Judging by the article headers alone, especially in the Parma Gazette, the Gala appears to have been a great success...

'Dear Verdi, this is how they sing in paradise. Exaltation for the parade of stars...'

-Gazetta di Parma

'An audience worth of a magical night'

- Gazetta di Parma

'Applause for everyone. The PalaCassa a Verdian triumph. The parade of stars inflames the audience'

- Gazetta di Parma

'Voices, words, and images: a starry night for Verdi'

-Il Messaggero

'Parma's opera lovers exalted and amazed. Never before have they heard so many great voices together like that.'

- Gazetta di Parma

'PalaCassa: the 'top class' from the world of singing. The echoes of Sunday's Serata di gala for the Verdi Festival are still alive'

- Gazetta di Parma

Valerio Cappelli writing in the Corriere of March 12, in an article entitled 'Prima di raggiungere il podio ...' ('Before arriving at the podium') provided some initial impressions of the Gala. The title of the article refers to the opening of the Gala, where the conductor, Zubin Mehta approached the podium by walking through the auditorium, speaking to the audience as he walked. "This is a celebration for Verdi and for all of us because Verdi belongs to all of us" said Mehta, who also quoted the poet Gabriele D'Annunzio...

"Diede una voce alle speranze e ai tutti Pianse ed amo per tutti..."

"He gave a voice to all our hopes He wept and loved for all of us..."

The evening which presented excerpts from Verdi's operas in chronological order ended with rare footage of Verdi's funeral shown on the giant screens. Some extracts from the article...

"Mehta said : «I was afraid because we only had two days for rehearsals, but the new chorus was very prepared». There was interminable applause from the 3500 spectators who had paid from 80,000 to 300,000 lire for their tickets"

"Mehta was the grand master of ceremonies for the serata di gala with opera stars from Domingo to Carreras, which has already been described as «an unrepeatable performance that will pass into the history of this city"

"The 'applause-o-meter' showed the winners to be Domingo, Frittoli, Devia, Carreras and, above all, Verdi. As an encore «Va' pensiero» sung as a surprise by all 19 of the stars, with the audience on its feet as if they were singing the national anthem"

Extracts from 'Caro Verdi, così si canta in paradiso' (Gazetta di Parma 12 March) by Davide Barilli...

"A triumph with the stamp of Verdi. After the criticisms and moans over Un ballo in maschera and Bellini's Norma [recent productions at the Teatro Regio] the Festival managed a «do di petto» [high C]. Hats off, gentlemen. [...] 'The Maestro's' grandeur has emerged from behind the cloak of his stage full of scheming and passion. Amidst intrigue and blood, sweetness and fears, drama and tumult, opera's heart beat again at the PalaCassa. It happens when the singers are the best there are. When people like Domingo can't hide their emotion. When everyone gives the maximum and this was truly the maximum."

"A castle filled to overflowing with music, arias, romanzas, duets, concertanti. [...] The Mount Olympus of the opera world were the protagonists of a musical banquet [..] It was - how could it be otherwise? - an apotheosis. A triumph for the grand concert of all-stars. An atmosphere like Las Vegas, a show with million dollar throats. On the stage, living legends like Domingo, Mehta, Carreras, Devia, Nucci, Raimondi, legends being born like Cura, and Alvarez. That is to say, the best of opera today with the exception of Pavarotti. A contest of high notes giftwrapped and tied with a big bow. But also a lesson in professionalism: talent in abundance and a joyous atmosphere"

"Amongst the 120 protagonists of the event: musicians and great interpreters of Verdian singing, the great acting of Placido Domingo and the great technique of Josè Carreras, two of the 'Three Tenors' who have thrilled opera lovers all over the world; then Josè Cura, Daniela Dessì, Mariella Devia, Luciana D'Intino, Barbara Frittoli, Leo Nucci, Ruggero Raimondi, Gloria Scalchi. And young but already established singers like the excellent Alvarez. [...] The giant TV screens brought the audience close to the singers allowing them to see their emotions and passions. The evening produced a crescendo of ovations from one piece to the next. Enchanted, the public followed the 'Verdian Voyage' as if it were the map of a soul. From the first opera, the difficult relationship with Parma, the private grief, the successes. From Jérusalem to Il corsaro, through to the magic of Rigoletto, magnificently interpreted by Mariella Devia, Leo Nucci, Marcelo Alvarez and Gloria Scalchi. An interesting touch in terms of the drama was the idea of Lorenzo Arruga. Before each aria or romanza, each of the interpreters of the evening read out a thought about Verdi, a bit of music history or a personal memory: «Il trovatore is a song that I have always listened to. Our mother sang it to us a lullaby»," recounted Carreras."

Extracts from 'Voci, parole, immagini: per Verdi notte piena di stelle' (Messaggero 12 March) by Alfredo Gasponi...

"What stood out in the evening, was the presence of the different generations of opera voices. The young tenor Marcelo Alvarez in Rigoletto was well liked. But Domingo who had never sung in Parma before was the most eagerly awaited. And already at in the finale of Trovatore he had set the audience of 3500 people dreaming. Praise for Nucci who showed us all the incisiveness of his phrasing. And for Barbara Frittoli and the promising Elisabeta Matos. The limpid singing of Mariella Devia in the great scene from La Traviata, the intensity of Carreras in the death of Riccardo in Un ballo in maschera."

