Palermo (Sicily)

Abstract

Palermo, a city of some 730,000 permanent residents, records on its face the traces of many transient civilizations. It is a city of many aspects: Phoenician in origin, Roman in the mosaics of the Villa Bonnano, Arab in the mosques that serve as churches today, French, German, Spanish in its monuments, architecture, and street names. It is a city that is outranked only by Rome, Milan, Naples, and Florence in the number of concert and opera performances presented yearly and in the variety and imagination of its musical activity. Its Teatro Massimo not only has the third largest opera stage in the entire world (exceeded in dimension only by Paris and Vienna), but an artistic policy that is decidedly unprovincial in outlook. Experimental works and new operas are frequently given premieres in Palermo. Music that is influenced by Sicilian folklore is guaranteed a hearing. The support received from the government is put to good use in deemphasizing pure box-office considerations and in mounting a movement to vitalize the Italian audience. Finally, the fact that Palermo enjoys one of the most idyllic climates in the world attracts a constant flow of visitors throughout the winter season, serving to augment the excitement of performances and maintain the high professional level of performance.