The Asti Lirica festival has chosen to pay homage, on the hundredth anniversary of his death, to the illustrious Tuscan composer Giacomo Puccini. It will do so with the “Gran Concerto Pucciniano”, on stage on Thursday 27 June at 9.30 pm at Palazzo Michelerio. During the evening, the tenor Diego Cavazzin and the sopranos Martina Gresia and Ksenia Bomarsi will perform the most famous pages of the Puccini repertoire.
The evening will be embellished with a suggestive atmosphere created by the light of over 300 candles which will illuminate the stage and the surrounding space, in a perfect combination with the opera arias that will be performed.
As in every evening of the festival, the music critic Alberto Bazzano will introduce the evening with “The opera in 5 minutes”, a short informative moment to tell the public the plot and some curiosities about the opera.
Tickets available directly in the Michelerio courtyard from 7pm to 9pm. Full price 12 euros, concessions 10 euros (theater season season ticket holders, Kor Card and Astense Library plus card holders, Istituto Verdi students, under 25s and over 65s). For information: tel. 0141/399057.
The other appointments
The Asti Lirica program will continue on July 3 with a double concert in the complex of the Baptistery of San Pietro. The soprano Chiara Pontoriero and the countertenor Gustavo Argandoña will be the protagonists of a concert entitled “Between sighs and furies of love” (9pm). Following, at 10.15pm, “Heavenly Harmonies”, which will see the polyphonic choir Ensemble Vocale Novharmony involved in the sacred repertoire. On July 4th, at 9pm, the Alfieri Theater will host Carmina Burana. The show, produced by the Teatro dell’Opera Giocosa of Savona, will feature the soprano Irene Celle, the baritone Michele Patti, the tenor Raffaele Feo and the Philarmonia Choir, led by the baton of Giovanni Di Stefano. The performance will be preceded by the Requiem SC76 for choir, solo viola and organ by Giacomo Puccini, which will be performed in homage to the Asti artist Giorgio Faletti on the tenth anniversary of his death (which occurred on 4 July 2014). On July 7th, at 9pm at the Alfieri Theatre, it will be the turn of a great operetta classic: “The Merry Widow” by Franz Lehár. It will be performed by soprano Renata Campanella who will take on the role of Anna Glavari.
The festival will close on Tuesday 17 September with a meeting between words and music at the Alfieri Theatre. Fabio Armiliato, one of the greatest tenors in the world, will present his autobiographical book “Una vita in canto (The alchemy of the voice)” to celebrate 40 years of career, a volume full of reflections on his life and music, including anecdotes and backstory. During the meeting Armiliato will also perform some opera arias, accompanied by his students.
