Music Opera : programm and booking for Turin

Turin and music

History

Fondazione Teatro Regio di Torino : Established at the beginning of the 18th century, at the initiative of Victor Amédée II, then of Charles Emmanuel III, the Teatro Regio was designed by the architect Benedetto Alfieri. It opened on December 1740, and was for a long time one of the biggest theatres in the world (seating 2500 in its amphitheatre and five tiers of boxes). Magnificent decorations once adorned the auditorium, such as the vault painted by Bernardino Galliari.
In the Napoleonic era, in order to expunge the emblems of the House of Savoy, the Regio was renamed the “Teatro Imperiale”. Its former name was restored in 1814 and it was redecorated in a neo-classical style, at the behest of King Charles Albert when Piedmont was reintegrated into the Kingdom of Savoy. After Italian unification and the move of the capital to Rome, the royal house transferred ownership of the theatre to the City of Turin.
One immortal figure stood out in the city’s musical life at the turn of the 20th century: Arturo Toscanini, notably with the premiere of La Bohème. With around 200 premieres, the Teatro Regio was then a serious contender with La Scala and of the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, but a terrible fire in 1936, which spared only its façade, forced it to close.
The new Teatro Regio opened in 1973 with Verdi’s "I Vespri Siciliani" performed by Maria Callas and Giuseppe di Stefano. It is now run as a private foundation. All year round the Teatro Regio hosts a vast range of initiatives and top-class musical performances, operatic works, ballets, symphonic concerts and vocal recitals. In operation for over 248 years, it has never ceased to be a witness to the history and events of Turin, Italy and Europe.
www.tearoregio.torino.it

Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della Rai : Turin originally had four broadcasting orchestras. They merged In 1994 to form the new RAI symphonic orchestra, which then made its official debut with Georges Prêtre and Guiseppe Sinopoli. Since then, the finest young talents have filled the ranks of its instrumentalists. Among the major figures in the life of the ensemble are Eliahu Inbal (honorary member from 1996 to 2001), Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos (principal conductor since September 2001), Jeffrey Tate (principal guest conductor between 1998 and 2002 then honorary member) and Gianandrea Noseda (principal guest conductor between 2003 and 2006). Other illustrious figures such as Vittorio Gui, Antonio Guarnieri, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Herbert von Karajan, Carlo Maria Giulini, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Igor Stravinsky, Leopold Stokowski, Sergiu Celibidache and Mstislav Rostropovich have also conducted the orchestra.
The symphonic season starts in October in the RAI Auditorium and offers special series such as all the symphonies of Beethoven conducted by Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos in 2004. Contemporary music also has its place thanks to the RAI Nuova Musica project, with many commissions for new works of both symphonic and chamber music. The members of the orchestra also make up different ensembles of various sizes.
The RAI national symphonic orchestra often performs in major cities and at major festivals in Italy and also makes many appearances abroad. It is a regular guest at the Settembre Musica festival in Turin and Venice. It has also performed at significant events such as the intergovernmental conference of the European Union or during the Silver Jubilee of the pontificate of John Paul II on the Piazza San Pietro in Rome.
A major annual event is the traditional Christmas concert held at the Basilica of St Francis in Assisi. In 2001, the orchestra opened the official celebrations of the centenary of the death of Giuseppe Verdi, with the Messa da Requiem in the Cathedral of Parma, under the direction of Valery Gergiev.
In recent years, it has been led by world-class conductors: Valery Gergiev, Lorin Maazel, Thomas Schippers, Zubin Mehta, Claudio Abbado, Riccardo Chailly, Myung-Whun Chung, Marek Janowski, Dmitri Kitayenko, Riccardo Muti and Giuseppe Sinopoli.
www.orchestrasinfonica.rai.it

Orchestra Filarmonica di Torino : The orchestra came into being in April 1992, succeeding the Filarmonici di Torino. Since 1993 it has had its own symphonic season in the Main Hall of the Turin Conservatoire. This is designed to ensure that each concert becomes a “special event” developed on a specific theme.

L'Unione Musicale : This association, founded in 1946, organises concerts based on the classical repertoire, especially of chamber music, in Turin and Piedmont. Each year the season is composed of a calendar of some fifty performance dates, bringing together top performers.

