Experience a truly enchanting holiday in one of my Tuscan Villas
Ante Diem Sanctae Crucis Medieval Market.
Arts and crafts. Piazza S. Frediano, real Collegio (behiand the church) Street Entertainment from 18.00. (10, 11 and 12 september)
Luminara
The centre of the town is candlelit as the Religious Procession leaves San Frediano at 20.00 and proceeds to the Cathedral. 23.30 fireworks visble from city walls. (13 september).
Flag throwing
Piazza S. Martino 19.00 on 14 September.
Every year the Festival Pucciniano presents a series of operas on the lakefront near Puccini’s home. What makes thesse operas unique is the setting moonlight, lakeside and also the “Sculpt the Opera” project featuring local artists of international stature such as Kan Yasuda (for Butterfly) and Franco Adami ( La Fanciulla del West).
Some say that opera is the most complete of all artistic forms, because it includes all the others.
Turandot offers all the elements of traditional opera grandiosity, beautiful staging, sumptuos costumes, stock characters (called maschere in Italian) and high passion. Certainly nothing was left out of this year’s production.
The opera has a fairy tale atmosphere, with a far-away location (Peking) and Chinese princess who tries to block her suitors by presenting them with three riddles:
. What is born each night and dies each down?
. What flickers red and warm like a flame, but is not a fire?
. What is like ice, but b urns like fire?
The Prince of Persia fails at the challenge and his decapitated head is presented before the throng. Only Calaf, son of deposed king and travelling incognito, can answer her questions and avoid beheading: hope is born each night and dies each dawn; blood flickers red and warm like flame but is not a fire; Turandot is like ice but burns like fire. Finally Calaf challenges Turandot “You don’t know my name. Bring me my name before sunrise, and at sunrise I will die.” In case you have not seen the opera, I won’t tell you what happens next.
Turandot has set up the challenges as an impediment to marriage to avenge her ancestor who was dishonored and killed. She has created impossible enigmas that only love can overcome.
Extremes come together in this icy Turandot who kills her suitor, in Calaf who gives Turandot the chance to kill him in return, in the servant Liù who rather than reveal Calaf’s identity sacrifices herself out of love (shades of Dorria Manfredi). The stock characters Ping, Pang e Pong comment on the opera’s themes. Pong says ” I’ll prepare for the wedding” Pang replies and “I’ll prepare for the funeral”. Soon after, Ping sings about “il mio laghetto blu” at Honan, his peaceful home far from the court.
Who could fail to appreciate Liù (sung on opening night by Donata D’Annunzio Lombardi), gentle servant to Calaf’s father, the deposed and blind king Tumur. In her humble serf costume and in her stage movements, she is entirly believable and inspires empathy and true emotion. it is only right thet Turandot (sung by martina Serafin), the icy princess inspire some negative emotions.
“Nessun dorma” received the usual bravos, though Torre del Lago’s night air can waft away arias as lightly as brushing away mosquitoes. This time, though the stage designers got it right, blocking the back of the stage so that the music could not escape over the lake but inevitably reached the audience. A solid castle with smooth wings pushed the sound forward.
It was the first time I had seen Turandot but this is now on my “best” list one to see again and again. Next time I’ll be prepared with the libretto in hand.
As this year’s season comes to an end we can look forward to next year and once again to the Puccini favourites Boheme, Madama Butterfly, Turandot, and Tosca.
For 2011 there will also be a lesser-known opera by Leoncavallo, Mameli. Meanwhile, Lucca’s winter season begins soon at Teatro del Giglio with mozart’s Don Giovanni and Verdi’s Rigoletto.
Guided tours in Italy: Concerts in Piazza dei Miracoli
This September, The Anima Mundi International Festival of Sacred Music in its Tenth edition has stunning program.
Sir John Gardiner will again conduct seven concerts covering five centuries of sacrd music.
Seven staggering performances of masterpieces, new music and rediscoveries for the pleasure of our ears and heart, ranging from the Vespri della Beata Vergine by Claudio Monteverdi to the music of the young Girolamo Deraco, winner of the 2010 composition contest sponsored by Anima Mundi.
