Founded in 2005 at the behest of Simonetta Puccini the Simonetta Puccini Foundation for Giacomo Puccini was established with the aim of preserving and spreading the memory of the composer protecting the cultural and artistic heritage linked to his figure the Foundation has worked to promote awareness of Puccini’s works and places through events and has actively collaborated with local entities precisely to enhance the Villa Museo in Torre del Lago where Puccini spent more than two decades and gave life to many of his most famous works Among the rooms of the villa are the precious Förster piano on which Puccini composed some of his immortal melodies portraits of the composer at different stages of his life honors he received over many years of his career sometimes spreading his music in the open air such as photographs and plant purchase invoices it is now possible to restore the garden to its original beauty respecting Puccini’s love and care for it The entire operation has a total cost of 300,000 euros the Simonetta Puccini Foundation has launched a fundraising drive with an initial step with a goal of 120,000 euros that added to an initial contribution of 80,000 euros already provided by the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca will allow for the restoration work necessary to make the garden accessible to the public: preparing the ground as well as eliminating architectural barriers to allow everyone to visit this special place Once the first goal of 120,000 euros has been reached the Foundation will relaunch the fundraising with a second step with a goal of 220,000 euros thus reaching the total sum of the cost of the work which is necessary to finish the restoration and restore the garden to its splendor the Foundation has provided special thanks that allow each donor to take home a piece of history 10€ or more: Entry in the list of supporters published in the garden brochure and on the Villa Museo app with invitation to all Simonetta Puccini Foundation events 25€ or more: Puccini Garden map and exclusive shopper to be picked up at the Villa Puccini Bookshop supporter listing and invitation to events 35€ or more: Photograph of Giacomo Puccini from the Archives invitation to events and membership among supporters 70€ or more: Exclusive concert for supporters in Auditorium 100€ or more: Invitation for two to the concert in the Auditorium 200€ or more: Anastatic copy of an autographed music sheet 500€ or more: Stay in the Puccini Suite for two Here is the Eppela campaign page to join the collection and become part of Puccini history https://www.eppela.com/tuttiifior His correspondence with Pagni, presented in the volume for the first time, had begun in 1891, at the time when they had become acquainted. When the friendly atmosphere that characterized those cherished places began to change, some relations deteriorated and the bond with Pagni cooled. However, correspondence became regular again when the painter returned from Argentina, where he had moved to and founded an Academy of Fine Arts, becoming a professor of drawing and painting. Please note that this is an automated translation and it will not be perfect. All articles have been written in English and if anything appears to not make sense, please double check in English. A look at the route and a few fantasy favorites for stage 6 of the Giro d'Italia. €70.00, €62.00, €52.00, €42.00, €30.00, €19.00, €13.00 Concessions Due to illness, soprano Valeria Sepe will be replaced by Claudia Pavone 0.97);}@media (min-width:1024px){.css-1j5gzzj{font-size:1rem;line-height:1.55;}}.css-1cbf1l2{height:0;overflow:hidden;-webkit-transition:height 300ms cubic-bezier(0.4 1) 0ms;transition:height 300ms cubic-bezier(0.4 1) 0ms;height:auto;overflow:visible;}.css-15830to{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;width:100%;}.css-9vd5ud{width:100%;}Jonathan Tetelman’s debut album for Deutsche Grammophon was met with rave reviews on its release last summer and won the singer a 2023 “Young Talent of the Year” Opus Klassik award The Chilean-American tenor has now chosen to follow this success with a tribute to Puccini the centenary of whose death falls in 2024 The Great Puccini presents extracts from nine operas including such well-known arias as “Nessun dorma” “Che gelida manina” and “E lucevan le stelle” as well as numbers from less familiar operas such as Le villi and La rondine The album was recorded earlier this year in Prague with the PKF – Prague Philharmonia and features notable guest appearances from sopranos Vida Miknevičiūtė (Giorgetta in Il tabarro) and Federica Lombardi (Mimì in La bohème) The Great Puccini will be issued in all formats on 29 September 2023 Jonathan Tetelman has established himself on the world operatic stage in a wide range of roles but a recent focus on Puccini has seen him triumph as Rodolfo His love of the composer dates back to the moment when He trained as a baritone but then took some time away from the classical world and worked as a DJ on the New York club scene On returning to his vocal studies he transformed himself into a tenor and The Great Puccini also takes in works that are on Tetelman’s future schedule “There are a few new roles on my immediate horizon,” he notes Des Grieux in Manon Lescaut and Dick Johnson in La fanciulla del West Further down the road lies Calaf from Turandot and hopefully one day Roberto in Le villi…” What draws him in every time is the complex nature of Puccini’s characters “I think it’s a lot about acting with the voice That means finding a way of communicating the meaning of the words even to those who do not understand the language and “only certain composers give you that opportunity” His new album opens with Des Grieux’s “Donna non vidi mai” Tetelman’s passionate interpretation will whet listeners’ appetite for his stage debut in the role Among the other “hits” on The Great Puccini are “Nessun dorma” which the tenor refers to as “the big one” – “the gateway to understanding and feeling the emotions of opera” and both “Recondita armonia” and “E lucevan le stelle” from Tosca From the less frequently performed operas there are two arias from La fanciulla del West and Roberto’s nostalgic romanza “Torna ai felici dì” from Puccini’s first stage work offering tantalising glimpses of two imminent debuts The Great Puccini also includes Ruggero’s aria praising the delights of Paris from La rondine (Tetelman will make both his role and