Music & Opera : programm and booking for Venice

Venice and music

Venues & Orchestras

History

Birth of the Opera

The first opera theatre charging for admission and entirely devoted to the nascent genre, the San Cassiano, opened in 1637. As Pope Innocent X prohibited this form of spectacle in Rome in 1644, Venice then became European capital of opera and went on to have as many as 12 auditoria running at the same time.
The primary ambition of opera, above all the preserve of a princely elite, was to revive Greek tragedy. But it very quickly reached an audience of every social background. To respond to its expectations, mythological legends gave way to extravagant plots. The genre was profoundly influenced by Venetian carnival. Comedy, even burlesque, were then combined with tragedy. From 1637 to 1700, the city attracted composers from all over Italy. Monteverdi, Cavalli, Cesti and others wrote over 400 operas (the majority of which were later lost as a result of wars and fires). Creativity was intense for 200 years, but as it waned Milan supplanted the Serenissima (Venetian Republic). In 1936, thanks to a new management of La Fenice, many world-class compositions were presented to an audience with a reputation for being difficult: The Rake’s progress by Stravinsky (buried in Venice), The Turn of the Screw by Britten and Intolleranza by Nono… In spite of the dramatic fire at the Theatre in 1996, Venice is still one of Italy’s leading centres for music.

Composers

Many composers experienced their greatest successes in Venice (Monteverdi, Rossini with Tancredi, Verdi, Rigoletto, Bellini, I capuleti) but also their greatest failures (La Traviata). There is one composer who remains forever associated with Venice: Vivaldi.

Antonio VIVALDI (Venice, 1678 - Vienna, 1741).
Vivaldi, “Il Prete Rosso”, was born in Venice in 1678. His father, a violinist at St Mark’s Basilica, taught him how to play the instrument, but destined him for the priesthood. Ordained in 1703, he said he was suffering from asthma and was excused from saying mass. He then devoted himself to music.
In September 1703, he was engaged as a violin teacher at the Ospedale della Pietà which took in young orphans and instructed them, among other things, in music. The majority of his works were, indeed, written for his pupils. At the same time he composed operas which made his name in Venice.
The great popularity of the virtuoso concerts given by the young girls of the Pietà and Vivaldi in person soon spread beyond the borders and from 1718 onwards he spent long periods away travelling. But it is not known why he went to Vienna in 1740, where he died in 1741 leaving some 456 concertos (the form of which he established) and 47 operas.
Today Vivaldi is one of the baroque composers most performed and most appreciated by the public even if a large proportion of his Oeuvre (including the majority of his operas) remains to be rediscovered...

Venues
In Venice, a classical music concert is held practically every evening; at the Teatro la Fenice, at the Teatro Malibran, the “official” venues, but also in churches such as Chiesa di S. Giacometto or in the scuole such as the Scuola Grande dei Carmini, Scuola grande di S. Giovanni Evangelista or the Ateneo or the Teatro Fondamente Nuove.

TEATRO LA FENICE www.teatrolafenice.it
This opera theatre, the cradle of great operas (notably those of Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti and Verdi) and the place where Callas achieved her first absolute triumph, owes its name to its having emerged like a phoenix from the ashes of the Teatro San Benedetto, destroyed in 1773.
It opened in 1792 with the performance of I Giuochi d'Agrigento by Paisiello. In 1836, a serious fire destroyed the auditorium and part of the roof. The theatre was rebuilt and remodelled several times to make it one of the most beautiful in Italy with its superb interior décor and its dominant blue colour.
On the night of 29 January 1996, for the second time in its history, fire devastated the theatre. The interior was completely destroyed and only the foundations survived.
The theatre is totally reconstructed “the way it was, where it was” and re-open for a week of inauguration on 14 December 2003. The Return of the great La Fenice theatre is officaly in November 2004 with La Traviata, the opera by Verdi which premiered in this exact theatre. Since 2007, its artistic director is M° Fortunato Ortombina. The Theatre now offers every year a great season of concerts, opéras and dance from october to July.

TEATRO MALIBRAN
Formerly Teatro di San Giovanni, it acquired the name of the famous singer after she donated her fee to the director at the end of a performance of La Sonnambula, for the refurbishment of the concert hall. First opened in 1678, it was Venice’s most important theatre before the opening of La Fenice. It now hosts some performances of Teatro la Fenice’s season.

