[Dec. 2024] At the end of the year, we went to the small theatre, Teatro Gerolamo, in Milan, Italy.
This is a theatre that my husband found on the internet.
It is a historic theatre that opened in 1868, and it can only accommodate 209 people.
It was originally a marionette theatre, and it performed puppet shows featuring Pulcinella, a traditional satirical character.
However, it was closed in 1983 due to safety concerns.
And it was renovated and reopened in 2017.
When we got there, it was hard to find the inconspicuous entrance.
The hall is small, but it has been renovated and is neat and tidy.
And the auditorium had a lovely atmosphere, with a light green colour.
It is said that it is called “a miniature La Scala” because of its elegant appearance.
We had front seats in a box on the second floor near the centre, so we had a good view of the theatre and felt close to the performers.
I remembered seeing a small theatre in Ragusa, Sicily, too and when I looked back, I found that it was even smaller than this one, with a capacity of 130 people.
What we saw here in Teatro Gerolamo was a Christmas concert.
It was a performance by the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano, an eight-piece string orchestra, including some who usually play in the La Scala orchestra.
The program was full of popular pieces like Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 and Beethoven’s Romance No. 2, so it was fun.
When they performed Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 with eight people, I thought it was a bit too ambitious, but they said it wasn’t their own idea.
According to one of the performers, in Beethoven’s time, when recording was not possible, composers would have a small orchestra travel around to play their new works so that many people could hear them.
So, in the old days, the Fifth Symphony was performed by such small groups here and there.
When I heard that, I thought it was interesting in its own way.
During the break in the concert, panettone and prosecco were served in the cafe on the top floor.
That was quite a sophisticated thing to do.
The Teatro Gerolamo is within walking distance from Duomo Station and San Babià Station in the centre of Milan.
But we went by car and got lost and ended up on a street that normal cars cannot enter, which later resulted in two fines.
Still, it was a theatre that I’m glad I went to.