house debut at New York’s Metropolitan Opera next spring) and an ensemble number from Il tabarro (he plays Luigi for the first time at the Deutsche Oper this autumn) Three music videos made on location in Tuscany will be released in August and September filmed at the Villa Puccini in Torre del Lago; “Nessun dorma” (8 September) whose backdrop is the Carrara marble quarries; and “Donna non vidi mai” (29 September) and the nearby coastal town of Pietrasanta tips and exclusive itineraries in Florence later a director; but how do you like to be described Simply as someone who’s devoted his life to the theatre When and where did your passion for theatre and opera start When I was seven I was taken to the Scala: I was captivated instantly and that same evening I decided it was a place where I could dream and it would be my home for the rest of my life at 20 I began working as a set and costume designer for some of the world’s top theatres and festivals taking complete responsibility for my shows My theatre work has always alternated with architecture projects for museums and art exhibitions and frequent appearances on TV and film sets Your Madama Butterfly debuts at the outdoor theatre of Torre del Lago for four nights from 28 July to 4 August… I’m returning to Torre del Lago following last year’s wonderful experience with Tosca How does it feel to work for and with Puccini’s music This opera was my first and very happy encounter with Puccini when I first started out as a set designer and I’ve loved coming back to such a masterpiece and rediscovering its wonderful features How did you approach Madama Butterfly this time With the method I’ve always used: I put the music at the centre of the project which forces me to systematically discard any kind of ornament and be guided strictly by the dramatic plot line I’m comforted and reassured by the fact that it’s happening at Torre del Lago because I’ve already experienced the working environment there talks about his beginnings to his latest successes The English actress and producer tells us about her projects and her great love for Tuscany the great master of Italian fashion turns 90 Luigi Citi of Bottega Orafa explains what diamonds are and all the useful advice to bear in mind when buying them For the occasion we publish our exclusive interview with director Massimiliano Giornetti Our exclusive interview with Raffaello Napoleone who tells us how we will experience fashion after the lockdown Lady Diana's granddaughter recounts her bond with Italy and Florence Dolce&Gabbana’s tribute to Florence told by Domenico dolce and Stefano Gabbana Cookie policy TOSCANA TODAY web magazine – Informazione e cultura In a State that adequately values ​​its historical and cultural assets an affair like that of the Belvedere Puccini in Torre del Lago could never have happened the episode is encouraging and a harbinger of other possible aggressions and upheavals everywhere for his personal glory and his future political-administrative role to be looking for visibility and consideration You can undo it with great nonchalance of an important historical legacy only because the Baroque is not tolerated or because the Romanesque is archaic and démodé or because the Art Nouveau remains cloying and honeyed or even inventing abstract novels about such an important and cosmopolitan character as Giacomo Puccini Because the action to make a square better to restore luster to the furnishings is one thing but another thing entirely is to destroy it and put another architectural typology in its place: especially when you have dealing with a place of memory linked to cultural assets of inestimable value and which belong to all of humanity And all without a shred of national or regional authority imposing itself and send everyone home; that a parliamentarian of the republic questions the government that a cultural and artistic garrison arises doesn't the Ministry of Cultural Heritage say anything  Has he become speechless or is he in an irreversible coma That immoderate quarrel between the then undersecretary Vittori Sgarbi and the Mayor of Viareggio precisely on the planning intentions of the Municipality of Viareggio for the Belvedere as often happens in Italy did not lead to nothing constructive and useful the intentions of the municipal administration came true like it or not: due to reasons of force majeure - as we know due to the absence of adequate state controls due to the accident which led to the damage of almost all the concrete plinths which the naughty tricks of the incomparable (sic!) the project aimed precisely at removing and removing them Belvedere Puccini was born and was achieved through a great international mobilization complete with subscriptions to welcome the remains of the master in which illustrious intellectuals politicians and many ordinary people participated: a place of memory and meditation was created an environment that included the Villa Puccini and the area in front Simonetta Puccini in one of the many pleasant encounters had with her she wanted to give me a brochure that the Foundation had published and entertained me with her assessments: she was against further tourist development of the viewpoint because it threatened the peace and tranquility that were inextricably linked to the memory of Puccini to those places where the Maestro had sought peace and silence For this reason she opposed the project of creating a music park which should have extended with arteries and flows up to the Belvedere Those small columns that delimited the square in a late liberty twentieth-century architectural style they were therefore damaged during the works and definitively removed: cvd (as we wanted to demonstrate!) the design architect had declared to the press that they weren't worth much: and that's saying something With the same criterion as many historical artistic works and achievements of the more or less distant past could be damaged and removed as in this case without any consequences How many squares whose architectural features the mayors or some architects don't like could be destroyed Only in Viareggio with the same conditions could it be possible for example put your hand and overturn what was called Square of Fears the director of the Superintendence of Fine Arts was there: a state body that should guarantee the protection of historical assets from reckless treacherous interventions in the various territories