Il Tirreno Giornale (PISA, Italia, Wednesday 22 May 2002)
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For the first time in memory, the bell tower
will be opened at night until almost Midnight. Free passage for the regata, for S. Ranieri and for the inauguration of the Serassi organ by Candida Virgone PISA. If you admire the panorama from the Tower in the daytime, the image at night is something special. It will be possible do so starting next Saturday, when, for the first time in its history, at least in memory, the famous bell tower will be opened to the public at night, up to Midnight. And to permit the enjoyment of the sight in a complete manner and to indulge those impassioned for photos, special lights will be set. The visits to the tower, only on some days, will be possible all summer long. The first special openings will be on occasion of the regata of the marine republics and for the inauguration of the historical organ of the "Serassi Brothers", as in these days Piazza dei Miracoli will be the center of a series of prestigious cultural events. The unique event in the history of the bell tower of Bonanno Pisano will certainly attract many visitors, Italian and foreign. An initiative of the Work of the Pisan Primaziale, presided over by Pierfrancesco Pacini, it is intended particularly to honor the Pisano June events. The first evening event with the Tower open, he says, is next Saturday on occasion of the regata of the marine republics, while the second will be held Tuesday, 11 June, on occasion of the concert of inauguration of the historical organ "F.lli Serassi" that will be held in the cathedral with free entry. The famous instrument has been restored by the "Mascioni" house of organs in Varese with financing by the Foundation of bank Cassa di Risparmio of Pisa. Other dates include a particular appointment with the tower at night on Sunday 16 June, for the Illumination of San Ranieri, and the following night for the festival of the holy patron. The first weekend with the Tower open at night will be that of Friday 28 and Saturday 29 May. Other special evening openings are scheduled in July on the days of Friday 19 and Saturday 20, and of Friday 26 and Saturday 27; and again, in August, Friday and Saturday, in all the weekend dates, 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24, 30 and 31. The cost of the ticket is unchanged, always 15 Euro per person. The visits begin at 8:30 PM and finish ten minutes before Midnight, 40 groups of maximum of 30 people each. And then, for the next month of September, preparing for the second edition of the festival of sacred music "Powerful Soul" - that was a so successful last year - the Work of the Pisan Primaziale and the Foundation Cassa di Risparmio di Pisa organize a concert for the inauguration of the organ that will be held 11 June at 9:15 PM in the cathedral. The teacher Giancarlo Parodi proposes selections among repertoire classical organists, from the repertoire in use during the era of the construction of the instrument, in a way to listen to the power, in all its fullness, of the potentialities of the organ. In the year 1835 the Serassi Brothers Organ Builders delivered to the Cathedral what, up to that time, was the biggest built organ ever in the long history of the Primaziale church. The historical Serassi organ corresponds in all its parts to those that were among the musical tastes of the Eighthteenth Century, in particular the pleasurable manner of listening again, on the instrument that commonly was used for liturgical service, the music derived from theatrical repertoire, with the execution of elaborations of aria and solos belonging to melodrama. In that period the overwhelming expansion of opera saw the birth of the orchestras, that carried music of Verdi, Bellini, Donizetti to the plazas of the country, while the people, overtaken by the passion for lyrics, at least until at the end of the century, felt the necessity also in church to listen to the sublime arias of Traviata or Rigoletto. From here the planning of organs was based prevalently on the orchestra instrumentation, with so many accessories like drums, bells, symbals, plates and grand enclosures. The Serassi corresponds in all its parts to these characteristics and the uses limited in the course of the time has until now left it intact, except for minor mechanical modifications. |
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