A little summer night music
Aug 7, 2010 Events & Offerings
Archivio Fano and La Municipalità di Lido present:
The 3rd edition of LidoMusicAgosto
Four concerts of
celebrations, recurrences, and memories, historic and artistic
at the Chiostro di San Nicolò at Venice Lido
August 21, 23, 27 e 30 at 8:30 p.m.
This is the third edition of these four marvelous concerts; if you’re in town and looking for something live, classical, and non-Vivaldese, might be just the €3 ticket. They’re organized in collaboration with the Municipalità Lido Pellestrina and hosted by the Ristorante Nicely and the Hotel Ca’ del Moro. Whether you go for the concerts or for the cloister ambience, you won’t be disappointed.
Saturday, August 21
By Chopin
Celebrating the bicentennial of the birth of grand Polish composor, soprano Patrizia Zanardi and pianist Monica Cattarossi perform music of Chopin, Gounod, Bellini and Donizetti in the course of a concert-spectacle conceived and conducted by Giorgio Appolonia, with readings by Claudio Moneta.
Monday, August 23rd
Opera and chamber music: famous, rare, and overlooked
Korean tenor Yeong Hwa Matteo Lee and pianist Mattia Ometto enliven this rich concert e presented and conducted by Valentina Lo Surdo (a conductress of Radio 3 Rai) and featuring music of Gioachino Rossini, Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti, Francesco Paolo Tosti, Guido Alberto Fano, Ce Dong-Sun.
Friday, August 27
Music and Poetry of United Italy before the German Culture
Alessandra and Massimiliano Genôt (violino and piano) perform music of Giuseppe Martucci, Guido Alberto Fano, Leone Sinigaglia and Johannes Brahms, interwoven with poetry of Giovanni Camerana, Gabriele D’Annunzio, Arturo Graf, Guido Gozzano, Giosue Carducci.
Monday, August 30th
Ella von Schultz Adaïewsky: A Russian Musician in Venice.
Soprano Giulia Sonzin and the pianist Andrea Rucli perform music of the intriguing Saint Petersburg composer who spent long periods in Venice during the late 19th century. Presented by musicologist Umberto Berti.
Entrance is free for Lido residents; €3 for everyone else. All concerts begin at 8:30.
Take the vaporetto to Lido; San Nicolo is a 10-minute walk, or you can also take the bus.
For more info (in Italian) see archiviofano.it
Venice Redentore 2010: a one-night, in-town getaway
Jul 18, 2010 Events & Offerings, Vita venexiàn
The Comune estimated that there were over 110,000 visitors a Venezia for the Festa della Rendentore, most of them no doubt expecting to swelter in the oppressive heat that’s turned the city into sauna in recent weeks. A temporale, or intense storm, was predicted for about 11 p.m., just a half-hour before the half-hour long fireworks display was to begin; as disruptive as it would have been, if it in the end had provided any heat-relief I don’t think anyone would have complained.
It turned out to be nothing of the sort. As we were hanging the last of the vibrant lampioni (decorative lanterns) on our battela in Canal Grande, a not terribly ominous layer of cloud cover swirled overhead, providing a welcome shield from the afternoon sun. When it moved on — we could breathe again. Oxygen. Dryer air. Fewer gradi. Ready for the Redentore.
After a particularly taxing trip navigating the Grand Canal among boats of every shape and size, each filled to the brim with revelers, we rounded the Punta della Dogana and moored in the space reserved only for craft arriving by oar. Behind us, strewn along the fondamenta of the recently-renovated Punta della Dogana, a private dinner party with live music (American pop standards) was already in full swing. There will be many other nights like this, and I’ll be standing here with someone new…
After lots of food, traditional and otherwise, and even more chatting and general reveling, in our own boat and among the others surrounding us, it was finally time for the big show…sans temporale, fortunately.
(You can find larger versions of these photos on the Facebook page gallery.)
