The programme I’m about to conduct (23 May 2026) at the Teatro San Carlo is ‘beautiful’ because the Hebrides overture and the Mendelssohn Violin concerto in E minor are beautiful (in the sense too of captivating), as is the symphonic fantasy Aus Italien in which the young Strauss (enchanted by a trip to Italy) began to engage with a tradition dominated by Berlioz and Liszt, making way for his first, genial symphonic poem, Don Juan. The programme starts with a double tribute to a composer I love, Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy. Besides being an atmospheric romantic sketch, what is exceptional about this overture is its compact sonata form which the young composer developed with such mastery, succeeding in transforming the tempo of that single movement into an absolutely perfect symphonic fresco. (Not without reason, Wagner considered it to be the best of all the romantic overtures). It’s that same sense of balance which Mendelssohn had inherited from the composers of the Classical era, renewed with passionate themes that the solo violin, absolute virtuoso protagonist, develops so boldly, that make the Concerto in E minor an archetype of romantic composition for solo instruments and an unending source of fascination for audience and great violinists alike. I think that including Richard Strauss’s sweeping fantasy Aus Italien in the second half of the programme pays tribute to the work and brings together three significant symphonic compositions, each of which represents a unique form of stylistic perfection and evident aesthetic originality.

(Photo © Vito Lorusso / Teatro San Carlo)