July 2019 Issue
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
GRAPEVINE July 2019 pull-out events calendar General markets Books and prints Arts and crafts Lucca, S. Francesco. fruits/vegetables Wed 4-7pm Lucca, Corte del Biancone Daily Lucca, Piazza San Giusto last Sat/Sunday Lucca, near the fairground Wed & Sat a.m. Lucca, Portone dei Borghi Wednesdays 10am to 7pm Antiques Lucca, Corso Garibaldi 2nd weekend of the month B. Giannotti, Foro Boario Sat a.m. s Lucca 3rd Sat/Sunday Marina di Pietrasanta Wednesday afternoons S. Maria a Colle Thurs a.m. Altopascio 2nd Sunday Castelnuovo Garfagnana 1st weekend of the month Ponte a Moriano Tues a.m. Montecarlo 2nd Sunday Pieve Fosciana last Sunday ket Forte dei Marmi 1st Sat/Sunday S. Maria del Giudice Mon a.m. Plants and flowers Pietrasanta 1st Sunday Pietrasanta Thurs a.m. Lucca, Corso Garibaldi Friday mornings Barga 2nd Sunday Pietrasanta 3rd Sunday Mar Marina di Pietrasanta Sat a.m. Viareggio 4th Sat/Sunday Tonfano Sat a.m. Bientina 4th Sat/Sunday Markets in Florence (the biggest) Castelnuovo Garfagnana Thurs a.m. Pescia 4th Sunday Piazza San Lorenzo 7-2 daily, 7-5 Sat, closed Sundays Pescia Sat a.m. Querceta Saturday mornings Parco delle Cascine Tuesdays 7am to 2pm From Ice to Fire: Turandot at Torre del Lago his summer, the 65th Puccini festival at Torre del Lago will Torre del Lago is irrevocably associated with Puccini, but present five of the maestro's operas: La Fanciulla del West he also loved Bagni di Lucca. It was here that, as guest of the on 12 and 26 July, Madama Butterfly on 27 July, 12 and 23 Betti family, the aspiring composer penned an anthem for the August, La Bohème on 20 July, 3 and 10 August, Tosca on local church. It was here too that, as guest of Baron Fassini 11,T 18 and 24 August, Le Villi on 16 August, and Turandot on 13 and Camossi at the Villa Gamba, the composer heard on a Chinese 19 July and 17 August. As if five of Puccini's twelve operas weren't carillon those traditional tunes that characterise much of this sufficient to whet one's musical appetite, there is Verdi's Aida on 2 opera’s music. August and two Tchaikovsky ballets: The Nutcracker on 29 July and Although his beloved Lake Massaciuccoli villa inspired the Swan Lake on 4 August. (Editor's note: as we go to press, we have opera's delightful scene with courtiers Ping, Pong and Pang, been informed by the Puccini Festival that Aida will not be Puccini moved to a purpose-built house in Viareggio to compose performed on 2 August; this will be replaced by Tosca.) Turandot. I visited this house, now being saved from dereliction, Turandot is Puccini's last and sadly unfinished opera. Why was it last year and entered the basement study just below the main unfinished? Was it perhaps because Giacomo couldn't find the bedroom where Puccini composed his last (and harmonically appropriate musical language to express that kiss which transforms most adventurous) opera in the small hours. It was an eerily the ice-cold princess into one who is touched by true love? In 1926 moving experience. A plaque in the garden commemorates this Alfano provided the standard conclusion, ending with a triumphal fact: The community of Viareggio promises to look after the house reiteration of that ubiquitous aria Nessun Dorma. Berio's more and woods, consecrated to GIACOMO PUCCINI, which were the reflective 2001 ending is also worth considering. In 2008, however, palace and garden of the resplendent queen Turandot (my composer Hao Weiya concluded Turandot, perhaps more translation). appropriately, with the traditional Chinese melody Jasmine Flower, Hearing Turandot at Torre Del Lago's open-air festival which announces the princess's appearances throughout the opera. theatre is a sublime experience. Words and music paint the view Unlike Puccini's other oriental opera Madama Butterfly, first we have before us – the placid (now reed-fringed) lake, the heard in Japan in 1921 with Tamaki Muira as protagonist, Turandot mysterious night sky, and the contours of the Apuan mountains had to wait until 1998 for its first performance in China. Turandot's on the horizon. cruel habit of having suitors unable to answer the three riddles Book now – tickets are selling fast! beheaded and Liu's harrowing torture scene were clearly unacceptable to the authorities. Incidentally, in – by Francis Pettitt 2017, in Beijing's Forbidden City, I visited the See Francis' Wordpress page at place where Zubin Mehta conducted that Puccini’s house longoio3.wordpress.com at Viareggio stunning 1998 production, which was preserved on film. Tickets for 17 August (Turandot) & Turandot was inspired by a Persian tale and 2 August (Tosca) may be obtained through elaborated by Carlo Gozzi in 1762. The name of Grapevine (tel. 3338617962 or write to the princess Turandot means the daughter of [email protected]). Turan. (Simonetta Puccini, the maestro's You can join us for a romantic lake granddaughter was insistent that the final 't' crossing with light dinner. should always be pronounced.) See page 16 (Coming Up) for details. Tuscany’s