La Lirica Di Firenze

 

Florence is a city known for its great art. It is the home of Michelangelo’s “David” and Botocelli’s “Birth of Venus” or what is known in the vernacular as “Venus on the Half Shell”.. I looked forward to going to see La Traviata by a group called La Lireca Di Firenze It promised “professional musicians coming from the most important Italian Theatres, with many years of experience in the field of Italian opera---with innovative direction and wonderful costumes’. La Traviata was to be performed in the theatre auditorium of the Duomo the elaborate ornate cathedral in the center of Florence.

The auditorium wasn’t inside the Duomo but rather was Near the Duoma and was more like a high school auditorium. With a few exceptions the singers were all neophytes, the costumes were tacky, the acting atrocious, and the direction non-existent. Ok so my expectations were not met and in all fairness I recognize that young opera singers need a place to perform and sing all that grand music. The singing wasn’t all that bad and there were two singers, one plays a doctor (Marcello Maurizi) and the other (Rocco Angeletti) Violetta’s date in the last act, were pretty good. The tenor( Luciano Gadda), a rather plump Germont, barely ever looked at the leading lady and performed only for us but I have seen such behavior in far better situations than this. The Violetta was sung by Barbara Luccini and did a respectable job and even acted too.

The orchestra, the Lirica Florentina, was directed by Laura Sgaragli It was a modest orchestra of two violins, a viola, a bass, and an electric piano. The orchestra was the most professional thing about the evening and it was a pleasure to hear the familiar music again.

La Lirica Di Firenze alternates with a group called Musica in Maschera, which performs opera areas and sport 18th century costumes and commedia masks. That might have proved more interesting. La Traviata plays June 7,14,21,and 28th. Musica in Maschera plays until July 26 Musica in Maschera  in Italy call 328.35.62.380