Prima Vigilia Noctis
Concerts and tales in the churches of the old Roman road “Via Valeria”
Various churches of Taormina, from October 20th to November 4th 2012
In Roman times the street called Via Valeria climbed from the Spisone coast up to Taormina. Then it went through Taormina and returned towards the sea down the valley of the Sirina river. We would have found the Jupiter Serapis temple, the Baths, the Forum, and the Odeon, built on the ruins of the Aphrodite Greek temple, or the splendid Naumachie along this road. The noises, sounds, voices, and people of daily life during the day: the rich owner of the Domus (house) carrying out their business in the Forum among the amphoraes of many shapes, wine merchants shouting out the quality and good price of their goods in order to attract new customers while the sound of the potter’s wheel emphasized his ability to shape a new pitcher.
With a deep blue sky and a few torches in the darkness, Via Valeria would have had a unique atmosphere during the sunset of the la prima vigilia noctis (* 1) – which was spent working or talking.
The ancient street of Via Valeria has witnessed many changes with the passage of time: the Jupiter Serapis temple became St. Pancras’ Church, and St. Catherine’s Church rose above the remains of the Odeon. Palaces and other beautiful churches arose and the historic core of the city developed around them. So today we walk along Corso Umberto discovering different ages at every step changing from Arabic style to Norman and from Gothic to Baroque. What is more, we can only be enchanted along the way by Taormina’s Churches. Built through the ages, some of them were unfortunately destroyed or integrated into other buildings, while others were demolished but many are still used for worship and are open to visitors.
We are immediately struck by the Cathedral fortress, the Cathedral dedicated to St. Nicholas, while a glimpse of the medieval Varò Church is an impressive sight. Overlooking the sea, St. Joseph’s Church smiles and guides us along the road to St. Catherine’s Church. And before leaving Taormina, the S. Pancras Church greets us, the city’s patron saint.
* 1. The Romans divided the day into 12 daylight hours (from sunrise to sunset) and 12 hours of darkness. Consequently, the duration of each hour was not fixed but varied according to the seasons, daylight hours being longer in summer and shorter in winter, and vice versa at night. Both the day and night were then divided into four time periods: these hours of the day ended with the third, sixth, ninth, and twelfth hours while the night were called Vigiliae (Eves). Prima vigilia noctis was from 6.00 pm to 9.00 pm. From this division the early Christians introduced prayers to be recited at certain times of the day: the night office including Vespers, Compline, night, morning and praise, and the office during the day at the first, third, sixth and ninth hours.
PROGRAMME – Download
Cathedral
Saturday, October 20th at 7.30pm
Taormina Plectrum Orchestra
FRANZ SCHUBERT Ave Maria
RAFFAELE CALACE Rondò
HERMANN AMBROSIUS Feierlicher Reigen
ANTONIO VIVALDI Concerto in RE – 2° movimento
DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH Valse n°2 dalla Jazz Suite
PANCRAZIO GULOTTA Suite Siciliana n° 6
GIUSEPPE VERDI Nabucco – Sinfonia
Illustration by Giuseppina Ponturo
Church of Santa Caterina
Sunday, October 21st at 6.30pm
Conservatoire A. Corelli of Messina
Antonella Cernuto, harp
FRANZ SCHUBERT Ave Maria
GEORG FRIEDRIC HÄNDEL Movimento dal Concerto in si bemolle per arpa
ALPHONSE HASSELMANS Gitana
FRANZ POENITZ Todestanz der Willys
PEARL CHERTOK Suite around the clock
Illustration by Maria Costanza Lentini
Church of San Giuseppe
Saturday, October 27th at 6.30pm
Soloists of the Taormina Plectrum Orchestra
Alessandro Russo, mandoline – Aldo Filistad, mandoline – Elisabetta Monaco, lute – Ivana Rapisarda, mandoloncello – Alfredo D’Urso, guitar
PIETRO MASCAGNI dalla Cavalleria Rusticana, Ave Maria
RAFFAELE CALACE Danza esotica
SALVATORE FALBO Suite Campestre
GIUSEPPE BRANZOLI Spiritismo
RAFFAELE CALACE Impressioni Orientali
PRIMO SILVESTRI Tarantella vaga
GIOVANNI SOLLIMA Terra Aria
Illustration by Giuseppina Ponturo
Church of San Pancrazio
Sunday, October 28th at 6.30pm
Conservatoire A. Corelli of Messina
GOLDEN TRIO: Marta Arcodia, clarinet – Agata Feudale Foti, clarinet – Michela Sgambelluri, clarinet
W. AMADEUS MOZART Ouverture dal Flauto magico, Divertimento n. 4
PIOTR ILIC CIAJKOVSKIJ Suite dal balletto Lo schiaccianoci
GABRIEL FAURE’ Pavane
FRANZ SCHUBERT Danze per tre clarinetti
J.B. LOEILLET Sonata IV
ARCANGELO CORELLI Concerto Grosso
Illustration by Maria Costanza Lentini
Church del Varò
Saturday, November 3rd at 6.30pm
Soloists of the Taormina Plectrum Orchestra
Alessandro Russo, mandoline – Alfredo D’Urso, guitar
ASTOR PIAZZOLLA Ave Maria
PRIMO SILVESTRI Burlesca
RAFFAELE CALACE Bolero
GIOVIALE Serate primaverili
GIOVANNI GIOVIALE Tarantella
CARLO MUNIER Capriccio spagnolo
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Adagio della sonata patetica
Illustration by Giuseppina Ponturo
Cathedral
Sunday, November 4th at 6.30pm
Chamber Orchestra of the Conservatorire A. Corelli of Messina
Salvatore Percacciolo, director
WOLFANG AMADEUS MOZART Divertimento n. 1 in re maggiore Ouverture da “Apollo e Giacinto” Sinfonia n. 6 in fa maggiore Ave Verum Sinfonia n. 24 in si bemolle maggiore
PETER WARLOCK Capriol Suite
GABRIEL FAURE’ Pavane
BELA BARTOK Danze Rumene
Illustration by Giuseppina Ponturo
