And in that great, precious cultural repository that is the Estense Library, many of the historic scores ‘rediscovered’ by the Estense Music Festival “Grandezze & Meraviglie” are also kept, one of the main festivals of ancient music. The 27th edition will kick off on September 14 at the church of San Carlo, during the Philosophy Festival, with a concert of Renaissance pieces evocative of love and jealousy – between Cupid and Psyche – and will unfold over the course of the autumn with another twenty events between Modena, Sassuolo, Vignola and Semelano (thanks to the precious support of Unimore and the Modena and Vignola Foundations), and the series of interdisciplinary meetings on “The languages of the arts”.
“The Este family has always loved music, as an elevation and wonder of the spirit – recalls Alessandra Necci, director of the Galleria Estensi –. Isabella D’Este even had a dress embroidered with musical pauses, almost to indicate the time of the voice and that of silence”. “Since the Renaissance, with the theory of affections, it has been understood that music and the voice are the fundamental vehicles of emotions – observes Enrico Bellei, artistic director of the festival –. Music is a universal language that has drawn from the culture of every era”. Ancient music is a field of great value and profound enchantment: but often – unfortunately – abroad they know it better than in our country which was its cradle.
Picking the best from the best, we would like to point out the concert on September 19th at the Rocca di Vignola dedicated to “Women of Grace and Majesty”, the 17th century Italian composers who were able to assert themselves in an era dominated by men, or the one on October 9th with “The Voices of the Sistine Chapel” at the Palazzo Ducale in Sassuolo: the acoustics of the famous Salone delle Guardie della Delizia – experts assure – are very reminiscent of those of the iconic Vatican Chapel. And again, on September 26th at the Galleria Estense the “Serenata d’amore e gelosia” with the Accademia d’Arcadia who will also perform a Symphony that Giovanni Bononcini, originally from Modena, composed when he was very young: he would become one of the greatest musicians of the European Baroque. And on September 29th at the Arena cinema theater, Claudia Caffagni will direct… a 14th century musical, “Fauvel”, an allegorical satire against corruption. Among the festival’s always-awaited protagonists, Fabio Missaggia with I Musicali Affetti, or Andrea De Carlo who will conduct the Ensemble Mare Nostrum “Al suon dell’armoniose lampade”. And on Sunday morning the very tender appointments of “0 – 12 Musica familiare” will return, five appointments designed for children, including samples of Vivaldi, joyful madrigals and the delicacies of the young Mozart. “Last year we had an extraordinary response”, says Bellei. Yes: if the music is ancient, you can start loving it even when you are young.
Stephen Marchetti