Review by Natalia Dantas ©dibartolocritic —
New year's concerts everywhere in the world, since that historical Viennain 2016 has made 75 years, reigns with its characteristic absolutely personal and beyond the Alps.
Anche Catania non si sottrae a questa consuetudine, invero piacevole, tutto sommato, se non si pensasse che l’Italia è la patria del Bel Canto e, nella fattispecie, Catania that of Vincenzo Bellini.
And’ the fact remains that of celebrations "Bellini" set up (?) so many on the Sicilian territory, throughout the year…but just the new year concert in Catania, in a theater of that tradition, because it has to follow the inflated than the historically well most noble Imperial capital? People probably identifying now "new year" with "Waltz" not if you ask more and who loves program sold out. And here you are first prepared also in Catania new year's concert in the closest viennese style.
At Teatro Massimo Bellini l’Orchestra c ’ is…and on this, as they say, "no argument". Orchestra of great commitment, experience in growing, partly consolidated…but…There is a but, as always, when everything should be in place and should be found a place for everything: is an orchestra little adusa playing (Johann) Strauss indefinitely (with a taste of Offenbach when opening).
L ’ orchestra of Catania consists of excellent professionals with proven experience and young people entering the world of the musical profession willing ensemble, and is capable of giving up because it sounds "from the heart".
The saw bend to an enormous time, rash, passing dynamics, especially in recent times, from hand to hand, conducting as well where the hand was not wholly "Orthodox" with the times written and with the Italian tradition. But we are talking about Opera. And the work is a world of its own. Especially in the Opera, the orchestra Carpenter finds himself and finds herself in a sort of "niche". And’ as if the spirit of Bellini and his wonderful colleagues, especially Italians, hovered in the magnificent Hall of Sada and advocated for strings, brass, woodwinds, percussion and whatnot to emit sounds more perfect.
Besides, the orchestra of Massimo Teatro catanese also has its own very personal and distinctive feature: has its own "color", which is immediately recognizable to listen: this is a matter of fundamental importance, which can not do honor to Caroline and that makes it a’Orchestra worthy of the name, national and even international level.
BUTIf it happens on new year's Eve the young conductor Thomas Rösner, Viennese, here is the orchestra that is as forced to be herself.
First, the Austrian artist has chosen a programme of music from the new year's concert in Vienna, no more, no less, with the aggravating circumstance of choosing particular songs, rather than keep them at the end. Only that, personally, does not have the experience of Barenboim or the charisma of the late Maazelnor had before the Wiener Filharmoniker! ERGO, the result could only be approximate, dynamic style, color and so on.
It must be tough for an orchestra conducting robust wrist like that of Bellini, to govern it in the best way and shaping it worthily to the style of the authors to perform: the would be docile and ductile, because these are the virtues of the great orchestras. Instead, supported unfortunately very limited evidence, certainly the Master Rösner has given rise to one of the cases, however, occur only in front of a team with its own distinct personality: he was overwhelmed. The orchestra sometimes sounded out of hand to the Director.
Which resulted in a viennese music concert lacks Central European spirit and light and shade, lightness and aplomb, establishing itself in a timely manner and in a lot of great features, which have come to excite the audience, oblivious, probably, of all the problems mentioned above, but eager to wallow "The Blue Danube" one afternoon in warm new year.
And so, the the first concert of the year 2016 Cafe not only celebrated sold out much desired, but has enjoyed the success that the audience was expected to provoke and emphasize, after they had heard the entrance stand entries from gentleman accustomed, invisonate and wrapped in perfumed scent, which claimed between them flautando, "you know, dear…I felt the concert from ViennaThis year has not been as good as usual…What a pity! ". Nothing knowing (having listened on television and, probably, in the kitchen cooking for the many guests already at the table) which was one of the most successful of recent years, just because the Maestro Mariss Jansons He had the ability to choose the "right" program with the orchestra right, to the right place.
You might argue: but not all orchestras are the Vienna in Vienna! Exactly! So why not a new year's concert with l ’ Orchestra of Catania in Catania but with music (also) Bellini? It is not a new proposal, certainly…But why not repeat it? Attention, again, to the "right" Director, though…and the singers! Otherwise, better bread and circuses, with Vienna new year 2017 also in Catania.
Natalia Dantas ©dibartolocritic
Photos © James Orlando