We are at the height of a country where every reality now moves without controls  In Italy everything and the opposite of everything is allowed: one cannot really be surprised if some administrator can evoke an abstract metaphysical "Beauty" to justify an intervention of total transformation and upheaval of a historical place It's even more worrying when we read comments like: “That Belvedere was beautiful but it had now had its day." ; "It was necessary to change after years of neglect by previous politicians"  real squanderers of public finances These stories are certainly comical given the last 10 years of municipal administration in which things in the Puccini places of excellence were allowed to worsen dramatically and without any type of intervention not even minimal ones such as replacing the rusty and faded sign and the unpresentable municipal logo in front of the entrance to Villa Puccini; or fix the uncovered roof a leaning shutter and the overgrown and degraded garden of a building owned by the municipality in plain sight right in front of the Maestro's house We have reached the height of the comic-tragedy: today we go on stage and present ourselves as saviors of Beauty The one transformed and removed from the way was the Belvedere which hosted the first operatic activities on the lake when the artists went to the villa to the shrine in meditation after the performance In that booklet "Giacomo Puccini in Torre del Lago in the chapter "Villa and surrounding environment after Puccini” that Simonetta Puccini gave to me remember that the filling in of the lake and the subsequent concreting began in 1925 with a resolution of the municipal council with which it was granted “…as a free donation from the Peat Bogs of Italy the land on the beach of Lake Massaciuccoli overlooking the Villa needed for the arrangement of the square on which the Monument to Maestro Puccini is to be built…” on the occasion of the performance of La Bohéme “…the burial of the square on which the stalls were placed was completed while the stage was built on special stilts..." In the brochure I received in 2015 it was highlighted that “…What had been declared by a 1929 law as a zone of respect given the presence of a property of historical interest has become a tourist area with all the events deriving from commercial activity and which are unsuitable for its importance and dignity of the Villa Museum which is also a mausoleum and shrine dedicated to the memory of the Master" The original project developed by engineer Fausto Franchini it was completed back in 1930 as well as the historical genesis of the original architectural project and the subsequent reorganization after the First World War not previously discussed with the citizens much less with the Region and the State bodies except in the camera caritatis after the disputes with Undersecretary Sgarbi the story of a self-styled magician capable of miraculous wonders continues to be told What's even more embarrassing is the large group of Uriah Heep– the slimy and snake-like servant of David Copperfield – who run after him limiting themselves to the role of replicants driven only by their ambitious aims; or those irreplaceable senators for life of the Puccini Festival Foundation who even organized the show for the inauguration of such a serious disfigurement And no one dares even stammer: neither the Foundations Cecchi Rolando Pandolfini - of course I'm talking about mayors not about coachmen - he opposed an initiative by members of his party (the PCI) and by militants and leaders of the ANPI who asked to remove the Mussolini sign in the Town Hall square "Believe obey fight": with the motivation that the signs of history must not be removed but are part of our past and however dramatic we must continue to reason and question ourselves and that removing them was neither correct nor revolutionary An indecent spectacle took place in Torre del Lago: for the city of Viareggio but even more disheartening for the Italian State in the year of the centenary of the Master's death because everyone's tastes are very different but the defacement of Puccini's heritage and environment is a crime that cannot be forgotten: no purifying water will be able to wash the hands of those who were behind the inauguration ribbon not even if these obscenities could help them to have future administrative positions and roles a mark that they will carry on their shoulders forever: not the Invincible writing by Bertolt Brecht Niclo Vitelli (1954) was a leader of the PCI president of the Pucciniano Festival in the XNUMXs he then worked as a manager in the shipbuilding sector and held various positions in Legacoop of who is currently president of the Committee of Guarantors Author of books on the history of Versilia This is an example of a Vimeo video embedded via WPZOOM Video Widget Giacomo Puccini’s villa on the shores of a lake overlooking the Apuan Alps Simonetta Puccini would sometimes meet them at the gates she would lead them through gardens thickly planted with palms the one he wore to go out snipe-hunting on the lake In the living room stood the black Forster upright on which he had composed “La Bohème” while ash from his continuous cigarettes fell upon the keys His pencils and spectacles lay on the desk; his operas played in the background and would greet her round the corner with a grandfatherly kiss This article appeared in the Obituary section of the print edition under the headline “O mio nonno caro” Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents The most open-minded pope for many years died on April 21st—Easter Monday—aged 88 The Peruvian novelist and liberal died on April 13th, aged 89 The Bletchley Park “secretary” died on March 31st, aged 101 The two-time heavyweight champion of the world died on March 21st, aged 76 The KGB officer who spied for Britain died on March 4th, aged 86 Panini Comics is celebrating the centenary of Giacomo Puccini ’s death with a special volume collecting comic stories inspired by the works of the great Tuscan composer the new Topolibro will be released in conjunction with the weekly Topolino where readers will find Disney stories reinterpretations of Puccini’s masterpieces an original retelling of the famous Turandot; La Fanciulla del West starring Donald Duck; and Donald Duck and Little Butterfly the volume includes trivia about the world of music to unite opera music with the fantasy and humor of