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Ultimo aggiornamento: circa 2 mesi fa

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From the heart to the heart you could say .

Beautiful recital by last night .Three big works magnificently played.The Rachmaninov Sonata ,in particular,played with realconviction and almost without the score it was so much part of them ………and led on to a wonderful Chopin Polonaise where Jamal abandoned the score completely and they were in their element.As Barbirolli once said about Jaqueline du Pre, sometimes criticised for playing with too much passion and warmth but how he loved it for he said if you don’t play like that in your youth what will be pared down later.

Oh what it is to be young and so talented and lets hope that they will go a long way together ……Anna even had a heart shaped neckless just incase we had not noticed!

Ultimo aggiornamento: circa 5 mesi fa

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Extraordinary recital…………..from the first note to the last ……maybe the Bach too much non legato but the beauty of sound and perfection of musical thought were to be treasured ,The Chopin Funeral March Sonata and the 3rd Scherzo were treated as the master works they are.The recapitulation in the first movement of the sonata remarkably original and made one want to re look at the score ……it was that sort of musical event.La Valse was and extraordinary showcase for all her finesse ,colours,virtuosity and above all sense of line. The Chopin prelude op 28 n.13 was simply divine ……………Welcome to London Miss Rana we need you ……………

Ultimo aggiornamento: circa un mese fa

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What a treat the other day after gazing at the most marvellous Caravaggios in S.Luigi Francesi and S Agostino there in the Sala Accademica next door in the Pontificio Istituto della Musica Sacra was the most amazing recital of Cuban music for the 80th anniversary of relations between the Republic of Cuba and the Vatican .All this on the very afternoon that President Obama was to declare in America the official re-opening of relations between America and Cuba.

Amazing virtuoso piano pieces all based on typical dance rhythms had us all not only clicking our heels but admiring the absolute control of the pianist.

A magnificent Fazioli concert grand rather too bright to be able to savour the subtlety of colour and the amazing independence between the hands .All abundantly clear on the magnificent instrument used for the recording that has just been released for Academy recordings .And after this treat another one at Prof Franco Carlo Ricciprivate gathering of friends with Michelangelo Carbonaraoffering a much more sober programme of Beethoven Liszt and Brahms ……all superbly played on a 1890 Pleyel .Both Marcos and Michelangelo helped by the Keyboard Charitable Trust and more interestingly students of William Grant Nabore at the International Piano Academy Lake Como .Even more interesting was that that very night Dmitry Masleev,also a student of Nabore was declared Gold medal winner of the Tchaikowsky Competition in Moscow.A night to remember you might say and what a way to start the merry month of July,

Ultimo aggiornamento: 12 minuti fa

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What a way to end this 51st festival .

A stunning performance of Mendelssohns Double concerto for violin and piano performed by Roberto Prosseda and Fabrizio von Arx with the Camerata du Leman brought to an end the 51st Pontine Festival.

Roberto Prosedda a complete musican from the school of Sergio Cafaro and Fabrizio von Arx from the school of Corrado Romano .Both spending much of their youth in Sermoneta and so formed in this remarkable summer school founded by Menuhin and Szigeti in the 1960’s . The virtuoso demands met in full by Roberto with that beautiful cantabile that was so evident in his performance the day before of the Emperor Concerto by Beethoven.Fabrizio von Arx showing all his latin blood in the lush melodies of this rarely heard concerto.By great demand a scintilating virtuoso encore of Bazzinis La Ronde de Lutins had a smile on Robertos face,and us too, as he tried to keep up with Fabrizios tracendental virtuosity.The very fine Camerata du Leman followed them with all the verve and energy that they had shown in a very refined performance of Corelli’s Concerto Grosso op 6 n.4 and an energetic performance of Mendelssohns early 2nd Symphony for strings .Quite a nostalgic night as it recalled my student days in Dartington,that other great summer school, when the Academy of St Martin in the Field under Neville Marriner would regale us with these early string works of Mendelssohn.Very honoured to have the presence of Arch.Cerocchi President since the 1970’s of the Pontine Festival and also responsable for the transformation of the old granary into one of the most beautiful concert halls in the beautiful cistercian complex of the Fossanova Abbey

Ultimo aggiornamento: Domenica

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Amazingly the first piano recital ever in Sabaudia the other night thanks to the Pontine Festival and their annual collaboration with The Keyboard Charitable Trust.

