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The second half of August transports us to the mountains of Trentino, then to Lake Maggiore, back to the mountains of Alta Irpinia. Three festivals: one is the historic Stresa Festival, founded in 1961, but today decidedly innovative and unusual; the other is the Sounds of the Dolomites, with a decidedly new relationship between the public, musicians and nature; and then the younger, still different from the first two, Dionysian, the Sponz Fest, in Irpinia.
Stresa (VCO)
The August part of the Stresa Festival has begun and continues until 8 September. Among the numerous concerts, arranged in an innovative way and in places and spaces of great interest (including Isola Bella and Isola Madre), we would like to mention the cellist Mario Brunello on 23-24 with the complete Bach solos for violin , which he plays with the small cello. This concert will be held at the Hermitage of Santa Caterina del Sasso, and also includes the boat trip from Stresa; the enchanting Hermitage, overlooking Lake Maggiore, can only be reached on foot (or by lift). On the 3rd the star pianist Yuja Wang arrives in Stresa with the Radio France Orchestra, engaged in the two Ravel Concerts.
Trentino
From 23 August to 1 October the 28th edition of the Sounds of the Dolomites – high altitude music festival. A month of concerts in the Trentino Dolomites in places reached on foot by the public and musicians, who play ranging from classical to jazz, from songwriting to world music, to musical theatre. With Erlend Øye (Kings of Convenience) and La comitiva, Dave Douglas, Tatiana Eva-Marie & Avalon jazz band, Mario Brunello and Polish Cello Quartet, Le Petite Écurie, Iva Bittova, Quartetto della Scala, Luciano Biondini and Rosario Giuliani, Fabrizio Bosso and Julian Oliver Mazzariello, Gene Gnocchi/Stefano Nanni/Danilo Rossi/Orchestra Maderna, Jack Savoretti, Paolo Fresu/Daniele Di Bonaventura/Pierpaolo Vacca, Banda Osiris, Carmen Consoli. Listen, Dolomites, sounds, open spaces, silence, light, high lands, walking, commitment, sharing, respect, accessibility and tradition: these are the 13 points of the Manifesto of the Sounds of the Dolomites which this year summarizes the meaning of the Festival.
Upper Irpinia
From 20 to 27 August the 10th edition of the Sponz Fest, entitled “Come li pacci”. “It is the village expression to say of those who are not in their senses, of those who cannot find a home, of those who go out of their senses, of those who fidget here and there, “of those who are routed by skids” – says the artistic director Vinicio Capossela – expression of excess, abundance, recreation, the Dionysian and the overflowing, of dissipation and of the Party.” With Samuele Bersani, Margherita Vicario, Paolo Rossi, Nino Frassica, Nichi Vendola, Ermanno Cavazzoni, Bobo Rondelli, Ray Gelato, Skiantos, Daniela Pes, among others.