GRAPEVINE Magazine July 2019 WHAT’S ON IN & AROUND 9 Cartolina Bohème, August 2018 Puccinielasualucca for its spring/summer season (1 April to 31 October) photo by Andrea Simi The listings published by Grapevine are taken from offers concerts every evening at the Church of San Giovanni at 7pm. reliable sources and reproduced in good faith. Tickets are sold at the door, or call 340 8106042. However, to avoid disappointment, www.puccinielasualucca.com - [email protected] Music & Theatre readers are advised to check information Program: Mondays Puccini & Mozart, Tuesdays Puccini’s Women, before setting off. Wednesdays Italian Opera Recital, Thursdays Puccini & Verdi, Fridays Puccini Opera Recital, Saturdays A Night at the Opera, July 2019 Sundays Puccini & the Neapolitan Song Tradition Sunday Mon Tues Wed Thu Friday Saturday Opera Barga, 3 to 14 July. www.operabarga.it Virtuoso & Belcanto Festival 16 to 28 July, tickets 1 2 3 4 5 8pm LUCCA SUMMER FESTIVAL 6 8pm LUCCA SUMMER FESTIVAL with CALCUTTA in €5, €10, €15. Reserve at the website 4pm, Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, 5.30pm, Castelnuovo di 6.15pm, Lucca, Piazza Cittadella, with TOTO in Piazza Napoleone. Piazza Napoleone. See article on page 7. www.virtuosobelcanto.com or ticketone. Reductions Sala Suffredini. IAM Festival. Felix Garfagnana, Sala Suffredini. Puccini Postcards, Butterfly. Tickets 9.30pm, Lucca, San Giovanni Church. OsmannGold Orchestra 9pm, Deccio, Brancoleria, San Pietro Apostolo Church. Sacred for the entire festival. See the article on page 5. Gazzaev (violin) & Dinara IAM Festival. Xuting Zhao & are available at the Giglio box office. performing swing music & presenting their new album. Music by Charpentier/Pieruccini. Free admission. Tel. 0583 53817. Admission free. Tel. 333 8383286. www.osmanngold.com IAM International Academy of Music Festival in the Abdurasulova (piano). Followed by Mijeong Kim (pianists). Followed 5.30pm, Castelnuovo di 9.15pm, Pieve a Elici. Teatro alla Scala Octet performing Bruch & 9.15pm, Nozzano Castello. Chiedimi se sono felice. Italian Garfagnana, 28 June to 20 July, is in its 17th year..... Shini Zheng & Beyza Yazgan at 9.15pm, student gala. Free Garfagnana, Sala Suffredini. IAM Mendelssohn. Versilia Chamber Music Festival. See article page 5. (pianists). Free admission. admission. www.iamitalia.com Festival. San Diego Youth Cello songs with Laura De Luca & instrumentalists (flute, guitar, 4.30pm, Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, Sala Suffredini. IAM Festival. Versiliana Festival, Lido di Pietrasanta. Music, theatre, IAM Festival www.iamitalia.com Quartet. Free admission. trumpet, percussion). Admission free. Tel. 0583 548014, Magdalina Mishina (piano) performs Schumann/Liszt. 5.30pm, Kyrian talk shows in the pine forest near the sea. 10 July to 24 9.15pm, Castelnuovo, Cappuccini www.iamitalia.com www.ilcastellorivive.it Friedenberg (piano) performs Debussy/Rachmaninoff. Free. August. Complete program at: versilianafestival.it 9.15pm, Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, Sala Suffredini. IAM Church. IAM Chamber Music 9.15pm, Castelnuovo, Cappuccini 6pm, Vorno, Villa Michaela. Peccioli Philharmonic Orchestra. To Festival. Final competition. Free admission. www.iamitalia.com Utopia del Buongusto, now in its 22nd year. 15 June Concert. Admission €10/reduced €7. Church. IAM Chamber Music reserve, call 0583 971112. to 16 November. Dinner evenings with theatrical Concert. Admission €10/reduced €7. 4pm, Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, Sala Suffredini. IAM Festival. 9.15pm, Castelnuovo, San Giovanni Battista Church. IAM Chamber productions in rural Tuscan towns. Tel. 328 0625881, F. Gazzaev (violin) & D. Abdurasulova (piano). Followed by S. Music Concert. Chamber music concert. Admission €10/reduced €7. www.guastoneteatro.it 8 Zheng & B. Yazgan (pianists). Free admission. www.iamitalia.com 9.15pm, Castelnuovo, Cappuccini Church. IAM Chamber 9 10 11 Music Concert. Admission €10. 9.30pm, Gallicano, Piazza V. 13 9pm LUCCA SUMMER FESTIVAL with MARK Olivia Trummer - MAMI Jazz Olivia Trummer 9.30pm LUCCA 9.30pm LUCCA 7 9pm LUCCA SUMMER FESTIVAL Emanuele II. MAMI Jazz concert. KNOPFLER in Piazza Napoleone. Free admission. with ELTON JOHN at the Walls (Viale Carducci). SUMMER FESTIVAL SUMMER FESTIVAL 12 8.30pm LUCCA SUMMER FESTIVAL 9.15pm, Torre del Lago Puccini Festival. Turandot. www.puccinifestival.it with MACKLEMORE / with TEARS FOR FEARS in 9.15pm, Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, Teatro Alfieri. IAM with NEW ORDER / ELBOW in Piazza Napoleone. 9.15pm, Borgo a Mozzano, Teatro di Verzura. Minerva Quartet. Free. ANASTASIO in Piazza Piazza Napoleone. 9.15pm, Lucca, Botanical Garden. Il canto degli alberi Festival. Final concert by the best student groups. Free Napoleone. admission. www.iamitalia.com (Fridays 12 July to 10 September). Lyric performance by the 18 8.50pm LUCCA Accademia Malfatti. €5. www.ortobotanicodilucca.it 20 9.30pm LUCCA SUMMER FESTIVAL with THE SUMMER FESTIVAL with 9.15pm, Torre del Lago Puccini Festival.