95237 CHAMBER MUSIC

NINO ROTA

Rocco Parisi clarinet Andrea Favalessa cello Gabriele Rota piano NINO ROTA 1911-1979 The name of Nino Rota is universally linked to his accomplishments in film music, Chamber Music which made of him one of the most popular and beloved Italian composers of our era. On the contrary, his remaining production is less known to the general public, Trio for clarinet, cello and piano [1973] Variazioni e Fuga nei dodici toni sul nome di however it is very wide (about 120 works) and extremely varied (it includes all 1. I. Allegro quasi in 1 5’23 Bach for piano [1950] musical genres). 2. II. Andante 5’45 Variations and Fugue in the twelve keys on the "The music of Nino Rota", Guido Agosti wrote, "is like the clearest of springs and 3. III. Allegrissimo 4’15 name of Bach has many excellent qualities: spontaneity, crystal transparency and unerring balance 17. Proposta. Sostenuto un poco Sonata in D for clarinet and piano [1945] liberamente 1’14 of each element of the composition. Here we never meet forced rhetoric, violence, 4. I. Allegretto scorrevole 4’24 18. Variazione I. Mosso, deciso 0'45 heaviness, opacity, on the contrary you can see the terse clarity of detail. Nino Rota 5. II. Andante (quasi adagio) 3’55 19. Variazione II. Tranquillo, had - not as something painstakingly acquired, but as a gift - an innate almost classic 6. III. Allegro scorrevole 3’39 scorrevole 1’12 sense of form and a masterly style". 20. Variazione III. Allegro vivace 0'56 And it is especially in the more intimate and personal field of chamber music that 7. Allegro Danzante 21. Variazione IV. Adagio 1’24 Rota has strung together a series of precious gems that deserve to be played more often. for clarinet and piano [1977] 3’34 22. Variazione V. Allegro 1'00 The Trio for clarinet, cello and piano belongs to the last production of the 23. Variazione VI. Andante 1’22 composer. The opening movement (Allegro quasi in 1) is a kind of quite lively waltz; Lo spiritismo nella vecchia casa 24. Variazione VII. Allegro vivace 0'40 its basically chromatic first theme is closely reminiscent of certain Prokofiev and is for clarinet [1950] 25. Variazione VIII. Poco meno mosso, musiche di scena per il dramma di Ugo Betti con libertà d'andamento 0'55 opposed to a more lyrical second one. The second movement - Andante - is an elegiac The Spiritism in the old House, incidental 26. Variazione IX. Andante tranquillo 2'02 duet between clarinet and cello, accompanied by the precious harmonies of the music for the play by Ugo Betti 27. Variazione X. Allegro vivace 0'38 piano; after a more agitated section, the beginning episode returns and dissolves in a 8. Variazione I 0'45 28. Variazione XI. Sostenuto poco, touching melodic comment by the clarinet. A fancy-free Allegrissimo, full of humor 9. Variazione II 0'52 Maestoso 1’12 and circus-like irony typical of Rota's film scores, closes the Trio: the phrases follow 10. Variazione III 1’36 29. Variazione XII. Lo stesso tempo, one another with sudden breaks until the "headlong rush" (Animatissimo) to the final 11. Variazione IV 1’18 agitato 0'53 chords, after a recall to a theme from the first movement. 12. Variazione V 1’18 30. Fuga. Moderato e tranquillo – The Sonata in D for clarinet and piano dates to 1945 and is as exemplary of 13. Variazione VI 0'44 animando un poco – Meno mosso, the composer's taste and poetic nature as any: already the beginning of the first 14. Suggestione I 1’14 agitato - Maestoso 5’43 15. Suggestione II 1’34 movement (Allegretto scorrevole) shows a tendency towards a straightforward, serene 16. Suggestione III 1’02 Neoclassicism, a kind of music made up of symmetries, and a harmony with an ever Rocco Parisi clarinet slight dissonance that it could almost seem to be from the 19th century, but in which Andrea Favalessa cello a certain late romantic redundant emphasis is totally missing: at its place there is a Gabriele Rota piano 2 3 thoroughly modern, miraculous airiness and lightness. Just thanks