Associazione Lingotto Musica :
Major orchestras and a great repertoire: over 100 concerts for over 100,000 spectators.
This describes the 16 years of musical activity at the Lingotto factory building converted by Renzo Piano.
Originally, the Wiener Philharmoniker conducted by Claudio Abbado gave a concert in this building in 1990 when it was nothing more than an abandoned factory, its success was the reason for FIAT’s decision to build the Giovanni Agnelli Auditorium.
The Wiener Philharmoniker is coming back for the 2007-2008 season, this time conducted by Daniele Gatti, to follow Simon Rattle with the Orchestra of the age of Enlightenment, the Orchestra di Santa Cecilia conducted by Antonio Pappano, and more.

Turin is the capital of the Piedmont region in the north of Italy. The metropolis has over 1,700,000 inhabitants. Turin is traversed from north to south by the River Po. To the east the city is bordered by the Turin hills, and to the west by the Alps. Turin was founded by the Roman Emperor Augustus, who gave it the name of Augusta Taurinorum. The city’s coat of arms, illustrated by a bull, still pays homage to this original name.

The Roman town owes its name to the Taurisci or Taurini, a tribe established in the Piedmont region between the 4th and 5th centuries BC. It was only after the invasion of Hannibal’s troops and the destruction of the city that Octavius Augustus founded the town of Turin in 28 BC. The town was subsequently invaded regularly by the Eruli, the Ostrogoths, the Byzantines, the Lombardi (568) and finally the Franks in 773. The region became independent until 1091, then was broken up into various manors. It was not until 1248 that Piedmont experienced a real spurt of growth. At that time, Thomas II of Savoy settled here and the Savoy dynasty developed the town. Finally, in 1419, Savoy annexed the whole of Piedmont.

In 1563, Turin became the capital of the ducal states of Savoy and thus succeeded Chambéry. The city later became capital of the Kingdom of Sardinia when the island was allocated to Piedmont by the Treaty of London in 1718.
In 1802, Piedmont became a French département. The military victories of Napoleon turned the city of Turin into the administrative centre of the Po region until 1814.
1831 was a turning point for Italy, indeed the accession of King Charles Albert marked the beginning of the “Risorgimento”. This was when the foundations of Italian unity began to emerge, with the creation of the Council of State and major schools, reform of the civil service and of the civil code but above all the promulgation of the Constitution. In 1861, Turin was the first capital of the Kingdom of Italy, only to lose this title to Florence in 1865, which lost it in its turn when Rome was made capital in 1870.

Today, Turin is overflowing with monuments and vestiges redolent of its rich history. The Roman Empire is particularly well represented here. The Palatine Gate is one of the most imposing illustrations of this. Here a market is held that is reputed to be the biggest in the whole of Europe and attracts visitors from all over the world. The Middle Ages also left a significant mark on Turin.

The Palazzo Madama and the Palazzo Carignano are genuine masterpieces of baroque architecture, as is the Basilica de Superga. The Cathedral of St John the Baptist houses the Shroud of Turin, and draws thousands of pilgrims every year. A medieval village has been reconstructed In the Valentino Park by the Po. But the cultural attractions offered by Turin do not stop there. The Mole Antonelliana, from its height of 167 metres, has an easily recognisable silhouette. Originally built to house a synagogue, it has today been transformed into a museum of the cinema. The 24 kilometres of arcade-lined streets have made Turin famous around the world.
The city has based its reputation as a major metropolis on its economic activity, partly thanks to the FIAT group. Indeed this company which originated in Turin has belonged to the Agnelli family since its foundation in 1899. Moreover, one of the group’s former factories is now a significant cultural centre whose name refers to the famous family (Pinacoteca Giovanni e Marella Agnelli). One of the main events that has taken place in Turin and that has contributed to its renown was of course the hosting of the 2006 Winter Olympics by the city.

Some Highlights

In the surrounding area

Royal Residences

Palazzo Reale : The nerve centre of the State and House of Savoy, this was where the major decisions were taken and where the treaties and statutes were signed, but also where sumptuous festivities and receptions were held. A visit to the Royal Garden is not to be missed.

Palazzo Madama : This palace alone sums up the whole history of the city of Turin. From a Roman gateway, it was transformed into a small fort in the Middle Ages and became, in the 15th century, the castle of the princes of Acaja, with the addition of four corner towers. As a residence of female royalty, Christine Marie of France and later Marie Jeanne Baptiste de Savoie-Nemours, it was given the name Palazzo Madama and took on the appearance of a baroque royal palace. Charles Albert established the art gallery of the House of Savoy here and the first senate of the kingdom, then in 1934, the palace became the seat of the Museo Civico.

