Four works of the great maestro Giacomo Puccini for a total of 19 repeat performances make up the programme of the Festival Puccini 2002, from the 19th of July to the 24th of August in Torre del Lago (Lucca). Alberto Veronesi, the festival's artistic director for four years, and the Festival Pucciniano Foundation present an intense and interesting calendar, with many and significant novelties.
The tranquil and charming waters of the Massaciuccoli Lake are the stage's backdrop; between July and August this stage will receive for the 48th edition of the festival: Turandot, Madama Butterfly and Tosca. The opening of the event is entrusted to a new opera production which demonstrated Puccini's greatness and high artistic value: Manon Lescaut.
The 19th July the Torre del Lago festival starts with Manon Lescaut (repeat performances on the 27th July and 4, 10 16 August), the work written by Puccini in 1893 and shown for the first time at the Theatre Regio di Torino. Scenes and costumes bear the distinguished signature of Polish sculptor Igor Mitoraj, thus making it a great cultural event, placing Manon Lescaut in the context of the great project launched by the Puccianiano: «Sculpt the opera».
Mitoraj's sculptures accompany Manon and Des Grieux's tragic events during the performance. «Sculpt the opera» is a project that sees the involvement of the festival as well as the prestigious legion of artists (such as what happened last year for the staging of Madama Butterfly, which was entrusted to sculptor Kan Yasuda) who work, and often live, in Pietrasanta, where there is a high concentration, unique in the world, of workshops for the artistic working of marble and art foundries.
The festival's first is followed, on the 20 July, by la Turandot (with repeat performances the 28th July and 2, 6 and 11 August). After last year's triumphant Japanese tour, the 26th July on the Torre del Lago stage Madama Butterfly returns (repeat performances 3, 15, 18, and 23 August) with the presence of Andrea Bocelli playing Pinkerton the 26th July and 3rd August.
The 9th of August , finally, the Tosca will be presented in the staging that late Maestro Beni Montresor proposed for the Puccini festival of year 2000, with repeat performances on the 14, 17 and 24 August.
On the festival's website you can look up the programs, artists and directors of each opera. For information and bookings contact the Festival's office at 0584-359322. Tickets can be bought through telephone booking, via fax or letter or directly on the festivals' site where there is an online ticketing service.
July.2002
Puccini Festival
E-mail: Puccini Festival (ticket booking)
Municipality of Viareggio (In Italian)
