Thursday, March 28, 2024

13 (Opera and Classical) Things To Do in Florence: October

There are a ton of things to do in October in Florence, as it is a huge month for classical music. Most companies and orchestras are opening their season and many festivals are producing classic, modernist works. Pieces like Stravinsky’s Sacre du Printemps and works for prepared piano and magnetic tape by Luc Ferrari will all be performed. The opera house is presenting a 20th century Chinese opera, while operas and concert works by Mozart provide the classical antithesis to the modernist trend this month.

1. Guo Wenjing, Il Ragazzo del Risciò

In a bleak and ruthless Beijing, Xiang Zi embarks on a painful journey towards freedom. He has dreams of owning a rickshaw, breaking free from his master Liu Sye and uniting with his beloved Xiao Fuzi, but destiny has other plans in store for the boy.

Luotuo Xiang zi (Rickshaw Boy)
Opera in two acts
Music: di Guo Wenjing
Libretto: Xu Ying, based on the novel “Luotuo Xiangzi” by Lao She (1937)
World Premiere: Pechino, 25 Giugno 2014
Commissioned by the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing

XIANG ZI: Han Peng / Jin Zhengjian; HU NIU: Sun Xiuwei / Zhou Xiaolin; XIAO FUZI: Song Yuanming / Li Xintong; LIU SIYE: Tian Haojiang / Guan Zhijing; CONDUCTOR: Zhang Guoyong; DIRECTOR: Yi Liming. Tickets €10 – €50. Opera di Firenze, Piazzale Vittorio Gui, 1. October 4 & 5, 2015. Click for event info.


2. Conoscere Mozart: Così fan tutte / Le nozze di Figaro

Il primo percorso tematico della Stagione, tradizionalmente dedicato al melodramma, ha per argomento due delle opere della trilogia composta da Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart su libretto di Lorenzo Da Ponte: la più enigmatica e cinica, Così fan tutte, e la più perfetta nei meccanismi teatrali, Le nozze di Figaro. Giovanni Vitali guida il pubblico alla scoperta di questi capolavori con l’ausilio di filmati ed estratti audio. Spazio Incontri Foyer di Galleria, Opera di Firenze. October 7, 14, 21, 28, 4:00 pm. Opera di Firenze, Piazzale Vittorio Gui, 1. Click for event info.

 

Lecture concert series, Così fan tutte e le ambientazioni

I had to include this series of events because they are well researched, interesting topics that will be of interest to any opera enthusiast or music scholar. Presented in Italian.

3. CONTEMPORANEE O BORGHESI NELL’OPERA

Conversazione-concerto a cura di Filippo Bozzi, Musiche di Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Basso: Umberto Chiummo; Pianoforte: Elisabetta Sepe. A cura de Il Foyer, Museo di Casa Martelli, Via Zannetti n. 8. October 8, 5:00 pm. Click for event info.


4. SULLA FEDELTÀ FEMMINILE

A cura di Firenze Lirica in collaborazione con Chalet Fontana, Conversazione-concerto a cura di Cesare Orselli. Musiche di Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Chalet Fontana, Viale Galileo Galilei, 7. October 13, 8:30 pm. Click for event info.

 

5. Tempo Reale Festival, Exercices d’improvasation Luc Ferrari

Exercises d’improvisation (1977) for piano and magnetic tape. Piano: Ciro Longobardi: Sound Engineer: Francesco Giomi; À la recherche du rythme perdu (1978) for prepared piano and magnetic tape, In collaboration with Istituto Francese di Firenze. Limonaia di Villa Strozzi, via Pisana 77. October 9, 9:30 pm, € 5. Click for event info.


6. Tempo Reale Festival, Electroacoustic Ensemble Musica Moltiplicata

Appendice alla perfezione (1984) for 14 bells by Salvatore Sciarrino; World debut of Multiplications n.1 (2015) for viola, saxophone, percussion, analog synthesizer, and live mixing; In C (1964) for ensemble by Terry Riley. Limonaia di Villa Strozzi, via Pisana 77. October 10, 9:30 pm, € 5. Click for event info.


7. Florence Conservatory of Music. Mozartiana

In collaboration with Conservatorio di Musica “Luigi Cherubini” di Firenze.

Trio in E flat major, K. 498 for viola, clarinet and piano; Sonata in C minor, K 457; Concerto in C Major K. 299 for flute,Harp and string quintet. Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Museo Casa Martelli, Via Ferdinando Zannetti, 8. October 15, 5:00 pm. Click for event info.


8. Season Opening concert, Orchestra della Toscana

CONDUCTOR: Daniele Rustioni; CELLO: David Geringas.

VARÈSE Ionisation, for 6 percussionists (1929-31)
DVOŘÁK Concerto for cello and orchestra op.104
VARÈSE Integrales, or percussion and small ensemble (rev. di Chou Wen-Chung 1980)
SCHUMANN Sinfonia n.4 op.120

Teatro Verdi. Saturday, October 17, 9:00 pm. Click for event info.


9. Mercati in Musica, Lavorar Cantando

Musical walk. Lavorar Cantando – Traditional work and folk songs of joy and protest: dalla chanson dei “trovatori” ai canti marinari. Departs from Piazza Duomo, Saturday October 19, 8:00 pm. Free entrance. Click for event info


10. Orchestra Giovanile Italiana, Music of Glinka, Rachmaninov, Prokofiev

OGI; CONDUCTOR: Stanislav Kochanovsky

GLINKA: Ruslan e Ludmilla, Overture.
PROKOFIEV: Romeo e Giulietta: Montecchi e Capuleti, La giovane Giulietta, Frate Lorenzo (dalla Suite n.2); Maschere (dalla Suite n.1); Romeo alla tomba di Giulietta, Morte di Tebaldo (dalla Suite n.2).
RACHMANINOV: Danze Sinfoniche op.45.

Teatro della Pergola. October 20, 9:00 pm. Click for event info.


11. Virgilio Sieni, Le Sacre du Printemps

Music by Igor Stravinskij, direction by Virgilio Sieni. Virgilio Sieni porta al Teatro della Pergola Le Sacre, che ha debuttato nel marzo scorso a Bologna e che ha riscosso entusiastici consensi di pubblico e critica. Questa nuova produzione si compone di 2 parti: Preludio con 6 danzatrici su musica originale di Daniele Roccato e La sagra della primavera con 12 danzatori su musica di Igor Stravinskij.

Stravinskij: Le Sacre du Printemps
Roccato: Prelude

Teatro della Pergola. October 22, 23 9:00 pm. Click for event info.


12. Mercati in Musica, Il Re Sole e il suo musico fiorentino

Il sodalizio tra Luigi XIV e il compositore Giovan Battista Lulli, fiorentino emigrato in Francia all’età di 14 anni: rivoluzionò la musica europea nell’ultimo scorcio del Seicento. Mercato della Loggia del Porcellino. Sunday October 27, 9:00 pm. Free entrance. Click for event info.


13. L’Orchestra da Camera, Music of Mozart, Berceuse and Haydn

Mozart: Concerto for oboe and orchestra
Mozart: Concerto in D Major for Violin and Orchestra, KV 218
Haydn: Lamentazione Sinfonia
Berceuse: New Composition

Museo di Orsanmichele, Via Calzaiuoli. Monday, October 28 9:00 pm. € 12 – 15. Click for event info.

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