Program
September 11, 2021 – Book Presentation
Giovanni Bottesini. Il Paganini del Contrabbasso
Life through letters
The book tells the adventurous and extraordinary life of the musician and composer from Crema Giovanni Bottesini (1821 – 1889). A nomadic life that saw him as a pioneer first in America, Cuba and Mexico, countries where he is still revered and known, then in Egypt, England, Scandinavia, Spain, France and South America. His popularity, constantly growing over the course of a lifetime, reached its peak with the direction of the orchestra of the first performance of Verdi’s Aida in Cairo in 1871. His friendship with Verdi himself, with Rossini, and with the greatest personalities of the musical world of the time, made him an absolute protagonist of the international musical scene. The book shows the acrobatic artist, the champion, but also the fragile man, full of doubts, a lover of gambling and good wine. A book to be read in one breath that will enthrall the reader who, page after page, will have an increasingly engaging sensation of living alongside Bottesini and being one of the spectators who had the fortune and privilege of listening to and applauding him.
September 11, 2021 – Children’s Show
Onda su Onda
The show tells the story of the life of the famous double bass player Giovanni Bottesini, playing on the double meaning of the word wave: on one hand the sound and musical wave, on the other the wave of the sea that the musician crossed dozens of times traveling from one continent to another.
The adventures are narrated by 4 boys / sailors passionate about music who follow the travels of his orchestra and tell the most fascinating details.
The narration will focus on the adventurous side of his musical life, mixing the theatrical language of narration with that of circus and puppet theater.
On stage 4 artists, a storyteller narrator, a puppet theater and fire theater actress, an acrobat and a musician.
October 2, 2021 – Oratorio in two parts for soprano, baritone, tenor, alto, choir and orchestra
The Garden of Olivet
On 12 October 1887 his oratorio The Garden of Olivet was performed with great success at the Norwich Festival. The original title was Gethsemane but at the last moment it was changed to avoid a possible religious susceptibility that this title could have unleashed.
The orchestra, conducted by Alberto Randegger (1832-1911) from Trieste, was composed of seventy musicians and the choir of two hundred and fifty people from the choirs of Westminster Abbey, Cambridge, Buxton and Windsor.
The oratorio was then repeated in London on 17 November at the Sacred Harmonic Society in London. This work was written by Bottesini during 1886 and was probably completed between September and October of that year.
December 6, 2021 – San Domenico Theater, Crema
Chamber Music Concert
QUARTETTO E QUINTETTO D’ARCHI DELLA FILARMONICA TOSCANINI
Violins – Mihaela Costea, Viktoria Borissova
Viola – Behrang Rassekhi
Cello – Pietro Nappi
Double bass – Antonio Mercurio
On December 6, 2021, at the Teatro San Domenico in Crema, a concert was held with the quintet of the Arturo Toscanini Foundation of Parma, which will perform the famous Bottesini’s Gran Quintet and the Quartet in D major by the same composer, with which Bottesini won the Basevi Prize in Florence in 1862. The Quartet is being performed for the first time in modern times, thanks to the edition edited by Maestro Aldo Salvagno taken directly from the manuscript.
Program:
Grand Quintet in C minor, op. 99 by Giovanni Bottesini
Quartet no. 3 in D major by Giovanni Bottesini
December 22, 2021
Lyric Concert
It will be the 200th birthday of Giovanni Bottesini and December 24th will be the 150th anniversary of the Premiere of AIDA by G. Verdi in Cairo, conducted by Bottesini himself.
We will celebrate this double anniversary with the lyrical concert “Bottesini and Verdi: a friendship at the Opera”, which will be held on December 22nd at 9 pm in the Sala Pietro da Cemmo of the Civic Museum of Crema.
For the occasion, arias and duets from the lyrical works of Giovanni Bottesini and from the opera Aida by Giuseppe Verdi will be performed.
Gallery
