La Scala Philharmonic celebrates 160 years of Sole 24 Ore

The Concert Programme. The repertoire was conceived as a journey on the theme of destiny, a key word both in the history of the newspaper and in the musical reading proposed. As explained in the concert booklet, edited by the concert's Artistic Director Piero Maranghi, Director of Sky Classica, the reflection on the era of the birth of Il Sole, on 1 August 1865 as the voice of the liberal and innovative bourgeoisie, immediately leads to post-unification Milan and the reconciliation of the relationship between the city and Giuseppe Verdi; hence the choice of a programme that, in its monumentality and energy, evokes the great forces of history and the human spirit. The musical journey unfolds through two great pages of the repertoire:

Johann Sebastian Bach - Chaconne from Partita No. 2 in D minor BWV 1004. Transcription for orchestra by Hideo Saito. Chosen as the concert's opening in homage to the sacred character of the Duomo, the Chaconne is one of the most impressive works in the violin repertoire and one of the most transcribed Bach pages in history. Originating as the last dance of the Partita No. 2 for solo violin (1720), it is presented here in the orchestral version by the Japanese musician Hideo Saito, a transcription that combines Bachian rigour and late Romantic sensibility. A page of great architectural and spiritual intensity, as well as virtuosity, that creates an ideal bridge between introspection, monumentality and the sacred dimension of the place that hosts it.

Pëtr Il'ič Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 5 in E minor Op. 64. 1.Andante. Allegro con anima; 2.Andante cantabile con alcuna licenza; 3.Valse. Allegro moderato; 4.Finale. Andante maestoso. Allegro vivace.The heart of the programme is the Quinta Sinfonia, a work imbued - as the concert hall notes emphasise - with the theme of fato, expressed by a recurring thematic idea that runs through the entire score. Tchaikovsky composed the symphony in 1888, at a time of intense creative activity: a work that musically addresses the tension between darkness and redemption, until the final transformation of the fate theme into a luminous hymn. A choice dictated by the grandeur, lyricism and monumentality of this symphony that make it a powerful symbol of regeneration and vision, perfect to celebrate such a significant anniversary.

A concert as a symbolic gesture. The evening was conceived as a moment of listening, reflection and beauty, an opportunity to retrace a 160-year editorial history of information, innovation and cultural commitment. Milan Cathedral, with its evocative power, becomes the ideal place to celebrate the relationship between the newspaper, the city and the public: a past that dialogues with the future in the music of two giants of history.

A special concert that will be available for live streaming on ilsole24ore.com.