

For those who feel that becoming an octogenarian is the equivalent of a death sentence, I urge you to watch “Viva Verdi”, which confirms the exact opposite. Director Vvonne Russo’s documentary takes viewers to Casa Verdi, located in Milan, Italy. The expansive estate in northern Italy is known as a home for retired opera singers and musicians, founded by Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi in 1896. Russo’s film will definitely enlighten a broader audience to Casa Verdi, but her documentary is a reminder that such a place is simply a museum if it’s not populated by artists who can benefit from living and learning in a place that values and appreciates them.

Imagine living in a place where operatic singing, piano playing, and acoustic and electric instruments can be heard throughout the day. Obviously, whether that’s therapeutic or torture depends on the person. But, when you consider that most of those sounds come from elderly residents, that’s even more of a draw, considering how lonely a silent home can be when you get up there in years.

Ferdinando Dani is the Director of Activities at Casa Verdi, and he definitely sees the value in such a place. “It’s a museum house, inhabited by older musicians, ” Dani states, “The whole world comes to see Casa Verdi and the residents who live here. So, they are always performing.” The average age of the guests at Casa Verdi is 85, but seeing them engage and interact with each other is a reminder that age is just a number. It becomes clear that Russo recognizes the documentary needs to focus on the multifaceted inhabitants of Casa Verdi. This indeed makes “Viva Verdi!” a joy and inspiration to watch.

One of the first residents we meet is Claudio Giombi, a gregarious baritone actor/opera singer who invites Russo and her crew into his apartment. Like many residents, Giombi has a storied career, having performed on stage in various operas. He performed in the comic opera Don Pasquale at La Scala Opera House in Milan, back in 1994. Giombi’s favorite character that he’s played was Baron Scarpia from the opera, “Tosca”. His wife, Catherine Feller, was an actress who starred in films such as 1961’s “The Curse of the Werewolf” with Oliver Reed and 1962’s “The Waltz of the Toreadors” with Peter Sellers. She lives at Casa Verdi as well and teaches English there.

Later on, we see that Giombi, who also serves as a music teacher at Casa Verdi, can be seen walking down a hallway, and he stops when he finds a framed photo of the museum’s facade, which says, “Nursing home for Musicians”, which he says upset Verdi, who preferred to call it a “Retirement Home for Musicians”. Russo shares a letter from Monteverde, a close friend of Verdi’s, who asked, “Of your operas, which one is your favorite?” Verdi replied, “My most beautiful work is the Retirement Home for Musicians.”

Agostine “Tina” Aliprandi (91), a violinist, shares how, at her age, she would’ve never thought that she’d be able to continue performing, but here she is at Casa Verdi, playing violin for an audience. She’s been playing since she was 6 years-old. She entered the conservatory at 11 and, at 19, earned her diploma in Milan. A female orchestra was created in the city of Rho, Italy. She joined, but no one was paid. It was hard for women who joined the orchestra, since typically only men were hired, and they were the family’s breadwinners.

“Let’s say, I needed to make money to live”. Since she also played the viola, she was able to work in pop music as well. She was able to make some recordings and perform at festivals like Sanremo and Saint Vincent. Eventually, she made it to Rio de Janeiro after her musician husband got a job there playing for the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra. She auditioned for the director on her own, was placed with the lead violinists, and then became part of the orchestra. He was homesick for Italy, but she was not. Currently, she’s been a Casa Verdi resident for 14 years. Tina often plays with her son, Marco Rossetti, who plays classical guitar. “At this age, music is still useful. And it helps me to live.”

Soprano vocal coach, Lina Vasta, is listed as “ageless”.  She decided to become a singer after hearing her mother sing. Vasta’s mother’s father would not let her sing because, back then in Sicily, a woman who sang was considered “loose”. So, she auditioned at the conservatory and was accepted on the spot. Through hard work, her opera debut was “The Barber of Seville”, and her career would take off, singing five months out of the year in the south of Italy to packed crowds.

The retirement home was a passion project for Giuseppe Verdi, who set out to oversee its construction with his second wife, Giuseppina Strepponi. Verdi called upon the greatest artists of his time: glassmakers, decorators, sculptors, and bronze workers, to participate in its design. Verdi would visit the construction site, despite being almost 90, and it was eventually completed in 1898. Verdi decided that the first guests should arrive after his death, which occurred in 1901 in Milan. At that time in Italy, there were no pensions for artists, and they often found themselves in need in their later years, making it difficult to face old age.

