On a cold miserable foggy December evening where even the rain did not have enough energy to do more than drizzle, who would want to venture out to listen to a religious service in the church that is famous for being cold even in the middle of August? The answer to that one, surprisingly enough is …. many hundreds…. and what a great evening they had too.
A musical triumph last night at the Pieve di Loppia just outside Barga. As part of the events to celebrate 950 years of the church being in existence, the group Venti d’arte (site here) with Massimo Salotti as artistic director had organised an ambitious project promoted by the Parrocchia di Loppia involving a choir of 12 singers, four soloists, two pianoforte and a harmonium – the Petite Messe Solennelle by Gioacchino Rossini.
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The church is without a doubt one of the finest examples of romanic Pieve in the area with its soaring stone walls and high ceiling. This unfortunately makes the acoustics very difficult for a musical event of this nature but this did not deter the capacity audience from enjoying a performance to savour and remember.
Composta nel 1863, cinque anni prima della sua morte ed ultimo peccato di vecchiaia, come il compositore amava definire i suoi lavori di età senile. Capolavoro nuovo, quasi azzardato per anni in cui imperava il romanticismo, con la sua melodia, che solo in seguito sarà valutata come capolavoro rossiniano.
La Petite messe solennelle fu scritta per dodici cantanti, di cui quattro solisti, due pianoforti e un armonium. diretta dal M° Gian Paolo Mazzoli – Pianisti: Massimo Salotti, Stefano Romani – Armonium: – Lorenzo Giuntoli – Soprano: Tania Bussi – Contralto: Ida Maria Turri – Tenore: Gabriele Mangione – Baritono: Giulio Boschetti – Coro: Gruppo Vocale Stereo Tipi CON LA PARTECIPAZIONE STRAORDINARIA DEL M° HERBERT HANDT.
Click on the link below to hear a part of Petite Messe Solennelle
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good work