The 69th Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto
In Puglia until 2 September with the Locus Festival; in Milan, the I-Days kick off with Maroon 5
The 69th Festival dei Due Mondi opens in Spoleto with Samuel Barber’s opera *Vanessa*, which is rarely performed in Italia; the London Symphony Orchestra makes its exclusive Italian appearance, alongside pianist Beatrice Rana. In Bari, David Byrne opens the Locus Festival, which runs until 2 September with a packed programme that invites us to discover the places and spaces of this fascinating region. A different sound in Milan, with Maroon 5 kicking off the I-Days. In Vicenza, the seventh edition of Musica con Vista gets underway; in Lombardy, Milan’s Società del Quartetto is collaborating with the FAI; and in Hamburg, the Argerich Festival takes place.
Spoleto (PG)
From 26 June to 12 July, the 69th Festival dei Due Mondi will take place, opening with the opera *Vanessa* by Samuel Barber, with a libretto by Gian Carlo Menotti, the festival’s founder in 1958. The work earned Barber the Pulitzer Prize; it premiered in 1958 under the baton of Mitropoulos. Among the Festival’s many other events, spanning music, dance and drama, we would highlight the London Symphony Orchestra’s exclusive Italian performance on 3 July in Piazza Duomo, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin – music director of the New York Met and the Philadelphia Orchestra – featuring Beatrice Rana in “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini” and Rachmaninov’s Symphony No. 2. The concert by the two cellists Mario Brunello and Giovanni Sollima on 11 July at S. Simone was also very fine. From traditional Armenian songs and the mystical evocations of Gregory of Narek, we move on to the ethereal meditations of the Ukrainian composer Valentin Syl’vestrov, with pieces dedicated to Schumann and Tchaikovsky. At the heart of the programme lies the rhythmic and narrative intensity of Sollima’s *The Hunting Sonata*; alongside an anonymous traditional dance that restores the cello to its folk roots. The programme concludes with Alexander Knaifel’s *Lux Aeterna*, a deeply spiritual piece for two ‘psalm-singing’ cellos, in which sound becomes prayer and light. A surprising spiritual journey, where tradition and modernity meet. From the 27th at the Teatro Caio Melisso (or other venues), the successful ‘Concerti di Mezzogiorno’ series, dedicated to chamber music, returns. It will also be a pleasure and a delight to hear, at 7 am on 7 July at Casa Menotti, transcriptions of Charles Trenet’s songs written by pianist Alexis Weissenberg, performed by Fulvio Nicolosi (for the Menotti Marathon – after all, 7 July was his birthday and he was always celebrated in Spoleto).
Bari
On 23 June at the Fiera del Levante, David Byrne, former frontman of the Talking Heads, will present his new project ‘Who is The Sky?’, in which he combines his unmistakable stylistic signature – hypnotic rhythms, surreal lyrics and unsettling theatrical performances – whilst exploring cosmic questions and artistic boundaries. The 22nd Locus Festival is about to begin and will run until 2 September. Its geographical scope weaves a unique soundscape, with venues ranging from the coast to the hills, encompassing the whole of Puglia. Locorotondo, with its farmhouses and squares, remains the centrepiece of the August programme, alongside – in addition to the aforementioned Bari – the urban arenas of the Eremo di Molfetta and the Arena Bianca at the Foro Boario in Ostuni, as well as the trulli of Alberobello (which this year celebrate thirty years of recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site). This year, three new venues have been added: the famous Castel del Monte, the octagonal symbol of Puglia built by Frederick II; the Castellana Caves; and the Santa Maria di Agnano Nature Park in Ostuni, for the concert at dawn on 15 August. Among the first artists to be announced are Johnny Marr, guitarist with The Smiths; John Legend; Marcus Miller with an all-star band; Skunk Anansie and their rock energy; the punk-hip hop of Kneecap; and 2manydjs with their rock-electronic fusion.
Milan
On 25 June at the Snai Racecourse in San Siro, one of pop’s biggest names, Maroon 5, will kick off the I-Days festival – the only Italian date on their world tour. After more than two decades and over 100 million records sold, the band continues to evolve its sound through R&B, pop and hip-hop influences. Next up on 3 July is Florence + The Machine; with five albums to her name, numerous awards and chart-topping hits, Florence Welch has become one of the most important artists of her generation, renowned for her unique voice. On 5 July at the Snai La Maura Racecourse, the Foo Fighters – one of the most popular rock/alternative bands – will play their only Italian date; on 6 July, at the same venue, System of a Down will play their only Italian date (with Queen of the Stone Age and Acid Bath as support acts); On 6 September, DJ David Guetta’s only Italian date, this time at the San Siro Racecourse.
