the symphony orchestra
NoonDecember 5, 2022 – 8.45 pm
Controversy in Lecce. Mazzotta: «Entrusted to an inexperienced orchestra»
from Claudius Tadicini
There is always a first time. So it happens that, after having participated in the 46 previous editions also contributing to organize them, on the occasion of the 47th Traditional Opera Season of the Province of Lecce that has just begun, the most representative orchestra of the territory remains excluded. That is, the Lecce and Salento Symphony Orchestra Oles, which boasts the inheritance – certified by regional resolution – of the glorious artistic heritage of the former orchestra of the Ico Tito Schipa Foundation of Lecce (formerly the orchestra of the Province of Lecce), up to a few year ago among the few in Italy to also be recognized as a concert-orchestral institution. «We are perplexed and dismayed – declares Realino Mazzotta, president of Oles – because the Province of Lecce has involved an association born a few years ago, that is the Philharmonic Orchestra Association of Lecce, with no history and no opera season behind it, completely ignoring an institution like ours, which is instead recognized by the Ministry and the Puglia Region and which, for over 40 years, has represented the history of opera in Lecce”. Also this year, the Oles orchestra (formerly Ico Tito Schipa) had given their willingness to participate in the traditional opera season of the Province of Lecce, «but – continues Mazzotta – despite our presence at the meetings and repeated demonstrations to participate in the event, in the end nobody made themselves heard, not even for tell us that the choice had fallen on others. This attitude towards an institution like ours is unacceptable: we are very sorry».
The Symphony Orchestra of Lecce and Salento Oles is an orchestral cooperative society made up today of 43 musician members, born in 2017 from the ashes of the former Ico Tito Schipa (which was managed by the homonymous foundation established by the Province and Municipality of Lecce, then put into liquidation due to the effects of the Delrio law and the revocation of culture from the jurisdiction of the provinces), with the aim of safeguarding, strengthening and modernizing the important musical heritage consisting of forty years of concert and opera activity of the Leccese orchestra , of which many of the Oles members themselves were protagonists. President Mazzotta, demanding respect for the historic Leccese orchestra, then adds: «I don’t know it is legal for a Province to ignore a local institution, but I hope that the institution can change its mind for the next season and I hope that the choice of the orchestra was not a political choice: its name was not announced either during the conference press presentation of the opera season nor is it mentioned in the press releases of the Province and this says a lot: perhaps they didn’t have the courage to announce it?». «Fortunately – concludes Mazzotta – we have a rich concert season underway. Perhaps they didn’t call us for this reason, but they could also have told us: we would have understood it, but no one took us into consideration and this cannot be accepted”. We would have liked to ask the president of the Province of Lecce Stefano Minerva about the facts, but it was not possible to contact him, despite various attempts. The opera season in Lecce, as mentioned, has meanwhile begun. Yesterday was the turn of the second appointment with Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville”, while on 11 and 13 December it will be the turn of Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor”. The season will close with Puccini’s “Tosca” (December 23, 25 and 28) and a symphonic opera concert in homage to Tito Schipa (December 27).
December 5, 2022 | 8.45pm
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