Review: The Juniper Passion.

Teatro Roma, Cassino. June 21st 2013.

 A Launching Pad for a New Take-off.

 From the programme of The Juniper Passion:

"As a boy I was very proud of the fact that my father had fought in the two major battles of the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force: El Alamein and Monte Cassino. Speaking of North Africa my father remembered the hot desert by day and the cold starry nights. Of Italy he remembered the mountains, the ruins, the Italians who welcomed them and whom he and his comrades in turn fed, treating the children with chocolate and small gifts. And always spoke of the men, Snow from Auckland, Joe from Motueka, men still alive, and others that never returned home. Even in the last months of his life I would see him turning over in his hands photographs of those long gone faces and places. "And that is a debt to the historical and personal memory that John G. Davies wrote the libretto 'The Juniper Passion' , dedicated to his father, Richard Ferguson (1920-2003) and to all the soldiers killed in the battle of Monte Cassino (January / May 1944). It is then the task of composer Michael F. Williams to penetrate into the pathos of the story to draw the terrific music that will travel the words .

A drama in three acts with a cast of international artists of exceptional talent, the superb direction of the same John G. Davies joined by Christine Hamp in a state of grace, the Orchestra of the Conservatory "L.Refice" in Frosinone directed by Maestro Marco Attura ingenious and very brilliantly  performed by those named here: Loreto Gismondi violin I, violin II Cristian Cerelli, viola Marco Palmigiani, Donato Cedrone cello, double bass Alessandro Del Lord, Erika Macalli flute, clarinet Dario Bellardini, Luigi Bartolini trumpet, trombone Daniele Di Stefano, Roberto Murra piano, organ Luca Pelosi, percussion Fabrizio Bartolini, Thomas Capuano, Giampiero Carlini.

And the voices of superlative Alessandro Luciano and Amitail Pati, tenors, Stephanie Acraman, Lilia Carpinelli and soprano Julia Booth, James Ioelu bass-baritone, baritone Joe Beckwith and David Griffiths. Without neglecting to appoint for their indispensable contribution magic Master Antonio D'Anto music supervisor, John Parker design, Wayne Laird audio director, Michael Knapp light design, Moss Patterson and the Juniper dancers choreography, Sean Castle video. For the Maori contemporary dance company The Juniper Passion, eight elements and one soul, one word comes to mind: indescribable.

That said, nothing has been said. The world premiere of "The Juniper Passion" was held at the Teatro Romano di Cassino Friday 21 to 21 hours, and the work will be replicated at the Sapienza University of Rome, Tuesday, June 25 at 18.30 and the Museum of Roman Ships in Nemi Wednesday, June 26 at 21.

As we have been able to organize a project of this scope, which certainly is not easy to grasp the incredible value, which brings together New Zealand and Italy to bring music where there was death and destruction, the gesture acts as repairer and peacemaker, the work that only art can weave with its universal language.

Rowing against. Against the absenteeism of a society distracted and disengaged, against the Cassandras and dropouts, bereft against bureaucracy and bureaucratic fashion, against the skepticism and logic (illogical) of consumerism, against the phlegm of the institutions and against the concept of convenience of said 'crisis'. Rowing against the distrust upon which this society feeds; a madness, in short, an irrational obstinacy. Instead this opera feeds the faith to push away disillusion. Because someone had to take steps to welcome you in our beautiful, suffering Italy, a proposal for such a significant and artistically powerful event. Culture is not an empty word, when to pronounce it is Valeriano Bottini, mad as a hatter.

This opera can lead to 'outbreaks' around the old Europe, and build a centre for a collection of innovative proposals: a launching pad for a new takeoff.

Written by Maria Lanciotti

Published online by Controluce

Tellus Folio

Castelli Notiizie

http://www.associazionecolleionci.eu/tag/massimiliano-chiappinelli/