The musical life of Florence

(This is part of our series of posts from our six-week Road Scholar Independent Living and Learning in Florence trip to Italy in Spring 2025. We have an index to all the posts from that trip here.)

Road Scholar provided us with a unique learning opportunity this afternoon: a lesson on the history and evolution of Italian chamber music and opera, not by an academic in a lecture hall, but rather by musicians of Florence’s premier orchestra in a beautiful 500-year-old residence. C’era bellissimo!

As we met to walk together to the palazzo, our program director, Francesca, handed out Baci chocolate truffles. Each one has a “fortune” of sorts inside the wrapper. This was mine (David’s), but it was wonderfully appropriate for our entire group of travelers.

Our “lesson” was offered on Italian music was offered by a quartet of gifted professional musicians from the renowned Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentina. You may not have heard of that orchestra, but you will probably recognize the name of its current conductor: Zubin Mehta. (He wasn’t there for this performance, though!)

The viola player spoke to us at the beginning and after each piece as she explained the evolution of Florentine chamber music and opera over hundreds of years.

This was a portion of one of the pieces that the quartet played. The loggia of the palazzo had amazing acoustics, and the music was powerfully emotional.

Here is another snippet, from one of several pieces that the quartet performed with a tenor from the Opera del Maggio Musicale Fiorentina (he appears about halfway through the clip). It was breathtaking to be so close to these amazing musicians!

The loggia of the Palazzo Budini Gattai, where the performance took place, was an absolutely spectacular venue for such an intimate event.

Part of the garden of Palazzo Budini Gattai. The elegant residence, located right in the center of Florence’s historic district, was designed in the 1500s by the architect Ammanati, a pupil of Michelangelo.

Looking back at the Palazzo Budini Gattai from the garden.

Of course, after the performance, it was time for aperitivi at Caffè del Verone atop the Museo degli Innocenti, right next to the palazzo, with a beautiful view of the Florentine skyline.