Monique Veaute presents Spoleto68

Some works embody a way of being of the human spirit. These include dramas, novels, masterpieces of painting and visual arts, philosophical and scientific treatises, and musical compositions. Among them, Mahler’s Das Lied von der Erde encapsulates a multiplicity of meanings about living in our time.

It is from this “song of the earth” that the program of the 68th Festival dei Due Mondi unfolds—Gustav Mahler’s music surfaces directly or indirectly, in the form of Lied, which shines in the magnificent cycle of midday concerts, in chamber music performances by numerous guest ensembles, and in symphonic concerts by the Budapest Festival Orchestra. It also resonates in dance—consider the companies Circa and Shahar Binyamini—as well as in theater and visual arts.

A sign of the times, the gaze through the eyes of art serves as a tool to interpret our present. This is reflected in the work of artists such as William Kentridge, Ersan Mondtag, Robert Mapplethorpe, and Clément Cogitore. They themselves engage with new forms: opera, musical theater, drama, or concert? To transcend boundaries—linguistic, philosophical, expressive—without losing sight of the literary dimension of theater is also the mission of our finest playwrights and actors, from Luca Marinelli to Massimo Popolizio.

The poetic power of Rufus Wainwright, or the ancient music of Lea Desandre, meets the echoes of a millenary tradition with Anoushka Shankar or the Chinese Amber Quartet, alongside the contemporary brilliance of Japanese pianist Hayato Sumino, performing in Italy for the first time.

Once again, this is the challenge set before the guest artists with their creations and the audience with their presence at the Spoleto Festival: to persist, with desperate determination, in being themselves.

Once again, I wish to extend my gratitude to the Ministry of Culture, the Umbria Region, and the Municipality of Spoleto for their support and for recognizing the cultural significance of the Festival dei Due Mondi. I also thank the Board of Directors of the Foundation, our collaborators, staff, the city, public institutions, sponsors, and our Italian and international partners, as well as the Patrons and the Spoleto Festival Friends. Together, they make all of this possible year after year.