Some great piano playing from the final diploma concerts of the class of Benedetto Lupo for the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia.

Nice to see Andrea Padova as one of the judges.

Some very fine playing from 20 year old Francesco Granata His beautifully relaxed arms and agile fingers brought the two Scarlatti sonatas to life with some magical phrasing and dynamics.

Strange fingering in the B minor but what enjoyment he was transmitting.

Schumann Carnaval and above all Mussorgsky “Pictures” showed of his beautifully wide ranging sound palette.

Always beautiful sounds due to his completely natural technical mastery.

As he matures he will allow the music to speak more naturally and simply and not feel he has to “do things”as Brendel would say.

Matteo Londero at 30 has a more mature musicianship.

Some very solid playing with some really sumptuous colours in Prokofiev 2nd Sonata.
Some beautiful things in the Schumann 8th Novelette but I would have not have stopped after each section but tried to join as one .

Not having the same flexibility as Granata but some very refined serious musicianship.He also brought great weight to his “Waldstein” sonata.

Axel Trolese had both the flexibility of Granata and the solid musicianship of Londero.
He also had that sense of fantasy that allowed him to whisper and roar when needed.

Just what was needed for the beautiful opening of Beethoven`s op 27 n.1 …..the poor relation of the so called “Moonlight”‘.
Here it was treated as the great work it was in the hands of Arrau or Cherkassky.

Beautifully played the three pieces that make up Albeniz Iberia.

A great sense of balance and delicacy allied to a rhythmic precision which is so essential in these evocative tone poems.

I have heard his Chopin B minor Sonata a month ago in Benedetto’s class concert and Axel rose to the occasion today and was awarded the highest honours.

Speaking to Costanza Principe afterwards I told her about Axels Chopin and how I hoped he might slow it down a bit.

“Lucky him who can play so well” was her just reply.

The set pieces by Fabio Vacchi played with the score showed off the digital and fantasy of each pianist.

Crisp and clean from Granata,more.cerebral and deep from Londero and full of colour and fantasy from Axel.

Three full recitals from very fine pianists endowed with the musical values that Benedetto Lupo has so generously shared in their time together at the Accademia in Rome.