Orchestras and Ensembles

ORCHESTRA E CORO DEL TEATRO LA FENICE
The most famous singers have, from time immemorial, performed at La Fenice. But the mediocrity of its orchestra and choir in the 19th century was a secret to no one, impelling Rossini and Verdi to adopt a special style when they had to compose for this stage. Its management as an Ente Autonomo in 1936 led to the renaissance of the orchestra. The work of successive conductors such as Mario Labroca, Eliahu Inbal and today Marcello Viotti has enabled the Theatre to present a first-rate symphonic season.

VENICE BAROQUE ORCHESTRA www.venicebaroqueorchestra.net
Established in the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, this orchestra conducted by Andrea Marcon quickly became an essential player in performance on early instruments. In accordance with the spirit of baroque instrumental practice, the size and composition of the orchestra can vary, enabling it to contribute to the resurrection of the largely unknown Italian repertoire of the 17th and 18th centuries, with pieces such as Orione by Cavalli, Siroe by Handel and the Olimpiade by Cimarosa, without however neglecting Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.

Venetia originally designated a Roman province which, in the first century BC included present-day Venetia, Friuli and Trentino. In the 6th century, the populations of the north of what is now Italy, fleeing the Lombards, took refuge on Torcello and the other islands of the Venice lagoon. Placed under the authority of Byzantium, the inhabitants elected the first doge in 726 and Venice proclaimed itself independent of the Byzantine kingdom.
Legend has it that in 828 two merchants brought back from Alexandria the body of Saint Mark, for whom it was decided a chapel should be built. The Evangelist became the patron saint of the town. From the 11th to the 14th century, Venice extended its power by taking advantage of the crusades to meet requirements for ships, food supplies and provisions.

In 1203, the Venetian authorities diverted the fourth crusade towards Constantinople where they wished to extend their influence. But in 1261 the Byzantines, aided by the Genoese, overthrew the emperor of Constantinople. The battle against Genoa did not end until the late 14th century with the signing of a peace treaty between the two nations.

In parallel with the development of its maritime power, Venice also concerned itself from the 14th century onwards with its expansion on land by extending its power over the plains of the Po. But its advance was halted at Ferrara by the League of Cambrai (an alliance of Italian and European sovereigns).
In the middle of the 15th century, the beginning of the Ottoman invasions signalled the onset of its decline. In 1453, after the Fall of Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire which opened the Mediterranean to the Turks, Venice lost Cyprus, Crete and its trading posts. The opening of a new sea route to India and the discovery of America diverted world trade, bringing an end to Venice’s supremacy.
This slow decline did not however seem to affect the splendour of the prestigious city too badly. Between the 16th and 17th century, the artistic and cultural influence of the city remained significant, in theatre (Goldoni) as much as in music (Da Ponte, Vivaldi) and painting (Tiepolo, Guardi, Canaletto).

The 18th century, on the other hand, was marked by resistance to change in its political and economic institutions and by industrial competition. And when in 1797, Napoleon Bonaparte took possession of the Venetian Republic, he handed the territory over to Austria. In 1848, an uprising put a stop to the establishment of the Republic. Venice was not integrated into the kingdom of Italy until 1866 after the Austro-Prussian war.

From that time on, the city on the decline transformed itself into a museum city (with the creation in 1893 of the Biennale, then in 1932 of the Mostra), attracting, in spite of the major flood of 1966, a great many tourists and artists who saw in Venice the image of a dead city, soon to be buried beneath the waves. Between 1969 and 1996 around a hundred monuments and nearly 900 works of art have been restored under the aegis of Unesco, which has undertaken the financing of various projects since the 1970s to compensate for the slow but inevitable disappearance of Venice beneath the waves.
Since 2002, the city has embarked upon numerous projects including the construction of a fourth bridge over the Grand Canal, the expansion of the airport and the development of an undersea metro. Venice has just celebrated its 60th Mostra and its 50th Biennale.