"A through dreams and duels, confessions and prayers, we arrived at the fugue from Falstaff 'Tutto nel mondo è burla' ('Everything in the world is a joke'), a concluding homage «to the man who taught us to believe in our ideas and give rein to our passions. And as a final lesson, also not to take ourselves too seriously...». Great enthusiasm. Could there not be an encore? And it was a repeat of 'Va', pensiero', with the singers joining the chorus for the conclusion of a festive night of Verdi"

Extract from 'PalaCassa: il top del canto mondiale' (Gazzetta di Parma 13 March)

"An evening, therefore, to experience from a different point of view, entertaining and at the same time tiring, the tiredness that you feel at the end of a long journey, as long as Verdi's life, evoked by the many diverse stylistic stops along the way that Lorenzo Arruga's imagination wove together one after the other, adding flavour with a well selected mix of history and personal anecdotes, having as narrators those singers who were not performing in the piece. An elegant and lively solution. [...] to recap the outstanding moments of interpretation, characters who although they were not on a stage with scenery brought a renewed emphasis on the actual excellence of the acting [...] like Placido Domingo's Otello, always sculpted with an authenticity that goes to the very roots of Verdian truth. Ruggero Raimondi's inner devastation in Philip the Second [in Don Carlo]. Leo Nucci's intense Rigoletto, but side by side with them more contemporary but no less stimulating interpretations from Marcelo Alvarez, Mariella Devia, Daniela Dessì, Barbara Frittoli, Luciana D'Intino, to name just a few"

There were also articles by Elena Formica about the audience which had "VIPs ranging from Andrea Bocelli to the Japanese Ambassador to Italy as well as Parma's citizens many of whom were asked for their reactions.

From 'Un parterre degno della magica notte' (Gazzetta di Parma 12 March)...

"Legendary, unforgettable. the Concerto di Gala at the PalaCassa di Parma, one that will pass into history as the highest homage from the operatic world to the composer from Busseto: extraordinary voices (Placido Domingo and Josè Carreras, Mariella Devia e Daniela Dessì, Leo Nucci, Ruggero Raimondi and other international opera greats), a charismatic conductor (Zubin Mehta), a prestigious orchestra, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. And a huge audience, 3500 people who though music and poetry voyaged through the entire life of Giuseppe Verdi, allowing themselves to come to know him in the way that he has given us, through music and singing, the supreme guarantees of truth."

"Giancarlo Elia Valori, [industrialist] who said «I came to Parma for a conference of all those who run the highways of Europe: if in the 19th century, Verdi was the symbol of national unity, perhaps this evening will transform us into united Europeans.!»."

"Marco Rosi, [an industrialist from Parma] defined the Gala as «exceptional, fantastic, and perhaps unrepeatable.». Devia gave his heart palpitations."

"Calisto Tanzi, president of Parmalat, was also enthusiastic and found that the event «overcame all the criticisms that had been directed at the organization of the Verdi festival». "

"The Prefect of Parma, Mario Licciardello, was «honoured to be part of rare evening in honour of a great Italian»; the Mayor of Busseto, Luigi Mazzetta, considered the gala an homage worthy of Verdi, «well planned also in terms of its exposition of history»."

"The notary, Alberto Carrara Verdi, the Swan's heir is literally fascinated by Domingo and wants to have him again at Sant'Agata, 30 years after Domingo's first visit in 1971. [Verdi is known in Italy as 'the Swan of Busseto'. Carrara Verdi is a descendant of Verdi's adopted daughter] [...] The rector of Parma University, Gino Ferretti, gave the Gala marks of '110 and praise' [equivalent to an A+], but above all hearty applause."

From 'Mai sentite insieme tante voci così' (Gazzetta di Parma 13 March)...

"Laura Acquistapace, lawyer and contralto in the Coro Montecastello was overjoyed: «When you listen to certain voices, certain living legends, you remain without the words to describe what you are feeling. What thrills from Domingo! What an interpreter Devia is ! And Nucci: an extraordinary baritone, an adorable person! But they were all great, really all of them. Also Carreras, who seemed to me a bit tired, but continues to make us love him, like all the timeless greats.»."

"The soprano Paola Sanguinetti didn't conceal her delight at having planted two solemn kisses on the cheeks of Domingo, the king of the evening. . The soprano from Parma felt that it was really Domingo's voice that was captured best by the amplification system, followed by Devia's and Dessì's."

"Lalla Montacchini also enthusiastic: «I have had three supreme emotions in my career as an opera fanatic: Frank Sinatra's concert at the PalaTrussardi in Milan, the Requiem conducted by Abbado in the Parma Cathedral 21 years ago, and this evening at the PalaCassa. A 'Domingo grandissimo', an unforgettable concert. I don't know how to come out of this unceasing vortex of emotion...»."

"«It was me, it was me who shouted Viva Verdi! at the Palacassa. I read in the Gazzetta that you could hear it: how happy I am that my exclamation of joy was heard by everyone, even those on the stage!». The happiness, enthusiasm, pride of a 'vintage' opera lover: Dino Allodi, the Secretary of Parma Lirica. «Never heard together before so many extraordinary voices, accompanied by a world renowned orchestra. It doesn't matter if the acoustics, although pleasant were not those of temple of opera. It was an unforgettable night. ». These words could be repeated ad infinitum. Parma found herself again - its tradition, its true love of music - in the magic of a concert at winter's end."