La Dolce Vita
Recently I travelled to Rome. While there I attended two musical events. One night was spent at the Teatro Dell'Opera di Roma, experiencing Gaetano Donizetti's, Don Pasquale. A late afternoon was spent walking the botanical gardens at the foot of the Gianiculan Hill and then sitting down to a light piano concert of Spanish and Argentinian music.
The first experience had the aura of what you might expect of a European opera house. Beautiful acoustics but craned necks as we sat in a box on the side. The second was completely enjoyable. I was introduced to a composer I had never heard of, Saul Cosentino. We hear Albeniz and Piazzola as you might well expect. Two young pianists shared the stage and for the last section they played piano four hands.
Both experiences were light. Donizetti's opera is definitely part of the opera "buffa" tradition. The piano pieces were happily passionate and the physical environment relaxing.
These were both opportunities to experience the music contextualized. For classical music this is important especially as the music often comes from a context very different than the context in which we listen to it. An audio recording of opera makes much more sense to us when we have already seen the opera staged or on video at least. Hearing the Spanish and Argentinian music while sitting in a Mediterranean environment played by musicians who seemed to easily identify with the rhythm of the passions presented by the composers changed the way I am going to experience that music in the future.
In North America this kind of culture is presented as something that is strictly high brow, but is not really the brow that needs to be engaged but the heart. And most of us humans have hearts. We just need to be provided with the context that will help us connect to each other.
Here's the program:
Armonie e Colori di Spagna e di Argentina
Claude Debussy La porta del vino' dai Preludes (Il Libro)
Soiree dans Granade' da Estampes
Isaac Albeniz de Recuerdos da viajes: 'Rumores de la caleta'
'En la alahambra'
'Puerta de Tierra'
Pianist: Noemi Reibaldi
Isaac Albeniz 'La puerta del vino' dai Preludes (Il Libro)
Soiree dans Granade' da Estampes
Isaac Albeniz da 12 Piezas Caracteristicas:
'Mallorca'
Tango'
'Sevilla'
'Torre Bermeja'
Pianist: Manuela Renzi
MUSICA ARGENTINA
Saul Cosentino Poema
Astor Piazzola Buenos Aires ahora cero
Pianist: Noemi Reibaldi
Saul Cosentino Los cielos mas altos
Astor Piazzola Milonga del Angel
La muerte del Angel
Pianist: Manuela Renzi
Saul Cosentino Convicciones
Callao y Sante fe
Prisonero de mis metas
El nuevo tango
Carlos Guastavino
Romance del Plata (I, II e III tempo)
Astor Piazzola Contrabajeando
Piano 4 Hands: Manuela Renzi e Noemi Reibaldi
The first experience had the aura of what you might expect of a European opera house. Beautiful acoustics but craned necks as we sat in a box on the side. The second was completely enjoyable. I was introduced to a composer I had never heard of, Saul Cosentino. We hear Albeniz and Piazzola as you might well expect. Two young pianists shared the stage and for the last section they played piano four hands.Both experiences were light. Donizetti's opera is definitely part of the opera "buffa" tradition. The piano pieces were happily passionate and the physical environment relaxing.
These were both opportunities to experience the music contextualized. For classical music this is important especially as the music often comes from a context very different than the context in which we listen to it. An audio recording of opera makes much more sense to us when we have already seen the opera staged or on video at least. Hearing the Spanish and Argentinian music while sitting in a Mediterranean environment played by musicians who seemed to easily identify with the rhythm of the passions presented by the composers changed the way I am going to experience that music in the future.
In North America this kind of culture is presented as something that is strictly high brow, but is not really the brow that needs to be engaged but the heart. And most of us humans have hearts. We just need to be provided with the context that will help us connect to each other.
Here's the program:
Armonie e Colori di Spagna e di Argentina
Claude Debussy La porta del vino' dai Preludes (Il Libro)
Soiree dans Granade' da Estampes
Isaac Albeniz de Recuerdos da viajes: 'Rumores de la caleta'
'En la alahambra'
'Puerta de Tierra'
Pianist: Noemi Reibaldi
Isaac Albeniz 'La puerta del vino' dai Preludes (Il Libro)
Soiree dans Granade' da Estampes
Isaac Albeniz da 12 Piezas Caracteristicas:
'Mallorca'
Tango'
'Sevilla'
'Torre Bermeja'
Pianist: Manuela Renzi
MUSICA ARGENTINA
Saul Cosentino Poema
Astor Piazzola Buenos Aires ahora cero
Pianist: Noemi Reibaldi
Saul Cosentino Los cielos mas altos
Astor Piazzola Milonga del Angel
La muerte del Angel
Pianist: Manuela Renzi
Saul Cosentino Convicciones
Callao y Sante fe
Prisonero de mis metas
El nuevo tango
Carlos Guastavino
Romance del Plata (I, II e III tempo)
Astor Piazzola Contrabajeando
Piano 4 Hands: Manuela Renzi e Noemi Reibaldi
