The Italian Cultural Institute of Strasbourg celebrates Dante on the 700th anniversary of his death: a rich programme of events and initiatives dedicated to the Supreme Poet, and organized for the XXI Week of the Italian Language in the World.
On Monday 18 October, the festival will open at the Institute with ‘A riveder le stelle: Dante inside Bach’, a performance for voice and piano, with Carlo Varotti, actor and academic, and Paolo Dirani, pianist. ‘A riveder le stelle’ is a fusion of words and music, and a dialogue between the works of two all-time Immortals of Art: Dante Alighieri and Johann Sebastian Bach. The lyrics (subtitled on the big screen in French, English and Spanish) are taken from some of the most famous passages from the second and third canticles of Dante’s Comedy. The pieces by Bach, mostly Sarabandes, are gentle, slow movements taken from the Well-Tempered Clavier and from Partitas, Suites (English and French) and Toccatas. The show is promoted in collaboration with the Goethe-Institut in Nancy/Strasbourg and the Department of Culture of the Emilia-Romagna Region.
On Tuesday October 19, there will be the presentation of ‘Dante. Les vies nouvelles’ (Fayard), with the participation of the authors Elisa Brilli (University of Turin) and Giuliano Milano (University G. Eiffel, Paris-Est).
On Wednesday October 20, there will be special evening event at the Bibliothèque Nationale Universitaire in Strasbourg: ‘Traduire la Comédie de Dante’ will involve the participation of Jean-Philippe Vegliante, French translator of Dante, and Enrica Zanin and Bernard Werly, Dante scholars and academics from the University of Strasbourg. To conclude, there will be readings and music: the actor Cristiano Nocera from the theatre company ‘Lavoro Nero Teatro’ will offer a Lectura Dantis of Canto XXVI of Inferno, accompanied by a performance of pieces of music by the flautist Johanne Maitre and the percussionist Thomas Vandevenne. The initiative is organized by the Institute in collaboration with the University of Strasbourg, the Bibliothèque Nationale and the ‘Lavoro Nero Teatro’ company.
More information at iicstrasburgo.esteri.it
