The Italian conductor, by now an adopted Bohemian, has paid tribute to the two great European composers in Prague and Zlín on the occasion of the bicentenary of their birth
The music played to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of two European geniuses such as Richard Wagner and Giuseppe Verdi, on April 13, at the Dvořák Hall of the Rudolfinum in Prague, was nothing short of brilliant. The concert, which had a prestigious preview two days before in Zlín, in the modern Congress Centre of the Moravian town, was organized by the Italia Arte Fest in collaboration with the Umbria Music Fest.
The dutiful homage to the two great musicians took place thanks to the initiative and the wise direction of the Italian maestro Walter Attanasi, the true focus of the entire event.
It was also under Attanasi’s direction that the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic Orchestra of Zlín performed the rich program of the two evenings.
For the German composer, they went from Tannhäuser to Die Walküre and to Tristan und Isolde, while the maestro of Busseto was represented by very famous songs taken from Aida, Nabucco, Don Carlos, Luisa Miller, and even I vespri siciliani.
The performances from the soprano Lesya Aleksyeyevá, the tenor Francesco Grollo and the Croatian bass Luciano Batinic were particularly well received. It was a concert of prestige that the elegant and knowledgeable audience visibly appreciated, even to the point that it resembled an Italy-Germany derby. German audiences were the most passionate in the first half, during the works of their fellow countryman, while the Italians broke into thunderous, long applause especially during the sections of Verdi. It was inevitable that this happened, however, in an atmosphere of mutual cordiality and friendship, which involved all the guests present, including many Czech and international guests. At the end, the audience found themselves united together in a long and vibrant standing ovation. A climate which continued, even when the concert ended, in antechamber of the Rudolfinum, with toasts and comments on the execution of the two composers.
A special evening that reminded us that Europe is not a vague mass of different cultures, but a blend of precise and distinctive national and cultural identities, all of whom are proud and aware of the differences that distinguish them and that meet together in enriching circumstances, as Attanasi has reminded us.
The project was represented by the sponsorship and support of the Italian Embassy, the German Embassy, the Italian Institute of Culture, as well as with the support of other prestigious institutions, such as the Czech Government Office, the Ministry of Culture, the Municipality of Prague, and the region and Municipality of Zlín. To emphasize the European character of this cultural initiative, the important sponsorship provided by the EU representation in Prague must be remembered.
Support was also guaranteed by a series of major Italian businesses in the Czech Republic, one of which was the Italian Business Center in Prague, whose contribution was significant, while our magazine Progetto Repubblica Ceca fulfilled the role of media partner of the event.
For the maestro Attanasi, who was born in Trieste, before Prague became his adopted city, it is yet another test passed with full marks, and an event of international dimensions, which already projects him towards the musical program of the coming months, which again promises to be high-profile.