the worlds of Mice and Ducks enriched by an exclusive collaboration with pianist Stefano Bollani who participated in the script of Donald Duck and the secret of the forgetful tenor The pages of the weekly Mickey Mouse magazine will feature the previously unpublished story Uncle Scrooge and the Unexpected Opera which features Giacomo Puccini and his beloved villa in Torre del Lago.To celebrate the release of these two publications the Simonetta Puccini Foundation for Giacomo Puccini 30 at the Simonetta Puccini Auditorium in Torre del Lago How a comic book is born will be held: students from classes IV of the Istituto Comprensivo di Torre del Lago will meet Topolino authors and scriptwriters Alessandro Sisti and Simona Capovilla who will tell the behind-the-scenes story of their work This will be followed by a drawing workshop where each child will have the opportunity to discover the secrets of creating a comic strip using pencil and paper and a copy of the weekly Topolino magazine The performance of an aria by Puccini on the piano from Madama Butterfly an opera already performed in the comic strip will make the atmosphere even more magical a musical moment is scheduled with pianist Elia Faccini and soprano Federica Venturi; this will be followed by the official presentation of the two publications with greetings from Patrizia Mavilla and Manuel Rossi of the Simonetta Puccini Foundation Disney authors Alessandro Sisti and Simona Capovilla reproductions of the comic book plates will be on display in the antisala of the Simonetta Puccini Auditorium offering a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process The small exhibition will be on view until Nov in conjunction with Lucca Comics & Games the Villa Museo Puccini is enriched with new fragments of the life and work of the celebrated composer Giacomo Puccini (Lucca custodian of more than 28,500 pieces including autograph manuscripts an extraordinary patrimony for the study of his immense artistic production thanks to the efforts of the Fondazione Simonetta Puccini per Giacomo Puccini An ongoing effort aims to reconstruct and integrate the heritage recovering papers that have been dispersed over the years already declared a fund of historical interest by the Ministry of Culture is replenished with some important acquisitions among which stands out a precious booklet containing writings by the maestro addressed to the family of his mother the sixth of nine children and orphaned by his father at a young age maintained deep ties with his siblings and maternal relatives who was among the young composer’s first music teachers.Another significant addition came from a well-known auction house which offered a remarkable lot of musical manuscripts for piano and organ an integral part of compositions already held in the archive are essential to ensure the completeness of the collection and offer a more comprehensive view of Puccini’s oeuvre The important work of reconstructing the Puccini Archive is made possible not only through institutional efforts but also through the important contributions of private individuals Prominent among recent donations is that of Luciano Birghillotti a former Florentine school principal and music enthusiast during the naming ceremony of an elementary school dedicated to him Birghillotti generously donated to the foundation an autograph minute book some opera librettos of the time and a clipping from the daily newspaper La Nazione from November 1924 The donations also include an autograph telegram received as a legacy from his grandfather which Puccini sent to playwright Giovacchino Forzano to warn him of an opera rehearsal in Turin Sandra Nicolini also contributed the donation of a historical journal published on the occasion of the composer’s death in 1924 In addition to the public and artistic dimensions of Puccini famous for operas such as La bohème Madama Butterfly and La fanciulla del west Among the documents acquired are seven newspaper clippings on which Puccini wrote notes regarding the tragic affair of Doria Manfredi the young maid who committed suicide following his wife Elvira’s accusations of an affair with the maestro gladly returned from the collection of Admiral Luigi Romani offer a more intimate look at Puccini’s life The Foundation has also acquired some 20 letters and memoirs containing autograph comments on Doria Manfredi’s story allowing a deeper look into the musician’s complex personality beyond his artistic work further enriching the archival collection are two letters by Giacomo Puccini addressed to his friend and painter Ferruccio Pagni These precious testimonies were preserved in Torre del Lago The friendship between the operist and the Leghorn artist who attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence under Giovanni Fattori dating back to 1891 on the shores of Lake Massaciuccoli where Puccini resided and where Pagni found inspiration for his works These documents enrich and complete the historical-documentary heritage linked to the memory of the great composer offering scholars from around the world new opportunities for research and in-depth study A splendid discovery has been made at the Villa Museo Giacomo Puccini in Torre del Lago the beloved residence of the great composer Giacomo Puccini (Lucca 1924): during restoration work that has been affecting several rooms of the home for years until now hidden by the silk covering the walls of the room It was a totally unexpected find that excited the entire team on site and the staff of the Simonetta Puccini Foundation.The decorations are found in the band between the coffered ceiling and the windows and it is assumed Repeating marine subjects are depicted there: on the olive-green background bright brick-red colored corals and carp with white dotted bodies and dark snouts stand out A painting that reflects Puccini’s taste for Japan-related themes and is reminiscent of subjects treated by his friend Galileo Chini (Florence 1873 - 1956) and which we can see on some of his vases or ceramics We know that Puccini was personally involved in making the Villa with the collaboration of both Galileo Chini and Plinio Nomellini along with architects Luigi De Servi and Giuseppe Puccinelli Nomellini had painted whole figures on the walls but papers in the archives tell us that they were unfortunately wasted due to moisture was built on a pre-existing watchtower that had its bases a few meters from