Duo Ebano -Marco Danesi ,clarinet Paolo Gorini,pianoforte.
For the young Italian musicians Sunday morning series the Amici della Musica have decided to dedicate the first half this year to chamber music rather than the prevalence of solo piano recitals.

Of course the Steinway D,the preferred instrument,of Richter sits heroically in front of the magnificent frescos of this historic hall of the ‘Giants’
Today there was a very fine pianist too in company of a superb young clarinettist.Their playing of miniatures by Lutoslawski,Berg and Omizzolo was a lesson in real chamber music playing.Listening to each other as their kaleidoscopic sense of colour and range of sounds was perfectly matched to create the atmosphere and character that brought these works vividly to life.

The colour and sensitivity they brought to the Vier Stucke op 5 by Berg was truly to marvel at,as to how so little can mean so much.Even their silences became pregnant with meaning.
Paolo Gorini a specialist in modern repertory played with a precision and exemplary musicianship as this was a real duo between equals.

‘But I must thank you for your censure just as much as for everything you ever gave me, in the full knowledge that it is meant well—and for my own good. I need not tell you, my dear Mr. Schoenberg, that the great pain it has caused me is a guarantee that I have taken your criticism to heart.’Alban Berg, to Arnold Schoenberg

Silvio Omizzolo 1905-1991 was a Padua born pianist and composer.He graduated in Milan in 1927under the guidance of master Renzo Lorenzoni. He obtained the classical high school diploma at the Liceo Tito Livio in Padua and then graduated in Law at the University of Ferrara. His first piano works date back to 1928. Numerous works followed both for piano and for different vocal and instrumental formations. In 1943 he obtained the first prize in the competition of the “Union of Italian Musicians” and later received other important awards. Amongst which , the third prize at the “Queen Elizabeth” International Competition in Brussels in 1969 with the concerto for piano and orchestra, it still remains memorable for being the only Italian opera chosen from among two hundred competitors.From 1933 to 1974 he was a teacher at Pollini Conservatory in Padua where he was director from 1966 to 1971.His Divertimento in tre tempi showed a strong affinity to Hindemith.The ‘calmo e misterioso’ with its opening fanfare on the piano of deep bass notes answered by treble murmurs before the entry of the clarinet had a very atmospheric ending.A very busy continuous dialogue between piano and clarinet in the ‘non troppo impetuoso’ led to a cadenza for clarinet solo and the superb ensemble ending.

It was though in the Brahms Sonata op 120 n.2 where a more symphonic approach was needed -the Philadelphia sound to quote Rachmaninov-that the sweep and sumptuous sounds were missing.Notable precision and subtle musicianship but the lack of weight robbed the music of its power to seduce and ravish and hold the audiences attention with a big architectural design of symphonic proportions.
The Pièce en forme de Habanera by Ravel played as an encore,returned to their world of refined musicianship and subtle intoxicating colours.