The 2024 autumn season of AMAT in Siena came to a close yesterday with Tosca by Giacomo Puccini, in collaboration with the Municipality of Siena and the Santa Maria della Scala. From October to December, it was a non-stop series of musical theater and opera productions. Four productions were included in the program of the Teatri di Siena, curated by the Artistic Director, and one production for the Santa Maria della Scala Museum. The performances were very diverse from each other yet complementary.
The season began in October at the Teatro dei Rozzi with the musical fairy tale Il Principe Canarino (The Canary Prince), featuring orchestra, singers, a narrator, and ballet, engaging many children and families. Then, in November, the success of Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale was staged, with the participation of Vincenzo Bocciarelli as the actor.
Next, A riveder le stelle was presented, a performance for the Santa Maria della Scala Museum, dedicated to Dante and Galileo Galilei. It was an original musical narrative featuring a storyteller and a vocal ensemble.
Next came the tribute to Giacomo Puccini, with Suor Angelica at the Teatro dei Rinnovati. This unconventional production, directed by Sergio Basile, was aimed at young audiences and, in December, amazed the public and engaged many high schools from the province. All these performances were part of Regeneration Opera, a project promoted by AMAT with the support of the Ministry of Culture, now in its third edition. A pioneering initiative launched in 2022, designed to educate and engage audiences of all ages, exploring various artistic expressions (music, drama, dance, visual arts, video art).
Finally, yesterday Tosca was staged, a performance promoted and supported by the Municipality of Siena, produced in collaboration with AMAT, featuring an international cast (Valentina Boi, Samuele Simoncini, and Francesco Landolfi) and the Orchestra of the Puccini Festival in Torre del Lago, conducted by Marco Severi.
For Francesca Lazzeroni, manager of AMAT, “The audience’s response to this season’s performances, and especially yesterday’s sold-out show, confirms that Siena has a strong need for music and opera. Moreover, our city, by offering original productions, can also become an important cultural hub for all of Italy. The great production effort we made this year, in collaboration with the Municipality of Siena, has borne fruit. Producing and staging original performances requires months of preparatory work and managing many (inevitable) unforeseen circumstances. For this reason, together with the Artistic Director, I would also like to thank the team of technicians at the Teatri di Siena for their availability and professionalism.”
The next musical events will be those of the Tasting Notes Festival, in collaboration with Opera Laboratori: the concert by the Unconventional Singers at Palazzo delle Papesse (Siena) on Sunday, December 22, starting at 6 p.m., and A Cena con Puccini at the Tempio del Brunello in Montalcino.
Thus, a year that was as demanding as it was significant for AMAT comes to a close, crowned by the recent recognition of the “Palma Cappuro Donne per la Cultura” award in Sorrento (Naples).
