Teatro del Silenzio

Summary

The Teatro del Silenzio (English: Theater of Silence) is an open air amphitheater located in the city of Lajatico – the hometown of Andrea Bocelli – in the Tuscany region of Italy. In 2006, Bocelli convinced the municipality of Lajatico to build this outdoor venue whose structure utilizes the natural formations of the hilly landscape. Bocelli contributed greatly to its construction.

Teatro del Silencio
(Theater of Silence)
Poster
Map
AddressLajatico, Tuscany
Italy
Coordinates43°28′08″N 10°44′19″E / 43.468864°N 10.738519°E / 43.468864; 10.738519
Capacity7,490,[2] 10,000 in 2010
Construction
Opened27 July 2006
ArchitectRealitalia[1]
Website
www.teatrodelsilenzio.it

Bocelli, the honorary president of the theater, performs an annual concert there every July; the theater is silent for the rest of the year.[3]

People edit

Andrea Bocelli is honorary president of Teatro del Silenzio with Fabio Tedeschi, the mayor of Lajatico, president; and Enrico Fabbri, the boss of Fabbri, vice-president.[4]

Concerts edit

The Teatro del Silenzio annually hosts a concert in July. The concert includes performances by Andrea Bocelli and other guests.[5] To date there have been 13 concerts from 2006 to 2018.[6]

2006 edit

The inaugural concert occurred 27 July 2006, and was performed in front of over five thousand people and included performances from the following.[7]

Program[9]
Song Performer
A mio padre Andrea Bocelli
Intermezzo (from Cavalleria rusticana) Orchestra
Brindisi (from Cavalleria rusticana) Andrea Bocelli
Duetto Andrea Bocelli
O mio babbino caro Paola Sanguinetti
E lucevan le stelle Andrea Bocelli
Duetto (from La Boheme) Andrea Bocelli; Paola Sanguinetti
Valzer Verdi
Di quella pira (from Il trovatore) Orchestra; Danza
Terzetto (from Il trovatore) Andrea Bocelli; Paola Sanguinetti, Gianfranco Montresor
Va, pensiero (from Nabucco) Orchestra, Choir, Danza
Vieni sul mar Andrea Bocelli
Granada Andrea Bocelli
Sortia de Escamillo (from Carmen) Gianfranco Montresor, chorus
Mamma Andrea Bocelli
Voglio viveri così Andrea Bocelli
Funiculì, Funiculà (Luigi Denza, Peppino Turco) Andrea Bocelli, chorus
Sinfonia (from La gazza ladra) Dance
Duetto 4°atto (from Andrea Chénier) Andrea Bocelli
Nessun dorma (from Turandot) Andrea Bocelli
La traviata brindisi; Because We Believe; Con te partiò Andrea Bocelli
 
Teatro del Silenzio in 2007

2007 edit

The second concert took place 5 July 2007. The planned rehearsal the previous night was cancelled due to heavy winds, but the concert itself went ahead and included performances from pianist Lang Lang, trumpeter Chris Botti, saxophonist Kenny G, singers Laura Pausini, Elisa, Sarah Brightman, and Heather Headley, conductor Bill Ross,[10] the special guest was 14-time Grammy Award winning David Foster.[11] Performances from Bocelli included Con te partirò, Vivo per lei, Il Mare Calmo della Sera, and The Prayer.[11] Heather Headley was the other half of the duet in both Vivo per lei and The Prayer. Elisa performed La voce del silenzio, Laura Pausini sung Vivere, while Sarah Brightman performed Time to Say Goodbye as a duet with Bocelli and Canto della terra. Dueting with Bocelli on their respective instruments other performers included Lang Lang (Io ci sarò), Kenny G (A te), Chris Botti (Italia), and David Foster playing Because We Believe and a medley from Amore.

Vivere Live in Tuscany, the DVD of the concert was released January 29, 2008.

Program[12]
Song Performer
Mellodramma Andrea Bocelli
A te Andrea Bocelli; Kenny G
Vivere Andrea Bocelli; Laura Pausini
Romaza Andrea Bocelli
Io ci sarò Andrea Bocelli, Lang Lang
Hungarian Rhapsody #2 Lang Lang
Mille Lune Mille Onde Andrea Bocelli
La Voce del Silenzio Andrea Bocelli
Canto del Terra Andrea Bocelli; Sarah Brightman
Interval
Songbird Kenny G
Bellissime Stelle Andrea Bocelli; David Foster
Medley: Besame Mucho / Somos Novios / Can't Help Falling in Love Andrea Bocelli; David Foster
Because we believe Andrea Bocelli; David Foster
The Prayer Andrea Bocelli; Heather Headley; David Foster
Somewhere Over the Rainbow Heather Headley
Someone to Watch Over Me Chris Botti
Italia Andrea Bocelli; Chris Botti
Vivo per lei Andrea Bocelli; Heather Headley
Sogno Andrea Bocelli; David Foster
Il Mare Calmo della Sera Andrea Bocelli
Time to Say Goodbye Andrea Bocelli; Sarah Brightman

