Prose (1880-1890)

The volume gathers a dozen prose pieces written between 1880 and 1890, originally scattered through magazines such as Capitan Fracassa and Fanfulla. Pascarella’s voice moves from gentle memoir to sharp satire, always anchored in the everyday world of artists, scholars, and restless city dwellers. The language is lively, and humor often emerges from the most ordinary mishaps.

One recurring scene follows two bohemian friends cramped in a sixth‑floor attic, where a trombone, a squeaking piano and a caged blackbird compose a daily cacophony. Their quest for a proper studio takes them through Rome’s narrow lanes, past graffiti‑covered doors and overpriced rooms, each stop exposing the absurdities of artistic survival.

Listeners will find Pascarella’s sketches both a snapshot of late‑Victorian Italian city life and a timeless meditation on the compromises artists make for a place to create. The mix of witty dialogue, vivid description, and sly commentary invites you to share the cramped rooms, the lingering jokes, and the lingering hope of a better canvas.