“Viva Verdi!” is at its best when Russo simply follows residents around as they go about their daily routine or attend special events at Casa Verdi. British tenor Anthony Kaplen (88) is filmed dressed nicely to “go to lunch” using his walker, followed by Giombi, who jokes, “It’s easy to get lost here, it’s like a labyrinth.” He goes on to share that mealtime is a magical moment and a sacred occasion. The reason for this becomes obvious: this is a time for connection, interacting with peers and the opposite sex.

Italian drummer Leonello Bionda (77) says he was surrounded by music from an early age. He fell in love with jazz at age 15 after listening to a Stan Kenton record. They learned the drums with passion and determination and eventually became one of the greatest drummers in Milan. He began to get noticed by local musicians and several record labels, and soon started getting calls. He went on to play drums for Italian pop singer Mina for 6 years and also played at the Sanremo Festival between 1960 and 1970. He also played with Chet Baker, stating, “Playing with him was like being in jazz heaven”. All of these jobs gave him fame but not much money. So, when he turned 40, he stopped playing. He is now 77 years old (he jokes that he belongs to the young class and “they call me the Kid”), and when he arrived at Casa Verdi in April 2009, he became part of the non-classical minority and started playing again. “If you keep your mind busy, your body will follow, and together, they enhance your life. Creativity keeps the brain fully active, and this creativity also helps with health.”

“At Casa Verdi, music is incredibly important,” Dani shares, “It is the leitmotif of the day and the heart of all the residents’ activities.” He continues, “Music has the power to make them feel better. This is very important, because it brings back forgotten memories.”

Many of the residents participate in music therapy, which keeps their vocal cords in shape and maintains a needed community. Some of them suffer from various diseases, like Alzheimer’s or dementia, which affects their memory. But hearing the songs and melodies often brings back core memories for them, and they recall songs from their childhood, or perhaps ones tied to their family, first love, or career.

Pianist and vocalist, Chitose Matsumoto (79), has a fascinating story. She was born in Saga-shi, Japan, and at the time, only German songs were prevalent, not Italian ones. But, in her last year of studies in Tokyo, they taught “La Bohème” and La Traviata”, and it filled her with joy, as she realized that if she was going to learn to sing opera properly, she’d have to go to Italy. She was 20 years old when she first arrived by ship, and it took her 30 days. She auditioned at La Scala in Milan, where she was told she could enroll in a Master Class. In the morning, she studied voice; in the afternoon, she studied score; and when evening came, it was performance. She was asked to sing “The Barber of Seville” and “Madame Butterfly”. There were, however, some challenges. Every time she performed, the unions would protest, claiming performers had to be Italian to sing, calling Matsumoto “Invaders from Japan”. To stay in Italy, she had to be employed, so she changed careers and worked as a freelance marketing agent, living in Segrate, Italy, since the mid-70s. Unfortunately, rent kept increasing, so she asked the city for help, and they told her that since she is a musician, she should apply to Casa Verdi. She never thought she’d be accepted, but wound up moving there in November 2011 with just one suitcase. It’s become a haven for her. “Playing the piano keeps my brain working,” she shares, “and singing helps me with respiration through my diaphragm.”

Not all the residents at Casa Verdi are seniors; there are also students, such as violinist Marco Kim. Since the late 1990s, sixteen international music students have resided at Casa Verdi. They live there until the end of their studies, at which time their spots will be made available for new students. They build a close bond with the elderly guests, which becomes valuable for both, with the seniors often offering professional advice to the students. There’s an enlightening scene between Giombi and a handful of students, as he shares with them the importance of maintaining the marriage between performance and sound and the energy the performer creates to captivate the audience. He emphasizes how it’s not “just hitting the notes, but also playing what nature inspires in us. In the end, Verdi went back to nature for inspiration, because everything comes from nature…from the wind, from a sunset, from birds tweeting. All things inspire musicians to create music.”

We’re also introduced to the Catenas, a couple who were married in Catania, Sicily, in 1961 and currently reside at Casa Verdi. After their introduction, Russo guides us through a montage of other Casa Verdi couples to the tune of “It Had to Be You” (sung by Jonny Blu). Some residents arrive as married couples, and inevitably, one of them remains, surviving the other. And then the children parade in, hugging and kissing the guests. This is when we meet Emma Giaccone (105), who still has a sparkle in her eye as she smiles at the children. Seeing Emma’s interaction is a reminder of the simplicity of connection. It doesn’t take much to connect, but it means the world.

