Concerts in Italy and Russia
The highlight of the project were concerts of music by Paisiello, Cimarosa and other Italian composer performed on the magnificent square pianos in Italy and Russia.
There were two previews in Italy at the Royal Palace in Caserta and the Music Conservatory San Pietro a Majella in Naples before the sold-out concert on Nov. 15 at the Hermitage Theatre. The Severnaja Sinfonia Orchestra, directed by the Italian Maestro Fabio Mastrangelo, who has been living and working in Russia for many years, brought a perfect mix of Russian and Italian tenors and musicians together for this unique occasion.
The concert in St Petersburg was divided into two parts: in the first, some of the theatrical works Paisiello and Cimarosa wrote in St Petersburg, in particular for the Hermitage Theater, were performed. The second part was dedicated to works by the two chapel masters that served as the imperial family’s music tutors, a job that left deep traces in Paisiello works.
In addition to the two square pianos, several paintings and sculptures will be on display, as well as rare scores and original manuscripts. The exhibition will run until Nov. 25. The project has created a very informative site in Russian and Italian with descriptions of the event, the exhibition and the extraordinary history of Naopolitan music in St. Petersburg.
The event was organized together with Associazione MetaMorfosi, which is overseeing the production alongside San Pietro a Majella Music Conservatory, in collaboration with the Italian Embassy in Moscow, the Italian Institute of Culture in St Petersburg and the Hermitage Museum; it was sponsored by General Invest and Banca Intesa.
Hermitage Theater. 34 Teatralnaya Naberezhnaya, St. Petersburg.