Page 100 - Off The Tourist Trail - 1000 Unexpected Travel Alternatives (Part 2 of 2)

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ART AND CULTURE Festival di FORGET THE PROMS?

THE BUILD-UP The BBC Proms is a unique
event. No other music festival can compete with
the sheer scale of performances put on over the
eight weeks. World-class orchestras and soloists,
newly commissioned works, and pieces too
Spoleto
expensive to stage elsewhere are all performed in
one of the world’s most striking concert venues.

THE LETDOWN There is something unsatisfying
about the Proms. The BBC’s lighting rigs can
vs the Proms push the temperatures close to unbearable. The
hall’s acoustics flatter only the largest-scale works.
Then there are the Promenaders: rarely young
and stylish, their greatest distinction may be their
At the Festival di Spoleto, the last note of each performance hangs in the air; status as the most civilized audience in the world.
stepping out from the Proms, it fades fast back into the tuneless roar of London’s traffic
GOING ANYWAY? Don’t even think about
driving. There are two underground stations
within 10 minutes’ walk, and several buses stop
composers to share ideas in order to re-invigorate
NEED TO KNOW just outside. Seats for the most popular concerts
old classics and to find ways to perform innovative may sell out, but you can wait on the day for
LOCATION Spoleto is a large new works. Menotti scoured Italy for a suitable venue. standing tickets. If you plan to watch a lot of
medieval town in Umbria, 7FOJDF
JMBO performances, think about a £190 season ticket.
central Italy, 80 miles (130 km) He came upon Spoleto, a slumbering storehouse
north of Rome of Roman remains and medieval buildings which
*5"-:
WHEN Late June/early July was already blessed with several theaters and a
410-&50
NUMBER OF VISITORS "ESJBUJD supportive mayor.
20,000 spectators attend 3PNF 4FB
95 different performances /BQMFT The festival, dedicated to theater, music, and
DAYTIME 5ZSSIFOJBO dance, grew to be one of Europe’s finest. In its
4FB
TEMPERATURE
*POJBO early years, unknown artists including Rudolph
82°F (28°C) in July 1BMFSNP 4FB
Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn danced here, and
Jacqueline du Pré and Jessye Norman gave
For 16 glorious days each summer, Spoleto debut performances.
transforms itself for a performing arts extravanganza: Each summer, Spoleto’s cafés fill with the
the town’s Roman theater shakes off any dust and sounds of rehearsals and the cathedral square is
fills with the echoes of its orchestra; the medieval transformed into a stage You may rub shoulders
duomo (cathedral) becomes a backdrop for the again with your neighbor from last night’s Row B ABOVE A high-spirited audience waving flags at the Royal
finest operas; and the Teatro Nuovo polishes its during the evening passeggiata or see a young Albert Hall on the Last Night of the Proms
exquisite 19th-century boxes. ballerina bounding up Via Apollinare for her rehearsal
In contrast, at London’s Royal Albert Hall, BBC at the Roman theater. It sure beats lining up on
technicians fiddle and fuss in front of the audience, Kensington Gore for tickets to the Proms.
intent on relaying the music to far-flung television
viewers. At the end of each performance, the PRACTICAL INFORMATION
flushed crowds file out into a city that barely
pauses to take note of the extraordinary music Getting There and Around town. In Spoleto itself, the Hotel
pouring from its heart. Spoleto’s nearest airport is in Residenza d’Epoca Palazzo
In creating the Festival di Spoleto in 1957, the Perugia, 30 miles (48 km) to the Dragoni (www.palazzodragoni.
Italian composer Gian Carlo Menotti wanted to northwest, but most international it) is right in the middle of town.
airlines fly into Rome – a 1½- Its dining room has breathtaking
bring together the best young performers of the day,
hour train ride away. There is an views over the medieval city.
and to encourage directors, choreographers, and excellent network of buses in the
When to Go
Valle di Spoleto, and small shuttle The Festival di Spoleto is a
buses operate inside the medieval
town (www.satubus.com). 16-day event, starting on the
last weekend of June (or first
Where to Eat week of July) and finishing in
There is a big emphasis on simple, mid-July. It’s well worth keeping
local ingredients in Umbrian an eye on the official website for
cuisine and even the most basic dates and venues.
dishes can vary from village to
village. One of Spoleto’s best Budget per Day for Two
restaurants is the Tempio del Gusto With inflated hotel prices and
(www.iltempiodelgusto.com). watching two shows a day, you
will need at least US$430.
Where to Stay
You will need to book very early, Website
ABOVE Cecilia Bartoli during her recital with pianist Jean Yves Thibaudet or consider staying outside of www.festivaldispoleto.com
at Teatro Caio Melisso, Festival di Spoleto

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