Culture Bridges China and Italy

With hardly been time to absorb all the wonderful moments of the Sino-French Cultural Year that linger in our minds, the cultural year concept is about to take on added colour and significance.

The Sino-Italian Cultural Year will begin at the end of January 2006, while observers are awaiting information on the Russia-in-China Cultural Year, also scheduled for 2006. Both will be followed by celebrations of China in the two countries in 2007.

During its two-year run, from the beginning of 2004 to the end of 2005, the Sino-French Cultural Year established a model for frequent cultural communications between two historical countries during a relatively short period of time. 

Chinese commercial relations with Italy began as early as the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25–220). China and Italy are now turning to a new page in their new-century relations. As the second country to engage with China via the cultural year concept, Italy plans to showcase various aspects its vibrant culture, economy and lifestyle.

The Year of Italy in China officially began with series of events on January 19 and 20, including performances by the prestigious New Scarlatti Orchestra from the San Carlo Theatre Foundation of Naples. Conducted by maestro Yoram David and featuring soprano Amarilli Nizza and tenor Fabio Sartori, the orchestra presented a selection of beloved Italian opera arias by Verdi, Puccini and Donizetti.

Another event marking the beginning of the cultural year came with the opening of the Mirror of Time art exhibition on January 21. It will run until April 23 at the Museum of the China Millennium Monument. The exhibition showcases an extraordinary selection of Italian masterpieces from the late 13^th century to the 19^th century. Works by masters such as Botticelli, Mantegna, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael (Raffaello Sanzi or Santi) and Caravaggio are displayed. The highlight of the exhibition is an early work of da Vinci, showing the face of an ideal woman, probably drawn as a model for an adoring Virgin Mary.

 

On the same day, the show The Renewal of Time, conceived and produced by Valerio Festi, enchanted the audience at the square facing the China Millennium Monument with two shows at 4:15 p.m. and 7 p.m. The show was inspired by and takes its title from the celebrations made during the Renaissance in the city of Florence by Lorenzo "il Magnifico."

Throughout 2006, Italy intends to whip up a cultural storm in China. Most of the activities will be held in Beijing, except a few exhibitions and performances to be presented in Shanghai, Suzhou, Shenyang.

 

Some events to be held in Beijing in 2006 and 2007 include

 

1.      Art Exhibition Mirror of Time

See detailed information on page 53 in the BTM "Culture" section.

Venue: Museum of China Millennium Monument, 9 Fuxing Lu

Time: January 21–April 23

 

2. Art Exhibition Object Cast

An "in situ"  installation to be realized inside the unique frame of the BTAP gallery in Dashanzi.

Venue: BTAP Gallery, 798 Arts Area

Time: January 24–March 26

 

3. Aterballeto: A tribute to Bach, Rossini and Cantata

Dance tributes to the three great composers. Dancers from Aterballeto have extremely high technical skills.

Venue: Poly Theatre

Time: March 3–4

 

4. Villa Celimontana Jazz Festival

Rosario Giuliani Quartet show, and the saxophonist is noted for his fluid style. Winner of the Europe Jazz Contest '97 in Brussels.

Roberto Gatto Special Quintet A Tribute to Miles Davis '64–'68

Gatto, the Italian drummer, has dedicated himself to composing film scores for many years, representing the finely tuned timbre and the typical warmth of the Mediterranean culture.

Time: May 19, 2007

 

5. Lina Sastri in Concerto Napoletano

Passionate, Mediterranean and typically Neapolitan, Lina Sastri has music in her blood. Her performances are a mix of visual suggestion, music and theatre.

Time: May

 

6. Pop Music Concert

Performances by famous Italian and Chinese musicians organized by the Alkeos Association in collaboration with the City of Milan.

Venue: Chaoyang Park

Time: May

 

7. Music by Gioacchino Rossini

The Voice Ensemble of Napoli consists of two pianos and a harmonium. It is directed by maestro Michele Campanella, who is internationally renowned as one of the greatest interpreters of Liszt.

Time: May

 

8. Maria Callas: La Voix des Choses by The Ensemble Ballet Theatre of Micha Van Hoecke (Meet in Beijing Art Festival)

The great choreographer Micha Van Hoecke trained and worked with dancers of the calibre of Roland Petit, Maurice Bejart and Carla Fracci. The show is a contemporary dance tribute to Maria Callas.

Time: May

 

9. Waltz by Teatro Tascabile di Bergamo (Meet in Beijing Art Festival)

A spectacular performance on trampolines. This is an open air show built on the European tradition of waltz that takes a look at the adult world through the eyes of a child.  

Time: May

 

10. Solo Show of Painter and Sculptor Kokocinsky

Arriving in Italy in the 1970s, Kokocinsky became a part of the circle of Moravia and Carlo Levi. In his works, technical execution disappears to make way for the purity of emotion.

Venue: National Museum, east side of Tian’anmen Square

Time: September 14–November 2

 

11. The 20th Century Masterpieces from the Giovanardi Collection

The exhibition showcases the richness of Italian art in the 20th Century.

Venue: National Art Museum of China, 1 Wusi Dajie

Time: September 7–October 11

 

12. 30 Years of Italian Architecture (1969–2000)

The event is divided into two periods, 1969 to 1994 and 1995 to 2006, on architecture design and art.

Venue: National Art Museum of China

Time: September 7-October 11

 

13. Italian Art Today (1990-2005)

The show includes more than 60 works of painting, sculpture, video and installations from the most important contemporary artists in Italy.

Venue: National Art Museum of China

Time: September 7–October 11

 

14. Giffoni Children's Film Festival in China 2006

Being the world's leading children's film festival, Giffoni this time brings to China shorts, full-length features, and animations, intended for an audience from 6 to 19 years old. The best 22 children's films from the last five years: 12 Italian and 10 from other European countries.

Time: September

 

15. Recital by maestro Maurizio Pollini (Beijing Music Festival)

Internationally famous pianist and conductor who excels in the interpretation of Chopin, Beethoven and Schubert. He is also skilled at performing the 20th Century and contemporary avant-garde music.

Time: October 3–6

 

16. Il Piccolo di Milano (Beijing Music Festival)

Founded in 1947 in Milan by Paolo Grassi and Giorgio Strehler, maestros of Italian theatre. In 1991, it became the Teatro d'Europa, the official representative of Italian theatre all over the world.

Time: October 7–8

 

17. Teatro Petruzzelli di Bari (Beijing Music Festival)

Founded in Bari in 1903, it is one of the most important European theatres and is considered a "temple of opera." The Fondazione Petruzzelli is one of the most important Italian cultural institutions.

Time: October 7–8

 

18. Cosi' Fan Tutte (Beijing Music Festival)

Mozart's light opera in two acts. In the Guinness Book of Records for the highest number of performers of an opera.

Time: October 7–8

 

19. Riccardo Muti and the China Philharmonic Orchestra (Beijing Music Festival)

A great interpreter of Verdi and Mozart, he is also noted for his operatic performances of Pergolesi, Gluck, Bellini, Rossini, Puccini and Wagner.

Time: October 21

 

20. La Traviata (Beijing Music Festival)

Melodrama in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi, with librettos by Francesco Maria Piave. The first performance was in 1853 at Teatro "La Fenice".

Time: October 28

 

21. La Scala Ballet Tour

The ballet dancers of La Scala are trained in the oldest department of the La Scala Dance Academy founded in 1813, which has become a real European university of performing arts.

Don Quixote

Time: November 3-5