Stefano Valanzuolo and Enrico Fagnoni will be the protagonists of the next event “Sorrento Classica”, a prestigious festival artistically directed by maestro Paolo Scibilia. The appointment is set for August 12, when Valanzuolo and Fagnoni will present “Off Side Story”, an opera that reworks the famous music of Leonard Bernstein by Fagnoni on a text by Valanzuolo.
Modern Reworking of a Classic
“Off Side Story” draws inspiration from the legendary “West Side Story,” which in turn is a modern reinterpretation of Shakespeare’s tragedy Romeo and Juliet, adapted in the 1957s by Leonard Bernstein, Steven Sondheim and Arthur Laurents to the atmosphere of New York. The 1961 musical and the XNUMX film, directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, left an indelible mark on the history of music and cinema, winning enormous success with the public and awards, including ten Oscars for the film.
A New Key to Reading
Valanzuolo explains: “I have always deeply loved 'West Side Story' for its brilliance and subversion. 'Off Side Story' aims to revisit this eternal story in a key even closer to us, while maintaining respect for Bernstein's original work. It is a brave, modern, romantic and scathing project, which wants to evoke the atmosphere of football from the title itself. Being a chamber tale, 'Off Side Story' seeks to recreate images and sensations with simplicity and affection, through a voice and a piano that play freely with the music.”
The Event Program
The evening's program will include iconic songs such as: Prologue, Jet Song, Something's Coming, The Dance at the Gym, Maria, America, Tonight, I Feel Pretty, One Hand, One Heart, A Boy Like That, Somewhere, and the Finale.
The protagonists
Enrico Fagnoni: a talented pianist, Fagnoni began his career as a child and trained under the guidance of maestro Vincenzo Vitale. His musical versatility has allowed him to range across various genres and roles, participating in numerous television programs and collaborating with actors, soloists and orchestras of international fame. He has received important awards and holds concerts and masterclasses worldwide.
Stefano Valanzuolo: music critic and collaborator of Radio3, Valanzuolo is a prominent figure in the Italian music scene. He is the artistic director of the “Maggio della Musica” Association of Naples and has collaborated with numerous prominent artists. His theatrical texts have been performed in prestigious settings such as the Venice Theatre Biennale and the Ravenna Festival. He is also the author of opera librettos and has contributed to the Encyclopedia of Music of the Istituto Nazionale Treccani. The appointment with “Off Side Story” at the “Sorrento Classica” represents an extraordinary opportunity to rediscover a masterpiece of twentieth-century music in a new and fascinating key.
Article published on 10 August 2024 - 17:00
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