The “Pietro Mascagni Prize” presented to the Italian Air Force for the Centenary of its establishment
To mark the closing of the prestigious summer programme Mascagni Festival 2023, Saturday, 26 August the The Italian Air Force Band performed on the picturesque Mascagni Terrace. In Livorno, in front of a packed audience of a thousand people drawn by the appeal of the AM Centenary and the musical ensemble that presented a programme almost entirely dedicated to the distinguished composer who was born in Livorno in 1863.
The evening was also an opportunity to pay tribute to the Air Force, represented by Air Marshal Michele Oballa, the “Pietro Mascagni Prize” at its first edition.“The Fondazione Teatro Goldoni, together with the Artistic Direction of the Mascagni Festival, with the patronage of the Municipality of Livorno and the Mascagni Family through the “Pietro Mascagni” Promotional Committee, are honoured to present the Mascagni Prize 2023 to the Italian Air Force.”he began Artistic Director of the Mascagni Festival Marco Voleri presenting the General with a precious copy of the work by the Livornese artist Umberto Bartoli, which portrays Pietro Mascagni conducting.“The reasons for this recognition – Voleri continued – reside primarily in the values of professionalism, dedication, passion and courage that the Air Force has always expressed, with an equal focus on the value of culture and music, so well represented in the artistic excellence of its Band, which we are honoured to have here with us this special evening. The birth of the Mascagni Festival represents a courageous and passionate journey, a commitment for the future that echoes your Centenary. Your motto: In flight towards the future, harmoniously intertwines with the vision of the Mascagni Festival.”
A vision for the future, particularly involving young people, is that General Oballa “, he outlined in his speech on the Air Force's activities in the field of space security: “The challenge is part of the Air Force's DNA, and we have the ambition to look to space in the sense of creating a secure environment that can enable telecommunications, GPS data transmission, Earth observation, observation of the Cosmos, a secure environment.”that offers opportunities to the public and private sector. In telling the story of these 100 years, the Air Force wanted to share with young people“our values and ethics, and we succeeded”added the General, who emphasised the importance and beauty of being able to share with the public“this moment of culture and art too“.
The close association of the Air Force with the composer from Livorno is a historical fact that fills our Band with pride and brings prestige to the entire Armed Force: it was indeed 1 July 1937 when, at Cavour Barracks in Rome, the Band, led by Maestro Alberto Di Miniello (composer of our Official March), having reached its ideal formation after some years of unofficial activity, gave its first private concert before the seventy-four-year-old Mascagni at the height of his fame. The Maestro, at the end of the concert, which featured a programme of his best-known compositions, was moved and expressed himself in these terms: “For me, in my decline, this rising star is a comfort.”That date marked the official beginning of the Band's activities in national and international contexts, and from the outset, it brought honour to Italy and to an Air Force born in ’23 and already looking towards a future of technological experimentation.“We are the only military music ensemble to have had such a distinguished patron who enjoyed such notoriety in those years, as much as that surrounding the youngest of the Armed Forces, adorned with numerous flight records and celebrated for its exploits.” says proudly the Bandmaster Major Cammarano.
The musical programme of the evening was particularly well received. In the city of Pietro Mascagni, the father of musical verismo, his theatrical masterpieces were certainly not to be missed. So it was that the Maestro Bandmaster, Major Pantaleo Leonfranco Cammarano, He has drawn up a programme featuring the celebrated: Cavalleria Rusticana, Amico Fritz, Le Maschere, Guglielmo Ratcliff, and, by delving into the original scores, has transcribed for the occasion some less frequently performed pieces such as the Barcarola from the opera Silvano and the aria “Fa che i pensieri non tornino” from the opera I Rantzau, sung by soprano Seonjae Yun, a rising star of the Mascagni Festival and the concert band's soloist.
Also present at the Band's performance was Livorno's Deputy Mayor, Libera Camici. The concert was introduced by Paolo Noseda, Head of International Relations and Symphonic Programming for the Goldoni Theatre, who interspersed the announcements of the musical pieces with references to the history of the Air Force, which were greatly appreciated by the audience.
The Italian Air Force Band, fresh from their beautiful and highly acclaimed concert at the Valle d'Itria Festival in Martina Franca, still has many dates ahead of them for 2023.
In September it will be the 8th in Lucca – Teatro del Giglio, the 10th in Minturno – Roman Theatre, the 15th in Macerata – Sferisterio, the 22nd in Cagliari – Bastione Saint Remy, the 30th in Camerota – Kamaraton Theatre, then in October: the 12th in Palermo – Teatro Massimo, the 20th in Sant’Arpino (CE) – Teatro Lendi, the 21st in Salerno.
