Brief chronicle of a Festival, from 1958 to today
It's the prince cultural event of
Spoleto,
a rich assortment of shows that space from the dance to the work, from the
poetry to the prose and the ballet, without forgetting the cinema and the
visual arts. Beginning from 1958 it has earned the attention of public and
criticism, confirming itself year after year as one of the main appointments
within the avat-garde and the artistic experimentation. In the period in which
develops the Spoleto Festival, roads, squares, theatres and buildings all
become animated of characters, celebrity, artists and shows that contribute to
create a saturated magic atmosphere. The natural scenery that Spoleto offers
and its stage spaces don't have peers, in which shows are prepared innovative
and original sets.
Since the first edition in 1958 it's
immediately evident the innovative feature of the demonstration and its
vocation to give form to the most different artistic expressions. The first put
in scene is the "Macbeth" of
Giuseppe Verdi, directed by
Luchino
Visconti, who will return again to the
Festival of Spoleto in 1961
to take care of the regal "Salomč" of
Wilde and in 1963 for
the scenes of the "Traviata". The program also included " Il
Giuoco del Barone ", with scenes, customs and regal of
Franco
Zeffirelli. In 1962 it is the time of
Roberto Rossellini, called for
the regal one of " Carabinieri ", text in prose of
Beniamino
Joppolo. 1964 is the great year of
Rudolf Nureyev, who in Spoleto
has the opportunity to create his first choreography for her
"Raymonda" of
Glazunov. The following year is the poetry to
make the part of the lion. At Spoleto they meet intellectual coming from every
nation gathering names of the calibre of P
Pier Paolo Pasolini,
Quasimodo,
Ezra Pound,
Ferlinghetti and
Evghenij Yevtushenko. In 1967
is assisted to an uproarious theatrical preparation of the text " Il
Principe Costante ", directed by
Jerzy Grotowski. The poets return
again among which
Giuseppe Ungaretti e
Allen Ginsberg. Memorable
edition was that of 1973, where two shows were imposed on all the others,
" La Manon Lescaut ", with the direction once more of
Luchino
Visconti, and "Celebration". Criticism was in delirium and public
in rapture. The show that receives the most greater attentions in 1974 is
"Lulu" of
Alban Berg, directed by
Roman Polanski, while
in the 1977
Eduardo De Filippo transforms his " Napoli Milionaria
" in a lyric work whose music will be composed by
Nino Rota.
Passing to 1986, the edition opens with a text in prose, "Fröken
Julie", of
Strindberg directed by
Ingmar Bergman. In 1988 it
is present again
Roman Polanski, who interpret the role of
Gregor
Samsa in the famous story of
Franz Kafka " La Metamorfosi
". Other memorable year is 1990, when besides the poets
Allen Ginsberg and
Mario Luzi, Spoleto meet the Nobel
Renato Dulbecco,
Umberto
Eco and
Sebastian Matta. The following year, in the section devoted
to the science, among other known authors, it arouses particular interest the
writer
Ray Bradbury's presence, to who a homage will be devoted in the
section Cinema. In 1999 it's to Spoleto the Nobel prize for the literature
Dario
Fo, to introduce in preview his last job, " Lu Santu Jullare Francesco
", a very personal reading of the life of the
Saint of Assisi. The
last editions have proposed a rare original edition of the "Macbeth"
of 1847, a great placard of lyric with the presence of
Luciano Pavarotti and
Placido Domingo and the pleasant return of
Arnoldo Foŕ after
an absence lasted twenty years.
In almost half century of life the
Festival
of the Two Worlds has never disappointed, always introducing every year a
placard of events to the level of the best expectations. The brief chronology
passed in rapids review can make the idea of the spirit of a demonstration very
open to the novelties and to the experimentation, exploring in every direction
new solutions for all of what concerns the artistic elaboration always
proposing the best results that the culture of the whole planet is able to
offer.
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