Search - Enrico Garzilli :: Rage of the Heart

The musical Rage of the Heart is based on a true story which takes place during the twelfth century. The hero, Peter Abelard, was the most famous man of his age. He was a philosopher, composer and singer. Wherever he went, he was followed by hordes of devoted students and fans. During this period in history, monasteries and the emerging Catholic church were the only employers of educated men. Bound by the church's great pressure upon him not to marry, Abelard had never loved a woman until he met the story's heroine, Heloise. Heloise is often described as one of the most beautiful and intelligent women who ever lived. Although she possessed a brilliant mind in her own right (and ultimately became a highly respected abbess), when they met she was a seventeen-year-old young woman from Brittany, and Abelard was already a world famous man in his late thirties. Surrounded by the jealousy of many, their love seemed impossible from the very beginning. The discovery of their relationship actually rocked the very foundations of the medieval world. Driven by his inner demons, Heloise's uncle Fulbert commits a horrible crime in order to punish them and end their love forever. Instead, their relationship transcends this great tragedy, and grows into a great testament to the power of faith and love. All of this is recorded in their famous letters to one another. The love story of Abelard and Heloise is one of great triumph. Their relationship evokes the highest aspirations of all humanity - the pursuit of truth, meaning and love.