2008 edit

Four One Music & Events organized the third concert on 20 July 2008.[13]

Zyrus sang a duet of the song "The Prayer" with Bocelli, having only met for the first time 23 May 2008 when performing at a one-night tribute concert with David Foster at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on the Las Vegas Strip.

Program[14]
Song Performer
Petite Mort Roberto Bolle; Shirley Esseboom
Voglio vivere così Andrea Bocelli; Carlo Bernini
O Surdato 'Nnamurato Andrea Bocelli; Carlo Bernini
La Notte di San Lorenzo Nicola Piovani
Torna a Surriento Andrea Bocelli; Carlo Bernini
Santa Lucia Andrea Bocelli; Carlo Bernini; Kristian Cellini
Yuma Noa
Non ti scordar di me Andrea Bocelli; Carlo Bernini
Mamma Andrea Bocelli; Carlo Bernini
Funiculì, Funiculà Andrea Bocelli; Carlo Bernini
Interval
L'Arlésienne Andrea Bocelli; Sabrina Brazzo

2009 edit

For 2009, eight sculptures, by Hans Peter Ditzler, were placed in the theater.[15][16] The concert took place on July 18. Among Bocelli's guests were Plácido Domingo, with whom he sang "Nessun dorma" from Puccini's Turandot and a duet from The Pearl Fishers, and Katherine Jenkins, with whom he sang "Time to Say Goodbye".

2010 edit

Sculptures by Swiss artist Kurt Laurenz Metzler, who attended the concert, were exhibited during the 2010 edition of the concert, and Italian actress Gina Lollobrigida, who was also in attendance, donated a Bronze statue she had made of Bocelli, to the city of Lajatico, in the afternoon just before the concert.

Bocelli held the fifth edition of the Teatro del Silenzio, on July 25, to an audience of 10,000, double the amount of the first edition of the annual Festival, held in 2006. His guests included one of the two surviving member of The Three Tenors, Spanish Catalan tenor, José Carreras, and Italian rock singer, Zucchero.

He was also awarded the Pisano Doc, during the dress rehearsal for the concert, July 24, "in recognition for a great citizen, who with his extraordinary art and his humanity brings great prestige, honor and respect to the city of Pisa."

2012 edit

The edition was held on July 12, 2012.

2013 edit

The 2013 edition of the annual concert was held on July 13, 2013. Numbers included a cover of "Love Me Tender" initially performed by Elvis Presley and Italian renditions of Frank Sinatra's "My Way" and Edith Piaf's "La Vie en Rose". Guests included tenor Riccardo Cocciante. As is tradition, Andrea Bocelli performed "Time to Say Goodbye" at the end of the concert.

2015 edit

The 2015 edition of the concert was the first time that a full opera was performed, the Turandot by Giacomo Puccini. Bocelli played the role of Calaf.

2016 edit

The 2016 edition of the concert themed 'Le Cirque' was held on July 30, 2016 with a dress rehearsal open to the public on July 29, 2016. The performance mostly consisted of selections from some of the most well known operas with a few 'pop' numbers in the mix. Andrea Bocelli was joined by the legendary South Korean lyrical soprano, Sumi Jo as well as Leo Nucci, Gianfranco Montesor, Svetla Vassileva, Tiziana Carraro, Frederico Longhi, Giuseppe Raimondo, Carmelo Corrado Caruso, Paulo Pecchioli, and I Cantori di Burlamacco.[17] The program was as follows:

Part 1

  • 'La Strada' di N. Rota (Orchestra el Teatro 'Carlo Felice' di Genova)
  • 'Pagliacci' di R. Leoncavallo – Prologo e Vesti la Giubba (Leo Nucci & Andrea Bocelli
  • 'Rigoletto' di G. Verdi – Caro Nome, Piangi Fanciulla, e La Donna e Mobile (Sumi Jo, Leo Nucci e Andrea Bocelli
  • 'Lucia di Lammermoor' di G. Donizetti – Verranno a te sull'aure (A. Bocelli e Sumi Jo)
  • 'Carmen' di G Bizet – Les voici (Coro del Teatro Carlo Felice di enova e i Cantori di Burlamacco)
  • 'Aida' di Verdi – Gran Finale Atto 2 (Ensemble)

