Francis
Music by Angelo Branduardi
On April 24, 2004, will be presented “FRANCESCO”, the story of the Saint of Assisi, written
by Stefania Garibaldi, with music by Angelo Branduardi.
Angelo Branduardi - whose well-known ability to merge music and poetry, skillfully fusing together cultures and eras,
even those far from one another - will be present on stage, as a talented artist with the gift to adorn the development
of the tale, rendering it still more alive and moving.
In theaters and on stages all over Italy, the story of Francis will be told by a cast of actors, dancers, and musicians,
directed by Oreste Castagna, with choreography by Alberta Palmisano.
In a sequence of virtual travels from medieval times to today - that the audience will undertake together with the cast
- the stories of Francis and his companions reveal themselves to be extraordinarily modern as well as ancient, timeless
in fact.
"Francesco" is not a musical, it is not a play, nor a text put to music, nor a ballet. It is in a way all
of these, brought to the stage thanks to the fluidity of their rapport, in a harmonious development of the thoughts and
events that marked the life of Francis. It is an opera of many levels, a series of concentric circles which unite the
artistic depth of recited theater, the neverending harmony of the forms of the dance, and the infinite profundity of
soul of music in the person of Angelo Branduardi.
Author's notes
In the presentation of any theatrical work, or musical, or literary,one usually endevours to narrate something of
the protagonist, but this is not our goal.
We do not believe that there is anything to add regarding the charismatic figure of Saint Francis, nothing which
in our hearts we do not already know.
Saint Francis is above all a man, an extraordinary man who, by his example, may make us all reflect upon our lives.
Francis who, in controlling the innate "animal" inside of him, chooses the way of hope and compassion.
The expression of all this is possible thanks to the unmistakeable notes and genius of Angelo Branduardi who once
again shows himself to be one of the greatest talents on the Italian musical scene today. Thanks to his art,
Francis' words are put to music, creating a dance of emotions that make these first texts of our literature
understandable to all and let them straight into our hearts.
Onstage the actors are called to recite that most difficult of parts: humanity.
In a series of scenes embellished by the cast of dancers, they tell the story of an uncommon man, a man of timeless
teachings, a legend we might all try to imitate.
Thus is presented an opera that may be seen from three sides; music, recitation, and dance: a fusion of art forms
for the simplest of all messages, sadly, often forgotten: love for all mankind.
Translation for europAMICI by Steph Kramer. Thank you, Steph!
Lyrics by Stefania Garibaldi
The multi-faceted show is sponsored by the Diocesan Office of Milan for Pastoral Missions, which will donate part of
the box office earnings to five charitable projects in Kenya, Burundi, Moldavia and Colombia. “Francesco"”
narrates the human and spiritual events of the life of Francis, which have come down to us from the times in which
he lived, and have found resonance in numerous epochs, philosophies, and religions throughout the world.
With his characteristic intensity of interpretation, Branduardi sets to music the words of Francis, written more than
eight hundred years ago but still today deeply evocative.
Onstage: images, forms, and colors inspired by the paintings of Giotto; costumes, dialogues, and themes surprisingly
rich in analogy, dispite their distance in time and space.
We may simply underline the fact that this opera is simply the story of a great man and that all its artistic choices
are made with in mind the intention of making a bit of Saint Francis live in each of us.
Francis causes us to reflect upon themes that are ever more of our times as well as his: peace, ecology, hope,
solidarity.
Francis, who is full of life, has a sunny disposition, is a man passionate as any other man; who is a victim of anger
in the face of injustice and who suffers profoundly in seeing so much suffering; but who, thanks to his deep faith,
still believes he can change the world.
And this he did.
Francis who is strong and weak at the same time, in love with life and disgusted by the ugliness of suffering;
Francis who loves nature in all its forms - positive and negative - and is able to see life even through pain
and evil.
Francis who is tied, with Claire, to a faith for the same mission, that leads them to awaken to a total contemplation
of life.
Francis who is conscious of his mission, yet remains simple in his human complicity with his friends and brother-friars,
as in the case of Bernard.
The music merges with a simple reading of the life of Saint Francis, in which we glimpse the human and recognizable
figure of a nobile spirit battling against the crudeness that life sometimes shows us.