The forty-first edition of the Monteverdi Festival, with the famous international voices of the soprano Samuel Mariño, the countertenor Nicolò Balducci, the baritone Mauro Borgioni, the sopranos Francesca Lombardi Mazzulli and Giulia Bolcato and with the extraordinary participation of Cecilia Bartoli, the best-known Italian opera singer in the world, in one of his rare presences in our country. Of note is the debut in Italy of the French director Olivier Fredj, celebrated throughout Europe for his recent Bastard at the Monnaie in Brussels, which signs the new direction of The Orpheus, and the one at the Festival by the young Roberto Catalano, who stages the Monteverdian Polyptych. Also guests are great baroque specialist conductors such as Antonio Greco, Francesco Corti, Fabio Biondi, Giordano Antonelli, William Christie, Federico Maria Sardelli, Gianluca Capuano leading orchestras such as Il Pomo d’oro, il Concerto de’ Cavalieri, Europa Galante, Musica Antiqua Latina, Les Arts Florissants, Modo Antiquo, Les Musiciens du Prince, the Monteverdi Festival Orchestra – Cremona Antiqua.
In Cremona, from 14 to 23 Junethe richest edition of the Monteverdi Festival ever kicks off.
Monteverdi, father of opera. Italy boasts the paternity of countless inventions that have contributed to changing the social, civil, cultural, scientific and anthropological history of society. Cremona was, in some respects, one of the most vital centres. Music is the context of the boldest revolution of which the city has been the protagonist. Claudio Monteverdi was born here in 1567. Revolutionary and visionary genius, courageous father of opera and melodrama, Monteverdi gave rise to the birth of the theatrical and musical genre which, more than any other, has fascinated humanity for centuries and made Italy and the language famous throughout the world. Italian, so much so that UNESCO recently declared the practice of Italian opera singing an intangible heritage of humanity.
Over thirty appointments with opera productions, concerts, meetings, training residencies and experiences crossovers between multiple performative languages. Two new Monteverdian opera productions: the Festival opens at the Ponchielli Theater with The Orpheusthe first masterpiece in the history of melodrama, with the musical direction of Francesco Cortidirected by Olivier Fredj and in the cast the winners of the International Baroque Singing Competition CMC – Cavalli Monteverdi Competition, and the Monteverdian Polyptycha project that celebrates 400 years since the first performance of The Fight of Tancredi and Clorindastaging, for the first time in the modern era, madrigals in representative style, including the famous Combatdirected by Roberto Catalano. Conductor on the harpsichord Antonio Greco, who is also the main musical director of the Festival.
Seven concerts, in the churches, theaters and most beautiful historic buildings of the city, with internationally renowned artists such as the soprano Samuel Mariño, which reinterprets the Baroque masterpieces with the declared intention of spreading a message of universal freedom and acceptance; the violinist Fabio Biondi, leading his prestigious orchestra Gallant Europe; but also the famous Ancient way directed by Federico Maria Sardelli and the ensemble Ancient Latin Music driven by Giordano Antonelli. One of the most anticipated appointments will be the one with Les Arts Florissants, the well-known complex founded and directed by William Christie. And there is too Voices Suavesa vocal group from Basel among the most renowned of the Renaissance and Baroque repertoire.
Then there is no lack ofMonteverdi Festival Orchestra – Cremona Antiquaborn in 2021 as the orchestra in residence of the Monteverdi Festival and composed of the most active Italian and foreign musicians in this repertoire, led by Antonio Greco. But it is also a Festival of great surprises, such as the public meeting on Monteverdi with the special guest John Eliot Gardiner and the closing gala he sees Gianluca Capuano direct Les Musiciens du Prince with the extraordinary participation of Cecilia Bartoliworld star of opera singing, one of the most refined artists of the baroque repertoire, for the first time in Cremona.
Among the events that preceded the inauguration of the Festival, the Vespers of the Blessed Virgin, a milestone in Monteverdi production, last May in the Church of San Marcellino. A tribute from the Festival to the city and to the people of Cremona who safeguard the heritage of their most illustrious fellow citizen. Protagonists theByzantine Academy directed by Ottavio Dantone, The Choir of the Ghislieri Ancient Music Center of Pavia.
For ten days Cremona will see inclusive and original events such as “MonteverdiEverywhere“, which brings the music of the Divine Claudio to workers in companies and healthcare facilities, “MonteverdiNight“, with nocturnal musical proposals in a combination of dance, music, improvisation and theatre. Furthermore, there will be no shortage of workshops dedicated to younger people thanks to the ancient music residency “MonteverdiAcademy“.
The Monteverdi Festival, where tradition and innovation have always coexisted, projecting our musical heritage into the future, reaches its forty-first edition to celebrate Monteverdi, the opera, his extraordinary music, his legacy, his Cremona: capital of the entire musical scene baroque and cradle of opera singing. Where everything was born and everything is reborn.
Further information: www.monteverdifestivalcremona.it
