(Apr. 2) - A weave - almost mystical - between music and sculpture. This evening, at the Hermitage Theater of St. Petersburg, the director Antonio Giarola will direct the dance company Rbr Dance Company in a show that will have two special 'actors': Antonio Salieri's music and Antonio Canova's sculptures. The show, titled "Varietas Delectat", a quote from a Salieri's comment on his musical drama "Armida" in 1771, aims to create a parallel between music and plastic art. The notes from religious works and symphonies of Salieri will be the soundtrack for choreography inspired by Canova's sculptures, many of which are in exhibition at the Hermitage Museum. In fact, the Russian museum has an important collection of 15 works by Antonio Canova, including "Cupid and Psyche standing" (1800), "Penitent Magdalene" (1809), "Hebe" (1800-1805). On the other hand, the music of Antonio Salieri was little known for years, overshadowed by Mozart's fame. The show is produced by the town of Legnano with the support of Cariverona Foundation and sponsored by the province of Verona and the Region of Veneto. (Naf/Peg)

THE ITALIAN ART AT THE ERMITAGE
Born as a palace for the Romanov family, the Hermitage is one of the most important museums worldwide. The Italian art occupies a very important area among its several collections. The Italian paintings occupy 30 rooms in the Old and the New Hermitage, in an artistic path from the thirteenth century to the early nineteenth century. The pride of the collection are works from great masters of the Renaissance: Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Giorgione, Titian and Michelangelo. In Russia there are two of the few original works by Leonardo da Vinci: the "Madonna with a Flower" (1478) and "Madonna Litta" (1490-1491). Raphael is also represented by two works: "Lady Constable" (1502-1503) and "The Holy Family" (1506). In addition, there are copies of famous frescoes by Raphael in the Vatican gallery, and several works by Titian, mainly from his later period (1559-1570).