30 July 2015
Great Italian Gardens: musica maestro!
Dear readers,
I can't think of anything nicer to do this summer than assisting a concert in a garden. Once Prince Pallavicino, when I suggested if he would like to organize a concert in his marvellous park on Lake Maggiore, replied: “well I'm sure the baboons will enjoy it!”. That was to say that his park houses the wild life collection of his mother and as soon as you even try to sing hundreds of exotic birds, lamas and kangaroos join in. Quite a concert! But a part from this, very particular garden others are a perfect place to put on a concert, especially with such good weather as this year. Many of my friends, who are not exactly botanical experts, have been won over by the beauty of music played in historical gardens.
Years ago the Pecci-Blunt Family, organized at their expense, Festival di Marlia e delle Ville Lucchesi. Quite extraodinary listening to Don Giovanni with a real Lake behind the opera singer and an occasional duck that stole the scene.
I'd like to suggest Villa Pennisi at Acireale in Sicily because Mrs Maria Pennisi organizes a special festival which begins with a master class and ends up that everyone gets involved in building the stage. The whole Villa and garden is invaded with cellos, violins and young musicians from all over Italy.
Its really worth while for many reasons to assist a concert in Villa Mosconi Bertani near Verona.The pleasure of driving through the countryside and through their vineyard is part of the experience. The formal white facade of the Villa with pinacles and statues made by Muttoni faces you are you drive up. Walking out into the garden is a beautiful surprise as you will find one of the first ever Landscape gardens made in Italy. The two Bertani brothers, who carry on the family wine tradition, have set up a Chamber music festival untill the 14th of August.
La Mortella of course is where young musician are at home. William Walton, the british composer lived and died on the Island of Ischia. Susana, his wife, used a lot of the money he made from copyrights on his music to buy all the plants for the garden. Now the foundation, financed by visitors to the garden, puts on stage the finest youth orchestra in Europe.
After the proms, Beyreuth and concerts in Ravello try and find a garden with a concert on this summer, I mean of course a Great Italian Garden!
Judith Wade
I can't think of anything nicer to do this summer than assisting a concert in a garden. Once Prince Pallavicino, when I suggested if he would like to organize a concert in his marvellous park on Lake Maggiore, replied: “well I'm sure the baboons will enjoy it!”. That was to say that his park houses the wild life collection of his mother and as soon as you even try to sing hundreds of exotic birds, lamas and kangaroos join in. Quite a concert! But a part from this, very particular garden others are a perfect place to put on a concert, especially with such good weather as this year. Many of my friends, who are not exactly botanical experts, have been won over by the beauty of music played in historical gardens.
Years ago the Pecci-Blunt Family, organized at their expense, Festival di Marlia e delle Ville Lucchesi. Quite extraodinary listening to Don Giovanni with a real Lake behind the opera singer and an occasional duck that stole the scene.
I'd like to suggest Villa Pennisi at Acireale in Sicily because Mrs Maria Pennisi organizes a special festival which begins with a master class and ends up that everyone gets involved in building the stage. The whole Villa and garden is invaded with cellos, violins and young musicians from all over Italy.
Its really worth while for many reasons to assist a concert in Villa Mosconi Bertani near Verona.The pleasure of driving through the countryside and through their vineyard is part of the experience. The formal white facade of the Villa with pinacles and statues made by Muttoni faces you are you drive up. Walking out into the garden is a beautiful surprise as you will find one of the first ever Landscape gardens made in Italy. The two Bertani brothers, who carry on the family wine tradition, have set up a Chamber music festival untill the 14th of August.
La Mortella of course is where young musician are at home. William Walton, the british composer lived and died on the Island of Ischia. Susana, his wife, used a lot of the money he made from copyrights on his music to buy all the plants for the garden. Now the foundation, financed by visitors to the garden, puts on stage the finest youth orchestra in Europe.
After the proms, Beyreuth and concerts in Ravello try and find a garden with a concert on this summer, I mean of course a Great Italian Garden!
Judith Wade
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I think music contains a freedom, more than any other art, not limited only the exact reproduction of nature, but the mysterious links between nature and imagination.- Claude Debussy - |
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