Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa, Opening of the Symphonic Season with a French Flair: Debussy, Saint-Saëns, and Franck in the Spotlight

Imagine a cello played with fire – with strength and passion – the bow like a magic wand that changes everything depending on where it touches. The strings often treated like those of a jazz double bass, the body of the instrument doubling as a drum or even congas.

Lü Jia
Now picture a Chinese conductor, capable of obsessive surgical precision, yet as warm and passionate as a Neapolitan. Just to indulge in a few stereotypes – unfounded but always effective. Place all this inside a nearly sold-out Carlo Felice Theatre, comparable to the big opera premieres. Shake well, and you have the opening concert of the 2025/26 Symphonic Season at Teatro Carlo Felice, which took place on the evening of October 30, 2025.

The program was entirely French: Debussy, Saint-Saëns, and Franck. Lü Jia on the podium, with Ettore Pagano on cello. On the programme: Debussy’s Petite Suite L 71, Saint-Saëns’ Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor, op. 33, and after the intermission, Franck’s Symphony in D minor.

Let’s begin by saying that the orchestra, under Lü Jia’s baton, handled all the complexities of the repertoire with great success.

Ettore Pagano
Debussy’s Petite Suite features a “silken” score – difficult precisely because of its deceptive simplicity: it demands transparency, a perfect balance between winds and strings, and extremely refined dynamics (the risk lies in making it either too pale or too muddy). This performance struck a balance between softness and clarity: En bateau was airy with shimmering winds; Cortège was articulated without becoming martial; Menuet was elegant but not precious; Ballet had a tightly controlled rhythmic drive and clean endings. In short: the usual challenges (horizontal and vertical balance) were managed through skillful dynamic layering and precise woodwind phrasing.

Saint-Saëns’ Concerto No. 1 is a single large movement divided into three sections, full of traps: a soloist’s immediate entry, technically demanding runs, tempo transitions without clear breaks, and a close interplay with an orchestra that can easily overpower. This rendition displayed steady pacing and careful orchestral textures, giving the cello its space in lyrical passages and fast runs (compact strings, precise winds). The three sections were smoothly stitched together – not glued, but held by a single sustained arc.

In Franck’s Symphony in D minor, the challenge is its cyclic form: themes return and transform throughout the three movements, requiring large sculpted crescendos, contrasting registers (brass vs strings and winds), and nearly organ-like blends that can obscure details if not handled delicately. The solution came through consistent tempos (no abrupt shifts), stepwise crescendos, and restrained but firm brass dynamics, preserving the counterpoint. The Allegretto had a dance-like, not funereal pace, and the finale was rhythmically solid, with energy channelled, not exploded. The result: formal cohesion rather than cheap dramatic effects.

And now, on to the emotional highlight: it came with the three encores offered by the fiery and incredibly young cellist Ettore Pagano, who is clearly on track to become the top cellist of his generation – if not the very top, certainly among the first three.

The first encore, demanded by thunderous applause after the Saint-Saëns, was clearly planned with Lü Jia and the orchestra: Fauré’s Élégie op. 24, in its orchestral version by the composer himself. Then Pagano returned alone on stage with a piece so unknown that many assumed it was his own composition. It wasn’t: it was Black Run, a 2001 solo cello piece from the suite Colors in D, full of pizzicatos, percussive body taps, and a groove reminiscent of a rock-jazz fusion.

After exiting and being summoned back like a true star, Pagano offered a third gift to the Genoese audience: Julie-O by Mark Summer, founder of the Turtle Island Quartet – a crossover solo work using extended techniques (slaps, left-hand pizzicatos, jazz phrasing). Those unfamiliar with it (myself included, until I looked it up) would have felt transported into a film soundtrack with western tinges (à la Morricone), then quickly into Gershwin-like vibes. But those who know Pagano weren’t surprised – he regularly plays these encores. He had already performed Black Run in 2024 in Milan, Siena, and Verona.

Let’s not forget the exotic star of the night: Lü Jia showcased everything he is known for – expansive yet clear gestures, attention to detail, and a direct connection with the orchestra. He has a habit of personally thanking every section at the end of a concert – something that feels genuinely human, not theatrical (unlike many of his colleagues). On Thursday, he had the sections stand one by one to receive the audience's applause, then had the entire orchestra stand, then even had the audience rise – and we gladly followed his firm but warm invitation. The “Neapolitan heart” retreats during performance: Lü Jia is sometimes accused of not being physically expressive enough, but that’s because he avoids showmanship in favour of control (if you want to apply the Chinese stereotype, go ahead).

In this sparkling evening, a final local emotional touch couldn’t be missing. During the applause, artistic director Federico Pupo came on stage. “You must cherish this orchestra,” he said, “for the commitment it shows and the emotions it gives us.” Then he called forward double bassist Paolo Zaccarini, announcing it was his final concert before retirement. Pupo pulled out a magnum bottle of sparkling wine and handed it to him saying, “No flowers, but works to drink.” Laughter and applause erupted from the crowd.

By Paolo Fizzarotti