Palazzo Carignano : A famous example of baroque architecture created by Garino Guarini with an undulating façade and a finely wrought brick facing. In 1848 it was converted into an auditorium for the first Piedmontese or Subalpine Parliament. The rooms on the first floor house the Museo Nazionale del Risorgimento Italiano.

Villa della Regina : In the 17th century, Cardinal Maurizio di Savoia used this residence as a meeting place for the intellectuals of the Academy of the Solinghi. In the following century, Queen Anne of Orléans chose this as her residence.

Castello del Valentino : This fascinating 17th-century residence stands in the city’s biggest park overlooking the Po. It is now home to the Faculty of Architecture of the Turin Polytechnic.

Basilica di Superga e Tombe dei Savoia : The Basilica, designed and built by Filippo Juvarra between 1717 and 1731 at the behest of Vittorio Amedeo II, houses the royal tombs of the Savoy family. The remains of the monarchs are preserved in the large underground mausoleum.

Reggia di Venaria Reale : The project for building the castle began in 1659 at the wish of Carlo Emanuele II, Duke of Savoy, and the building, designed by Amedeo di Castellamonte, was completed in 1675. It consists of a bourg, palace and gardens. The palace has two courtyards and its central nucleus is formed by the “Salone di Diana”.

Castello di Rivoli : The castle was part of a grandiose project conceived in 1718 by Filippo Juvarra for Vittorio Amedeo II, that was never completed. Restored in 1984, it now houses the Museum of Contemporary Art.

Castello di Agliè : The present appearance of the castle is due to the amalgamation of four major phases of construction. The original nucleus dates back to the 12th century, a period when the San Martino dynasty was becoming established in the Canavese region. In 1763, the Castle was bought by the Savoy family who began a project of transformation. The building is surrounded by a landscape garden, an Italian garden and a large area of parkland.

Palaces and Courtyards

Turin was a town of royalty and nobility. The many elegant and sumptuous or sober and intimate buildings reveal interior courtyards and arcades, precious materials and ceilings covered with original frescoes. These buildings are partly inhabited and are used for exhibitions. Among the many different palaces of Turin several, such as the Palazzo Scaglia di Verrua, the Palazzo Falletti di Barolo, the Palazzo Cavour or the Palazzo Birago di Borgaro, are well worth a special trip.

Churches

Chiesa di San Domenico: The city’s only Gothic church has fragments of 14th-century frescoes, the only examples in Turin of mural painting from that period.

Duomo: A prime example of Turin’s Renaissance architecture, the Duomo is linked to the chapel where the Holy Shroud is kept, the precious relic considered to be the cloth in which the body of Christ was wrapped.

Santuario della Consolata: This church is another major place of devotion for the worship of the Virgin Mary. The collection of “ex votos” are worth seeing.

Cappella della Pia Congregazione dei Banchieri e dei Mercanti: A rare baroque gem.

Chiesa della Gran Madre di Dio: At the foot of the Turin hills stands this church whose style is the rigorous product of neo-classical architecture.

Synagogue: With its numerous decorative features of distinctly oriental inspiration, the synagogue stands out clearly from Turin’s other historic buildings.

Piedmont is an ideal destination for nature lovers and all fans of hiking. The variety of landscapes is surprising. In winter, the mountains are adorned with snow, and the winter sports resorts open their doors to the great delight of tourists. The Piedmontese banks of Lago Maggiore are also highly regarded for their peace and beauty.

Alessandria: An Italian town situated in the Piedmont region in the Po plain. The town is on the bank of the Tanaro river, approximately 75 kilometres to the south-east of Turin. There are several interesting artistic and archaeological routes to follow in the Alessandria region, from the ancient site of Libarna where you can see the ruins of the amphitheatre, the thermal baths and the forum, to the Roman pool carved out of the rocks at Acqui.

Asti: An Italian town situated in the province of the same name in the Piedmont region. Asti was created in the Mussolini era, hence the architecture of the buildings housing the provincial institutions. The town is also well known for its wines and especially for its sparkling wine (Asti Spumante).

