Enrico Onofri returns to conduct the Filarmonica Toscanini in two Easter concerts, presenting a unique and extraordinary programme that explores the contrast between the sacred and the profane. The programme features Boccherini’s Stabat Mater (with soloists Valentina Mastrangelo, Nikoletta Hertsak and Luigi Morassi), and Mozart’s Maurerische Trauermusik and Symphony No. 25.On the eve of the concerts, Onofri shared his thoughts: «Boccherini’s Stabat Mater, in its extended version for three voices and strings (adapted from the original for soprano and quintet), retains the intimate character of the earlier version. The sorrow of the Virgin is depicted in celestial tones, with an orchestration that is ‘pastel’ yet capable of stirring moments. Despite the sacred theme, Boccherini places the beloved cello at the heart of the work. Though composed in 1801, Boccherini remains rooted in the Pergolesi model, almost as if closing his eyes to the changing times. In contrast, in Trauermusik, Mozart addresses the theme of death with a visionary outlook, looking towards the future, much like he does in his youthful Symphony No. 25 in G minor, KV183, where he explores the emerging anxieties of the Sturm und Drang period. A programme that is both tense and suspended between different times, capturing the complex drama of death.»
The concerts will take place on 16th April at the Parma Cathedral and on 17th April at the Teatro Bonci, Cesena. |