Archive for July, 2011

Tuscan Sun Festival begins with Tango!

The 9th edition of Cortona’s Tuscan Sun Festival is ready to begin!

On Monday 1st of August our beautiful theatre, “Teatro Signorelli”, will host the first event of the week at 9 pm.

Exceptional pianist Martha Argerich, along with, Oscar-winning composer for Il Postino, Luis     
Bacalov, Michael Guttman, Nestor Marconi, Eduardo Hubert and The Paris Camerata
will sweep us off our feet with a suggestive evening of tango variations by composers such as Piazzolla and Bacalov himself.

Martha Argerich

Luis Bacalov

The event calendar of the week:

Tuesday 2 August

Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Saint-Saens, Mendelsshon
performed by
Pinchas Zukerman – Violin
Amanda Forsyth – Cello
Andrea Griminelli – Flute
Carlo Montanaro – Conductor

Orchestra della Toscana

Wednesday 3 August

Mozart, Brahms, Shumann
performed by
Pinchas Zukerman & Zukerman Chamber Players

Thursday 4 August

“SEDUCTION, SMOKE AND MUSIC”
The love story of Chopin and George Sand
Hollywood superstar Jeremy Irons and Sinead Cusack narrate a theatrical evening with music
called Seduction, Smoke and Music.

Jeremy Irons

Sinead Cusack as George Sand
Jeremy Irons as Frédéric Chopin
Nina Kotova – Cello
Simon Trpčeski – Piano
Irina Dvorovenko – Dancer
Maxim Beloserkovsky – Dancer

Friday 5 August

Greta Scacchi presents: “SCHUBERTIADE”
The life of Schubert told and illustrated

Greta Scacchi

Greta Scacchi – Narrator
Michael Guttman – Violin
Frank Braley – Piano
Werner Van Mechelen – Baritone
Enrico Fagone – Double bass

The Guttman Quartet
Michael Guttman (Violin), Eleonore Darmon (Violin), Anton Martynov (Viola) and Diana Ligeti (Cello)

Saturday 6 August

Mozart, Prokofiev, Rogrigo
performed by
Leif Ove Andsnes – Piano
Miloš Karadaglić – Guitar
Carlo Montanaro – Conductor

Orchestra della Toscana

Sunday 7 August

Nina Kotova

Handel, Bach, Boccherini, Mozart, Rossini, Donizetti
performed by                                                                           Danielle de Niese – Soprano
Nina Kotova – Cello
Julian Kovatchev – Conductor

I Virtuosi del Teatro alla Scala.

For tickets and further details click HERE

Tuscan Sun Festival is not only Music and Theatre, but also an occasion for many other events, exhibitions and lessons!
Wine tasting, cooking classes, dance lessons, visual arts and so on!
Check out the official leaflet!

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The Aeneid in Cortona.

On the 19th of July, in the beautiful courtyard of the Museum of the Etruscan Academy of Cortona, the Aeneid will come alive through the art of the “Cunto Siciliano”, the traditional Sicilian storytelling and a wondrous example of epic theatre: sound, rhythm, body and voice release in space a playful and mighty energy.

“Arma virumque cano,

Troiae qui primus ab oris

Ialiarn fato profugus…”

The Aeneid, with its immortal lines distributed in twelve books, tells the story of the glorious Trojan race veterans, ancestors of the  “gens Iulia”.

A poem, which, although linked to the glory of Rome in the world, is for us, in fact, a beautiful fabric, a magical tapestry of events, heroes, romances and flights, which long to return to life through a body and a voice, in space and time.

On this particular occasion, Aeneas is followed in his legendary flight after the destruction of Troy. The title of the play is “La fuga di Enea”,…”Aeneas’ flight”.

Aeneas' legendary peregrination.

In the “Cunto”, though, there also are continuous personal insertions and emblematic poetry, which unexpectedly turn the spotlight towards the “new” migrants from Africa and Iraq, who wander through the Mediterranean to leave war wounds behind.

The bodies and voices of Vincenzo Pirrotta and Nancy Lombardo will be directed by Vincenzo Pirrotta himself, with music by Mario Spolidoro  played by Luca Mauceri and sceneries of Pasquale De Cristofaro.

Don’t miss it!

July 19th 2011, Palazzo Casali, Cortona.

For further information: tel. +39 0575 637235.  Email. info@cortonamaec.org

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LIFE IN VAL DI CHIANA

Girifalco Fortress

The 13th century fortress “Girifalco” of Cortona is hosting, until the 11th of September 2011, the multimedia exhibition “VIVO IN VAL DI CHIANA”, for anyone who wishes to get to know our beautiful area, the Val di Chiana, “the valley of Chiana”!
Young artists from the whole area have developed a vision of their territory focusing on its re-discovery and on its cultural resources.

The places “starring” in the exhibition are:
Castiglion Fiorentino, Civitella in Val di Chiana, Cortona, Foiano della Chiana, Lucignano, Marciano della Chiana and Monte San Savino, (All reachable from Cortona in no more than half an hour!)

A virtual journey to discover their beauties , from the most obvious to the hidden ones!
Short films, airplane flights, interviews, life stories, panels, multiple languages and different tools: a sophisticated and continuous mixing of seemingly distant worlds, the conversation of roots and geographies in a timeless journey.

The official poster of the exhibition

You will also find a special free CARD, valid from May to September 2011 which reserves many benefits: special guided tours and workshops, confidential agreements with local museums and a 10% discount in restaurants, hotels and businesses that have joined the Convention.
The CARD is distributed free of charge at the exhibition, in participating museums, tourist information offices and accommodation facilities in the area who have joined the project.

View from the Fortress

It is also a precious opportunity to visit the fortress, from which you can treat your eyes with one of the most breathtaking views of the valley.

The exhibition is open every day from 10 am to 7 am, and from 10 am to 9 pm on Saturdays and Sundays in July and August.
Free entry!

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Cortona and the Louvre: an imaginary Etruscan thread

Cortona may be small, but it’s brimming with precious things.

An interesting selection of them are treasured by the Museum of the Etruscan Academy of Cortona (MAEC). A beautiful palace of tremendous history:

it was built on the area of Etruscan buildings and had its upheaval in the 14th century when it was enlarged and restored to become the residence of the Signori of Cortona, the Casali family. It’s so majestic that it also houses the Civic and Academy Library and the Historic Civic Archive.

You’ll find it in Piazza Signorelli, or, as I would say if I were explaining to a tourist, “the square were the theatre is!”

The Museum is on two levels, was founded in 1727 and its treasures are divided in three sections: the archaeological collection, the Egyptian collection and the Medieval and Modern collection. I won’t describe them because I’d need a whole week, but maybe telling you that in my life I’ve visited it something like fifteen times and still find it fascinating, should do the trick and make you want to go and vis

Terracotta Vase

Terracotta Vase

Let me explain:
There’s an area in the MAEC which is for temporary expositions. At this very moment it’s displaying 40 Etruscan master works owned by the French Louvre.

Earrings representing the Sun Car and Victories

Gold Earrings

An imaginary thread will guide you from amazing vases, votive little statues, pottery, breathtaking golden jewelry…

…to the masterpiece, symbol of the exhibition: the bust of a beautiful Ariadne.

The Ariadne

The Ariadne

Due to its big success, the exhibition has just been extended to the end of July.

So, if you’re in Cortona, hurry up! Before this inestimable collection flies back to France!

Lucia

(Click here, for further information)

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