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conceRts, opeRa, theatRe & ballet galoRe! The Autumn season takes off
[Susan Glasspool]
You have just arrived and are still finding your way around. The cooler and darker evenings of autumn are already making themselves felt so that even during the day a jacket is welcome and you are no longer interested in spending so much time out of doors. However there is still plenty of fun to be had in the city by day and night, especially now that the concert and theatre seasons are opening (from September onwards), and, as usual, the choice in Florence is huge. September Music is composed of a series of classical music concerts, organised by the Amici della Musica, some in the Saloncino of Teatro della Pergola and others at the Church of Santo Stefano al Ponte. However all the theatre and concert seasons start in this period, the most important being that of the Teatro Comunale, which opens with Un Ballo in Maschera by Verdi conducted by Daniel Oren and then spreads its wings with the romantic ballet La Sylphide, followed by a concerto by Maurizio Pollini and concerts conducted by Florence’s adopted hero, Zubin Mehta, who also directs La Forza del Destino, again by Verdi, in November. The season continues with a piano concert by Wayne Marshall, a concert-recital with Luisa Castellani and Jeffrey Swann conducted by Pascal Rophé, Lo Schaccianoce /Nutcracker) at Christmas, a concert conducted by Peter Schreier with Talia Or, Elisabeth von Magnus, Andreas Karasiak, and Markus Butter, and then Puccini’s popular Madame Butterfly, Elektra by Strauss, conducted by Seiji Ozawa, the ballet Petruschka by Stravinsky and many other concerts, opera and ballet through to April. If classical music is not for you, look out for the pop, jazz and rock concerts at the Saschall, the Mandela Forum and the Teatro Verdi. Vasco Rossi, one of Italy’s most popular rockers, is giving a concert for example at the Florence football Stadium on September 11th... Not to be missed! Specifically for the young is surely the nextech Festival. Electronic Music and Visual Environment at the old Leopolda Station from September 20th to 22nd (www.nextechfestival.com). The theatre season at the Pergola is always excellent, while Teatro Puccini is more specalised in satire. Both, if you are studying Italian, offer an excellent chance to listen to the language and follow a dialogue, which requires concentration, but will certainly help you improve your skills. Teatro Verdi also offers a mixed programme that ranges from plays to musicals, ballet and opera. The city boasts many other concert and theatre seasons so watch out for posters and placards and be prepared at times to go slightly further afield than the main centre of Florence. The choice is yours! MORE