“Musica a Palazzo” manages one of the most important and noble gothic venetian palaces in Venice: Palazzo Barbarigo-Minotto where an innovative approach to Opera has been conceived.
(“Grand opera reconceived as tea-room tinkle…striking Violetta” - The Times ).
The individual events evolve through several rooms of the Palace so as to take advantage of an ideal and complementary natural baroque setting.
The original approach revolves around the interaction between the artists, the musicians and the public. This cancels distance between them and gives spectators the feeling of living Opera from the ‘inside’. This sensation is amplified by the clever 360 degree use of the stage.
Reviving a tradition dating from the late 1800’s, our interpretations by some of the finest lyrical voices are accompanied by a small group of strings and pianoforte: a virtuoso ensemble that has performed in some of the most prestigious concert halls in the world (Lincoln Centre in New York, Musikverein in Vienna, La Scala in Milan, the Mozarteum in Salzburg...)
Following a successful tour of the USA, “Musica a Palazzo” has staged the “Traviata” at the The Royal Pavilion during the 41st International Brighton Festival(UK) to great acclaim from the public and critics. They were awarded (The Argus press prize) for the best production of the festival.
The Daily Telegraph - “…the quality of the music, the splendour of the setting, the power and passion of the singing!”
THE STORY
"Musica a Palazzo" (Music at the Palace) recreates the magic of the "Salotto Musicale" or "Musical Parlour": a piano, a few instruments, one or two singers who gave life to memorable evenings.
Ever since 1700s, the Parlour has represented one of the most popular and fashionable social retreats for the literary and musical world in Europe. Gathered around the piano, their status symbol, parlour music, a new musical genre, grew involving compositions for piano, piano and string instruments opera arias and lyrical operas performed by famous artists of the likes of Enrico Caruso and Pietro Mascagni.
The "Musica a Palazzo" Ensemble, a group of extraordinary performers and virtuosi of international acclaim, now proposes refined transcriptions of these original scores and new and original pieces for the unforgettable joy of patrons and lovers of their passionate artistry.
Come and be our guests to experience one of the most astounding evenings of your life!
The Palace
Facing the Grand Canal, witnesses testify to the building of this nobel Venetian palace around the 15th Century and to the authenticity of the Venetian Byzantine elements dating from the 12th and 13th centruries.
Three staterooms adorn the Grand Canal and another three face Rio Zaguri. These were enriched in the first half of the 1700s by the works of artists whose fame and importance are still recognised today.
The palace holds an aristocratic Chapel dating from the 1700s with Louis XIV elm flooring inlaid with olive-root and other prized wood marquetry.
The staging of Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata has strong ties to Venice ,where it was performed for the first time at the Gran Teatro La Fenice on March 6, 1853. “Musica a Palazzo” follows the “directions for contemporaneity” requested by Verdi at the first performance (which caused a scandal by its brazen realism).
The first act begins in the Portego (central hall) where the spectators are astonished to realize that they themselves are playing the role of the guests of Violetta (Traviata) as she drinks to their health and, together with them, sees Alfredo again.
The second act takes place in the Sala Tiepolo, whose beauty and intimacy are the perfect setting in which to appreciate the subtlety of the “interior dialogue” of the character and to be moved by her conflicts.
The drama of Violetta’s illness and death is consummated in the Camera da letto (bedroom with alcove), and not even the extraordinary 18th-century stuccos can divert attention from the emotional intensity of the music: the voices of the singers, in close intimacy, resonate in the heart and soul.
This programme comprises a selection of some of the most beautiful love duets in the operatic repertoire.
The interpreters are Soprano and a Tenor, or a Soprano and a Baritone depending on the evening’s programme.
The Duets depict the various aspects of love: the passionate love of Floria Tosca (in Tosca), the fatherly love of Giorgio Germont ( in the Traviata or the Rigoletto for Gilda), jealousy ( in the Boheme), love as a means to self-affirmation (in Don Giovanni) or a the extreme sacrifice of Violetta ( in the Traviata).
In the original formula of “Musica a Palazzo” even the “Duetti d’Amore” is itinerant ,: the first part takes place in the Tiepolo room and the second in the room with the alcove. Each act is staged and the artists interact with the public.
The evening programme is varied, alternating between the Duets and instrumental pieces from the chamber music and operatic repertoire.
The choice of repertoire favoured at the end of the 19th Century and the accurate “ salotto musicale” transcriptions offer the spectator the chance to dive into the past.
The Barber of Seville is a lyric opera by Gioacchino Rossini with libretto by Sterbini, based on a comedy of the same name by Beaumarchais.
The action takes place in the 17th century, and therefore the salons of the Palazzo Barbarigo-Minotto are an ideal stage, enriched and complemented by magnificent baroque furnishings.
The opera’s two acts are performed in three different rooms: Portego (central hall), Sala Tiepolo, and the Camera da letto (bedroom with alcove) and the splendor of the rooms facing the Grand Canal can be appreciated during intermissions.
The architectonic structure of the palazzo, with its numerous doors of precious wood, allows the artists to move about, utilizing the scenic space “in the round” so that the audience can fully participate in Rossini’s most amusing opera.
The surroundings are illuminated by candlelight, and the elegant costumes, designed by Anthony Knight and made of precious fabrics, are inspired by those of the era.
The exhilarating direction combines with the vocal and instrumental virtuosity of the performers to provide the spectators an evening of sparkling pleasure.
The luxurious interior of this astonishing Venetian palace opens up to guests for a memorable gala dinner enriched by the live performances of some of the greatest Italian professional opera singers.
