A talk on the fascinating topic of Michelangelo’s Sonnets, dedicated to the man he loved and accompanied by a series of passionate drawings.

Composed in America in 1940, Benjamin Britten’s Seven Sonnets of Michelangelo was the first complete song cycle written for Peter Pears, the man he loved. But the originals by Michelangelo, written in 1532–35, were also dedicated to the man he loved, Tommaso de Cavalieri, and were accompanied by drawings reflecting his passion.

This talk looks at these drawings in conjunction with excerpts from his letters to Cavalieri and a reading of some of the sonnets in English and Italian. It sets them within the context of the period in which they were written and their relevance to Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears.

The hour-long talk will be followed by refreshments and conversation on The Red House lawn.

Shirley Smith BA, FRSA Art Historian
Dr Anna Bristow BA (Bocconi University, Milan) PHD in Linguistics and History (University of Warwick)