A harpsichord will bring the art and great beauty of Vignanello to Cuba
We are proud to share a new and exciting international milestone for the Study Center. The article recently published in the Corriere di Viterbo tells the story of a splendid cultural bridge being built between Vignanello, Italy, and Cuba. A unique harpsichord, created by master luthier Andrea Di Maio and co-funded by our Center, is departing for Havana, where it will be donated to the “Ars Longa” baroque orchestra during the upcoming Week of Culture. Below is the translation of the evocative report by Nicola Piermartini.
Article Text:
Work of the luthier Andrea Di Maio, it will be donated tomorrow to the baroque orchestra Ars Longa A harpsichord will bring the art and great beauty of Vignanello to Cuba
VIGNANELLO – A relaxed, remarkably bright morning last Thursday in an enchanted piece of nature. The autumn colors shine, enhanced by the rays of the sun, which scatter them into infinite tones and reflections. Among the chestnut woods overlooking Lake Vico, a home and a workshop. This is the living and working environment of master Andrea Di Maio, a fifty-year-old Roman, one of the most excellent luthiers in Italy, who, for over thirty years, has boasted creations all over the world. Donna Giada Ruspoli, accompanied by the undersigned, rings the bell; a few seconds of waiting: a door leaf opens and a radiant smile welcomes us. Master Di Maio introduces us into his workshop: the clear impression is of entering a Renaissance studio: countless work tools, parts of musical instruments, reproductions of famous paintings… Yes: master Di Maio is also a painter of great merit.
The reason for the visit lies in the fact that the artist, who graduated from the Cremona School of Lutherie, has created a harpsichord, based on a project developed and financed by the Italian Embassy in Cuba, the Oficina del Historiador de Cuba, and the “Santa Giacinta Marescotti” Study and Research Center of Vignanello. The harpsichord, the first built in Cuba, will be donated to the Cuban baroque orchestra “Ars Longa” and inaugurated during the twentieth edition of the Culture Week, scheduled in Havana from November 27 to December 3; the precious instrument will be the protagonist in a concert in the church of San Francisco de Paula. In practice, a bridge, a bond between Vignanello, Italy, and Cuba has been strengthened. A bond established several years ago: the winners of the “Principe Francesco Maria Ruspoli” baroque music competition, held in the Ruspoli castle on the initiative of the aforementioned Study Center, are invited to perform during the Cuban musical week. This year, with the Italian delegation, the young Dalma Krajnyak, Hungarian, winner of the Singing section in the 2017 edition of the competition, will be present.
Returning to the meeting with Di Maio, the master explained that the parts of the harpsichord (made of cypress, poplar, boxwood, pear, fir wood…) were made in his Italian workshop and assembled in a Cuban workshop. A highly evocative panorama of Vignanello, painted by the master on the lid of the instrument, is quite remarkable. Di Maio wished to thank Donna Giada Ruspoli and Professor Giorgio Monari, artistic director of the Vignanello competition. In conclusion, the comment of Silvestro Fochetti, president of the “Santa Giacinta Marescotti” Center: “An important stage in the ten-year commitment to propagate Italian culture internationally. This initiative on Cuban soil will provide a precious opportunity both to highlight the excellence of the high craftsmanship of the Italian school, and to offer training opportunities to young Cuban lutherie students”. (Nicola Piermartini)
