PROGRAMME

(1756 - 1791)

Ouverture

“Die Zauberflöte”

L. VAN BEETHOVEN

(1770-1827)

  Symphony no 1

in C Major, Op. 21
 I. Adagio molto -

Allegro con brio

II. Andante cantabile con moto

III. Menuetto. Allegro molto

e vivace - Trio

IV. Finale. Allegro molto

e vivace

J.  BRAHMS

(1833-1897)

  Symphony no 1
in C Minor, Op. 68

 I. Un poco sostenuto - Allegro

II. Andante sostenuto

III. Un poco allegretto

e grazioso

IV. Adagio - Più andante -

ma con brio

INFORMATION

DATE:
28 JULY 2006
 

TIME: 21,15

PLACE:
Courtyard of Honour, Torrechiara Castle

JUNIOR ORCHESTRA OF THE MAGGIO FIORENTINO
Concert in memory of Maestro Romano Gandolfi
Conductor: CARLO PIAZZA
Music by L. Van Beethoven, J. Brahms

FESTIVAL DI TORRECHIARA 2006

Maggio Fiorentino Formazione is among the best and most dynamic Italian organisations around, providing advanced, professional training of young people in the arts and entertainment sector. Its fundamental objective is to complete and perfect the training of young instrumentalists, singers and conductors’ assistants who have already graduated from Conservatories while at the same time trying to find them a productive outlet on stage involving the symphonic and operatic productions of the Fondazione Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino.
The principal players of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino orchestra and tutors sit beside advanced students during concerts and orchestral practice with Maestros like Zubin Mehta, Piero Bellugi and Nir Kabaretti, assistant to Maestro Mehta at the Teatro del Maggio Fiorentino.

At the concert this evening we want to remember Maestro Romano Gandolfi and it seemed particularly meaningful to us to do so by hosting the musicians of the Orchestra del Maggio Fiorentino Formazione, young players who tackle with great artistic maturity demanding operas (Gianni Schicchi, The Barber of Seville, The Magic Flute…) and complex symphonies such as those included in this evening’s programme under the baton of Maestro Carlo Piazza, Symphony N°1 by Ludwig Van Beethoven and Symphony N°1 by Johannes Brahms.

Maggio Musicale Fiorentino
Founded in 1933 by Vittorio Gui, the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino is the oldest Italian Festival and one of the most important internationally, a must-see event for music lovers all over the world. Since its inception the Maggio Musicale has been the focus of world attention for the originality and integrity of some of its basic cultural choices. Firstly, attention centred on “visual” problems in opera for which they called on the greatest theatre and cinema directors of the century (Max Reinhardt, Gustav Gründgens, Luchino Visconti, Franco Zeffirelli, Luca Ronconi, Bob Wilson…) and renowned painters and sculptors (Giorgio De Chirico, Oskar Kokoschka…), as well as set and costume designers: a choice developed first in Florence which proved decisive for the development of the dramaturgy of modern opera.
Then there was constant exploration of the music of the twentieth century from the historical avant guarde right up to the most recent experiences by involving the composers themselves (Pietro Mascagni, Richard Strauss, Paul Hindemith, Bela Bartòk, Igor Stravinskij, Luigi Nono, Luigi Dallapiccola, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Luciano Berio), together with the rediscovery of earlier operas and composers: phenomena like the Rossini-Renaissance or the re-evaluation of Donizetti and of early Verdi all had their beginnings on the stage of the Teatro Fiorentino.
What proved fundamental, in the end, was the constant presence of great performers: conductors, soloists and singers who were indispensable for realising such ambitious projects and skilled enough to allow out and out “re-readings” of scores and of some of the more traditional operas. The most prestigious names of twentieth century music took over from each other as conductor of the Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, including Vittorio Gui, Bruno Walter, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Dimitri Mitropoulos, Herbert von Karajan, Leonard Bernstein, Carlos Kleiber, Claudio Abbado, Riccardo Muti (Principal Conductor from 1969 to 1981) and Zubin Mehta, current Principal Conductor and Honorary Conductor for life.
The foundation of the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino is currently very active also as far as music education of the young is concerned: as of 2002, fulfilling statutory requirements, initiatives were promised for the advanced artistic education of young European musicians who have graduated from Conservatories. The success of this initiative has pushed the Theatre into creating an educational orchestra called the “Maggio Fiorentino Formazione”, with the aim of providing development opportunities in various specialised fields for young people who see their future in the performing arts.
 

Translation by Sarah J Hyde - www.thelanguage.biz
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