Palazzetto Bru Zane: French Romantic Music Centre in Venice

The Centre pour la Musique Romantique Française, housed at Palazzetto Bru Zane in Venice, is a leading institute for research and performance of 19th-century French music. Founded by the Swiss Fondation Bru, it produces around 150 concerts and operas annually across Europe. Since 2009, it has released nearly 140 recordings and five books. Its educational project in Veneto involves about 1,000 students. The annual budget of nearly €4 million is 80% funded by the foundation. The centre focuses on rediscovering forgotten composers and scores, particularly French operetta, often staged during Venice Carnival. Recent productions include Le Ventre de Paris (2015), Les Chevaliers de la Table Ronde (2016), and Votate per me! (2017). For 2018, two one-act operettas are programmed: Les Deux Aveugles by Offenbach and Le Compositeur Tocqué by Hervé, touring across Europe. Scientific director Alexandre Dratwicki notes that French Romanticism begins with Gluck's Iphigénie en Tauride and faded from premieres during WWI, persisting in film music.