the water of the lake bought it from the gamekeeper who lived there at the time and completely transformed it To get it away from the water he bought a piece of land from the Ginori family and adapted it as a garden It was known that Nomellini’s figures so it was thought that there was nothing left underneath So it was really a great surprise to find these decorated bands during the dismantling of the silks for their restoration The decorations that popped up behind the fabric panels subsequent to Nomellini’s: evidence of this was found in some photos of the time kept in the Puccini archives the decorations will be the subject of study and documentation but in the meantime they will be extraordinarily visible to the public visiting the villa throughout the summer The first round of restoration work at the Villa Museo Giacomo Puccini in Torre del Lago has been completed wall textiles and door and window frames of the museum house restoring some rooms on the ground floor to their former beauty Giammarco Piacenti and Concita Vadalà were responsible for the restoration work.The Venetian sown floors dating from the very last years of the 19th century were severely compromised by time and humidity a problem the structure has always had since it was built on the shores of Lake Massaciuccoli Opened in 1900 to accommodate the family of Giacomo Puccini who lived there for more than 20 years from that time the villa was built on a pre-existing watchtower that had its bases directly in the lake To get it away from the water Puccini bought a piece of land from the Ginori family and adapted it as a garden but failed to permanently solve the problem the adjoining hall and the entrance corridor of the villa Generally well-preserved in the center of the rooms showed significant signs of deterioration along the perimeter areas which were more exposed to damage due precisely to rising damp infiltration but also to the ill-advised cement grouting carried out in the past with the intention of curbing the problem The restorers’ intervention began with a series of preliminary operations including a thorough diagnostic investigation of the mortars and lithotypes The surfaces were cleaned across the board with cotton cloths soaked in water and neutral detergents then the numerous salt efflorescences due to humidity were removed with desalinizing compresses and finally a biocide treatment to eradicate mold All cementitious additions were then manually removed and the mosaic bedding mortar was consolidated both in the areas that remained uncovered after the removal of the cement and in those where it was depleted or fragmented a final protective treatment with microcrystalline wax was applied to all floors The beige silk wall fabrics and velvets covering the walls of the studio where Giacomo Puccini composed and received friends were instead restored by Concita Vadalà Together with the paneling and coffered ceiling they were probably applied during the last phase of interventions in the salon The fabrics were in a very serious state of preservation due to the stiffening of the fibers and dirt from the use of the fireplace the cigar the master used to smoke and the weathering The silk and vegetable fiber velvets were very dirty and weakened on about 30 square meters of silk cloth and five velvet cloths required many months of work that began with the removal of the fabrics from the walls in order to avoid structural damage The intervention began with cleaning with a micro-aspirator and soft brush followed by the removal of glues applied during previous restorations and total consolidation of the silks to fill the gaps and support their abrasions and general weakening were restored by needlework and resin-coated crepeline to protect the upper a thick cotton cloth was finally affixed to each wall for protection The restorations began in the summer of 2021 and also uncovered a cycle of tempera decorations under the silks and wall velvets located in the band between the coffered ceiling and the windows depicting marine subjects such as corals and carp in Japanese taste The decorations are now the subject of study and documentation The work also involved the villa’s windows and shutters: they were completely restored by Fedeli Restauri “We are really proud of the work done in these years,” said Simonetta Puccini Foundation President Giovanni Godi “Since the establishment of the Simonetta Puccini Foundation for Giacomo Puccini In less than two years we have restored the building adjacent to the house museum inaugurated last year and dutifully named after the Maestro’s granddaughter And now we have closed this first cycle of restoration desired already at the time by Simonetta Puccini and realized thanks to her bequest and according to her directives.” For information and reservations 0584 341455 and villamuseo@giacomopuccini.it If you are an existing subscriber to Gramophone, International Piano or Choir & Organ and would like to upgrade, please contact us here or call +44 (0)1722 716997 opera lovers flock to beautiful Torre del Lago in the province of Lucca located between the Tyrrhenian Sea and Lake Massaciuccoli to revel in the sound of the annual Puccini Festival Staged at the Gran Teatro all’Aperto Giacomo Puccini the festival attracts around 40,000 attendees each year the Puccini Festival looked for a new way to amplify their orchestra and turned to BH audio for the solution Traditionally performed without amplification distancing requirements meant that the orchestra strength had to be reduced meant that the remaining musicians were unable to sonically fill the auditorium which for decades has specialized in both indoor and outdoor classical music had developed a concept that fits the Puccini Festival’s needs like a glove: a proven combination of a Lawo mc²36 console and d&b Soundscape technology and so the orchestra has performed to rave reviews ever since with BH audio as its audio service provider The open-air stage and auditorium in Torre del Lago do not accommodate suspended loudspeakers so Carli used 98 speakers on 62 Soundscape outputs closely positioned behind the audience combined with our Lawo mc²36 console and the d&b DS100 processors delivers a pleasing natural sound experience for the entire audience no matter where they are seated,” says Carli “The mc²36 MKII console with its A__UHD Core technology gives me access to 256 processing channels and can manage an I/O capacity of 864 channels,” Carli explains the Lawo console offers impressive capabilities and flexibility We’re very pleased with the result – and most importantly © 2025 Sports Video Group. 