Festival Grandezze & Meraviglie to perform Oratorio of San Geminiano

The Festival Grandezze & Meraviglie will present the first modern performance of the Oratorio of San Geminiano at the Modena Cathedral on Friday, October 23, at 21.00. The event, held under the patronage of the Archdiocese of Modena-Nonantola, features the Orchestra di Bologna directed by Paolo Faldi. Naoko Tanigaki, Maria Dalia Albertini, Aloisa Aisemberg, and Davide Benetti will perform.

Composed in Vienna in 1705 by Catterina Benedetta Grazianini, the oratorio tells the story of San Geminiano, the bishop and patron of Modena, and the liberation of Princess Flavia. The work was originally performed for the rulers of Brunswick and Modena.

The performance highlights Grazianini, a composer active in imperial Vienna during the early 1700s. The composition reflects the historical context of 1705, when Modena was under French occupation and the local dukes were in exile seeking Austrian imperial assistance.