The hills of Rome resounding to music this morning.
Mozart D minor Piano concerto and Beethoven D major Violin concerto with Holst and Vivaldi enticing partners of youthful music making of mastery and passionate intensity.
Filippo Tenisci playing an 1879 Erard and Sebastian Zagame on a superb violin on loan from a Milanese Foundation . An orchestra created and directed by Federico Biscione opened with a work by Holst which exulted the beauty of the string playing which was to be a worthy partner to the two very fine soloists in a morning of superb music making in Velletri on the hills overlooking Rome.
Some very fine playing from an orchestra created by mostly young musicians prepared by Giovanna Lattanzi for the Centro Diffusione Musica di Tivoli. Maestro Federico Biscione conducting this orchestra of fine musicians in a performance of Holst’s Brook Green Suite. A fascinating discovery that I did not know and I often pass by Brook Green on my way to the centre of London.Gustav Holst used to teach at St Paul’s School just across the road. It was in Mozart that they really came into their own with Filippo Tenisci at the helm in the concerto in D minor. The mellow sound of this 1879 Erard blended in so well, even in moments of dynamic rhythmic drive, where orchestra and piano were united in creating a unified performance of great beauty. Filippo letting rip, but with poetry rather than just virtuosity, choosing the cadenzas by Beethoven to exult the drama and intensity of one of Mozart’s most dynamic concertos. A radiant beauty to the piano where in the Romance it was accompanied by the orchestra with beguiling simplicity. An Allegro assai played with dynamic drive and radiant beauty. An encore of a Liszt transcription exulted even more the subdued radiance and refined brilliance of the preferred piano of Liszt.
A short interval to remove the piano and leave more space for the violin soloist and orchestra. Some remarkable playing from this young virtuoso violinist who after performances of Beethoven and Vivaldi was to astonish us with the 24th Caprice by Paganini. Vivaldi that had shown his remarkable musicianship as he blended in with the string orchestra and in Beethoven where as soloist he played with a mature musicianship of aristocratic beauty.
A morning in the presence of great music played with youthful passion and intensity.
ChristopherAxworthy-MusicCommentary 