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Site by Brightgreen Design/Arturan/Sfera Interactive Here we are to serve you with news right now quality journalism and subscribe on a monthly basis you can have full digital access to all news Proces du 13-November : ce que ces hommes opaques ont dans la tete Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipisicing elit Blanditiis optio incidunt eum omnis ratione error temporibus iure porro esse Integer consectetur quam eget ipsum dictum accumsan Donec non lectus id risus rutrum ullamcorper sit amet vel nulla 2024 presents the photography exhibition dedicated precisely to the photographs taken by Puccini: Qual occhio al mondo which can be visited at the Complesso di San Micheletto in Lucca The exhibition is created in collaboration with the Fondazione Simonetta Puccini per Giacomo Puccini of Torre del Lago and the Centro studi Giacomo Puccini of Lucca with the contribution and support of the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca the main supporter and funder of the Ragghianti Foundation It is sponsored by the Region of Tuscany and the Province and Municipality of Lucca with the partnership of the Giacomo Puccini Foundation of Lucca the Puccini Festival Foundation of Torre del Lago managing body of the Puccini Museum of Celle Forming the core of the scientific committee overseeing the realization of the exhibition are: Claudia Baroncini Giovanni Godi and Umberto Sereni.More than eighty original photographs will be on display within the exhibition creating a fascinating journey that gives visitors the chance to observe the world through the eyes of the famous composer The first section captures the environments habitually frequented by Giacomo Puccini from the borders of Torre del Lago to Chiatri and presents a selection of original photographic shots accompanied by an album personally edited by the composer focuses on Puccini’s travels in Europe different populations and exciting sea crossings taken through the use of a rare Kodak camera are predominantly created through the aristotype technique; a method of art printing on celloidine paper also known as celloidine papers (silver chloride collodion aristotypes) when obtained using collodion as a binder and citrate paper prints (silver chloride gelatin aristotypes) when prepared with gelatin An additional section of the exhibition focuses on portraits of the composer taken by others as well as photographs that reveal the most intimate aspect of the artist An Edizioni Fondazione Ragghianti Studi sull’arte catalog was also produced in conjunction with the exhibition in which includes reproductions of the photographs on display and texts by Gabriella Biagi Ravenni president of the Simonetta Puccini Foundation for Giacomo Puccini expresses his satisfaction to “make available the photographic material preserved in the Puccini Archive in Torre del Lago and to collaborate with the Ragghianti Foundation and the Giacomo Puccini Study Center the exhibition is the result of a synergy that has made it possible to discover a lesser-known passion of the Maestro with the hope that it can be followed by many other initiatives.” “This year marks the centenary of the death of the great Giacomo Puccini cultivated other artistic passions with great curiosity,” commented Alberto Fontana and Paolo Bolpagni president and director of the Ragghianti Foundation together with the Fondazione Simonetta Puccini per Giacomo Puccini of Torre del Lago and the Centro studi Giacomo Puccini of Lucca an unprecedented point of view on a universally known artist in line with the approach that has always characterized the Fondazione Ragghianti The exhibition outlines an unexpected profile of the great composer through the choice of particular and significant shots and favoring the criterion of the novelty of the materials thanks to the support of the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio we want to make to the city and to all visitors who will want to learn about an unprecedented and surprising aspect of the great composer born in Lucca.” A catalog (Edizioni Fondazione Ragghianti Studi sull’arte) containing reproductions of all the photographs on display and texts by Gabriella Biagi Ravenni Manuel Rossi and Eugenia Di Rocco has been produced for the occasion There is an opera season for each season of the year In Lucca in the summer period there are two opportunities to appreciate his works: the Puccini festival in the Gran Teatro Puccini in Torre del Lago right in front of the house where the Maestro lived for a long time and composed many of his immortal arias and the Cartoline Pucciniane festival right in front of the house where he was born in 1858 Turandot and La Rondine will be on stage from 15 July to 27 August and before the concert you can make a full immersion into the Puccini places and the atmospheres of Versilia A visit to the WWF LIPU oasis of Massaciuccoli where you can retrace the footsteps of the Maestro on comfortable wooden walkways that run through the reeds, "hunting" only for photos of lake birds, other animals and sweet evening atmospheres, and to Villa Puccini in Torre del Lago which In Viareggio, if you have a little more time, you can taste the cultural atmosphere of the early 1900s of the Art Nouveau architecture on the promenade, with private villas and beach establishments with unique decorations in colored ceramics showing festoons of fruits, wind swirls and the foam of the waves of the sea; finally at Villa Puccini in Viareggio (open by reservation only on the 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month (for Info +39 0583 1900379 visits@puccinimuseum.it or directly at the ticket office of the Puccini Museum piazza Cittadella 5 Lucca) the last residence of Maestro Puccini and the place where he composed Turandot On the occasion of the performance on Saturday 23 July directed by Daniele Abbado and by Maestro Michele Gamba the villa in Viareggio will be exceptionally open in the evening Also in Lucca there are 13 events, the Cartoline Pucciniane Suor Angelica and La Rondine will be performed in short open air concerts organised by the Giglio Theater but for the occasion in the square in front of the Puccini birthplace In the