Music of the Marche
Encyclopedia
The music of the Marche
, a region of Italy
, has been shaped by the fact that the entire region is a collection of small centers of population. There is no cultural giant to be found—no Florence
or Naples
—that might have shaped the cultural and musical expressions of the entire region. There isn't a town in the region with more than 100,000 population, but there are 246 total towns, and they support no fewer than 113 theaters, a cultural building boom that started in the late 18th century. Historically, the entire area was home to a great number of monasteries and abbeys in the Middle Ages
, institutions that had choir
s and were active in the musical lives of the inhabitants. That period is still obscure and is currently the subject of musicological research. In the modern age, the region has a vibrant musical life.
Historically, the city of Ancona
was known as a small center for music agencies, music printers and makers of stringed instrument. The main theater is the Teatro delle Muse ("Theater of the muses"), now reopened after reconstruction in the wake of a World War II
bombing. It is the home of the Marche Philharmonic Orchestra. The town of Jesi
has the Teatro Pergolesi
and supports the Pergolesi Foundation, both named for this "favorite son" composer and one of the great names in the music of the 18th century in Italy.
Ascoli Piceno
is the site of the historic Teatro Ventidio Basso whereas Fermo is home to Teatro dell'Aquila and a new music conservatory. The town of Fermo
is home to the International Orchestra of Italy, a fine private orchestra with a 20-year history of concerts in Italy and abroad. Macerata
is the site of the remarkable Arena Sferisterio
. Flanked by neo-classical columns, it is an outdoor venue for music, or almost anything else, having been built in the 1820s as a sports field. The town of Civitanova Marche
has the S. Giacomo Auditorium, which hosts an annual festival of contemporary music.
The town of Pesaro
is the birthplace of Rossini
, one of the giants of Italian music. As one might expect, many things are named for him, including the Teatro Rossini
and the Rossini Conservatory
. His birthplace is marked, as well, and the Rossini Foundation sponsors an annual festival dedicated to his music. The town of Urbino
has the Teatro Sanzio, built in the 1840s, and the town of Fano
has an important Jazz
Festival each year.
Marche
The population density in the region is below the national average. In 2008, it was 161.5 inhabitants per km2, compared to the national figure of 198.8. It is highest in the province of Ancona , and lowest in the province of Macerata...
, a region of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, has been shaped by the fact that the entire region is a collection of small centers of population. There is no cultural giant to be found—no Florence
Music of Florence
While Florence, itself, "needs no introduction" as the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance, the music of Florence may, in fact, need such an introduction. The city was at the heart of much of our entire Western musical tradition...
or Naples
Music of Naples
Naples has played an important and vibrant role over the centuries not just in the music of Italy, but in the general history of western European musical traditions. This influence extends from the early music conservatories in the 16th century through the music of Alessandro Scarlatti during the...
—that might have shaped the cultural and musical expressions of the entire region. There isn't a town in the region with more than 100,000 population, but there are 246 total towns, and they support no fewer than 113 theaters, a cultural building boom that started in the late 18th century. Historically, the entire area was home to a great number of monasteries and abbeys in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, institutions that had choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
s and were active in the musical lives of the inhabitants. That period is still obscure and is currently the subject of musicological research. In the modern age, the region has a vibrant musical life.
Musical venues and activities
Ancona
Ancona is a city and a seaport in the Marche region, in central Italy, with a population of 101,909 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region....
was known as a small center for music agencies, music printers and makers of stringed instrument. The main theater is the Teatro delle Muse ("Theater of the muses"), now reopened after reconstruction in the wake of a World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
bombing. It is the home of the Marche Philharmonic Orchestra. The town of Jesi
Jesi
thumb|250px|Teatro Pergolesi.Iesi is a town and comune of the province of Ancona in the Marche, Italy.It is an important industrial and artistic center in the floodplain on the left bank of the Esino river before its mouth on the Adriatic Sea.-History:Iesi was one of the last towns of the Umbri...
has the Teatro Pergolesi
Teatro Pergolesi
The Teatro Comunale Pergolesi is an opera house in Jesi, Italy. It was originally named the Teatro della Concordia when it was the rival to the original 1732 opera house in the city, the Teatro del Leone...
and supports the Pergolesi Foundation, both named for this "favorite son" composer and one of the great names in the music of the 18th century in Italy.
