8-14 June 2004. Conducted by Bruno Bartoletti, directed by Daniele Abbado.

Another centenary is also being celebrated in Tuscany at the 67th Maggio Musicale Fiorentino: the birth of Luigi Dallapiccola. Volo di notte and Il prigioniero will be performed at the Teatro Comunale of Florence (8-14 June). These were the first operas Dallapiccola wrote, and it is also the first time they are staged in Florence. Volo di notte dates back to 1940, and is an exploration of the classic theme of persecutors and victims, with particular attention to those who suffer. The main theme of Il prigioniero, composed in 1950, is that of the infringement on human freedom through tyranny and persecution, a theme that was as relevant in its day, just after the second world war, as it is today. The performance will be directed by Daniele Abbado, while the conductor will be Bruno Bartoletti, who is an attentive scholar and important performer of 20th-century music. Paolo Di Nicola