Sesto Quatrini made his Italian debut, conducting Verdi’s “Un giorno di regno,” at the Festival della Valle d’Itria, July 20, 2017, a little over one year ago. Since then he has debuted at, amongst other venues, La Fenice and Verona. It has been a rapid rise for the young conductor who, at the age of 34, seems destined for the {…}
In 1507, the Caracciolo family were awarded the fiefdom of Martina Franca, and it remained in the family estate until 1827. The dukes were not always beneficent rulers, but they obviously had good taste when it came to town planning; the town is a architectural jewel. The streets are full of baroque palazzi and churches, with ornate carvings and facades. {…}
In the early hours of the morning, the bars and cafès are still open and the streets are still full of people; the days in Martin Franca have a different rhythm to them from my normal routine. Everything starts early, but at midday the streets start to empty and following lunch, it is siesta time. Nothing moves and little happens {…}
At the turn of the 18th century, Naples was an important centre for innovation and performance in the opera world. In 1706, Michelangelo Faggioli premiered his opera “La Cilla,” the first of a new form of comedy opera, sung in the Neapolitan dialect, based around a light-hearted plot, focused upon domestic and family affairs, which reflected the bourgeoise values of {…}
This morning I took a morning stroll outside the town, which is surrounded by olive groves and trulli – single story, stone built dwellings, with strangely shaped pointed roofs, excellently adapted to protect against the heat of the Mediterranean sun. The earth in this region has a rich brown color, which along with the hot summers, provides ideal growing conditions {…}
The beauty of Martina Franca is probably best witnessed in the early morning, when the streets are deserted and the white stone buildings are bathed in the cool morning sun. At 6 a.m. there are very few people around, and the exquisite architecture of the town can be truly appreciated. The Basilica di San Martina, which will host Rossini’s “Messe” {…}
During his lifetime Vivaldi was a prolific composer of operas, responsible for setting at least 45 libretti, linked to at least 67 stage works, although Vivaldi claimed it to be 94. Yet, today his operatic output has been largely forgotten, being at best, of marginal interest to the opera-going public, restricted to recordings, rare concerts, and even rarer staged performances. {…}
In 1840 Verdi’s second opera, and his first attempt at comedy, “Un Giorno di Regno,” was premiered at La Scala in Milan to widespread criticism, criticism that the composer took to heart to the point that it took more than 50 years before he would write another comedy. Of course, we know how that second comedic experiment turned out as {…}
Martina Franca, situated in Puglia in south east Italy, is home to the annual Festival della Valle d’Itria, which is largely, although not exclusively, devoted to the presentation of obscure, neglected, and rarely-performed operas. Its stated mission is “dedicated to researching and deepening our knowledge of Italian bel canto,” and it is in this light that it selects operas and {…}