Music of Campania

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As one moves away from Naples in almost any direction, there is prominent musical activity to be found. These include, for example, the restoration and use of a number of the so-called "Vesuvian villas" in and near Ercolano (ancient Herculaneum), a string of once luxurious villas built in the 18th century and severely damaged by aerial bombardment in World War II. The most prominent of these is the Villa Campolieto, already restored, open and the site of chamber concerts by the Alessandro Scarlatti association.

The most important musical activity on the islands in the Bay of Naples is on the island of Ischia on the premises of the Mortella Gardens and Villa, the site of the William Walton Foundation, which hosts a yearly music and opera workshop.

The Flavian amphitheater in Pozzuoli, one of the greatest such structures in the ancient world, has undergone extensive restoration and is the site of outdoor summer concerts. Also, since 1985, the cloister of St. Francis in the town of Sorrento has hosted the annual Summer of Music in Sorrento, an extensive program of classical music.

The annual Festival of Ravello is a popular music venue in Italy. Here, an orchestra starts to set up on a stage overlooking the Amalfi coast. Ravellofest01.jpg
The annual Festival of Ravello is a popular music venue in Italy. Here, an orchestra starts to set up on a stage overlooking the Amalfi coast.

Further afield, in other provinces of the region, the city of Avellino has two prominent musical facilities: the Domenico Cimarosa Conservatory and, after a century without a decent opera house, the new Carlo Gesualdo Theater, opened in 2002 with a presentation of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro

The city of Benevento has put to musical use some of its considerable array of ancient Roman archaeology, most prominently the Roman Theater from the 2nd century. Various musical activities are hosted there as part of the city's ongoing self-promotion as the City of "Spettacoli". The city also has a music conservatory located in the large Palazzo De Simone.

The city of Caserta is best known as the site of the "Versailles of Italy", the gigantic Bourbon Royal Palace built by Luigi Vanvitelli in the mid-18th century. The court theater on the premises is the site of frequent concerts, as are the new Communal Theater and the nearby San Leucio complex, an old silk-producing facility and site of a yearly music festival, the eclectic motto of which is "From Giovanni Paisiello to Frank Zappa". Caserta is the only provincial capital in the Campania region without a music conservatory.

The province of Salerno includes Ravello on the Amalfi coast with the famous Ravello Festival, certainly one of the important musical and artistic affairs in Italy. The city of Salerno has its own permanent opera company (the only one in the region except for Naples). The city is also the site of the fine Giuseppe Martucci conservatory as well as the newly reopened Verdi Theater.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Campania</span> Region in Italy

Campania is an administrative region of Italy; most of it is in the south-western portion of the Italian peninsula, but it also includes the small Phlegraean Islands and the island of Capri. The capital of the Campania region is Naples. As of 2018, the region had a population of around 5,820,000 people, making it Italy's third most populous region, and, with an area of 13,590 km2 (5,247 sq mi), its most densely populated region. Based on its GDP, Campania is also the most economically productive region in southern Italy and the 7th most productive in the whole country. Naples' urban area, which is in Campania, is the eighth most populous in the European Union. The region is home to 10 of the 58 UNESCO sites in Italy, including Pompeii and Herculaneum, the Royal Palace of Caserta, the Amalfi Coast and the Historic Centre of Naples. In addition, Campania's Mount Vesuvius is part of the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Positano</span> Comune in Campania, Italy

Positano is a village and comune on the Amalfi Coast, in Campania, Italy, mainly in an enclave in the hills leading down to the coast.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ravello</span> Comune in Campania, Italy

Ravello is a town and comune situated above the Amalfi Coast in the province of Salerno, Campania, Southern Italy, with approximately 2,500 inhabitants. Its scenic location makes it a popular tourist destination, and earned it a listing as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avellino</span> Comune in Campania, Italy

Avellino is a town and comune, capital of the province of Avellino in the Campania region of southern Italy. It is situated in a plain surrounded by mountains 47 kilometres (29 mi) east of Naples and is an important hub on the road from Salerno to Benevento.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Province of Caserta</span> Province of Italy