Vogalonga 2010: one for the record books
May 25, 2010 Events & Offerings
Spettacolare. Ideale. Glorioso. Whether you were participating in 36th annual Vogalonga or cheering your pals from the nearest riva or fondamenta, nothing less than superlatives will do when describing the day, the row, the joy, the experience. The thousands of oar-powered boats and thousands more rowers propelling them along the 32 kilometer / 20-mile course from the San Marco Bacino north to Burano, back to Murano and the Cannaregio Canal and down the Grand Canal enjoyed gentle winds, temperate temps, and golden rays…a marked contrast from the near hurricane conditions of the prior year.
As far as we know, we were the only two all-female crews of traditional caorlina type boats. We looked like a set of twins, with bright flowers adorning our grass-green boat, and coordinating kerchiefs; our sister craft had netting that streamed behind it into the water (that’s what we assumed got them into the next day’s journal La Nuova Venezia, and not US).
Little matter…just take in the looks on every rower’s face to see what a grand time was had by all.
Favorite kayaker quote of the day: “They need to make this canal bigger for next year!” Hm….wouldn’t hold my breath.
(We only mowed down four kayaks and two sculls. A much better record that last year. If only they would turn their heads on occasion… )
Tags: row, venice, voga, voga alla veneta, voga veneta, vogalonga
Safet Zec: Powerful Painting at the Correr
May 21, 2010 Events & Offerings
Doors and drapes, boats and baskets, paints and potatoes, Venetian façades: silent, radiant objects speak volumes to viewers at the Correr until July 18th.
Even though he’s acclaimed internationally, has had an atelier in Venice since 1998, and painted for decades in Sarajevo and Pocitelj (near Mostar), you still may not know the engaging, evocative works of Bosnian artist Safet Zec.
If you don’t, this adeptly curated exhibition would be the perfect occasion to make his acquaintance. These engrossing pieces vary widely in subject matter, medium, and presentation; some never before on exhibit. Visitors are routed past intimate watercolor studies and reflective pen and pencil sketches that are not only marvelous in their own right, but as precursors offer insight into the series of rich, almost life-sized watercolor, tempura, and oil depictions that follow.
The abundance of natural light filtering through the white mesh panels on the upper floor of the Correr is particularly complementary to a radiance that seems to emanate from almost every painting. Adding another dimension is the frequent and unexpected use of carta intelata: newsprint or other common paper stock treated to serve as canvas. It seeps and peers though images and brush strokes, incorporating itself seamlessly to become an integral part of the whole.
“I like that something discarded, dirty, and of little apparent value serves as the base for a work with grander intent,” says Zec. The result of his unique approach and intuitive, impressionable eye is a powerful, delicate, fascinating collection of paintings that seem to exude the very essence of their subject matter, making them a pleasure to behold.
Safet Zec: The Power of Painting
Through July 18
Museo Correr
10 – 6 p.m. (last entrance at 5 pm)
Tags: Correr, exhibitions, painting, venice
Razzle Dazzle
Apr 29, 2010 Events & Offerings
On the off years of the art (as opposed to architecture) edition of the Venice Biennale, contemporary art fans can find themselves a bit lost here. There’s the Guggenheim, of course, and Pinault’s collection at Palazzo Grassi plus the works housed his restoration of the Punto della Dogana; and Ca’ Pesaro at the opposite end of the Grand Canal. Come of the smaller private galleries can get overlooked, unfortunately, because they don’t necessarily present Venetian-themed things, but nonetheless exhibit works that at least for contemporary art enthusiast would be worth seeking out.
One of these galleries is Caterina Tognon Arte Contemporanea, located in the luminous Palazzo da Ponte in the Calle del Dose, just off Campo San Maurizio. Caterina, in collaboration with Grainne Sweeney of the National Glass Centre in the UK, is currently hosting works by glass artist Richard Marquis until July 3rd.
photo Allegretto
These two series of marvelous, fanciful works have the unlikely inspirations of wartime razzle-dazzle ship camouflage, and the bubbly race cars that blistered the Bonneville Salt Flats in a bygone era. I wouldn’t dare delve into further explanations; suffice it to say that the show is easy recommendation for anyone from enthusiast to collector.
Richard Marquis – Razzle Dazzle Man
until July 3rd
Tue – Sat, 10 – 1, 3 – 7:30
Caterina Tognon Arte Contemporanea
Tags: art galleries, contemporary art, Untitled, venice