to this "naturalness Il nome di Nino Rota è universalmente legato alla sue realizzazioni di musica da film che and candour" (Trudu), together with his amazing easiness, Rota won the esteem of lo hanno reso uno dei più popolari e amati compositori italiani della nostra epoca. Meno his contemporaries. The central movement (Andante quasi adagio) is a melancholic conosciuta al grande pubblico è invece la sua rimanente produzione, peraltro assai vasta monologue, not without drama, which melts into the gay finalAllegro scorrevole. (circa 120 lavori) ed estremamente variegata, abbracciando tutti i generi musicali. Rota's inventiveness and verve come through also in his Allegro Danzante for clarinet "La musica di Nino Rota", ha scritto Guido Agosti, "è come la più chiara delle and piano. This piece, a tripartite album leaf written in 1977 during a summer stay sorgenti e presenta molte eccellenti qualità: la spontaneità, la trasparenza cristallina, in Fiuggi, reveals thoroughly the composer's personality and his infallible sense of un equilibrio infallibile di ogni elemento della composizione. Qui non si incontra mai harmony and chromaticism. The manuscript of the work, unpublished until recently, is la retorica forzata, la violenza, la pesantezza, l'opacità, al contrario si può ammirare held in the Rota archive at the Cini Foundation in . la tersa limpidezza di ogni dettaglio. Nino Rota possedeva - non come qualcosa Lo Spiritismo nella vecchia casa (Spiritism in the old house) was written in 1950 as faticosamente acquisito, ma come un dono - un innato senso quasi classico della incidental music for the homonymous play by Ugo Betti, in which "a false medium forma e il magistero dello stile". deceives, with a tragic outcome, a widow who was deluded to be in touch with the Ed è soprattutto nell' ambito - più intimo e presonale - della musica da camera che spirit of the deceased husband" (Scardicchio). Rota ha inanellato una serie di preziose gemme che meriterebbero di essere eseguite The piece is divided into 6 variations and 3 suggestions; the evocative timbre of the più spesso. clarinet recreates the mysterious atmosphere of the dramatic play. Il Trio per clarinetto, violoncello e pianoforte appartiene all'ultimo periodo della The Variations and Fugue in the twelve keys on the name of Bach for piano (also produizione del compositore. of 1950, later transcribed for orchestra) represent the most challenging work of the Il movimento di apertura è una specie di valzer piuttosto animato (Allegro quasi in "serious" side of the composer's catalogue and, according to many, his masterpiece 1) il cui primo tema, tendenzialmente cromatico, richiama da vicino certo Prokofiev for solo piano. As again Guido Agosti emphasized, they "reveal a fully compositional ed è contrapposto a un secondo tema più lirico. Il secondo movimento - Andante - è technique and knowledge of the instrument and the keyboard (he himself played un duetto elegiaco tra clarinetto e violoncello, accompagnati dalle armonie ricercate the piano with amazing ease) which, regarding the wonderful invention of different e preziose del pianoforte; dopo una sezione un poco più instabile, ritorna l'episodio sounds and the supreme equilibrium of language, are comparable to those of Chopin iniziale che si stempera in un toccante commento melodico del clarinetto. Chiude il and Ravel. As in Chopin and Ravel, there is no superfluous notes, preciosity does not lavoro uno spensierato Allegrissimo, pieno dell'umorismo e dell'ironia quasi da circo become vice". We find in these variations all the features of the pianism of Rota, who, tipica delle partiture di Rota destinate alla produzione cinematografica. Le frasi si as an extremely gifted instrumentalist, "played the piano as someone else talks", as susseguono con brusche interruzioni, sino alla sfrenata corsa (Animatissimo) verso gli Fedele D'Amico wrote. The final Fugue is a construction of extreme complexity, and ultimi accordi, dopo un richiamo a un tema del primo movimento. an admirable crowning of the work. La Sonata in Re per clarinetto e pianoforte risale al 1945, ed è quanto mai esemplificativa delle predilezioni e della poetica del compositore: già l'attacco del primo movimento (Allegretto scorrevole) rivela la tendenza verso un neoclassicismo