Architecture

Some Highlights

Gardens & in the surrounding area

Venice, one of the most picturesque cities in the world, reflects major architectural influences. Far from copying the styles of the continent, it has taken its inspiration from them, infusing them with the island’s own aesthetic quality

Byzantine style (until the end of the 13th century)
Related to the links Venice originally had with the East
Worth seeing:
- Basilica of St Mark
- Ca' da Mosto

Gothic style
Adopted in Italy in the 14th century, it arrived in Venice somewhat later.
Worth seeing:
- Palazzo Ca’ d’Oro
- Palazzo Ducale (Doges’ Palace) built of red and white stone, defying the laws of gravity
- Palazzo Bernardo

Flamboyant Gothic style
Responsible for the slender shapes of the churches.
Worth seeing:
- Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari
- Patrician residences bordering the Canal Grande

Renaissance style
This harmonious and symmetrical style was introduced to Venice by Lombard artists such as Pietro Lombardo (c. 1434-1515) and his sons and by Andrea Palladio (1508-1580).
Worth seeing:
- Santa Maria dei Miracoli church
- Scuola Grande di San Marco
- Palazzo Lando Corner Spinelli

Baroque style
There is an Italian Baroque style specific to Venice, a far cry from Roman Baroque. Its grand master was Baldassare Longhena (1598-1682). He was responsible for a great many buildings.
Worth seeing:
- Palazzo Pesaro
- Ca’ Rezzonico
- Santa Maria della Salute church

PIAZZA SAN MARCO
St Mark’s Square on the banks of the Grand Canal, which was historically the seat of government, is considered the religious and political heart of Venice. It is lined with the Procuratie, buildings housing the offices and apartments of the procurators and senior officials of the republic. It contains many monuments (Basilica, Campanile, Museo Correr, Palazzo Ducale) and upmarket cafés with little orchestras.
- Doges’ Palace
A masterpiece of Gothic art and a fine example of Venetian architecture, this former seat of the government of the republic was built between 1340 and 1441. After the fire of 1483, the palace was rebuilt and the greatest artists of the Renaissance contributed to the decoration of the interior. The palace is arranged around an inner courtyard lined with porticoes and loggias on the first floor. In these are found the Ducal apartments, the rooms used by political and legal organisations and prisons.
Worth seeing:
- Porta della Carta
- Arco Foscari
- Scala dei Giganti (Giants’ Staircase)
- Scala d'Oro (Golden Staircase)
- Atrio Quadrato (square atrium)
- Sala delle quattro porte (Chamber of the Four Doors)
- Paintings by Titian, Veronese, Tintoretto, Tiepolo...

- Ponte dei Sospiri “Bridge of Sighs”
Built at the end of the 16th century, this bridge links the Doges’ Palace with the prisons. It owes its nickname to the sighs heaved by the prisoners as they looked out on the lagoon for the last time before arriving in the gaols. Visitors pass along this bridge on their tour of the Doges’ Palace

- Basilica
Symbol of Venice throughout the world, this basilica with its five domes and its 8600 sq m of mosaics represents the religious power of the City and pays homage to Venice’s passion for the Byzantine style. It was embellished following Gothic and Renaissance influences. Representations of the lion, symbolising St Mark, patron saint of Venice, are to be found throughout the basilica.

- Campanile
This 96-metre-high tower which served as a bell tower and lighthouse affords a panoramic view over Venice and the lagoon from its balcony.

- San Giorgio Maggiore (16th century)
Erected by Palladio, it is a perfect balance of harmony and purity. The top of its bell tower offers an unrestricted view over the lagoon. Masterpieces by Tintoretto are to be found inside.

- Santa Maria della Salute (17th century)
Built to thank the Virgin Mary for having spared Venice from the plague. Magnificently decorated inside and out, it pays homage to the faith of the Venetian people.

- Church of La Pietà: Emblematic of Vivaldi’s presence in Venice, this church was the first “concert hall” which enabled the young violinist to establish himself on the European scene. Vivaldi was concert master and instructor here. His music is regularly performed here even today.

- Canal Grande
This traverses the entire heart of the city following the bed of a former river and passing by a great many monuments. You can travel its whole length on the public vaporetto. Commemorative naval events and regattas are held there each year.

- Rialto Bridge
A technical feat, it stands on 6,000 piles

- Torre dell' Orologio (Clock Tower)
Built in the 15th century, this colourful tower tells the time, the phases of the moon, sun and zodiac. The tower is dominated by Moors striking an enormous bell.

