Festival Puccini in Torre del Lago, directed by Alberto Veronesi, is one of the most important opera festivals in Italy. It takes place during the summer months of July and August in a spot that was very dear to Puccini. He lived and worked here in his villa for a long time. His villa now hosts the Puccini museum. Puccini, in the last year of his life, expressed his wish to see one of his operas put on stage on the banks of the lake.
Every year, around 40,000 spectators turn out for the shows in this great open-air theatre. They are attracted to the beauty of the setting along with the prestige associated with the operas, where only the world’s best performers take part.
In 2001, the Fondazione Festival Pucciniano started up a project called “Scolpire l’Opera”. The sets for the festival productions are put into the hands of highly reputable figurative artists, confirming the idea of opera as a”complete work of art” made of images as well as music and texts. Ken Yasuda, Igor Mitoraj and Jean Michel Folon have signed sets for the festival. The artisans of the Cittadella del carnevale di Viareggio as well as experienced sculptures from Pietrasanta collaborate in realising the sets.
On the 15th of June of 2008 has been inaugurated the new great open air theatre, part of a wide music park dedicated to Giacomo Puccini.
Programme
LA BOHEME
July: 10, 15, 19
August: 1, 14, 21
TOSCA
July: 11 , 17 , 26
August: 9, 20
TURANDOT
July: 18, 25, 31
August 7, 22
MANON LESCAUT
August: 2 , 8, 13
IL LAGO DEI CIGNI – BALLETTO
12 August
Balletto di Mosca
Orchestra del Festival Puccini
GISELLE – BALLETTO
19 August
Balletto di Mosca
Orchestra del Festival Puccini
GALA LIRICO
Angela Gheorghiu, Direttore Alberto Veronesi, Orchestra del Festival Puccini
23 August
Details:
by car: Genova -Livorno motorway exit Viareggio or Pisa Nord. From Viareggio take the highway southwards (Pisa direction); from Pisa Nord exit take the highway northwards (Viareggio direction). Leave the highway in Torre del Lago and follow the signs for “Festival Pucciniano”
by train: Viareggio or Pisa station
by plane: Pisa Galileo Galilei International Airport, Florence-Peretola Airport
Biglietteria Festival Puccini Viale Puccini 257/A 55048 Torre del Lago Puccini, Italia
+39 0584 359322/ 427201 Fax +39 0584 945059 / 350277
e-mail: info@puccinifestival.it ticketoffice@puccinifestival.it
Fondazione Festival Pucciniano
In November 1924 while out walking in Torre del Lago, Giacomo Puccini expressed his wish to listen to one of his operas under the open skies to Giovacchino Forzano, director, comedy writer, and librettist for Suor Angelica and Gianni Schicchi. Six years later, after the disappearance of the musician, his wish came true thank to the hard work of the same Forzano and Pietro Mascagni, Puccini’s friend and appraiser.
On the 24th August of 1930, the opera La Boheme took place on a provisional stage supported by piles on the lake in front of the composer’s house. Forzano was the director while Mascagni was responsible for conducting the orchestra.
In 1966 the open-air theatre was moved to the drained land north of the little port in Torre del Lago, where the structure, known as the “Teatro dei Quattromila”,today hosts the festival.
This festival, over its seventy or more years history, has witnessed the most illustrious performers in the opera world as well as great dance displays including performers of an extremely high standard such as Rudolf Nurayev, Carla Fracci and George Iancu.
Recently, the Fondazione Festival Pucciniano, in collaboration with Regione Toscana, the Provincia di Lucca, the Comune di Viareggio, the Fondazione Carnevale di Viareggio, have commited themselves to building a technical set in the Cittadella Carnevale of Viareggio. Here, training and specialist courses concerning the technical professions involved in the theatre and show world will take place.