One of the greatest losses, not only for the Lucchesia but for the whole musical world, as a result of the horrible pandemic, which is showing no end and no mercy, is the death in March of Maestro Luigi Roni. Born in the Serchio Valley’s village of Vergemoli in 1942, Roni first studied the bassoon in Lucca before changing to singing. He made his debut aged 22 at the Spoleto festival playing the part of Mephistopheles in Gounod’s opera ‘Faust’.

Roni sang with such greats as Montserrat Caballé, Luciano Pavarotti, Plàcido Domingo and José Carreras at La Scala, Vienna State Opera, Paris Opera and New York’s Metropolitan. One of the bass singer’s last performances was in April, 2019 when he sang the part of Simone in Puccini’s ‘Gianni Schicchi’ at Genoa’s Carlo Felice theatre.

Equally sad is the fact that Roni’s wife died shortly before him – another victim of the deadly virus. But, having left each other for a short while they are together again. Love can be that strong sometimes.

Roni retained a special affection for the valley in which he was born and in 2002 founded the ‘Serchio delle Muse’ festival with the aim of bringing great musical performances to the remotest villages of his beloved ‘Valle del Serchio’.

We have always looked forwards with eagerness to this remarkable summer festival. The venues chosen for it are often remote and unknown to most people but not less beautiful for that. Town piazzas, forgotten churches and ancient palaces have all featured in the festival’s performances. One particular venue, however, literally tops it all for me. This is the concert regularly given at the Rifugio Rossi by the slopes of that mother of Apuan mountains, the Pania Della Croce.

To get to the venue is a couple of hour’s walk up footpath no 17 which leads to the extensive alpine-like meadows below the rocky Pania. The way is quite magical. The first part of it snakes through dense woodland before thinning into a birch forest and then freeing itself in the glorious uplands of the Pania massif.

The singers and the instrumentalists all have to take the same path and clearly must be reasonably fit to tackle the rocky way. There is no helicopter service laid on except, perhaps, for the piano (though not for the pianist!).

Arriving at paradisiacal heights we spread ourselves out above the rifugio and waited for the performers to assemble.

In 2007 it was a soprano recital accompanied by a band of brass and introduced by the inimitable Debora Pioli.

Before us extended the vastest of landscapes. To the right rose the path which led to the summit of that most majestic of Apuan mountains, the Pania della Croce and to the right the lower, but no less magnificent summit of the Pania Secca (dry Pania not only because of its extremely rocky contours but because water in limestone country tends to hide itself undergound.) At our feet the valley of the Turrite found a way through the crags and the air was of the most wonderful purity.

Among the audience Maestro Luigi Roni can be recognized with his lordly grey beard and his considerable presence. It seems so unreal that he is no longer with us. Although aged sixty-five at the time of my photo Roni was as sprightly as ever and in excellent health. He had to be to get up to our heights!

The concert in such a heavenly setting was glorious. The young soprano had more than enough breath in her after climbing to the natural amphitheatre we lay in to make a fine show of the medley of operatic arias and traditional songs and her dulcet tones stood out brilliantly against the excellent accompaniment of the brass ensemble.

As the music faded out towards its close so the sunset enfolded the audience in its golden colours  and the mystery of an Apuan night descended upon us.

Everything must pass. This is life’s tough lesson which has to be re-learnt time and time again because we never quite believe it. For who knows where the time goes? That is the eternally unanswered question. All I know is that we have been privileged to be member of the audience at the concerts Maestro Roni has organised as part of his ‘Serchio delle Muse’ summer festival. Majestic cathedrals and the remotest of mountain chapels, town squares and village greens have all echoed to some of the most inspiring music thanks to his  efforts.

Together with his friends and admirers I take my hat off to this great man of our valley of the Serchio. Departed from this earthly life he lives on in our memory of the most exquisite music. We must be ever thankful that that we are fortunate enough to have enjoyed the generous patronage of true gentlemen like Maestro Luigi Roni.