- Il Ghetto quarter
Jewish quarter founded in 1516 with many synagogues, this is the first ghetto in history.

- Arsenale quarter
Surrounded by medieval walls bristling with towers, this district gives a sense of the city’s long and prestigious maritime past

GARDENS

Giardini di Castello
Since 1895 the Venice Biennale of contemporary art has been held in these gardens which contain 29 pavilions each representing a country.

AROUND

ISLANDS OF THE LAGOON

Island of Murano
The biggest island of the lagoon, it extends over five small islets. It is world famous for its traditional glassmaking.
Worth seeing:
- Museum of Glass
- Santa Maria e Donato church

Island of Torcello
Situated where the tidal waters of the living lagoon meet the still waters of the dead lagoon, it was, in the beginning of the Middle Ages, the most powerful island. Today a considerable part is covered by marshes and it is inhabited by just 60 people.
Worth seeing:
- Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta
- Santa Fosca church

Island of Burano
A peaceful little fishing port with colourful houses. The lace made on this tiny island was renowned throughout Europe.
Worth seeing:
- Lace museum
- San Martino church

CITIES

Padua
Famous for its university opened in 1222 and the magnificence of its monuments, it is also a place of pilgrimage for those who venerate St Anthony of Padua. The city hosted Dante, Copernicus, Galileo, Giotto and was the birthplace of Mantegna.
Worth seeing:
- Frescoes by Giotto
- Frescoes in the Chiesa degli Eremitani
- Eremitani Civic Museum
- Basilica del Santo - St George’s Oratory
- Botanical gardens (founded in 1545)

Verona
A Mecca for tourists, Verona is associated with the lovers, Romeo and Juliet. An entire tourist industry has grown up around the fictional couple: the home of Juliet, her balcony, her tomb... .
Also worth seeing:
- Roman theatre and amphitheatre in which the International Lyric Opera Festival is held each year.
- San Zeno Basilica
- Castelvecchio housing the museum of ancient art
- Churches of San Fermo Maggiore and Sant'Anastasia
- Piazza dei Signori and Piazza delle Erbe

Food & Drink

Festivals, Traditional customs

Pasta
The basis of Italian food, there are 245 types of pasta. Pasta is always served as a primo piatto (between the starter and the main course) but it can also be considered a main dish.

Venetian dishes
Sarde in saor (sardines in oil)
Carpaccio (very thin slices of marinated raw beef)
Pasta in cuttlefish ink
Pasta alle vongole (clams)
Risi e bisi (soup of rice with peas)
Fegato alla veneziana (calf’s liver in very fine slices cooked in butter and onions)
Bacalla alla vicenta (salt cod marinated in milk)

Desserts
Venetian style stewed cherries
Italian style ice creams
Pan del doge (a crunchy biscuit which is sometimes made with chocolate and is then called pan del moro)
Zaletti veneziani (almond cakes)

Cheese
Hard cheese : Taleggio, Pecorino romano
Cheese made with raw milk : Fontina
Semi-hard cheese : Bocconcini, Mozzarella di Buffala
Blue cheese : Gorgonzola
Stringy cheese : Provolone

Coffee

In Italy, coffee is an institution. It is drunk macchiato (with a dash of cold milk, warm or hot), con latte (with milk), cappuccino (topped with foamy milk and sprinkled with chocolate) or corretto (with a little liqueur)

Alcohol

- Wine: Venetia is the main producer and seller of classified wine in the whole of Italy. Among the most well-known are Valpolicella (well-rounded and fruity), Soave (dry) and Bardolino (smooth).

- Aperitifs: Spritz, Bellini and Sgroppino are typically Venetian

- After-dinner drinks: raisins saturated in grappa d'uva (typically Venetian home-made grape brandy)

Festival Calendar

6 January - Regatta delle Befane, Epiphany gondola regatta.
February – Carnival
25 April - Feast Day of St Mark, patron saint of the city; men give roses to their sweethearts.
May – Vogalonga, rowing-boat race through the lagoon, between Venice and Burano.
5 May: Medieval Festival. Processions, pageants and costume parades.
June - Marciliana; Chioggia, the most important town of the Venice district after Venice itself, commemorates its siege by the Genoese in 1380.
July – Festa del Redentore (Feast of the Redeemer) in memory of the end of the plague of 1576. Fireworks and regatta on the Grand Canal.
August-September - Mostra del cinema di Venezia - Venice International Film Festival at the Lido.
September – Historic regatta; gondola races on the Grand Canal preceded by a parade of replica 15th century boats.
June-September - Biennale of contemporary art
21 November – Feast of the Madonna commemoration of the end of the great plague of 1630.

