54th International Festival of Contemporary Music

From 23 September 2010 to 02 October 2010

Don Giovanni and the man of stone is the title of the third edition of the Music Biennale, directed by the composer Luca Francesconi. Despite the classic citation, the 54th Venice International Festival of Contemporary Music is expected to be full of innovative elements, a celebration perfectly in line with the highly innovative and always inquisitive spirit of its director. Amongst other things, the man of stone, derived from the famous Mozart character and referring to the Commendatore the Man from Siviglia, father of Donna Anna, killed by Don Giovannaot the beginning of the opera, which returns later as a statue to punish him offers several points of view into the festival, one of them being the past returning to seek revenge against the present and more generally, the idea of conflict. Scheduled from September 23rd to October 2nd, the Venice Music Biennale (with 27 world premieres out of 31 events) has a strong innovative approach in that it sees the participation of emerging, albeit less known, performers as well as prestigious national and international orchestras. This is perfectly demonstrated by the inaugural event, the opera Don Giovanni né Venice, in Palazzo Pisani, which will contain eight new pieces put together by the young composers of the Venice Music Conservatorio in conjunction with the Fenice Orchestra, and which will contain videos and several experimental scenic arrangements that will be staged in the courtyards, loggias and rooms of the palace. On September 26th the Tese Theatre will host Extempore, with the participation of the improviser Evan parker, the pianist Cino Longobardi and the accompaniment of five rewritings of Bruno Madernas Serenata per un satellite.

The encounter of so many different expressions has the clear intention to include a wider audience and not simply a niche one. For this reason there will be more than just academic performances with a clear popular inspiration.

Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement to Wolfgang Rihm. The much sought-after Golden Lion accolade for lifetime achievement will be awarded this year to the German composer Wolfgang Rihm, a very popular author both in his homeland and abroad, whose music is always rooted in the matter of sound, in the rhythm and harmony of force with a clear formal organization.