Tag: Tuscany Charming
Tuscany Behind Batoni’s Portraits
Who were these English milords portrayed by Pompeo Batoni and currently to be seen in the Palazzo Ducale? Where did they live? What was their life like? The portraits send messages of their social status and trough the painter’s interpretation, their personalities.
But who where they in reality?
Open sesame! An Italian Art graduate and writer Francesca Centurione Scotto Boschieri, who lives between London and Italy, has done the job of satisfying our curiosity and allowing a proper dialogue with these aristocrats. She has written an entertaining book called “Un Tea con Batoni – Curiosità, Dimore e Collezioni degli Inglesi del Grand Tour” (it include san English translation) wich brings many of the people he painted out from the shadows of the past and into today’s world. It makes for very interesting reading, charming us with gossip, illustrantions, historical details of their times and pictures of their houses.
It’s a kind of Grand Tour in reverse, a journey to the country houses of the English aristocrats who commissioned more than two tundre portraits and piantings from Batoni.
Reading the book, we wtness the Ground Tour travellers within their world and slip into a passgeway between the visible and invisible.
We lear, for example, the sad story of the young, delicate Mrs. James Alexander, painted swathed in an ivory shawl toh ide her pregnancy-she had only one year left to live. We succumb to our own reverse of blurred landscapes, stern castles and generation of fashionable aristocrats who were the leading figures in the high society of their times.
The author of the book was attracted by the unseen and the ridde behind these portraits and driven by curiosity to find answers to the same questions we want to ask.
She retraced the still existing historical residences of the English Noblemen portrayed and found that their castles and houses are either intact and still used by their descendants or converted into hotels, hospitals and the like, and that all can be visited.
Once the Lucca exhibition is over, the portraits will be returned to their owners and galleries, and put back on the walls where they belong.
Lucca Jazz Donna 2009, 21-28 February
Coincidentally enough at the press conference for this the 5th edition of Lucca Donna Jazz, held in the Headquarters of the patrons Fondazione Banca del Monte, the conversation spontaneously turned to this era of Lucca Jazz.
The board members reminisced their teenage pilgrimages to San Giorgio in the hope of a few notes from Chet’s last partner Ruth Young sang at the 2006 edition of the festival.
So don’t miss this week of top class concerts taking place in the San Girolamo Theatre starting February 21st and presented by famous TV music personalità and DJ Claudio Sottili. Thi is the 2009 Lucca Jazz Donna Festival organized by the Circolo Lucca Jazz, dedicated this year to Billie Holiday on the 50th anniversary of her death.
As a side event the 1984 Emmy and Bafta award winning film Billie Holiday – The Long Night of Lady Day by Jhon Jeremy will be shown at the Cinema Centrale on Thursday 19th February.
The festival aims to bring female jazz musicians to the forefront, whether they sing, play, compose or arrange jazz music. Two mid-week evenings are dedicated to the 2009 Award for young talent and feature, six female groups from Rome, Palermo, Puglia, Milan and Lucca.
The weekend events in Lucca feature Michele Hendricks, daughter of Jon of legendary trio Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, Eileina Dennis from the US with her gospel background and hit recording with Randy Crawford and Zucchero, Tiziana Ghiglioni known as La Signora del Jazz Italiano and the captivating voice of Ada Montellanico with her guest Max Ionata.
A special tribute to Billie Holiday entitled Our Way to Lady Day will take place at Teatro Alfieri in Castelnuovo Garfagnana on March 27th with the Ricciardi/Premazzi Quartet.
previous edition have hosted dramme Kim Thompson, just on the cusp of fame, saxophonist Lisa Pollard and violinist Regina Carter, to name a few.
The festival is a showcase for Lucca to be proud of, adding sparkle and International glamour to the town during the drab low season of february. Spread the word!
Last year these shows were a sell-out so we recommend you buy tickets in advance from Telerecord, Via Santa Croce 11/13. On sale from 10th february. More info regarding the programme and tickets at www.luccajazzdonna.it; segreteria-eventi@comunelucca.it
Tel. +39 0583.442444, or centro.po@provincialucca.it Tel. +39 0583 433435
Listening also in What’s On Central pages.
Tuscany, Puccini Happy Birthday
The year -long celebration of the 150th anniversary of Puccins birth is now drawing to a close.
His actual birthday on 22 december will be celebrate musically with a concert in the Teatro del Giglio with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and solo artists.
This has been a remarkable year in Lucca for Puccini fans, old and new,with the opportunity to see and hear almost his entire works, including rarely performed operas such as Le Villi and Edgar.
However , the Buon Compleanno concert is no so much Saynara as See You Soon since this gala event will be fallowed on the first of January by chamber concert with a hour and a half of some of his most celebrate arias as well as music by one of his contemporaries, Emilie Tavan, who composed for silent films. In the afternoon what could be nicer after a Hogmanay party.
The 2008 Puccini Project was orchestrated by a number of bodies not only to give an overview of his work but to help consolidate and develop the commercial and tourism potential of the maestro for the benefit of the Provincie of Lucca, as a stepping stone to increasing business for hotels and other tourism-related commerce.
This year hotels and restaurants were given opportunity to buy tickets at 10E so they could offer guests and customers a special package with significant cultural highlight. The aim , also, is to stimulate tourism during the off -season-the New years Day concert is an example of this and intended to be annual event.
Casale Sodini Perks, Meeting with the Artists in Pierasanta
Casale Sodini is proud to offer you the chance to savour – “Meeting with the Artists in Pietrasanta”.
Book the Villa during January 2009 for a stay at any time in 2009 and we’ll include “Meeting with the Artists in Pietrasanta” program of event at no extra cost!
This enchanting medieval town, so beloved to very renowed sculptors as Mitoraj, Botero, Cascella, Finotti, Capotondi, Rhon, Gamundi, Heppe, etc. , will be the special meeting point where spending a delightful and unforgettable day. This chance is not to be missed! It is an opportunity reserved to few and lucky people who love to be in touch with the “sculptor’s closest world”. Realise a work of art is always an intimate process for the artist and he is sometimes very jealous about his works, but we are allowed to this unique, incredible experience.
To start our trip, it is a pleasure for us to welcome you in Duomo Square (one of the most beautiful square in the world) around 10 o’ clock, 10:30 a.m.
We immediately reach the artist’s studio/workshop. The artist waits for us, as an old, kind friend, just to disclose his secrets and show us how his sculpture was born. Behind a creation there is always an hard work, lot of passion and affliction till the last day, when the work is finished and the artist finally feels a great joy and forgets the agony.
A fine collection of bronzes take the same care and attention, in order to see statues made of bronze, we will visit a foundry, where we could feel again the same charm as before. The artist, as an intimate friend, will gladden us sharing the “pleasures of the table”.
We can choose a characteristic restaurant in the countryside, or one of the many restaurants on the beach breathing the sweet smell of the sea and eating fresh fish. The inevitable conclusion is a toast to celebrate this wonderful day together.