The province of Caserta is a province in the Campania region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Caserta, situated about 36 kilometres (22 mi) by road north of Naples. The province has an area of 2,651.35 square kilometres (1,023.69 sq mi), and had a total population of 924,414 in 2016. The Palace of Caserta is located near to the city, a former royal residence which was constructed for the Bourbon kings of Naples. It was the largest palace and one of the largest buildings erected in Europe during the 18th century. In 1997, the palace was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Naples has played an important and vibrant role over the centuries not just in the music of Italy, but in the general history of western European musical traditions. This influence extends from the early music conservatories in the 16th century through the music of Alessandro Scarlatti during the Baroque period and the comic operas of Pergolesi, Piccinni and, eventually, Rossini and Mozart. The vitality of Neapolitan popular music from the late 19th century has made such songs as'O Sole mio and Funiculì Funiculà a permanent part of our musical consciousness.

The Music of Apulia has had some glorious history as well as some very hard times. Located along the southern Adriatic, the area was part of Magna Grecia and certainly one of the centers of Ancient Greek music. And 1,000 years ago, Bari, on the coast, was a privileged sanctuary for pilgrims and Crusaders on their way to the Holy Land. Yet, the only musical relic that remains from the period is the Excultet, a representation from the 11th century of two angels playing trumpets that is preserved in the Basilica of San Nicola in Bari. Later, as part of the Kingdom of Naples, Apulia produced many memorable names in music, but like elsewhere in the south, many of them gravitated to Naples, the capital of the kingdom.

The music of Basilicata is sparse at the moment. There is little theatrical or staged musical tradition, and the facilities have not yet fully recovered from the 1980 Irpinia earthquake. Yet, the area has some interesting things to offer musically.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music of Emilia-Romagna</span>

The Music of Emilia-Romagna has the reputation of being one of the richest in Europe; there are six music conservatories alone in the region, and the sheer number of other musical venues and activities is astounding. The region, as the name implies, combines the traditions of two different, contiguous areas—Emilia and Romagna—and it is perhaps this blend that contributes to the wealth of musical culture.

Beyond Florence, there are nine other provinces in the region of Tuscany, named for the largest city in, and capital of, the respective province. Taken together, they offer an intense musical life.

Besides Milan, the region of Lombardy has 10 other provinces, each named for the largest city and capital of the respective province: Bergamo, Brescia, Como, Cremona, Lecco, Lodi, Mantova, Pavia, Sondrio, and Varese. Musically, they offer:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Benevento railway station</span> Railway station in Benevento, Campania, Italy

Benevento railway station is the main station serving the city and comune of Benevento, in the region of Campania, southern Italy. Opened in 1868, it forms part of the Naples–Foggia railway, and is also a terminus of three secondary railways, linking Benevento with Campobasso, Avellino, and Cancello, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Villa Rufolo</span>

Villa Rufolo is a villa within the historic center of Ravello, a town in the province of Salerno, southern Italy, which overlooks the front of the cathedral square. The initial layout dates from the 13th century, with extensive remodeling in the 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avellino railway station</span>

Avellino is the main railway station of the Italian city of Avellino, in the region of Campania. It is owned by the Ferrovie dello Stato, the national rail company of Italy, and is classified Silver.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metropolitan City of Naples</span> City in Campania, Italy

The Metropolitan City of Naples is a metropolitan city in the Campania region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Naples. The province was established on 1 January 2015 and contains 92 comuni . It was first created by the reform of local authorities and established by Law 56/2014, thus replacing the province of Naples in 2015.

The ecclesiastical region of Campania is one of the sixteen ecclesiastical regions of the Catholic Church in Italy. It consists of three ecclesiastical provinces, twenty-two dioceses, one territorial prelature, and two territorial abbeys. Its territory roughly corresponds with the Italian Republic homonymous region's one.

Cesina is a toponym of Langobard origin that is used in southern Italy, especially in Campania. It derives from the Latin word caesi and the Latin verb caedere, to which the Langobard suffix -na is added.

AIR Campania S.p.A., formerly known as Autoservizi Irpini S.p.A., is a public company controlled by the Campania Region and a concessionaire of local public transport in the regional field.

References

(Source: Much of the information on the music activities, theaters and other venues for music in this region is taken from Guide Cultura, i luoghi della music (2003) ed. Touring Club Italiano.)