Part 2

  • 'Danza delle Spade' di A. Khachaturian (Orchestra)
  • 'La Frza Del Destino' di Verdi – Invano Alvaro (A. Boceli e Leo Nucci)
  • 'Sunrise' di G. Allevi (G. Allevi e Orchestra)
  • 'La Danza' di G. Rossini (A.Bocelli e G Alllevi)
  • 'Andrea Chenier' di U. Giordano – Si, Fui Soldato e Vicino a te S'aqueta (A. Bocellu e Svetla Vassileva)
  • 'Marcia dei Gladiatori' de J. Fucik (Orchestra)
  • Il trovatore' Verdi – L'onda de' suoni mistici/Di quella pira (Bocelli, Vassileva, e Matteo Bocelli
  • 'Un Ballo in Maschera' Verdi – Eri tu che macchiavi e Su, profetessa... (L. Nucci, A. Bocelli)
  • 'La Boheme' Puccini – Atto 2 (Ensemble)
  • 'Nelle tue Mani' (A. Bocelli)

2017 edit

The 2017 version of the concert was performed on August 3 and was titled 'Il canto della Terra' (the song of the Earth). Performances ranged from artists coming from Argentina, Haiti, Armenia, Spain and many others. World renown dancer Carla Fracci also joined the stage, as well as Andrea Bocelli Foundation's Haitian choir 'Voices of Haiti'

2018 edit

The 2018 edition was performed twice, on July 28 and July 30, and was once again an opera, this time the Andrea Chénier by Umberto Giordano, the first opera that Bocelli ever learned.

Features edit

The site of Teatro del Silenzio also incorporates sculptures by renowned artists. Sculptures have been selected to be exhibited on a platform in the center of the lake. In 2008, Mario Ceroli's "Il Cavallo di Bronzo", a bronze horse was displayed with past sculptures including Arnaldo Pomodoro's "Il Grande Sole", and works by Igor Mitoraj and Kurt Laurenz Metzler.

 
A panoramic view of the theater and the surrounding landscape.

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Tyzack, Anna (2008-05-31). "Property overseas: Unsung Italy". Telegraph.co.uk. London: Telegraph Group Limited. Archived from the original on 2008-05-31. Retrieved 2008-10-10.
  2. ^ Capacity for 2008 based on this Archived 2012-07-23 at archive.today seating plan.
  3. ^ "The location: "Il Teatro Del Silenzio"". faltone.it. Faltone. Archived from the original on May 9, 2009. Retrieved 2008-10-13.
  4. ^ Sernaglia (2008-09-11). "Italy's fairground-ride cluster". The Economist. Retrieved 2008-10-11.
  5. ^ "Celine and Charice blow Garden away". Filipino Reporter. New York Press Club. Retrieved 2008-10-11.
  6. ^ BBC Two 18:50 (GMT) (2007-12-25). Andrea Bocelli: The Story Behind the Voice (Television documentary). BBC. Retrieved 2007-12-25.
  7. ^ "Teatro del Silenzio 2006". lajatico.info. medialife.it. Retrieved 2008-10-10.
  8. ^ "OFI – Orchestra Filarmonica Italiana". Ofi.
  9. ^ "Program".
  10. ^ "Teatro del Silenzio 2007". lajatico.info. medialife.it. Retrieved 2008-10-10.
  11. ^ a b "Andrea Bocelli – Career". andreabocelli.com. Andrea Bocelli. Archived from the original on 2008-08-22. Retrieved 2008-10-12. Career → 2007 → 06 07.07.05
  12. ^ "Program".
  13. ^ "Andrea Bocelli – Il Teatro del Silenzio – 20 Luglio 2008" (in Italian). Four One Music and Events. Retrieved 2008-10-11.
  14. ^ "Program".
  15. ^ "Hans Peter Ditzler. Teatro del silenzio 2009. Installation for the Andrea Bocelli show". www.hanspeterditzler.com.
  16. ^ "Teatro del silenzio 2009. Installation in Lajatico by Hans Peter Ditzler". www.hanspeterditzler.com.
  17. ^ "Teatro del Silenzio, la magia si rinnova: Bocelli illumina Lajatico con "Le Cirque"" [Teatro del Silenzio, the magic is renewed: Bocelli lights up Lajatico with "Le Cirque"] (in Italian). 26 July 2016. Archived from the original on 24 December 2019.