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Wonderful to watch these two very fine pianists and to know that the life and music of their piano duo has kept apace with their growing family.A programme from the Russian repertoire of succulent Rachmaninov and sumptuous Tchaikowsky with a complete change of mood for an encore of Piazzola’s hypnotic and sizzling Libertango.

The Six Morceaux are among the earliest of Rachmaninoff’s mature works. Rachmaninov had graduated from the Moscow Conservatory in 1892, and-only two years later had already made a reputation for himself as a pianist and composer. These little pieces reflect themes of yearning and display some of Rachmaninov’s famous intricate passagework. The Morceaux are often considered as the forerunners of his later 13 Preludes, Op. 32, from 1910.They were played with sensitivity,colour and character.The ‘Barcarolle’ with the beauty of the melodic line ever more intense and cascades of arpeggios from Gala accompanying her husbands majestic chordal melody in the tenor register of this fine Steinway piano .I too had played this instrument some years ago in duo with Lydia De Barberiis and it has aged well – like good wine,a fine vintage matures especially if looked after with the love and care of Professor Ricci,the artistic director and creator of this series for almost thirty years

A rhythmic drive and crystalline sounds in the ‘Scherzo ‘ and some delicate colouring from Gala with Diego offering an abrupt surprise ending.’The Russian melody’ was played with simplicity and childlike innocence and just contrasted with the delightful dance of beguiling charm of the ‘Valse’.A delicate accompaniment from Diego and the elastic fluidity from Gala.A passionate outpouring in the ‘Romance’ was contrasted with the etherial pedal effect of the echoing in ‘Glory’ a traditional Russian melody.

And so to the Ballet music of Tchaikowsky which they have recorded.A very fine CD which they had invited me to write the sleeve notes for and that I was delighted to have the opportunity to delve into the archive and find out more about such famous melodies.

There was the drama of the opening of ‘Swan Lake’ as the story unfolds.The ‘Dance of the Swans’ with the delicacy of Diego’s accompaniment to Gala’s charm and kaleidoscope of colours bringing vividly to life the deliciously elegant swans before the excitement that they brought to the ‘Hungarian Dance’ finale.

‘Sleeping Beauty’ made a brief appearance in an early transcription by the youthful Rachmaninov with an opening of great expectation and its beautifully shaped melodic line.A curtain raiser for the ‘Nutcracker’ that we are more used these days in hearing in the two hand virtuoso arrangement by Pletnev rather than the more sober but no less exciting four hand arrangement of Langer.A ‘Sugar plumb fairy’ of wistful lightness and a build up of sound as cascades of notes passed from one player to the other with ease and sense of showmanship that this music demands.Beautiful bell like sounds of a luminosity and gentle insistence with their hands barely touching the keys and a whirlwind of rhythmic drive.Diego brought great character to the bass strides on which Gala added the magic melody of Chinese delight!A glorious outpouring of familiar melodies with the ‘Flower Waltz ‘ with arabesques of Romantic delight and exhilaration.

I have said it before but it is even more remarkable now how these two artists can play as one with a sense of balance as they listen to the music they are creating together with such sensitivity and love .

Il Duo pianistico a 4 mani Gala Chistiakova e Diego Benocci si è formato nel 2014, quando i due pianisti si perfezionavano presso l’Accademia Pianistica Internazionale di Imola.

Diego Benocci è nato a Grosseto, ha iniziato gli studi musicali presso l’Istituto Musicale della sua città con il M° Giuliano Schiano. Si è diplomato presso il Conservatorio “G. Frescobaldi” di Ferrara e ha concluso il corso di laurea presso il Conservatorio di Stato “L. Cherubini” di Firenze nella classe della Prof.ssa Maria Teresa Carunchio e l’Accademia Pianistica Internazionale “Incontri col Maestro” di Imola sotto la guida del M° Enrico Pace e del M° Igor Roma.Tiene regolarmente concerti in tutta Europa e in Asia come solista, musicista da camera e suona con orchestre in importanti festival.

Gala Chistiakova è nata a Mosca in una famiglia di musicisti. Ha iniziato i suoi studi di pianoforte a 3 anni con sua madre Liubov Chistiakova. Dal 1993 al 2005 ha studiato alla Scuola Centrale del Conservatorio di Mosca intitolato a Pëtr Il’ič Čajkovskij con i professori Helena Khoven e Anatoly Ryabov. Nel 2014 Gala ha terminato il Conservatorio di Mosca e un corso post-laurea in una classe del professor Mikhail Voskresensky. Nel 2011 ha iniziato i suoi studi presso l’Accademia Pianistica Internazionale “Incontri col Maestro” (classe del Prof. Boris BorisPetrušanskij) in Italia. Vincitrice di oltre 30 concorsi internazionali, vive oggi con il marito Diego Benocci a Grosseto dove dirigono insieme il Festival Musicale Internazionale “Recondite Armonie” e il Progetto di Scambio Culturale “Giovani Musicisti del Mondo”. Nel 2022 sono stati nominati codirettori artistici e docenti del festival IMOC a Grosseto.

Il duo ha un vasto repertorio e ha tenuto concerti in Russia, Italia, Francia, Portogallo, Germania, Regno Unito, per numerose stagioni musicali internazionali riscuotendo ovunque grande successo di pubblico e di critica.  

Nel 2021 in duo hanno vinto la borsa di studio all’Accademia Chigiana nella classe della prof.ssa Lilya Zilberstein. Hanno collaborato come duo con orchestre sinfoniche e da Camera e recentemente si sono esibiti al Conservatorio Čajkovskij di Mosca, alla Weston Recital Hall di Oxford, al Festival International de Musique de Chambre Est Ouest in Belgio, al Madeira Piano Festin Portogallo e in un concerto straordinario per G. Armani a Londra. 

Il loro primo CD con musiche di Čajkovskij è stato pubblicato nel 2021 dall’etichetta italiana OnClassical e le loro registrazioni sono state trasmesse in più occasioni su Rai Radio 3. 

Di recente il duo è risultato vincitore del primo premio assoluto e del premio “Marche Musica” al XXXI Concorso Pianistico Internazionale “Roma”

Gala Chistiakova and Diego Benocci in Viterbo A duo that plays as one with beauty and style.