„Last night, the first much-anticipated concert of the season took place at the Vittorio Emanuele in Messina: the last and most famous of all Beethoven's symphonies, the 9th, the „Choral Symphony“ in D minor, Op. 125, was performed.
The excellent performance of the orchestra of the Teatro Vittorio Emanuele must be highlighted, which was absolutely capable of meeting such a musical „giant.“ Likewise, the excellent chorus „F. Cilea,“ under the direction of Bruno Tirotta, as well as the talented soloists Liene Kinc (soprano), Stepanka Pucalkova (mezzo-soprano), A.J. Glueckert (tenor), and Thomas J. Mayer (baritone) deserve recognition. Special praise goes to conductor Matthias Fletzberger, who has been a guest at our theater many times and has always achieved excellent results; it almost seems as if the Messina orchestra has a special drive under his direction.
Many years ago, the European Union chose the theme of Schiller's „Ode to Joy“ as its own anthem to celebrate the Union's fundamental values: brotherhood, solidarity, peace, and joy. Beethoven firmly believed in human brotherhood: “This kiss for the whole world! Brothers, beyond the starry dome" (Embrace each other, you millions! This kiss for the whole world).“
(Tempostretto, Giovanni Francio | Monday, October 06, 2025)
„It is a particular credit to the orchestra of the Teatro Vittorio Emanuele of Messina that it reached one of the high points of its more than thirty-year history in memory of Genziana D'Anna, especially in the wonderful Adagio of the third movement, in which the contrasts of the first two movements dissolve into pure song. The strings in particular - her strings - conveyed a rare, deeply moving and touching clarity of expression. Fletzberger did the rest on the podium by keeping the dizzying architecture of the first movement in almost miraculous balance, stretching the tempi of the Scherzo, transforming its rhythmic impulses almost into an echo of inevitability, and finally allowing the Ode to Joy to unfold explosively. The magnificent quartet of German soloists - Liene Kinca, Stepanka Pucalkova, A. J. Glueckert and Thomas J. Mayer - and the almost unbelievable standard of the „Francesco Cilea“ Lyric Choir, which has now reached a professional level that could hardly be praised more highly, were also deeply felt“
(Gazeta del Sud, Giuseppe Tumino, October 7, 2025)
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