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The eighth edition of the Stone Theater Lyric Festival, promoted by the Sicilian Lyric Choir under the evocative claim “Caring Eternity”, archives its first part by signing an extraordinary triumph. In a perfect balance between the majesty of great music and the inestimable value of the archaeological and monumental heritage of the island, the event is included among the Events of Great Tourist Attraction in Sicily.
Maestro Costa, the eighth edition of the Stone Theater Lyric Festival is recording extraordinary numbers. What is your assessment of this first phase?
«The balance sheet is extraordinarily positive. The slogan we have chosen for this year, “Caring Eternity”, is finding an enthusiastic response from the public. We have already exceeded the record threshold of over 35,000 visitors, a figure which establishes the event as a cultural attraction for the Mediterranean summer and confirms its inclusion among the Events of Great Tourist Attraction in the Sicilian Region. Seeing the thousand-year-old auditoriums packed with spectators is testimony to how great music still knows how to speak to everyone’s hearts.”
A journey that began last July 12th with a strong symbolic and civil value…
«Exactly. We started on July 12th from the Greek Theater of Monte Jato with “Lu scrusciu di l’anima: A cradle among the stones”, an intense inauguration that combined memory, redemption and art. From that moment an exhilarating itinerant journey began: from the imposing opera productions such as Nabucco in Syracuse and Tindari, to the charm of Mozart’s Requiem between Palazzo Platamone in Catania and the Andromeda Theatre, up to the great symphonic homages to Morricone, Zimmer and Franco Battiato. Among all, I remember with deep emotion the triumph on the Argimusco plateau, where our notes merged with a megalithic landscape unique in the world. To this I add pride in our social commitment, renewed again this year through the LIS interpreting service to make the work truly accessible to everyone”.
Now the attention shifts to Taormina, with a highly anticipated triptych of evenings.
«The Ancient Theater of Taormina represents one of the pinnacle moments of our programme. From 18 to 20 August we will propose three evenings with a great emotional impact: 18 August with the Zimmer Tribute – Suoni da Oscar, 19 August with the exciting Morricone Tribute, and 20 August with the Einaudi Tribute – Elements of Light. It will be a total immersion in the most famous pages of cinema and contemporary music.”
What will be the next steps before reaching the end of the review?
«Our journey continues without stopping, touching archaeological and monumental sites of absolute importance: we will be at the Temple of Hera in Selinunte with Mozart’s Requiem on 21 August and the Battiato Tribute on 29 August, at the Teatro dell’Efebo in Agrigento on 23 and 27 August, at the Cloister of the Jesuit College in Mazara del Vallo on 25 and 28 August, in addition to the stages of Nicolosi, Tortorici, Ragalna, Centuripe, Palagonia and Ragusa”.
How will this eighth edition end?
«We will seal the Festival with a large triptych of events in Catania: the special event Apocalypse of Beauty in Piazza Dante on 12 September, the staging of Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana in the evocative setting of the Greek Roman Theater on 18 September and the grand finale with Stranizza d’amuri in Piazza Palestro on 19 September. With the immortal charm of our ancient theaters and ever-growing attendance, we will continue to transform every thousand-year-old stone into a stage alive with emotion, history and eternity.”