A fine exhibition opened this evening in Piazza Angelio with work from the artist Alessandra Casotti. A striking mixture of almost subliminal images on one side of the gallery (which were almost impossible to photograph) and definite strong images painted on wood facing them on the other side of the room.
Alessandra brought with her some friends from her home village of Gorfigliano in Garfagnana, one of whom graced the opening with a rendition of a tiny part of the Maggio sung in that area.
Click on the video below to hear him in action.
The Maggio, a genre of sung popular theatre today confined to a restricted area of North Central Italy (provinces of Lucca, Massa, Reggio Emilia and Modena), is one of several Italian genres of sung theatre that depend on the use of a written text.
The 'song session' consists of a complete presentation of one text, which typically narrates a complex story of conflict, illicit love and eventual reconciliation between two kingdoms, one of which is usually Christian while the other is pagan. These texts, which are still being written today, often based on pre-existing models such as Ariosto's Orlando Furioso, are structured in verse as a series of stanzas source
Fondo Fulponi until 10th August .. please note the gallery is open every day but only from 17:00 – 22:00