CARNIVAL www.carnivalofvenice.com
This secular festival taking place just before the beginning of Lent, has been very popular since the beginning of the Renaissance. The Venice Carnival came into being in 1662 with the victory of the Doge of Venice over the patriarch of Aquileia. Prohibited at the end of the 18th century because of its excesses, it was reborn in 1980, at the behest of the authorities. This festival lasting several days takes the form of a cultural and tourist event, organised around the theme of the mask, considered as an art.
The favourite mask of the Venetians is the bautta (a white mask edged with a black veil). The disguise also comprises a wide-brimmed hat with a head-hugging hood concealing only the upper part of the face. The obligatory headdress is the typically Venetian three-cornered cocked hat.

FESTIVALS

THE VENICE BIENNALE www.labiennale.org
This is one of the most important international events devoted to contemporary art. Each year a different artist is responsible for the programme planning.

Things to Do

Hotels

Restaurants

Museums

Gallerie de l'Accademia
The academy of Fine Arts has a wonderful array of Venetian paintings on display spanning the 14th to 18th centuries. (Giovanni Bellini, Carpaccio, Le Titien, Véronèse, Tiepolo…)

Ca' d'Oro
This palace, which dates back to 1412, has an art collections of Giogio Franchetti, not least some stunning works by Titian, Carpaccio and a fine array of Flemish tapestries

Museo Correr
This museum is entirely given over to the history of the Venetian Republic. There is also much to admire in the fine works of the sculptor Canova and the beautiful Renaissance artwork on display.

Collection Peggy Guggenheim
One of the most important modern art collections in the world

Palazzo Querini-Stampalia
This museum has brought together under one roof their considerable collection of paintings, made up of works by Tiepolo, Bellini, Longhi, etc.

Palazzo Mocenigo
It's the Center of history of the Fabric and Costume, offer several dresses and accessories of marvellous tailoring.

Museo Storico Navale
Raised on the site of a former warehouse in the Arsenale area of town, this museum gathers together the entire Venetian fleet. (war vessels, ceremonial boats, replica of Bucintoro, the boat of the doges).

Albergo Cavalletto & Doge Orseolo
Piazza San Marco, Ponte del Cavalletto, 1107
Tel. 041 520 0955 - cavalletto@sanmarcohotels.com - www.sanmarcohotels.com
Alongside St. Mark's Square, right in the heart of Venice, commanding spectacular view of Orseolo Basin and Gondola Harbour, stands the Cavalletto & Doge Orseolo, the oldest Hotel in Italy.

Albergo San Marco ***
San Marco 877, Ponte dei Dai
Tel. 041 520 4277 - sanmarco@sanmarcohotels.com - www.sanmarcohotels.com
20 meters far from St. Mark's Square, in the right center of Venice.

Bauer Il Palazzo
San Marco 1413 D
Tel. 041 520 7022 - info@ilpalazzovenezia.com - www.ilpalazzovenezia.com
Walking into “Il Palazzo” at the Bauer is like stepping into a richly detailed Renaissance painting. Housed primarily in an 18th-century Palace on the Grand Canal, it has been converted into a private mansion.

Hotel Amadeus
Lista di Spagna, 227
Tel. 041 220 6000 - booking@gardenahotels.it - www.gardenahotels.it

Hotel Ambassador Tre Rose ***
San Marco - Calle dei Fabbri, 905
Tel. 041 522 2490 - ambassador@sanmarcohotels.com - www.sanmarcohotels.com
Its ideal position, at the entrance of Piazza S. Marco, few steps from all main tourist attractions and the most exclusive shops, makes the Ambassador particularly appreciated by the Clientele of the whole world.