Ascoli Piceno
Ascoli Piceno
Ascoli Piceno is a town and comune in the Marche region of Italy, capital of the province of the same name. Its population is c. 51,400.-Geography:...
is the site of the historic Teatro Ventidio Basso whereas Fermo is home to Teatro dell'Aquila and a new music conservatory. The town of Fermo
Fermo
Fermo is a town and comune of the Marche, Italy, in the Province of Fermo.Fermo is located on a hill, the Sabulo with a fine view, on a branch from Porto San Giorgio on the Adriatic coast railway....
is home to the International Orchestra of Italy, a fine private orchestra with a 20-year history of concerts in Italy and abroad. Macerata
Macerata
Macerata is a city and comune in central Italy, the capital of the province of Macerata in the Marche region.The historical city center is located on a hill between the Chienti and Potenza rivers. It consisted of the Picenes city named Ricina, then, after the romanization, Recina and Helvia Recina...
is the site of the remarkable Arena Sferisterio
Sferisterio
The Sferisterio is a kind of an open-air stadium or sphaeristerium in Macerata, Italy.-History:An ancient Italian national sport or pallone col bracciale was the most popular sport in Italy during almost 5 centuries. This game dated back to the 15th century...
. Flanked by neo-classical columns, it is an outdoor venue for music, or almost anything else, having been built in the 1820s as a sports field. The town of Civitanova Marche
Civitanova Marche
Civitanova Marche is a comune in the Province of Macerata in the Italian region Marche, located about 40 km southeast of Ancona and about 25 km east of Macerata.-Geography:...
has the S. Giacomo Auditorium, which hosts an annual festival of contemporary music.
Pesaro
Pesaro is a town and comune in the Italian region of the Marche, capital of the Pesaro e Urbino province, on the Adriatic. According to the 2007 census, its population was 92,206....
is the birthplace of Rossini
Gioacchino Rossini
Gioachino Antonio Rossini was an Italian composer who wrote 39 operas as well as sacred music, chamber music, songs, and some instrumental and piano pieces...
, one of the giants of Italian music. As one might expect, many things are named for him, including the Teatro Rossini
Teatro Rossini (Pesaro)
Teatro Rossini is the name of an opera house in Pesaro, Italy that serves as a venue for the Rossini Opera Festival.Built as the Teatro Nuovo , it was inaugurated on 10 June 1818 with a performance of Gioacchino Rossini's La gazza ladra conducted by the composer in the town of his birth...
and the Rossini Conservatory
Conservatorio Statale di Musica "Gioachino Rossini"
The Conservatorio Statale di Musica "Gioachino Rossini" is a music conservatory in Pesaro, Italy. Founded in 1869 with a legacy from the composer Gioachino Rossini, the conservatory officially opened in 1882 with 67 students and was then known as the Liceo musicale Rossini...
. His birthplace is marked, as well, and the Rossini Foundation sponsors an annual festival dedicated to his music. The town of Urbino
Urbino
Urbino is a walled city in the Marche region of Italy, south-west of Pesaro, a World Heritage Site notable for a remarkable historical legacy of independent Renaissance culture, especially under the patronage of Federico da Montefeltro, duke of Urbino from 1444 to 1482...
has the Teatro Sanzio, built in the 1840s, and the town of Fano
Fano
Fano is a town and comune of the province of Pesaro and Urbino in the Marche region of Italy. It is a beach resort 12 km southeast of Pesaro, located where the Via Flaminia reaches the Adriatic Sea...
has an important Jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
Festival each year.