Some evenings become unforgettable before they even begin — and Thursday night in Piacenza was one of them. For the first time in my life, I finally experienced Maestro Riccardo Muti live. For years, fate had conspired against me — a delayed train here, a cancelled performance there, a strike elsewhere — but this time, everything aligned. And as if that weren’t enough, it happened in my favorite theater in the world: the glorious Teatro di Piacenza.
Everyone who knows me knows how much I love this theater. If you’ve ever wanted to understand what a true Italian opera house is — not just a building, but a living, breathing temple to music — then you owe it to yourself to visit Piacenza at least once. It is elegance and intimacy, tradition and passion, all wrapped into one.
On the program:
🎼 Beethoven – Coriolan Overture in C minor, Op. 62
🎼 Mozart – Violin Concerto No. 4 in D major, K.218
🎼 Beethoven – Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92
The evening opened with the dramatic urgency of Beethoven’s Coriolan Overture, setting the tone immediately: Muti’s command of the orchestra was absolute. Every gesture, every silence, every breath was filled with the kind of precision and poetry that only a lifetime of dedication can deliver.
Then came Giuseppe Gibboni — and what a revelation! The young violinist dazzled the audience with his reading of Mozart’s Fourth Violin Concerto, navigating its charm and brilliance with a fluidity and expressivity that felt both virtuosic and sincere. The crowd leapt to their feet, applauding not only his technical prowess but the clear emotional connection he built with the audience and with the Maestro.
And finally… the Seventh. Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7, one of the most exhilarating and rhythmically alive works in the entire repertoire. This was my first time hearing it live, and hearing it under Riccardo Muti’s baton — there are no words. The second movement (Allegretto) — solemn, hypnotic, aching — held the hall in complete stillness. The energy in the final movement was like a tidal wave, overwhelming and glorious.
I walked out of the theater genuinely emotional, moved by the fact that this long-awaited encounter with one of the greatest conductors of our time happened in a place that feels like home.
A warm thank you to the Teatro di Piacenza for the invitation, and a very special grazie to Francesca Benazzi, who kindly helped me at the very last minute to secure a ticket. It’s always a joy to speak with her, and I’m already counting the days until my next visit — in December, for the premiere of Stiffelio starring none other than Gregory Kunde in the title role.
What an evening. What a Maestro. What a theater.
