A Little Night Music

Cervinara is a small town and oftentimes it seems that there's not a lot to do here.  Sometimes that's true!  But in August, there is l'imbarazzo della scelta for fans of festivals and music.  And we are especially lucky when those events are held in our lovely Piazza Elena, where the fountain and plane trees and the Palazzo Marchesale provide a lovely and quaint backdrop for these public events.

During one of our first stops upon arriving in town at the end of July we picked up a little pamphlet with a listing of all the events scheduled for the month of August.  Cervinara Sotto le Stelle (Cervinara Under the Stars) is the slate of performances and processions that await the vacationer to our little town during August.  There is something for everyone....classical music, popular cover bands, religious processions, theatrical performances, and even operas and marching bands!

My first show this year was a band from Taranto, a port city in Puglia.  Every town of any size has a number of brass bands that are hired for everything from functions of public entertainment to funeral marches to wedding celebrations and more.  This band was quite good and the audience enjoyed a selection of works from Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi.  Everyone knows La Donna E Mobile and the Rigoletto sextet, but one of my favorites is Questa o Quella, where the Duke who sang about how women are fickle goes on to sing This One or That One, it really doesn't matter, because all women are essentially the same.  Shame on him!

Something that takes some getting used to is the ambient noise that accompanies any outdoor performance.  We've gone many times to Tanglewood where even in that casual atmosphere there is a general quiet in the audience and a respect for the performers.  But here, children run free through the piazza, waving their laser swords and blowing bubbles from their electronic bubblers, complete with music and flashing lights!  The occasional dog wanders through the seats.  People get up to smoke and chat with friends, and conversations continue throughout.  While some in the audience try to give the evil eye to the worst noise-makers, it's generally considered the norm to have these distractions.  I've gotten used to it, as have the musicians apparently, because they continued through their repertoire without batting an eye.  And, even though they are not actively listening to the music, I have to believe that it is sinking in to the little folks who are running around and that little by little they are developing an appreciation for the music of their heritage.  This was evident by the reaction of one little fellow who, at no more than 18 months or so, kept rushing the stage to get closer to the musicians and who did his darling little dances in time to the music that charmed us all.  


There have been other performances and we look forward to participating in others, along with the religious processions that accompany the national holiday of Ferragosto.  August 15 is a national day of rest, fun, picnics, and music.  While this is the Feast of the Ascension and an important day in the Catholic church it is more often now an opportunity for families to get together for a "grigliata", for a game of soccer in piazza, or for an evening of music.  Cervinara Sotto Le Stelle is a festival for the whole month and we are lucky to be able to participate!