In the nineteenth century, street musicians performed in the alleys of Naples the main arias and the most salient opera moments from the theatre programmes for those who could not afford a ticket. This simple and popular way of presenting the works of great composers brought the opera back to its old origins ‒ an art whose real vocation had become lost over the centuries, ending up being perceived as a elite music.
The sound of these musicians represents then what today’s society is: a sublime mixture of cultures. Therefore, when we hear the Orchestra of Piazza Vittorio play opera using instruments from many different cultures around the world, we are reminded of those 19th-century street musicians.
This concert will include arias from The Magic Flute and Don Giovanni by Mozart, and Carmen by Bizet, together with arias by Giuseppe Verdi and Kurt Weill. Thanks to the instruments and through the languages that have characterised the sound of the Orchestra over time, twelve musicians and singers will celebrate the operas, enhancing their most popular side to ideally bring the audience closer to the original ideas of the great composers who created them.