From September 15 through October 1 we can hear music by Monteverdi, Gesualdo, Pergolesi (so much admired by J.S. Bach), Pasquini and Cherubini as well as the music that J.S.Bach, Igor Stravinsky and Sergej Rachmaninov wrote and dedicated to these Italian composers.
Some concerts will be held in the Cathedral, others in the Monumental Cemetery. On September 18 in the Monumental Cemetery Anima Mundi proposes Le Jongleur de Notre Dame by the English composer Peter Maxwell Davies, based on a medieval legend of a juggler entering a convent and having nothing else to donate to S.Mary’s statue than his skill. It contains a message of tolerance and acceptance just right for today.
The various interpreters are represented by instruments and children are expected to take part. The Vespri by Rachamaninov, authentically interpreted by the Moscow State Chapel Chorus will close the festival on October 1 in the Cathedral.
All seven concerts are free and start at 21.00. Tickets available from two days before the concert dates.
Web site: www.opapisa.it
It’s a happy accident of translation that the word “opera” in Italian translates into English as both “opera” (as in musical drama, opera lirica) and “work”. So the neatly named permanent exhibition in Lucca of “puccini Opera” can serve both as a showcase for the maestro’s whole output of work and his famous operas.
You’ll find Puccini Opera in Via Santa Giustina, midway between Piazza San Salvatore and Via Galli Tassi in the centre of Lucca. Established in the last few months by a not for profit organisation, this elegant little establishment offers three exhibition rooms and a shop.
The permanent exhibition tells the life story of Lucca’s famous composer Giacomo Puccini through opera posters,programmes and sheet music, much of which has been lent from private collections. Puccini was in fact very effectively promoted his publishing house Ricordi packaged him like no other previous composer, with posters, postcards and elegantly illustrated editions of his scores which are collectors’ items in themselves.
In addition to the permanent collection, Puccini Opera is currently offering two temporary exhibitions Puccini e il Cinema, with an outstanding collection of posters of the many films inspired by Puccini’s life and operas; and I Piatti di Puccini featuring original porcelain and ceramic works illustrating scenes from the operas, from two important Italian manufactures Richard Ginori and Piero Fornasetti.
A thrid exhibition will open on 18 September promising Puccini Mai Visto with rare photographs, previously unseen letters, and the composer’s own signed score of his exquisite “Salve Regina”.
Lots to see, then there is even a tiny viewing room with a large screen showing performances of arias from his operas by famous singers. And last but not least, a shop with an interesting collection of new and second hand books about the composer and his music in both Italian and English, and a good range of CDs and souvenirs.
Puccini Opera
Via Santa Giustina 16, Lucca. Entrance free. Open every day except Tuesday from 10 am until 7 pm.
More information on www.pucciniopera.it
Bacco is crowing the Montecarlo tourist season with a series of events from 28 August to 8 September, weekends 6 pm to midnight, weekdays 7.30 pm to midnight.
This year the garden of the Instituto Pellegrini Carmignani in Via Roma, which recently underwent a conservative restoration, is the site of the “Salotto del Vino e del Verde” in collaboration with Moreno Vannucci International Association of Green Producers.
Tastings under the Stars wine with cheese and salumi, daily in Piazza Garibaldi, 8.00 pm to 11.30 pm.
Salotto del Vino e del Verde at the Istituto Pellegrini Carmignani, information and reservations 329.3703751
Essenza del Gusto, wine food encounters hosted by FISAR sommeliers. Information and bookings 348.7557216
Sept. 3-5 ex Chiesa della Misericordia, via Cerruglio, 9.30 pm.
Each evening in Piazza Carrara 9.30 pm:
3 Sept. duet by “Gli Opera”, songs from the 70’s to the present.
4 Sept. Gruppo Storico Montecarlese, parade with drummers and costumes throughout the Centro Storico.
5 Sept. Saltimbanchi, students from “I. Calvino” middle school, winners of the national Rassegna del teatro della Scuola.
7 Sept. Doowoop present songs from the 60’s to the present.
8 Sept. Candlelight procession to the Santuario della Madonna del Soccorso, with Montecarlo Philarmonic Band.