Oblivion is a comedic theater and music company from Bologna, formed in the early 2000s. The group, composed of Graziana Borciani, Davide Calabrese, Francesca Folloni, Lorenzo Scuda and Fabio Vagnarelli, has been able to win over audiences with its style that mixes music, theater and humor.
One of their best-known hits is the video “I Promessi Sposi in 10 minutes”, uploaded to YouTube in 2009. This video has garnered considerable attention, reaching millions of views and going viral. The idea behind the video is simple but ingenious: condense Alessandro Manzoni's famous work into a short, ten-minute comedy sketch acted and sung. Oblivion manages to retain the essence of the original story while adding comic and musical elements that enhance the fun.
Oblivion's ability to mix tradition with modernity is evident in this video. Using humor and irony, the group manages to make a classic text accessible, attract a young audience and stimulate an interest in Italian literature. The fresh and innovative approach caught the attention not only of theater fans, but also of those who had never been exposed to works such as “I Promessi Sposi”.
Schools in those years were showing the video to students to entice them to study literature in a fresh and innovative way. Even today, many schools still show the video and recommend it to students!
The video is in Italian with subtitles. It is a little difficult to understand because sometimes it is very fast and they use difficult terms. Don't let it get you down, and focus on individual words! Enjoy the show and get carried away by the overwhelming pace.
The reworking text of The Betrothed written by Oblivion has been adapted to the melodies of some famous Italian songs! For example, the video opens with the melody of the song “Ti amo” by Umberto Tozzi, followed by “Brava” by Mina. Other songs include “Un senso” by Vasco Rossi, “Io Vagabondo” by Nomadi, “Nel blu, dipinto di blu” by Domenico Modugno, “Luci a Sansiro” by Roberto Vecchioni and “Che cosa c'è” by Gino Paoli. Do you know any of these Italian songs?
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