One of the many things we love to do in Rome is to go to a musical event, either at the Opera of Rome (Teatro del'Opera di Roma) or to the Symphony at the Accademia Santa Cecilia in the Parco della Musica off Via Flaminia. In the summer time sitting inside a theatre is not ideal and since air conditioning is not popular with Italians because of fear of colds and chills, the art scene moves outside.
Our very first musical event in Rome when we arrived at the end of July 2007 was at the Baths of Caracalla, we saw Turandot under a full moon and the giant umbrella Pines of Rome.
Emperor Marcus Aurelius Severus Antoninus nicknamed Caracalla (208-217 AD) was the oldest son of Lucius Septimus Severus, who built this gigantic complex during his reign to serve the population of Rome, some 2500 bathers could use the facilities daily, with several hot and tepid water shallow pools, librairies, meeting rooms and gardens. The baths are located just steps away from the Circus Maximus and the Palatine hill at the Porta di Capena, today it is next door to the UN, FAO building. The ruins of this complex whose central room was larger than St-Peter's Basilica are impressive and in the summer time the opera of Rome moves to Caracalla.
From our house it is easy to get too by metro a direct line. The staff including the police officers are all the same, the opera moves simply to an outdoor location. We heard a program of music by composer Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936) his famous trilogy, Roman Carnival (1928), the Fountains of Rome (1916) and the Pines of Rome (1924), with the orchestra of the opera of Rome under Charles Dutoit.
This concert was also a son et lumière using the ruins of the baths as a backdrop for dramatic light show and film. The first piece Roman Carnival was of Roman streets deserted but coming alive with people as shadows of past inhabitants of these ancient streets, what was nice for us is how many of these alleyways and streets we recognized. The sequence on the fountains of Rome used a projection of naked dancers as the statues of the fountains come alive with water cascading, dancing around them and over them. Another sequence was of the famous classical story of Daphné and Apollo, Daphné is pursued by Apollo in the woods and has he is about to catch her by the lake she is transformed into a laurel bush. In the piece the Pines of Rome, the dancers in shadow are transformed into hundreds of majestic umbrella pines of Rome, so symbolic of this city, marching down the Appia and since the Baths of Caracalla are are the beginning of the old Appian way it was a perfect setting. The piece ended with all the giant pines being illuminated around us, it was magical. What a perfect way to end our sojourn in Rome. Such moments will stay with me. Our little musical sorties were as always organized by Will and he certainly knows how to pick them and make them memorable.
This is a short exerpt of what we saw last night, this youtube film is under maestro George Pretre.
See www.operaroma.it
Our very first musical event in Rome when we arrived at the end of July 2007 was at the Baths of Caracalla, we saw Turandot under a full moon and the giant umbrella Pines of Rome.
Emperor Marcus Aurelius Severus Antoninus nicknamed Caracalla (208-217 AD) was the oldest son of Lucius Septimus Severus, who built this gigantic complex during his reign to serve the population of Rome, some 2500 bathers could use the facilities daily, with several hot and tepid water shallow pools, librairies, meeting rooms and gardens. The baths are located just steps away from the Circus Maximus and the Palatine hill at the Porta di Capena, today it is next door to the UN, FAO building. The ruins of this complex whose central room was larger than St-Peter's Basilica are impressive and in the summer time the opera of Rome moves to Caracalla.
From our house it is easy to get too by metro a direct line. The staff including the police officers are all the same, the opera moves simply to an outdoor location. We heard a program of music by composer Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936) his famous trilogy, Roman Carnival (1928), the Fountains of Rome (1916) and the Pines of Rome (1924), with the orchestra of the opera of Rome under Charles Dutoit.
This concert was also a son et lumière using the ruins of the baths as a backdrop for dramatic light show and film. The first piece Roman Carnival was of Roman streets deserted but coming alive with people as shadows of past inhabitants of these ancient streets, what was nice for us is how many of these alleyways and streets we recognized. The sequence on the fountains of Rome used a projection of naked dancers as the statues of the fountains come alive with water cascading, dancing around them and over them. Another sequence was of the famous classical story of Daphné and Apollo, Daphné is pursued by Apollo in the woods and has he is about to catch her by the lake she is transformed into a laurel bush. In the piece the Pines of Rome, the dancers in shadow are transformed into hundreds of majestic umbrella pines of Rome, so symbolic of this city, marching down the Appia and since the Baths of Caracalla are are the beginning of the old Appian way it was a perfect setting. The piece ended with all the giant pines being illuminated around us, it was magical. What a perfect way to end our sojourn in Rome. Such moments will stay with me. Our little musical sorties were as always organized by Will and he certainly knows how to pick them and make them memorable.
This is a short exerpt of what we saw last night, this youtube film is under maestro George Pretre.
See www.operaroma.it
how marvelous !
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