city where he used to live for a long time, the Puccini tour takes us through the winding streets of the historic center a tangle of centuries and cultural atmospheres that are found in many of his operas If you want to do the tour in company and with a professional guide, take a look at the dedicated page and check out the best itinerary for you Info Point City of lucca - old Gate San Donato, piazzale Verdi opening 21 march to 30 september h 10:00am - 6:00pmopening 1 october to 31 decemberWe - h 10:00am / 1:00pmTu-Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun; h 10:00am - 1:00am and 2:00pm - 5:00pmtel. (+39) 0583 583150 turismolucca@metrosrl.it Info Point Lucca and Piana di Lucca Piazza Curtatone temporarily closedtel. (+39) 0583 4422 info@turismo.lucca.it Infopoint Mura di LuccaCastello di porta San Donato - City Walls Promenadeopening5 november - 20 marchtu/fr h 11:00am / 4:00pmsa/su h 10:30am / 4:30pm21 march - 4 novembermo/fr h 11:00am / 5:00pmsa/su h 10:00am / 6:00pmtel. (+39) 0583 442213 info@turismo.lucca.it Infopoint Porta ElisaFormer Customs Barracks at Porta Elisatemporarily closed Bus Check pointParking Palatucci - Viale Carlo del Prete temporarily closedcheckpointbus@metrosrl.it VIVILUCCAEVENTS TURISMO.LUCCA LUCCATURISMO © 2022 Città di Lucca - Via Santa Giustina 6 - Palazzo Orsetti 55100 Lucca LU - CF: 00378210462  Be one of the first to try our new activity feed A trio of gravel sectors make things more complicated Fans of Strade Bianche will notice similarities during stage 6 of the Giro d’Italia with two of the three gravel sectors featured also appearing in the ever-more-famous early season race Flat roads early on lead the riders to the first of two category four climbs while 50km later the first of two back to back gravel sectors begin The first of these is at Vidritta and is 4.4km in length 2km longer than the equivalent sector in Strade Bianche The Bagnaia sector begins after a respite of just a few hundred meters and adds slopes of up to 15 percent to the demands of racing on dirt roads precisely double the distance of the last of the white roads The stage — which has an altitude gain of 1,900 meters — offers an undulating finale including the uncategorized but steep Serre di Rapolano climb With gradients of up to 20 percent and a summit just 4.2km from the line this may well have a bearing on the final result Source: Opéra de Monte-Carlo Stefano Visconti studied the piano and then choral conducting with Fosco Corti and Roberto Gabbiano as well as orchestra conducting with Piero Bellugi and Giancarlo Andretta He was appointed Choirmaster at Opéra de Monte-Carlo in 2007 Before this he was Choirmaster at the Teatro Goldoni Choirmaster at the Opéra-Théâtre d’Avignon (2001-2007) as well as Choirmaster at the Festival Puccini From 1984 to 2001 he conducted the Guido Monaco Polychronic Choir of Livorno which won several national awards (Vittorio Veneto In 2000 he founded the Chamber Choir of Tuscany He directed the reconstitution of the complete sacred works of Giuseppe Cambini for soloists Since 2008 he has conducted the chairs of the Sanxay Lyrical Evenings He is the artistic and music director of the Monte-Carlo Chamber Choir in particular several of Mascagni’s operas (L’amico Fritz Since 2017 he has directed the coordination of the chairs for the Festival des Chorégies d ‘Orange In order to offer you the best possible online experience cookies from selected partners are also used We take data protection seriously and respect your privacy: You can change your cookie settings at any time Essential cookies enable basic functions and are necessary for the proper functioning of the website Marketing cookies are used by third parties or publishers to display personalized advertising They do this by tracking visitors across websites Statistics Cookies collect information anonymously This information helps us understand how our visitors use our website During the year there are many appointments with the great music of Maestro Giacomo Puccini.As he would have certainly appreciated always with passion and with the quality of great interpreters If you happen to be in Lucca, at any time of the year,  Puccini e la sua Lucca International Festival will welcome you just a few steps from the house where he was born.For 12 years the only Festival that offers music of Giacomo Puccini in his hometown Lucca,From April 1 to October 31 the concerts are held every day at 7:00 pm at Basilica San Giovanni From 1st November to 31st March every Thursday in the winter festival venue at the Oratory of San Giovanni.With more than 12 years of uninterrupted programming more than 4000 concert performances and more than 70 professional singers in the cast the Festival offers every night a different programme and interpreters for a high quality Puccini experience in the city where the Maestro was born.Puccini e la sua Lucca - tel Italian Music Festivals and Outdoor Concerts in Summer This year, the many celebrations marking the 150th anniversary of Puccini's birth are set to include the unveiling of a new al fresco opera house on the shores of the lake where many of his masterpieces were composed. Giacomo Puccini was the most commercially successful opera composer there has ever been. At his death in 1924 he was worth well over £130m by today's standards. Recently, fresh light has been shed on what went on in Villa Puccini 100 years ago. Giacomo Puccini had made his home in a fishing village called Torre del Lago. Here, surrounded by his common-law wife, his stepdaughter and son, he wrote music, went out in fast cars, or took his speedboat out on the lake. Or as he himself put it: "I am a mighty hunter of wild fowl, operatic librettos and attractive women." It was Puccini's pursuit of women that created the great crisis in his life. This is a tale of infidelity, jealousy, vengeance and despair. It goes a long way towards explaining the composer's fallow period. Its repercussions are still being felt on the lakeside today. The story begins not with Doria's suicide, but eight years earlier when Puccini was working on Madama Butterfly. It was not uncommon for the maestro to fall in love with other women when composing. He called these amourettes his "little gardens". In 1900, while working on Butterfly, Puccini fell for a young girl he met in Turin. He nicknamed her "Corinna" and was so obsessed with her that Elvira, in despair, contemplated leaving him . Stung, Corinna wrote to him threatening legal action and to go public over the affair. Puccini panicked. We know this from a note that Elvira subsequently wrote to him. "For that business [the alleged breach of promise] you could have gone to gaol... I still remember well how, when the famous letter [from Corinna] arrived, you became pusillanimous at the thought of a sentence and talked about fleeing to Switzerland." "Perhaps Elvira passed the documents to her sister for safe-keeping," says Puccini producer and scholar Vivien Hewitt, "so that she would always be able to remind him about them if he strayed in the future." The following year, on 3 January 1904, a week after finishing Butterfly and as soon as the legal 10 months of widowhood were up, Puccini married his Elvira. It could hardly be called a good start to a marriage. "Puccini's personal life and his creativity were always intertwined," says Hewitt. "His heartbreak over Corinna was probably instrumental in generating his most powerfully tragic music in the form of the last act of Madama Butterfly." After 'Butterfly', the humiliated composer did not produce another opera for six years. When that opera was finally completed, it depicted a new kind of Puccini heroine: not a victim like Mimi or Butterfly, nor a jealous, destructive creature like Tosca, but a tough, capable woman, Minnie, who runs a saloon in a California mining camp. Many people have asked where Puccini found his new muse. One of those intrigued by this question was Italian film director Paolo Benvenuti, whose film La Ragazza di Lago (The Girl of the Lake), premieres at the Venice Film Festival this August. Like Minnie, Giulia worked in a hostelry frequented by hunters and local farmers. This was the Chalet Emilio, named after her father, Emilio Manfredi. It still sits on the edge of Lake Massaciuccoli today, opposite Villa Puccini. "She was independent and commanding but at the same time humble and affectionate with locals and strangers alike," says Benvenuti. Gossip in Torre del Lago suggested that the composer had had an affair with Giulia, but Benvenuti had no evidence. "Then in October 2006 my research co-ordinator overheard a seaside pizza-parlour owner in Lido Di Camaiore saying that the illegitimate son of Giacomo Puccini and Giulia Manfredi always used to eat in his restaurant." Believing that he was on to something remarkable, Benvenuti followed up the lead, tracing the Manfredi family to a modest house in Cisanello near Pisa. "The woman who answered the door was Nadia, a simple housewife who had always worked as a hairdresser. She was the daughter of Antonio Manfredi, a hotel night porter who had lived in Pisa almost all his life." One thing Benvenuti noticed immediately: Nadia Manfredi has Giacomo Puccini's hooded eyelids. "Nadia is a sweet, rather shy person," says Benvenuti. "She has suffered a lot from her father's sense of abandonment and his appalling doubts about his identity." In January 2007, Nadia showed Benvenuti a dusty suitcase of her father's that had been kept in the cellar for years. Inside, the director found approximately 40 letters and various documents that revealed the truth behind the suicide of her great-aunt Doria. Most important among these was a handwritten, undated memorandum Puccini had written on two sheets of headed notepaper from a Milan hotel where he was staying. These notes reconstructed the sequence of events that led up to Doria's death. "Doria was entirely innocent," says Benvenuti. "But she could not defend herself without betraying both her cousin and the maestro, whom she revered and adored." After Doria's drawn-out and painful suicide, the local court stepped in and ordered an autopsy, which revealed the girl to be a virgin; Doria's family took Elvira to court. She was convicted of defamation, slander and menaces towards Doria Manfredi on three separate occasions. Emboldened by her conversations with Paolo Benvenuti, on 20 February this year Nadia Manfredi went before a court in Milan requesting a comparison between the composer's DNA and that of Antonio Manfredi. "I wish to establish whether my father was Puccini's son," she explained. "I am interested in the moral satisfaction of knowing the truth, one way or the other, so that I can put my ghosts to rest." Nadia claims she is not motivated by the Puccini fortune. "I want justice for my father because he died in complete poverty, like a beggar. My father spent his entire life not knowing who his father was. I hope to give a name to the father of my father." Lawyers for Simonetta argue that in Italy, while the first generation have forever to prove paternity, a statute of limitation of just two years applies to subsequent descendants, such as grandchildren. Nadia's lawyers are requesting that the limitation should run for two years after finding evidence, not after the death of Giacomo Puccini. The 54th Annual Puccini Festival runs from Friday to 5 September in the village of Torre del Lago Puccini, Italy. Adrian Mourby is the recipient of the 2007 Puccini Award for Journalism. An extended version of this piece was first published in 'Opera Now' magazine Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Daria Masiero studied singing and cello at the Conservatorio Antonio Vivaldi in Alessandria She won a Diploma di Accademia at the Teatro alla Scala Her numerous prizes include second prize 2004 Voci Verdiani competition Busseto; first prize 2003 Aleolona di Fermo competition; second prize Spirto Argiris Competition Sarzana; second prize Festival Pucciniano competition and in 2000 Daria was the winner of the Caruso competition in Milan She sang Mimi La bohème at the Miskloc National Theatre Hungary and Teatro Comunale di Alessandria; covered Desdemona Otello for La Scala Milan; Anna Nabucco Teatro Pallavicino Bussetto and Piazza del Campo Adelia Ugo conte di Parigi and Nella Gianni Schicchi for the Teatro degli Arcimboldi Milan; Serpina La serva padrona for Teatro Massimo Catania; Vivette L'arlesiana for Teatro di Cosenza She has also given many concert performances Plans following the competition included Mimi La bohème for Torre del Lago Puccini Festival 2005 Singer of the World with Orchestra Concert 1 repertoire Stage 6 profile and route map: Torre del Lago Puccini - Rapolano Terme AdvertisementHow was your experience today Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker please register for free or log in to your account.