Parma is not only a city of art and good food, it is also and above all a city with a vocation for music. It is in its DNA, part of its chromosomes. And this passion manifests itself in a great variety of proposals and numerous structures dedicated to it. Here we propose an itinerary that will take you on a discovery of the main music venues in Parma.
The itinerary begins with a visit to the Museo Casa Natale Arturo Toscanini, located in the lively Oltretorrente district. It was in this modest house that the famous conductor was born on 25 March 1867 and spent his early childhood years. The house, transformed into a museum in 1967 (on the occasion of the centenary of his birth), in every room and through every glimpse recounts aspects of the great maestro’s life and work. On display are relics, objects and documents from the various homes where Toscanini lived. The exhibition also includes films and recordings of his most famous performances. Among the memorabilia on display is a Bechstein piano that belonged to opera singer Aureliano Pertile, to whom Toscanini was very close.
The second stop is the Teatro Regio, which dominates the pedestrianised part of Strada Garibaldi. The absolute temple of melodrama and Giuseppe Verdi, it is the place where a passionate and demanding audience, especially those in the gallery, gather. It regularly hosts operas, ballets and symphonic concerts of the highest level, as well as some light music events. Built at the behest of Duchess Maria Luigia of Habsburg-Lorraine to the design of court architect Nicola Bettoli, it was inaugurated in 1829 with the opera ‘Zaira’ by Vincenzo Bellini. The refinement of the stuccoes, the harmony of the proportions, the perfect acoustics, the illustrious history and the greatness of the artists who have graced its stage make it one of the most prestigious and well-known theatres in the world. It offers unmissable guided tours.
A few steps away from the Teatro Regio is the Conservatory named (since 1919) after the composer (and poet) Arrigo Boito, best known for his opera librettos and the melodrama ‘Mefistofele’. Considered one of the most important and prestigious music training institutes in Europe, the conservatory has been located since its foundation (1818) in the Convento del Carmine, a building of medieval origin that has two splendid cloisters as one of its main attractions. It offers free music evenings with performances by students and teachers at the beautiful Carmine Auditorium (adjacent to the convent), housed in the deconsecrated Carmine Church. The historic organ attributed to Claudio Merulo (1533-1604) is preserved here.
The next stop is the Casa della Musica (House of Music), a multi-purpose space at the service of music, to get to know and study it in all its aspects. It is housed in the Renaissance Palazzo Cusani (15th century), used as the State Mint in the 18th century and recently renovated. It brings together the historical archives of the Regio Theatre, a concert hall, a library-media library (equipped with a listening room and internet stations) and the multimedia museum ‘L’opera in scena: viaggio nel teatro musicale a Parma’ (The opera on stage: a journey through musical theatre in Parma). It hosts musical and performance events as well as conferences, seminars and presentations. In the immediate vicinity of the Casa della Musica is the deconsecrated church of Santa Elisabetta (mid 17th century), which houses the Casa del Suono. It houses a valuable collection of sound-makers as well as facilities with innovative sound reproduction equipment and services dedicated to scientific and artistic research, education and outreach.
Finally, the last stop on the itinerary is the Auditorium Niccolò Paganini. Inaugurated in 2001, it was designed by Renzo Piano, one of the most influential, prolific and internationally active architects of the 20th and 21st centuries. It stands in the urban park that housed the historic Eridania sugar factory from 1899 to 1968. The building consists of a plenary hall for 780 people, a rehearsal hall of about 200 square metres, foyer, dressing rooms, bar, offices, cloakroom and control room. It hosts various events, including concerts of the Arturo Toscanini Foundation.
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AGRITURISMO IL BRUGNOLO
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