Casa Verdi also publishes a monthly newspaper, La Voce di Casa Verdi. Leonella is involved as a writer and editor, “We try to make it lively, showing the everyday life of Casa Verdi”, and indeed, many of the events, including performances and concerts, are written about in the newspaper. These events often include the local children’s choirs and adult orchestras who visit and perform. There’s also painting, and arts and crafts for the guest, which is why Leonella shares, “We don’t call it a ‘nursing home’, but instead a ‘home for musicians'”.

Bionda shares that Casa Verdi already has very old residents, but the newcomers keep getting older. “It’s as if we’re trying to break a record,” he jokes. That’s when we meet Angelo Lo Forese (95), who can still hit quite an impressive note. Bionda continues, “Music gives them a vitality and a will to live that allows artists at their age to keep singing.” In a hallway, we see Luciana Fava (87) belt out a high note to an audience of three. As she finished, she laughed and walked off, content and proud. Looking at these artists before hearing their music, you would never know what moving sounds they are capable of.

The residents are not limited to Casa Verdi; they sometimes go on field trips, and they are as giddy as school kids when they do. Russo tags along during one particular trip as they visit Piacenza, advertised as “Verdi’s Land”, just southeast of Milan. They continue southeast, to Busseto, home to the Giuseppe Verdi Opera House, and further on to the Festival Verdi at the beautiful Regio Opera House in Parma, where they take in a performance of Verdi’s “I Masnadieri”.

Of all the residents, Giombi is perhaps the busiest, but he still has time to take on a guest tenor, Massimiliano D’Antonio. The young man had studied in Italy and then Germany, and then felt called to Casa Verdi. He shares that learning to sing is a lifelong process. “These older singers have some secrets that we can’t find in any books,” he shares, “The only place that you can find it is in Casa Verdi. The body is old. The mind is young.”

None of the residents has truly escaped the loneliness that comes with ageing, especially when you find yourself surviving your soul mate or close friends. That can change life. Cinematographer Jacek Laskus gently follows Mario Baratti (89) as he makes his way back to his room one night, long after everyone else has gone to bed. He kisses a photo of his late wife and then tucks himself into bed. Matsumoto shares how she was accepted by other guests when she arrived, often building great relationships at the dinner table. She felt seen and cared for by them. But now, two of them have passes, which brings an undeniable sadness. “We do have to face death,” she shares, “One day, it comes for everyone. So I dwell on it, unfortunately.” But then she smiles, “If I could meet Giuseppe Verdi, I would give him a huge hug. Because he was the only person who thought of us, poor musicians.”

Russo closes the film with a touching montage that honors those who are featured, showing that some of them have inevitably died. It made me sad, since by the end of “Viva Verdi,” I had spent time with wonderfully talented artists who cared for one another. Their deaths occurred between 2017 and 2023. It’s bittersweet, but what’s encouraging is that they lived in a place where they were valued and treasured, treated with dignity and respect. Nevertheless, I’m grateful that Russo, who co-wrote and co-produced with Christine La Monte, made this touching, life-affirming documentary. The film is dedicated to “our blessed and highly favored friend,” producer partner, Ron Simons, an actor and producer who died in 2024. “Viva Verdi” indeed.

RATING: ****

“Viva Verdi” had its world premiere at the Woodstock Film Festival on October 19, 2024. It also screened at the 40th Santa Barbara International Film Festival on February 5, 2025. It is one of the five nominees included in the Best Documentary category for this year’s Oscars, which will be telecast on March 15th.

“Viva Verdi” also received an Oscar-nomination in the Best Original Song category for “Sweet Dreams Of Joy”, music and lyrics by the film’s composer, Nicholas Pike. The song was recorded in 2017 and is first heard when the Casa Verdi residents take a field trip to see a Verdi opera. It also appears at the end when Russo memorializes interviewees who died after production. Sung in English by the soprano Ana María Martínez, it features lyrics about “finding the road to salvation.”

Unfortunately, it’s been a bit of a challenge to watch the documentary, as it’s been on the festival circuit and hasn’t yet been made available on any streaming platforms. The good news is that you can rent it Jolt.Film, which is how I watched it.