A superb performance of Verdi's Messa da Requiem to remember Claudio Abbado.
Antonio Pappano has returned to Santa Cecilia for three concerts, the last scheduled for this evening, dedicated to the great orchestra conductor ten years after his death.
All events were sold out at the Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone, a sign of the affection of the public of the National Academy who followed Sir Tony for 18 years in his long adventure as musical director which ended last year with his appointment as director emeritus.
The maestro, who from the 2024/2025 season will take on the role of principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra, enchanted the spectators of the second evening, including the Minister of Culture Gennaro Sangiuliano, which concluded with long applause also for the orchestra and the choir in great shape and the truly remarkable international cast of voices with the South African soprano Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha, the Latvian mezzo-soprano Elina Garanča in her Cecilian debut, the South Korean tenor SeokJong Baek and the Georgian bass Giorgi Manoshvili.
''Being here in Rome again with the orchestra and choir is a joy for me - said Pappano -.
Claudio Abbado was a talent beyond the ordinary, a visionary musician who created orchestras and took care of young musicians, an incredible interpreter for what he gave to Italy and the whole world.
I had the opportunity to meet him in the final phase of his life.
He was very close to Santa Cecilia, having him alongside my musicians was a gift''.
In recent days the National Academy organized the international conference "Directing the future. Claudio Abbado between utopia and reality" in collaboration with the Claudio Abbado Foundation.
On 15 February on Rai 5, the first of 4 episodes of the special "Abbado artist of the project" curated by Rai Cultura and dedicated to the conference organized by Santa Cecilia in October in which Daniele Abbado, the superintendent Michele from 'Ongaro, the pianist Alexander Lonquich and the musicologist Sandro Cappelletto.
Following this, Verdi's Requiem conducted by Pappano will be broadcast on February 5th at the Parco della Musica.
Reproduction reserved © Copyright ANSA