Pizzica pizzica, tambourine and opera: Italea Puglia and Taranto Opera Festival

The experience

Whether it is high or “low”, an inhabitant of the stage or of the popular patrols, the musical tradition is an indispensable – and exciting – vehicle to reach the deep heart of Italian culture.

We have thought of two unmissable roots workshops, combined with two great operas from the Taranto Opera Festival 2024 program, “The Barber of Seville” (6/7 June) and “The Land of Bells” (25/26 July).

You can choose to join us on Wednesday 5 June or Wednesday 24 July, to learn more about the rhythms and movements of Apulian popular culture, and feel part of a true Southern party!

Pizzica pizzica on the notes of the accordion

Pizzica pizzica workshop

Learn to move the steps of the pizzica pizzica, the most famous traditional Apulian dance, to the live notes of the diatonic accordion. The appointment is at Villa Castelli, the small town where music and dance still keep community ties alive. Here, guided by our traditional guardians, you will learn the essential rhythm of the pizzica, and you will be welcomed into the traditional circle of the “ronda” to share a moment of celebration and joy in the manner of the past.

Where?

Council Chamber of Villa Castelli, BR (half an hour’s drive from Taranto!)

When?

Wednesday 5 June from 6 pm to 8 pm

Wednesday 24 July from 6 pm to 8 pm

Costs

Workshop pizzica pizzica > 55 euro

Workshop + Taranto Opera Festival > Ticket 70 euros (save 10 euros!)

Enrollment

info@italeapuglia.com

WhatsApp: +39 349 341 2604

The activities are reserved for members (card cost included)

The rhythms of the tambourine

Tambourine workshop

The tambourine is the “magical” instrument born in the pastoral and peasant world, the protagonist of the pizzica pizzica and other music of oral tradition in Puglia. It was once the protagonist of festive community moments, as well as therapeutic rituals to heal from the symbolic bite of the “taranta”.

The workshop, which is held in the village of Villa Castelli (still very attached to its roots) aims to introduce participants to the ancient instrument, made with materials that were once easily available and found new life in the rhythm. These rhythms, as well as the methods of execution, will be immediately experienced by the participants under the guidance of a master, an expert guardian of the tradition.

Where?

Council Chamber of Villa Castelli, BR (half an hour’s drive from Taranto!)

When?

Wednesday 5 June from 4 pm to 6 pm

Wednesday 24 July from 4 pm to 6 pm

Costs

Tambourine > workshop 45 euros

Workshop + Taranto Opera Festival > Ticket 60 euros (you save 10 euros!)

Enrollment

info@italeapuglia.com

WhatsApp: +39 349 341 2604

The activities are reserved for members (card cost included)

The works of Taranto Opera Festival

“The Barber of Seville” by Gioacchino Rossini, conducted by Lorenzo Bizzarri and directed by Anna Aiello, on stage by the Orchestra of the Taranto Opera Festival.

The opera tells the story of Rosina, pupil of the old doctor Don Bartolo, and her lover, the Count d’Almaviva. Thanks to the cunning of the barber Figaro, the Count manages to overcome the obstacles posed by Don Bartolo and win Rosina’s heart. Between disguises, intrigues and hilarious situations, “The Barber of Seville” is a hymn to human joy and ingenuity.

“Il paese dei campanelli” by Carlo Lombardo and Virgilio Ranzato, musical direction Alberto Orlandi, directed by Corrado Abbati, choreography by Francesco Frola, with Il balletto di Parma.
The story of “The Land of Bells” takes us to an imaginary Dutch island, where every house has a small bell tower with a bell that, according to legend, rings at marital betrayal. Everything changes with the arrival of a ship of sailors who begin to court the women of the village, unleashing a series of misunderstandings and comical situations.