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Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

The Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia is an Italian symphony orchestra from Rome. It was founded in 1908 as the first Italian orchestra devoted exclusively to the symphonic repertoire. Today it is based at the Parco della Musica and plays its Roman concerts mainly in the Sala Santa Cecilia. Until 1936 it played in the Anfiteatro Correa, which was built above the Mausoleum of Augustus. Since 1908 the orchestra has given more than fifteen thousand concerts, under conductors including Mahler, Debussy, Strauss, Stravinsky, Sibelius, Toscanini, Furtwängler, Stokowski, Solti, Bernstein, Karajan, Abbado and Morricone.

Music and breakthrough

Bernardino Molinari was the first music director, from 1912 to 1944. He was followed by Franco Ferrara, Fernando Previtali from 1953 to 1973 and Igor Markevitch from 1973 to 1975, among others. In 2005 Antonio Pappano became music director, and with him the orchestra recorded for EMI. He was to end his post in 2023 and receive the title conductor emeritus. In March 2023 Daniel Harding was announced as his successor, from the 2024 to 2025 season.

Influence

On record the orchestra is best known for Italian operas: Aïda in 1952, Tosca in 1953 and 1960, Cavalleria rusticana in 1960, later La bohème, Rigoletto, Madama Butterfly, La fanciulla del West, La Traviata and Manon Lescaut. It also recorded Debussy, such as La Mer. The orchestra stands for the Italian opera tradition and thus forms a link to popular music: the melodies of Puccini and Verdi still echo in film music and in pop songs.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to an excerpt from La bohème or Tosca in one of the orchestra's recordings and notice how the orchestra supports the singers and underlines their emotion. Hear how the strings sing the melody along with them.

Discography

Studio albums

Categories: Artists