Classic music at Pantheon
‘Seven Last Words of our Saviour on the Cross’

The nights in Rome are magic. Even more if you can visit some of the most beautiful places and exhibitions gratis.

By Samatha Collins

This Saturday evening saw the 5th consecutive ‘Night of the Museums’ held in Rome, an evening where state museums open their doors and waive their entrance fees from sunset until the small hours of the morning. This Europe-wide event aims to encourage people to venture out and experience cultural events and has grown in success from the first one organised in Berlin in 1997, until now when around 120 cities get involved.

The Comune di Roma working with the Museums and Art Galleries put together a programme that included a light show at Campidoglio, a jazz concert at Chiostro del Bramante and an exhibition of ‘Futurism’ at the Scuderie del Quirinale to name just a handful, and the summer evening provided a perfect backdrop to the crowds who were packing the streets around the centre.

One of the real highlights was a special recital of Haydn’s ‘Seven Last Words of our Saviour on the Cross’ held in that most hallowed setting of the Pantheon, one of those buildings that gives you goose bumps when you enter even when filled with tourists on a wet and windy weekday.
Conducted by Francesco Vizioli, the piece was performed by Sapienza University’s Orchestra of Classical Music and Choir of Physicians. This combination of students, ex-students, academics and administrative staff performed flawlessly to an appreciative crowd. To have the unique opportunity to sit under the imposing Dome watching the clear summer sky turn into night accompanied by a classical orchestra and choir was part of what this evening was all about.

There were some problems with the sound especially as this is mainly a quiet and meditative piece of music, and at times it got a bit lost with the continual background noise of people coming in and out to see what was happening and lack of microphones for the choir. However opening doors to encourage people to wander in off the streets and sample a range of different experiences is part of the payback for being able to enjoy this free night of events.

Arriving at Campidoglio just before midnight, visitors were crammed into every corner of the Piazza. Around 150 people were still good naturedly queuing to get into the Capitoline Museum whilst a solo pianist was giving a concert from his grand piano perched just under the Marcus Aurelius equestrian statue. There was also a free light show to entertain the waiting crowd, ‘Signs of the Roman Empire’, which involved images being projected onto the Museum walls.

The only dark spot was that the Forum did not join in the spirit of this evening by opening its newly constructed gates or at least by turning on its lights for those people on Capitoline Hill but the sense of celebration across the city can only be commended as a success by the many people who enjoyed it.