Hotel Bauer 5*
San Marco 1459 - Campo San Moise
Tel. 041 520 7022 - booking@bauervenezia.com - www.bauervenezia.com
Enjoy an impressing opera event in “La Fenice” theatre of Venice and discover the city’s cultural strongholds and art treasures.The Bauer Hotel offers 97 luxurious rooms and 18 suites. All retaining a nostalgic charm with beautiful furnishings.

Hotel Bonvecchiati ****
San Marco 4488
Tel. 041 528 5017 - info@hotelbonvecchiati.it - www.hotelbonvecchiati.it
The Hotel Bonvecchiati situated in the heart of Venice, in a picturesque "calle" just a stone's away from St.Mark's square is the image of elegance, class and exclusivity. Recently restored it offers stylish guest rooms featuring enchanting views of the city and the Basil of St.Mark.

Hotel Gardena
S. Croce 239
Tel. 041 220 5000 - booking@gardenahotels.it - www.gardenahotels.it

Hotel Principe
Lista di Spagna 146
Tel. 041 220 40 00 - booking@gardenahotels.it - www.gardenahotels.it

Hotel Royal San Marco ***
San Marco, 848
Tel. 041 528 7665 - royalsanmarco@sanmarcohotels.com - www.sanmarcohotels.com
Situated in a unique position, at the entrance of St. Mark's Square and a walking distance from the main attractions. The Hotel Royal San Marco was completely recontructed on the foundation of a very old inn.

Palace Bonvecchiati
Calle dei Fabbri - San Marco 4680
Tel. 041 528 5017 - info@hotelbonvecchiati.it - www.hotelinvenice.it
The Hotel is a luxurious heaven that combines contemporary sophistication with an elegant atmosphere and traditional Venetian hospitality. Ideally located in the historical centre of Venice, only 200 meters away from St. Mark’s Square.

San Marco Palace
San Marco 875 - Ponte dei Dai
Tel 041 240 4311 - sanmarcopalace@sanmarcohotels.com - www.sanmarcohotels.com
A step away from St. Mark's Square, it offers 26 new fully equipped suites with 1 or 2 bedrooms, many with private terrace overlooking the St. Mark's Bell Tower.

Suites Torre dell'Orologio
San Marco 2202/a
Tel. 041 241 0111 - torreorologio@sanmarcohotels.com - www.sanmarcohotels.com
An antique palace, masterfully restored, with a prestigious and elegant environment. Situated in a quiet "calle" of the Mercerie, along the shop windows of prestigious boutiques and the main door to St. Mark's Square.

Agli Alboretti
Back in the Fifties and Sixties Agli Alboretti Restaurant used to be a favourite meeting place among artists and art dealers. Also Peggy Guggenheim would eat there together with her painter friends.

Quadri
The menu tends mainly towards fish-based Venetian specialities. View over Saint Mark's square.

Antico Martini
Since 1720 Antico Martini is the top-class romantic restaurant in Venice Italy, famous the world over for fine food and refined service

Antico Pignolo
This large restaurant specialises in freshly caught fish. A wonderfully stocked wine cellar with over 900 different labels.

Osteria Ai Quattro Ferri
Situated on the pleasant San Barnaba Square, the menu is a sure-fire winner, with such quintessentially Venetian dishes.

Taverna La Fenice
Here, everything is geared towards bringing back the feel of the great theatre-cum-opera house that burned down in 1996, the Fenice, from which this restaurant takes its name. The filtered lighting, the slightly baroque-looking furniture and the bar flanked with lion heads all contribute to the effect. In the winter, music is also on the bill, with a pianist who blends perfectly into the atmosphere.

Bars & Caffetteria

Caffé Florian
Open to the public in 1720, the Florian is the best known of Venice's many cafés. The terrace looks onto Saint Mark's square and the three small rooms are lavishly decorated with frescoes and antique mirrors. From spring onwards, the languid music of the house group adds to the romantic feel of the place.

Harry's bar
Hemingway was once a regular in what has since become a legend of its very own, due in no small part to its unique atmosphere and range of both Venetian and international cuisine. This is where it all started out, including carpaccio and Bellini (a mixture of champagne and peach juice) to name but two. The recipes are all lovingly created by the restaurant itself, led by Arrigo, son of Giuseppe Cipriani, who founded the place in 1931