The
very origins of the centuries-old Accademia di Santa Cecilia are
closely linked to the practice of choral singing. In the second half of
the 1500's, certain Choirmasters and Choristers joined in forming an
association, electing Palestrina as its president, and thus founding the
Accademia.
It was only towards the end of the 19th century that the
Chorus of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
began to assume a definitive role and take part in performances of
polyphonic music as well as of the great symphonic-vocal repertory. In
1895, the Sala Accademica in Via dei Greci was inaugurated with a
concert of music by Palestrina directed by Raffaele Terziani. One of the
group's first maestros was
Bernardino Molinari; subsequent conductors have included
Bonaventura Somma,
Gino Nucci,
Giulio Bertola,
Rainer Steubing-Negenborn,
Roberto Gabbiani and
Norbert Balatsch.
Today, the Chorus of the Accademia Nazionale di
Santa Cecilia consists of about 90 members. The Chorus performs during
both the winter and summer seasons, joining the Accademia Orchestra for
the execution of great classical and modern symphonic-choral works.
The Chorus has also collaborated with prominent orchestras and celebrated conductors: with
Lorin Maazel and the Orchestra of the Schleswig Holstein (1992); with
Carlo Maria Giulini and the Rai Orchestra of Turin (1993); with
Claudio Abbado and the
Berlin Philharmonic (Verdi's Otello, 1995); and with
Valery Gergiev
and the Kirov Orchestra (1998). It also participated in a performance
of Mozart's Requiem conducted by Spivakov in Kiev on the tenth
anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster (1996). In 1997 it sang in Dresden
with the Santa Cecilia Orchestra conducted by
Daniele Gatti,
and participated in the events for "International Youth Day" with the
Pope in Paris. The Chorus also toured Brazil with the Saltzburg Chamber
Virtuosi in 1998.
Among its many noteworthy international appearances are: the Budapest
Festival (with an all-Verdi program) in 2005; the Ravenna Festival for
Il Trovatore in 2004; and in Cairo with
Riccardo Muti
(2004). In addition, the Chorus has made numerous tours together with
the Santa Cecilia Orchestra: to London's Royal Festival Hall (the Verdi
Requiem conducted by Chung in 1999); to Istanbul and Santander in 2001
(Verdi's Requiem and Rossini's Stabat Mater); and to the 2003
celebrations for the re-opening of the renovated Teatro La Fenice in
Venice.
The Chorus has also made a long list of outstanding recordings. In
recent years, it has recorded a CD celebrating the 2,750th anniversary
of the founding of the City of Rome with
Myung-Whun Chung;
music by Beethoven for Deutsche Grammophon; two CDs of sacred music
dedicated to the 2000 Jubilee; both the Duruflé Requiem and the Fauré
Requiem with
Cecilia Bartoli and Bryn Terfel (which was
awarded the coveted Diapason d'Or); the Misa Tango by Bacalov (which
was nominated for a "Grammy" award); and a CD devoted to sacred music by
Giuseppe Verdi. More recently, the Chorus took part, together with the
Accademia Orchestra, in recording Puccini's operas Edgar, with Placido
Domingo, and Madama Butterfly (for EMI) with Angela Gheorgiu and Antonio
Pappano conducting, as well as Verdi's Requiem, also conducted by
Pappano.
Its latest engagements include tours with the Santa Cecilia Orchestra and its Music Director
Antonio Pappano
to the Semperoper in Dresden and the Proms in London (2006 and 2007,
respectively) to perform Rossini's Stabat Mater; and appearances in
Lucerne with the prestigious Lucerne Festival Orchestra under the
direction of Claudio Abbado (August 2006). In 2007 it performed the
Verdi Requiem in Rome's Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls,
together with the Vienna Philharmonic directed by
Daniele Gatti.
For further information -
www.santacecilia.it