Wine and the Sacra Serata ballet

We'll talk about this
when we get home.

This morning we visited a wine shop near our apartment. Actually it's a salumeria, a sandwich shop with other light lunch choices. The owner of the salumeria sells wine from this shop (of course, everyone sells wine in Italy) and has a shop dedicated to wine a block away which is watched over by his daughter. Very nice people.

We want to learn more about two wines, Morellino di Scansano and Vin Santo. 

Morellino is a Tuscan red wine made from the same sangiovese grape as Chianti, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, and Brunello di Montalcino and many other Tuscan wines. Morellino is much admired by Florentines but, as we’ve learned, poorly promoted by the growers. We have found a merchant at home via the internet who carries one label of Morellino and our wine shop owner in Florence has located the same wine here in Florence. With our fingers crossed, we’ll try a bottle of that Morellino here. 

The same US merchant also sells a label of Vin Santo, a Tuscan desert wine, and we’ll try that one here, too. Vin Santo does not sell well in the US and is difficult to find. Again, we’ll cross our fingers and try the Vin Santo while we’re here.

While we were browsing in the salumeria we noticed a violin and bow sitting amongst bottles of wine. One of us picked up the violin, plucked the strings gently, and to our amazement found that the violin was in perfect tune. A friend of the owner plays in the local community orchestra and visits the store often. The violinist cannot help himself; he keeps the violin tuned. One of us understands perfectly the need to pay this kind of respect to musical instruments.

Last night we took in a ballet at the local large concert hall. The ballet was titled Sacra Serata, Sacred Evening. The evening began with something that was not on the program, a piece by two Japanese dancers. Apparently they are from Tokyo and cannot return at this time. Their dance was done beautifully and was well received. The Italians have been very open in their concern for the Japanese. In the midst of the Italian Independence celebrations we found the simple statement of their concern. (See the photo.) The Japanese flag was hung across the piazza from Santa Croce, one of the city’s most important churches.

Building on Piazza Santa Croce

The program that was scheduled had religious content but was not at all devotional. Italy is a secular country, a very secular country, and the interpretations of the dancers and choreographers were very up to date and even jarring but not religious. There was a troop of 25 who danced the first piece set to grim, sad music by Pergolesi (his Stabat Mater) and later the same large troop danced a frenetic piece set to loud, loud electronic music that faded to big choral music by Bach (including a chorus from his Saint Matthew Passion.) 

The first piece was very heavy, dancers hammered nails on a piece of lumber, Christ climbed up on the cross and down again, and the late-Renaissance music by Pergolesi sank and sank. The last piece was less deflating and the large company danced like dervishes. We were exhausted watching them.

The middle piece was titled Annunciation, the time when Mary was told by an angel that she would bear the Son of God. Not surprisingly, this piece was for two dancers and it was a little more clear what was going on. The program indicated that the music would be by Vivaldi and another name that we did not recognize. As it turned out, Vivaldi’s music would play for a bit and then there were long stretches of time when electronic music would be the basis for the dance. Again the electronic music was loud and insistent.

There was no live music and, as the concert began, we were disappointed and surprised. We had expected some traditional Italian religious music and some dancing. What we saw was far too much for live musicians to perform and the dancing was challenging to think about.

The concert ended at about 11:30pm and the crowded poured out into the narrow street in front of the concert hall. Most people left on foot for their homes. Two ladies, however, hopped on their bikes, wearing heels, of course, and pedaled home. 

We love Florence. We love the Florentines.