On the outskirts of Turin: There are several villages well worth a visit in the countryside around Turin, such as Collogno, Rivoli and Grugliasco.

Food & Drink

Festivals

Aperitifs
Vermouth: wine mixed with thirteen different herbs and spices
Martini

Starters
Acciughe al verde (anchovies in green sauce)
Tomini elettrici (local cream cheeses dressed with hot pepper sauce)
Agnolotti and tajarin, pasta on which to sprinkle white truffle in autumn

Dishes
Bollito misto: Piedmont stews
Brasato al Barolo: Beef braised in wine (Barolo)
Fritto misto: Fried veal offal and vegetables
Bagna cauda: Sauce based on milk, anchovies and garlic traditionally served in Piedmont to accompany vegetables.
Vitello tonnato: Cold veal in tuna sauce

Cheeses of the Piedmont region
Brus (Cueno)
Caprino della Val Vigezzo (Val Vigezzo)
Cevrin di Coazze (Coazze)
Paglierina (Cueno and Torino)

Desserts
Torta Walser: a cake
Torta di nocciole: Hazelnut cake

Piedmont wines
Piedmont has 9 DOCG and over 40 DOC
White wines (Gavi, Arneis, Favorita, Moscato)
Great red wines (Dolcetto, Grignolino, Barbera, Nebbiolo, Barbaresco and Barolo)

Chocolates
Cioccolatini: praline chocolates, truffles with chocolate, cream, etc.
Gianduiotto
The cocoa and hazelnut cream that is the ancestor of the famous spread
N.B: One of the world-famous specialities is “nocciole” (a spread based on chocolate and hazelnuts). Today Ferrero, which has its headquarters in the environs of Turin, has taken the recipe and marketed it under the name “Nutella”.

Festivals

“MITO” Settembre Musica: The first of these festivals took place back in 1978, when a concert devoted entirely to Vivaldi was given at the San Filipopar church by the orchestra and choir of the Turin RAI. This year, Settembre Musica is changing its name to MITO Settembre Musica, and the festival, which previously took place exclusively in Turin, will also take place in Milan, thus becoming one of the biggest music festivals in northern Italy. The major cities of Piedmont and Lombardy will present a very varied programme. On the bill: Medieval music, jazz, tango, a selection from the classical and romantic repertoire, and more. This year the festival will be held from 3 to 27 September

Antidogma Musica: An international festival of music old and new. This association was set up in 1977, at the initiaitve of Dora Filippono (guitarist), Enrico Correggia (composer), Guido Guida (conductor) and Marinella Tarengui (pianist). The first contemporary music festival took place in Turin in 1978. The festival has different themes each year, represented by Italian and foreign works that are seldom played.

Torino Arte Contemporanea: From November to January, the city hosts many contemporary art events and exhibition.

Customs
Festa di San Giovanni, celebrating the city’s patron saint, on 24 June.

Things to Do

Hôtels

Restaurants

Museo d'Arte Contemporanea (Castello di Rivoli) : The permanent collection comprises not only works by artists such as Long, Merz, Paolini, Pistoletto, Sol Lewitt and Vedova but also more recent trends represented by Airò, Cattelan and Toderi.
www.castellodirivoli.org

Galleria Sabauda : Founded in 1832 by Carlo Alberto, this is one of the most important art galleries in Italy, housing the paintings of the former collection of the dukes and kings of Savoy. The works are arranged chronologically in the various schools of painting. www.museitorino.it/galleriasabauda

GAM-Galleria Civica d'Arte Moderna e Contemporanea : The Turin Municipal Museum, founded in 1863, was the first in Italy to promote a public collection of modern art in its exhibition spaces. The artistic heritage of the Gallery comprises some 45,000 works.
www.gamtorino.it

Museo di Arti Decorative Fondazione Accorsi : The museum was designed as a museum-house according to the wishes of its founder Pietro Accorsi. The French and Italian furniture, carpets, tapestries, paintings and objects are linked to one another in a succession of extraordinarily rich rooms recreating the atmospheres of the 18th century.
www.fondazioneaccorsi.it

Museo Egizio : This is the second largest such museum in the world, after the one in Cairo, and it holds a very valuable collection of archaeological pieces from the origins of Egyptian civilisation to the 6th century AD.
www.museoegizio.it

