100 years after Puccini’s death, the Tuscany region presents "The Other James"

One hundred years after the death of Giacomo Puccini, the Tuscany Region continues the celebrations dedicated to the great composer. On Monday 14 October at 9pm, at the Teatro delle Pergola, “L’Altro Giacomo” by and with Renato Raimo will be staged, who returns to Florence with a free entry event to present an unpublished story of his figure, after his debut at the 67th Puccini Festival.

The artistic project, with the patronage and contribution of the Tuscany Region, turns the spotlight on Puccini “simply” Giacomo: with his strengths and weaknesses, his passions and his more or less shareable values. A vivid, passionate and original portrait capable of telling the public about the “other” Giacomo and showing all the nuances of the man in love with life, deeply linked to Tuscany and his Versilia, where everything started and to which everything returned.

The text, co-written by Renato Raimo with Kris. B. Writer, tells of the loves and passions of an intimate Giacomo, without tie and hat, with a mustache and a lit cigar, who indulges in confidences and confessions about his enchantments and disenchantments, free from inhibitions, with that ironic twist which its Tuscan DNA is imbued. A journey also into the passionate experience of his women, the inspiring muses of his musical production. Philologically, the musical direction of maestro Carlo Bernini proposes references to the composer’s great production, recalling elements that fit with the context in which the history of man flows and giving value to the life encounters that distinguish the narrative text, in a show in balance between prose and music. Giacomo’s human story is intertwined with eternal melodies such as “Cortese Damigella” from Manon Lescaut, “O soave Fanciulla” from Bohe’me, “Tra voi donne brune e blonde” and “Donna non Vidi Mai” from Manon Lescaut, until to arrive at “Un bel di’ we will see” from Madama Butterfly and end with the eternal “Nessun dorma” from Turandot.

“We are moving forward with cultural initiatives to celebrate the great Tuscan composer and his identity bond with our territory – states president Eugenio Giani -. As a Region, we are enthusiastically supporting quality programming that highlights his work and its being proudly Tuscan. Starting from the Puccini Festival, the flagship of Tuscany’s proposal to honor one of its greatest citizens, it goes precisely in this direction, contributing to further enriching the succession of events dedicated to the Tuscan genius”. “It’s a great adventure to be Giacomo Puccini at the theater to celebrate his great musical work on the centenary of his death – says Renato Raimo -. Bringing him back to life on the stage was a great challenge, won, and which makes me proud .

‘The Other Giacomo’ warms the public because it celebrates the hymn of the passionate man from whose creative genius his eternal music was born. In discovering man’s vicissitudes up close, we consecrate his right to eternity. It is not mere imitation, but the humble and intimate interpretation of his heart which, through my emotion, returns to beat even for just a few theatrical moments in the places so dear to him. I thank the entire Puccini institutional world, the co-production with the Puccinia Festival Foundation and the president of the Tuscany Region Eugenio Giani for the sensitivity shown in judging ‘L’Altro Giacomo’ an artistic project worthy of the contribution and patronage of the Tuscany Region. In this way he made it possible to bring Puccini back to life in one of the symbolic theaters of the capital city, the Teatro della Pergola, to give Florence a great cultural, historical and celebratory moment on the occasion of the centenary”.

“We are certain that the public will be able to appreciate the artistic quality of both the interpretations and the dramaturgy, that is, a synthesis of the human and artistic life of the great composer who we are honored to celebrate in Torre del Lago”, state the Pucciniano Festival Foundation, which with the creator Renato Raimo produced the show as part of the Puccini 2021 Festival. Carlo Bernini, who took care of the musical direction, will be on stage with his piano and for the occasion will conduct the Orchestra’s Puccini 100 Ensemble of the Puccini Festival composed of 10 professionals of the highest level: Domenico Pierini – Violin I; Angela Landi – Violin II; Leonardo Bartali – Viola; Paolo Ognissanti – Cello; Salvatore La Rosa – Double bass; Maria Carli – Flute; Stefano Cresci – Oboe; Daniele Scala – Clarinet; Davide Maia – Bassoon; Massimo Marconi – Horn. Renato Raimo, actor and director, is supported by an all-Tuscan cast, with Chiara Maria Battaglia in the role of his wife Elvira and the voices of soprano Rachael Stellacci and tenor Davide Piaggio. The costumes are from the tailoring of the Puccini Festival Foundation, which contributed to the production of the show by supporting the idea of ​​the Green Theater cultural association of Pisa, of which Renato Raimo is artistic director.