Here in the enclosed courtyard of the town hall was a wonderful Steinway D piano and amazingly completely sold out .In fact the doors were shut as the tickets finished .

And what a treat there was in store for us from Vitaly Pisarenko – bringing his recent Prize winners Wigmore recital programme to this seaside town created by Mussolini in the 30’s in what were originally malarial swamps .

Bringing Venetians down to this area between Roma and Naples to drain the land and turn it into the most fertile land around to produce all the fruit and vegetables for these two great cities.Towns created in record tempo by Mussolini all in the same rationalist architecture.

Little could anyone have imagined the remarkable acoustic in this enclosed space in the midst of all the excited holiday crowds only seeking entertainment after a day spent on the 25 km stretch of white beach all in a National Park protected by the World Wildlife Fund.

Could the people have ever imagined that in their midst was one of the most exciting talents around.A rapt silence during the performances greeted only by an ovation at the end of Vitalys remarkable performance of Prokofiev 6th Sonata .

Starting with the Bach/Siloti Prelude in B minor showing right from the start all his remarkable control of sound – infact a sound world all his own .

Followed by a Pathetique Sonata all his own .An original performance of such a well known work but such is the musicianship of this young Russian pianist that he can still surprise us in a piece we have all known so well for years ,Three Etude Tableaux played as only someone with this music in his blood could play it and so on to his own renowned account of Prokofiev.

Here were all the colours of a Symphony Orchestra that only a master could reveal on an ungrateful box of strings and hammers.

The local administration that had thought the seaside crowds just wanted some popular light hearted entertainment after the beach were here proven wrong.As this discerning public, after this remarkable and not easy concert, were craving for more

Lets hope that the local and now enlightened administration will heed this message brought from the 51st Pontine Festival and create a real series of concerts for next year in this now proven magnificent setting.A series of young lions from the Keyboard Chartable Trust to give a platform to these amazing young talents that are only craving to share their goods with such an attentive audience.Little could the people have imagined that some of the most legendary musicians have been on their seashore such as Cherkassky,Agosti,Tortelier,Tureck,Sandor,Berman ,Hewitt,Petrassi,De Peyer >All visitors to Ileana Ghione’s house over the years,having performed in what now is termed the” Historic” Teatro Ghione created by Ileana Ghione and her husband in1982 .What a fitting setting for the tenth anniversary of her death on the very day that would have been her 31st wedding anniversary

Ultimo aggiornamento: circa una settimana fa

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A few years ago Maude Tortelier asked me if I knew what ” peso” meant

…………………I certainly do ..

.It is that undefinable quality that comes with total technical assurance combined with an innate musicality that gives to each note a weight and meaning.

And so it was tonight at Fossanova with Mariana Sirbu and Bruno Giuranna .The veteran Giuranna ,that I remember from the glorious days in Siena with Riccardo Brengola,Guido Agosti,Franco Ferrara and Salvatore Accardo ,playing here without the score – something so rare these days in Sonata duos – but gave an immediate sense of musical comunion between the music and the audience .If his right arm is not as strong as it used to be the depth and warmth of his musicianship were of someone that has lived with this wonderful music for a lifetime.

Ending with the Trio op 40 here was chamber music on a truly sublime level The majesterial violin playing of la Sirbu intertwined with the warmth of Giurannas viola and the truly beautiful sounds from Linda di Carlo on the piano.This is surely what the Pontine Festival is all about, from its creation by Menuhin and Szigeti, of a real feeling of great musicians meeting to make music.It is not for nothing that the Pontine Festival has been likened to Marlborough or Prades ….lets hope that this glorious tradition will continue for many a year to come .

Ultimo aggiornamento: 8 ore fa

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Beautiful voice in this song recital in the splendid Granary in Fossanova.I think it must be the first song recital there and certainly deserved a larger audience.

Hampered by the ever present score on a music stand the voice was never allowed the freedom to comunicate as it was with a Schwarzkopf or Berganza.Surely the whole point of a song recital is to tease,entice and play with the audience …to bring them into an intimate relationship that was not always possible with the stand between us .However a wonderful rich voice and some beautiful playing from Luisa Prayer,who also introduced the programme.Luisa from the school of Cafaro like Roberto Prosedda …real musicians that would never fail to comunicate the real essence of the music .Often reminded of Sergio Cafaro a really great musician ,who often played in my theatre in Rome.He also collected insects and gave me some of his remarkable pastel paintings.A real romantic man from another age and nice to be reminded of him via his inheritance to his pupils.An important audience for a recording that was being made.Gisella Belgeri – she too and ex studentl of Guido Agosti – now an important figure on the official government musical scene and overseeing the recording.It was she ,a dear friend, who hunted me out last november to tell me of the death of Lydia Stix Agosti ,at the age of 95.One of the most remarkable people that we have ever met and the principal reason that I came to live in Italy.All in all a very moving evening

