Verdi’s Requiem / San Diego Opera

Critical Acclaim "But what was especially welcome in this production, and one hopes will become a hallmark of this company as well, was the strong yet flexible leadership in the pit.

As Massimo Zanetti (making his company debut) demonstrated, it all starts and ends with the conductor. And right from the orchestra’s first response to Zanetti’s downbeat, you had the feeling this was going to be special. The San Diego Symphony sounded the most accomplished and responsive it has sounded all opera season, perhaps any opera season. It played as if it was an extension of Zanetti’s baton.

In an expertly paced interpretation, Zanetti found the ideal balance between giving the singers the structure they need to feel supported, but also the freedom they also need not only to breath, but to soar." James ChuteThe San Diego Union-Tribune
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“The noted Italian conductor Massimo Zanetti led a lithe, fiery, cutting performance, one in which the expression mercy was not a priority.The San Diego Symphony, San Diego Opera Chorus and San Diego Master Chorale completely filled the large stage. They sounded extremely well rehearsed. This was clearly a grand, spare-no-expense occasion.

The standing ovation was long and loud and would have gone on for much longer had there been enough curtain calls. People hesitated to leave once it was over.”

Los Angeles Times