Luigi Schenoni, 1935–2008

Abstract

was still very much a presence at the International Joyce Symposium held in Rome in 1998 (with Ruggieri as the local organizer), and he contributed an article to the proceedings entitled Classic Joyce in via di Monte Brianzo. By this time, he was also an honorary Trustee of the International James Joyce Foundation (and, of course, a valued advisory editor of this journal). His final contribution to Joyce studies was his Joyce barocco (Baroque Joyce), the opening volume of the new Joyce series-the Piccola Biblioteca Joyceana-edited by Ruggieri. Most scholars would be more than satisfied with these publications as an ample life's work but not Giorgio Melchiori. Described on his death by the Italian newsagency Adkronos, as Principe degli anglisti-the prince of English scholars-Melchiori had many other strings to his bow, most notably Shakespeare. His contribution to Shakespeare studies in both Italian and English is immense. Among his books are L'uomo e il potere: Indagine sulle strutture profonde dei Sonetti di Shakespeare, Shakespeare: politica e contesto economico, the monumental Shakespeare: Genesi e struttura delle opere, and Shakespeare all'opera. I drammi nella librettistica italiana. And just in case that was not enough, let's throw in the nine-volume critical edition of Shakespeare's complete plays in Italian (released by Mondadori between 1976 and 1991). In English, he published a scrupulously scholarly edition of King Edward III (a play at least partly by Shakespeare) and the Second Part of King Henry IV, as well as The Merry Wives of Windsor for the Arden Shakespeare in 2000. Despite his great achievements, Melchiori remained a humble and approachable man of firm beliefs and warm generosity, who combined a rare critical capacity with a passion for textual scholarship and for language itself. His last work appeared in 2007 and is a moving and sometimes beautiful fragmentary memoire, Foglie per un anno, written in the late autumn of a rich and generous life. It and Giorgio's many other works will ensure that he will remain a vital presence in all our lives for many years to come.