Storie Napoletane

The centuries-long oppression by foreign powers often led to Neapolitan resistance. The most famous examples are the fisherman Masaniello’s revolt in the 17^th century and the ‘Four Days of Naples’ in 1943, when the Neapolitans freed themselves from the Nazis. Co-curator for the Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht 2019 Thomas Höft speaks to Dr Mariafederica Castaldo, director of the Fondazione Pietà de’ Turchini – Centro di Musica Antica, about anarchy, resistance and rebellion. Neapolitan actress Cristina Donadio – known as 'Scianel' from the crime series Gomorra – and Björn Schmelzer, musical director of ensemble Graindelavoix, will also take part in the discussion. 

Language: English

Thomas Höft studied art history, literature, musicology and psycholinguistics in Hamburg. He works as a writer, director and dramaturge in very different fields of art. He is responsible for major historical thematic exhibitions in German and Austrian museums and writes non-fiction books. He has become known for his numerous plays and opera librettos for the Deutsche Oper Berlin, the Komische Oper Berlin and the Bregenz Festival. Since 1994 Thomas Höft works as a dramaturge of the Festival styriarte Graz, which was founded for Nikolaus Harnoncourt. From 2012 to 2018 he was director of the Cologne Center for Early Music (ZAMUS) and Artistic Director of the Cologne Festival of Early Music. In 2018 and 2019 he is responsible for the dramaturgy of the Musikfestspiele Potsdam Sanssouci. He is co-curator of the Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht 2019. 

Olga Pashchenko is a Russian pianist, organist, harpsichordist and fortepianist. She studied at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow with Alexei Lubimov, Olga Martynova and Alexei Shmitov. In 2013 and 2014 she rounded off her supplemental fortepiano and harpsichord studies with Richard Egarr. In 2013 she also launched her first solo CD of music by Beethoven, Dussek and Mendelssohn, followed by a stunning recording of Beethoven’s Variations for Piano. Pashchenko was artist in residence during the Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht 2016. 

Björn Schmelzer is an ethnomusicologist and anthropologist. He combines these scientific disciplines in his work as an artist. In Southern Italy he discovered profound relationships between music of the Renaissance and traditional music passed down by word of mouth. With Graindelavoix, the ensemble he founded in 1999, he approaches early music from this standpoint. Björn Schmelzer was curator in residence of the Festival Oude Muziek Utrecht 2018.