Turin Municipal Museum of Ancient Art: The museum came into being in 1860. It contains representative examples of the products of each period, with their different techniques and materials, in order to tell the story of art from works from the Byzantine period to modern times.
www.palazzomadamatorino.it

Pinacoteca Giovanni e Marella Agnelli : Works by Tiepolo, Canaletto, Bellotto, Canova, Manet, Renoir, Matisse, Balla, Modigliani and Severini are exhibited in a setting designed by Renzo Piano.
www.pinacoteca-agnelli.it

Le Meridien Turin Art +Tech *****
Via Nizza, 230, 10126 Turin
Tel : 0800 40 22 15
www.lemeridien-lingotto.it

The 141 bedrooms and the magnificent “Lo Scrigno” suite of the hotel give a fine idea of the designs of Renzo Piano at the Hotel Le Méridien Lingotto, which is close by. Renzo Piano’s modern hotel design is also reflected in the design and function of the Méridien Turin Art+Tech.

Hotel AC Torino ****
Via Bisalta 11, 10126 Turin
Tel : +34 902 292 293
www.ac-hotels.com

The hotel is in Turin’s financial district. It is housed in a former Italian pasta factory dating from 1908. Today entirely rebuilt, the building combines past and present to welcome you into a unique space, ensuring a pleasant stay. Amenities include a bar, a restaurant, a fitness centre and a relaxation space with a hammam.

Hotel Villa Savoia****
Corso Sicilia 1, 10133 Torino
Tel : +39 011 66.13.546
www.hotelvillasavoia.com

The hotel “Villa Savoia” is a newly built hotel complex in Turin near the Valentino park as well as the Lingotto conference centre. Its strategic location makes it a useful centre for both business and tourist accommodation.

Grand Hotel Sitea****
Via Carlo Alberto 35, 10123 Turin
Tel : + 39 011 51 70 171
www.thi.it

The Grand Hotel Sitea is located in the historic town centre, just behind the Piazza San Carlo. Thanks to its attentive hospitality, it embodies the very best of Turin’s hotel tradition.

DOLCE STIL NOVO *
Via San Pietro 71. Ciriè (Torino)
Tél 011.9211110 - e-mail: rist.dolcestilnovo@libero.it

Specialities: Vitello tonnato in scatola con caramello agli agrumi (Paupiette of Veal in tuna sauce with citrus caramel).
“The cheese game” a range of cheeses, pasta in butter

LA BARRIQUE
Corso Dante 53 - Torino
Tél 011.657900 - e-mail: labarriquedigallostefano@virgilio.it

Specialities: Vitella delle Langhe al coltello con verdure croccanti in salsa all’uovo e curry (veal from the Langhe region, finely chopped with crunchy vegetables in egg and curry sauce), baccalà in due cotture con passata di ceci e broccoletti con pesto al dragoncello (salt cod with chickpea purée and turnips with tarragon pesto), petto di piccione al pepe di shezuan con sua coscia farcita (pigeon breast with Szechwan pepper and stuffed pigeon leg), verza in casseruola e salsa al cacao (savoy cabbage and cocoa sauce), Besugo di Liguria con calamaretti e zafferano (Ligurian bream with baby squid and saffron).

COMBAL.ZERO
Piazza Mafalda di Savoia - Rivoli (Torino)
Tél 011.9565225 - e-mail: combal.zero@combal.org

Specialities: A creative menu (including the Cyberegg: egg yolk and caviar enveloped in a bubble of cellophane); traditional Piedmontese dishes (e.g. Baked rump steak with mashed potato and beetroot).

GARDENIA
Corso Torino 9 - Caluso (Torino)
Tél 011.9832249 - e-mail: gardenia1@aliceposta.it

Specialities: Ravioli di salame di patata cotto al forno su passata di pere martine al mosto d’uva (Ravioli of salami with baked potatoes on a purée of “Martine” pears with grape must)

LOCANDA MONGRENO
Strada comunale Mongreno 50 - Torino
Tél 011.898.0417 - e-mail: pikuz@libero.it

Specialities: “Inversione del vitello tonnato” (“Inversion of veal in tuna sauce”), sushi in tre versioni (sushi in three versions), scamone di sanato dorato (golden veal rump steak), torcione di foie gras con salsa all’arabica e panpepato (foie gras in arabica sauce with gingerbread), goccia di cioccolato con crema al caffé (chocolate with coffee cream )