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Above: the Museo Ospitale Santa Francesca Romana.
On March 8, 2026, in the evocative setting of the Museo Ospitale Santa Francesca Romana in Rome, a new sacred work will see the light for the first time: the Oratorio “Una con Lui” for solo soprano, string quartet, and piano, with music by OnePeterFive writer Mº Aurelio Porfiri and text adapted by Professor Alessandra Bartolomei Romagnoli from the Life of Giuseppe Mattiotti. This world premiere represents not simply the unveiling of a new composition, but a significant moment in the ongoing dialogue between tradition and contemporary sacred expression.
At the heart of the work stands the luminous and complex figure of Saint Francesca Romana. Wife, mother, mystic, and foundress, she embodies a synthesis that remains profoundly relevant: the unity between action and contemplation. In an age that often fragments human experience into competing domains—public and private, spiritual and practical—her life offers a coherent vision in which charity and prayer are not opposed but mutually illuminating. “Una con Lui” seeks to render this unity in sound.
The choice of scoring is deliberate and symbolically resonant. The soprano functions not merely as a narrator but as an interior voice—at times intimate, at times prophetic—articulating the spiritual tension that animates the Saint’s journey. The string quartet provides a chamber texture of remarkable expressive flexibility, capable of austerity and warmth, of ascetic clarity and lyrical expansion. The piano, meanwhile, serves as both harmonic foundation and dramatic catalyst, shaping the architectural flow of the work. Together, these forces create a musical fabric that is transparent yet intense, contemplative yet dynamically alive.
Structurally, the Oratorio avoids the monumentalism often associated with the genre in favor of concentration and interior depth. Rather than overwhelming the listener with scale, it invites attentiveness. The musical language, while rooted in tonal reference points, does not retreat into nostalgic imitation. Instead, it engages the tradition as living material—capable of development, reinterpretation, and renewed eloquence. In this sense, “Una con Lui” stands within the broader trajectory of sacred composition that seeks continuity without repetition, fidelity without rigidity.
The textual foundation is equally significant. Giuseppe Mattiotti’s Life of Saint Francesca Romana offers a narrative of spiritual maturation shaped by historical circumstance and personal trial. The adaptation by Alessandra Bartolomei Romagnoli distills this material into a dramaturgically coherent and spiritually focused libretto. The result is a text that preserves historical rootedness while achieving lyrical concentration. Words and music collaborate not in decorative alignment, but in genuine theological and affective dialogue.
The decision to premiere the work in the Museo Ospitale Santa Francesca Romana adds a further dimension of meaning. This is not an arbitrary concert venue but a space that preserves the memory of the Saint herself. The performance thus becomes an act of cultural and spiritual re-inscription: the story returns to its place of origin, now refracted through contemporary artistic creation. The spatial context intensifies the symbolic resonance of the music, transforming the evening from a mere event into a gesture of homage and renewal.
The performers assembled for the premiere underscore the seriousness of the undertaking. Soprano Maria Chiara Forte brings to the role a vocal timbre and interpretative sensitivity capable of sustaining both lyrical intimacy and dramatic projection. The String Quartet “Le Mariù” contributes the cohesion and refinement essential to chamber repertoire of this density. Pianist Massimiliano Franchina offers the technical precision and expressive depth required by a part that is at once structural and evocative. The work will be conducted by the composer, ensuring interpretative fidelity and a unified artistic vision.
Why does a new sacred oratorio matter today? In a cultural climate often marked by superficiality and fragmentation, the creation of a substantial sacred work asserts that beauty, transcendence, and theological reflection remain vital categories. Sacred music is not a relic of a bygone era but a living field of inquiry. It asks how sound can mediate meaning, how artistic form can embody spiritual truth, and how communal listening can open spaces of interiority. A premiere such as “Una con Lui” testifies that these questions are not exhausted.
Moreover, the focus on Saint Francesca Romana speaks directly to contemporary concerns. Her life integrates family responsibility, social engagement, and mystical depth. She does not escape the world; she sanctifies it from within. To render such a figure musically is to propose, implicitly, a model of integrated humanity. The Oratorio does not preach; it proposes through beauty. It does not argue; it invites contemplation.
Tickets for the premiere may be purchased through Eventbrite and Classictic, or by scanning the QR code provided in the official promotional materials. The concert will take place on March 8, 2026, with admission at 8:15 pm and performance from 8:30 to 9:30 pm.
In presenting “Una con Lui”, the intention is not merely to add another title to the repertoire, but to contribute to the ongoing revitalization of sacred art. Each authentic work expands the horizon of what is possible; each serious premiere renews confidence in the capacity of music to speak to the deepest dimensions of the human person. On March 8 in Rome, that renewal will take audible form.
