Introduction

58th Festival delle Nazioni – Tribute to France

“The Festival delle Nazioni aims, once again,” explains Artistic Director Massimo Mercelli, “to outline a broad cultural journey that intertwines internationalism with the local artistic heritage, to which we pay special attention. We will revisit the history of our ‘French cousins’ as well as the ‘French influences’ that have continually shaped both Italian culture and art, and vice versa. Moreover, we will explore post-war France, navigating between experimentation and a return to order, covering all artistic genres and languages—including auteur cinema—while also highlighting Impressionism and the modernism of Debussy and Ravel. This journey will bring us up to contemporary times, featuring a highlight such as Pierre Boulez, whose centenary we commemorate this year.

At the same time, we will weave in spirituality and history: 2025 marks the 800th anniversary of the Canticle of the Creatures by Saint Francis, which we will celebrate with a composition for choir and orchestra by Oscar-winning composer Nicola Piovani, a truly unique offering for the opening concert. This significant project, born from the collaboration between the Festival delle Nazioni and the Emilia Romagna Festival, is complemented by the world premiere of Filmscapes for flute and strings by Rachel Portman, also an Oscar winner for the soundtrack of Emma, performed by the Solisti Veneti under the direction of Giuliano Carella. The production is a joint effort involving the Festival delle Nazioni, Emilia Romagna Festival, Veneto Festival, and Ljubljana Festival.”