Torre del Greco: Poetry, music, art and food and wine at Villa delle Ginestre
The ‘Leopardi Celebrations’ exhibition ended on 29 June 2024 at Villa Delle Ginestre in Torre del Greco, a suggestive and historical setting, chosen precisely because it is linked to the biographical and artistic story of Giacomo Leopardi who spent the last season of his life here and here he composed some of his writings including The broomfrom which the villa took its name.
Poetry, music, art and food and wine have been combined to celebrate the final moment of an event full of emotions, which began on 22 June 2024 with a show That ghost of a very famous poet directed by Sara Sole Notarbartolo and in the following days with readings, interludes, tastings, poetry prize-giving. The poet Alessia Iuliano won the prize.
Gennaro Miranda, the members of the Board and all the staff of the company contributed to the achievement of this success. Ente Ville Vesuviane Foundation with the Director Roberto Chianese; the Proloco of Torre del Greco and its President Angelo Di Ruocco, Patrizia Porzio; the jury of the Villa delle Ginestre Poetry Prize; many young poets; the Vesuvian Chefs Association.
The first part of the evening of June 29, 2024, dedicated to poetry, was presented by Pepe Iannicelli.
The second part, the musical one, was presented by Romilda Barbato who introduced the Vesuvian Swing Big Banddirected by maestro Antonio Graziano, lead singer Ernesto Radano.
This musical band was born as a project in 2023, on the initiative of two musicians from the Vesuvian area with the aim of creating a large ensemble to spread good music, through their own performances, concerts, themed evenings or in combination with particular cultural events like this one.
The band welcomes many young people who have already undertaken or are about to complete academic musical paths so that they can perform in the big band concerts.
The Vesuvian Swing Big Band draws from sources of fundamental jazz inspiration and especially from the swing era.
To implement the musical project, 19 Neapolitan musicians from different musical backgrounds and with important backgrounds were used, with experience in Rai and Mediaset Orchestras, national and foreign TV in Italy and the USA. All musicians with a regular academic degree obtained in national and international Conservatories are canonically divided into a wind section (5 saxophones, 4 trombones, 4 trumpets) and a rhythm section (piano, double bass, guitar, drums), and Vocalists who give the “Personnel” its definitive structure. Annamaria Carta acts as the band’s public relations consultant.
The concert program focused on the performance of swing songs from Frank Sinatra to Michael Bublè, with the opening of an instrumental piece Swing Action (arranged by Robert Verelst), a medley that includes the most representative songs of the swing era of the 40s and 50s by various famous authors (Duke Ellington, Ray Henderson, Glenn Miller, Harry James just to name a few) and sung songs by equally famous composers just to name a few (Cole Porter, Jimmy Van Heusen, Count Basie, Irving Berlin, Bart Howard, Gerald Marks and Seymour Simons, Claude Francois/Jacques Revaux).
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I brani musicati e cantati da Ernesto Radano in ordine di esecuzione sono stati: Swing Action Medley che ha fatto da introduzione orchestrale; Come fly with me; More; Cheeck to Cheeck; Fly me to the moon; All of me; I’ve got you under my skin; My way; Night and day; The lady is a tramp; Sway; Moondance; New York new York.
Gennaro Miranda, President of the Vesuvian Villas Foundation, with strong organizational skills in promoting cultural events, declared: ”Enhancing the Vesuvian Villas like the Villa delle Ginestre means giving them new life. I like to highlight that work works if there is synergy, if there is a team capable of putting everything and everyone in order. The key to the success of every single initiative is to dialogue with everyone and create enthusiasm and empathy. The events of the Review had this purpose but others will follow. The events presented served to test everyone’s work and the degree of efficiency and effectiveness. I would like to inform you that we are also working on another exhibition entitled ‘The Golden Mile on stage’ which will be held from September to December in various villas in Torre del Greco, Ercolano, Portici and San Giorgio a Cremano. The aim is always to keep attention and moral tension high on our splendid Vesuvian villas and let’s not forget the surprising success of the splendid Concerto all’Alba, held on the terrace of Villa Campolieto”.
A large turnout of visitors and spectators was recorded, which testifies to the appreciation of the proposed events.
