Orchestra della Toscana – Easter Concert – Gemma New

About the Event

At the illustrious Teatro Verdi in Florence, experience the sweet strains of classical music with compositions by Franz Joseph Haydn and Giovanni Battista Pergolesi. Kicking off the event is Pergolesi's evocative 'Stabat Mater,' a piece with its roots in a 13th‐century liturgical poem, believed to be crafted by Jacopone da Todi. This text mourns the Virgin Mary at the Crucifixion: 'Sorrowful, weeping, the Mother stood near the Cross from which her Son hung.' A masterpiece that has seen numerous musical interpretations, Pergolesi’s version particularly shines, originally commissioned for Holy Week by the Duke of Maddaloni and widely celebrated since. Presented by the ORT as the centerpiece of their Easter concert, it features a string ensemble and two noted Florentine soloists: soprano Eleonora Bellocci from the Accademia del Maggio and countertenor Filippo Mineccia, who recently graced La Scala. They're conducted by the acclaimed Gemma New, the 37‐year‐old New Zealander turned U.S. citizen, and star who clinched the Sir George Solti Competition in Germany in 2021.
Also on the program is Haydn's Symphony No. 104, his symphonic swansong, affectionately known as the “London Symphony.” This grand yet genial work celebrates Haydn’s final bow in London, prompted by impresario Johann Peter Salomon after Haydn’s tenure at the Esterházy court—the second leading house in the Austrian Empire, just behind the Habsburgs.