Ringling and Riots

I was dumbfounded by the spectacular opulence of my surroundings. This was Cà d’Zan, the first venue of my “Overtures to Bach” series at the Ringling International Arts Festival in Sarasota, Florida, and once John and Mable Ringling’s beloved winter palace; a gilded mansion standing on the edge of the Gulf of Mexico, with stunning views of the western Keys. Later I would learn that Béla Bartók and Sergei Prokofiev had once frequented the colorful, luxuriously appointed music room. Enrico Caruso sang with an orchestra from a yacht moored just off the veranda. Lavish parties took place with the Kelloggs and the Ziegfelds, with movie stars and politicians, artists, writers, and business associates. Built in 1925 for $1.5 million—around $20 million today—Cà d’Zan is still the grandest house on the West Coast of Florida, 36,000 square feet over five stories.