Very interesting recital by Jacob Katsnelson for the Pontine Festival in the beautifully

restored granary of the Cistercian complex around the Abbey of Fossanova.Restored by Architect Cerocchi , recently retired president of theCampus Internazionale di Musica,and present with his wife to hear what should have been Elisso Virsaladzes annual recital .

Our adored Elisso ,at home on doctors orders ,had sent her prize assistant to take her place at the last minute .

And here was all the rigour,intellectual and musical that we have come to expect from Elisso’s much revered school of piano playing .

An interesting mixture of Bach transcriptions in the first half ….played without a break with an evident sense of form foremost in Katsnelsons mind .The usual floating romantic melody in ” sheep may safely graze” was not for this pianist and the virtuoso trascriptions by Busoni – the Organ prelude in E flat major acting as opening and ending for music restored to its rightful place – the fact that it was transcribed for piano was irrelevant in front of the form,shape and content of these masterpieces. We were,infact guided through this path in a really masterful fashion . .

Great sense of colour but not in the romantic piano sense but more the strands of colour reminiscent of the sounds of organ stops – quite a remarkable technical feat.

The second half dedicated to Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet op 75 ……and if it did not exactly have you dancing in the aisles ,the colours and overall form restored this piece to the major piano repertoire.

All Elisso’s students out in style to appreciate the great lesson that we could learn and grateful once again that Elisso even from afar had her students intellectual and musical welfare uppermost in her mind.

Masterclasses continue again today in the castle until wednesday when it will be the turn of the star students to show us how much they have been able to grasp in this real exchange of views between master and pupil .

CORSO DI JACOB KATSNELSON

And so the final day arrived ……………the Final Concert .The much awaited concert at the end of the masterclasses …….How would it be without Elisso Virsaladze?We need not have worried for all the rigour and seriousness were present in Elisso assistant Jacob Katsnelson.A bit like a train journey the Regionale/Intercity or Freccia Rossa all with the same destination in view but different times and methods for arriving.

And so it was at the beginning for Ivan Valentino,Alessandro Romagnoli and Davide Di Rienzo ,all talents in formation ,Davide Di Rienzo,in particular ,a seventeen year old local boy in Chopin’s Second Scherzo already on the way to giving an accomplished performance .Evgeny Genchev had flown in especially to meet Elisso Virsaladze but was as happy to play to Jacob Katsnelson as he was to hear him. Evgeny from the Keyboard Charitable Trust that has forged a link with the Campus Internazionale Di Musica ,as has Elisso Virsaladze over the years .A link forged on a mutual intent to help young talent reach their goal with dedication and seriousness .A transcendental performance from Evgeny Genchev of Skryabin Fantasie – every bit as powerful as Emanuel Rimoldis had been a few days earlier in the Palazzo Baronale in Fondi( this too, as is so much in this area ,part of the Caetani heritage)Sofia Vasheruk followed with a beautiful performance of the rarely heard Debussy Reverie ……beautiful to listen to and behold and led on to an equally ravishing Ravel Sonatine and the Rachmaninoff Prelude in D major .Finishing with an Etude Tableaux that showed off all her early Russian training .Liebestod by Wagner/Liszt ended the concert with Evgeny Genchev showing us all his sense of balance , colour and line that had the audience in hushed silence for minutes at the end where such an atmosphere had been created no one dared move .Evgeny had just an hour before regaled an astonished Jacob with accomplished performances of Liszt Dante Sonata and Skryabin third Sonata who did not want to tire Evgeny before the concert …. I think it was indeed Jacob that was more exhausted as we indeed saw an hour later in the concert.Some remarkable piano playing this week and let us not forget the remarkable performance that Emanuel Rimoldi gave too in Fondi of that much neglected masterpiece of Schumann – his Humoresque.Both Evgeny and Emanuel helped by the Keyboard Charitable Trust and leads to great expectation for Vitaly Pisarenko ,the last of this years trio of pianists fromThe Keyboard Charitable Trust on the 27th July for the Campus Internazionale di Musica – this time in Sabaudia