4 5 aproblematico, sereno, con una musica fatta di simmetrie, e un'armonia con lievi Rocco Parisi, born in San Pietro a Maida - Italy, dissonanze che potrebbe parere ottocentesca, ma cui è del tutto estranea certa studied in Holland, where he gained brilliantely ridondante enfasi tardoromantica: al suo posto una miracolosa levità e leggerezza, which is the Getuigschrift diploma in bass clarinet tutta moderna. Proprio "la naturalezza e il candore" (Trudu), assieme alla strepitosa and in Italy gained “cum laude” the clarinet facilità, gli guadagnarono la stima dei contemporanei. Il movimento centrale master degree at the Conservatorio “F. Ghedini” (Andante quasi adagio) è un mesto monologo non privo di drammaticità, che si of Cuneo. scioglie nel gaio Allegro scorrevole finale. He has been the winner of various international Un saggio dell'inventiva e della verve di Rota si ha anche nel breve Allegro competitions, including T.I.M. Rome, the Danzante, scritto nel 1977 durante un soggiorno estivo a Fiuggi, foglio d'album Orpheus Prize in Antwerpen, and the Concorso tripartito in cui ritroviamo appieno la personalità dell'Autore e il suo infallibile senso Internazionale di Stresa. dell'armonia e dei cromatismi. Il manoscritto del brano, sino a poco tempo fa inedito, Parisi took part in Giuseppe Garbarino’s si trova presso l'archivio Rota della Fondazione Cini di Venezia. masterclasses at the Accademia Chigiana in for four years, each year gaining a Lo Spiritismo nella vecchia casa fu scritto nel 1950 quale musica di scena per special grant, and earning at the end of the four years a Diploma of Honor. Maestro l'omonimo lavoro teatrale di Ugo Betti, in cui "un finto medium inganna, con esiti Garbarino subsequently asked Parisi to become his assistant at the Academy. tragici, una vedova che si illudeva di essere in contatto con lo spirito del defunto Recognized as a talent interpreter of contemporary music and as an innovator of consorte" (Scardicchio). Il brano si articola in 6 variazioni e 3 suggestioni in cui il new techniques for the bass clarinet, many original compositions have been dedicated timbro evocativo del clarinetto ricrea le misteriose atmosfere della drammatica pièce. to Parisi, these being performed by him at important Italian festivals, including Le Variazioni e fuga nei dodici toni sul nome di Bach per pianoforte solo, pure Chigiana Novità Siena, Settembre Musica , Biennale of Venice, Nuovi Spazi del 1950 e successivamente rielaborate per orchestra, rappresentano il lavoro più Musicali Rome and Spazio Musica Cagliari. impegnativo nel catalogo “serio” del compositore e, secondo molti, il suo capolavoro He also gave the world premiere of “Sequenza IX c” for bass clarinet and the pianistico. Come sottolineò ancora Guido Agosti, esse "rivelano pienamente una Italian premiere of “Chemins II c” for bass clarinet and orchestra by . tecnica compositiva e una conoscenza dello strumento e della tastiera (suonava egli A deep collaboration in direct contact with Ennio Morricone and Sylvano Bussotti stesso il pianoforte con estrema facilità) paragonabili, per stupenda invenzione delle allowed him to record some world premiere in CD, playing their compositions in diverse sonorità e per l'equilibrio del linguaggio, a quelle di Chopin e di Ravel. Come prestigious concert halls. in Chopin e in Ravel, non v'è una nota di troppo, la preziosità non diventa vizio". As a soloist he has performed in several foreign countries (Germany, Turkey, Troviamo in queste variazioni tutte le movenze del pianismo di Rota che, strumentista Portugal, China, France, Switzerland, Spain) and at prestigious venues: estremamente dotato, "suonava il pianoforte come altri parla”, come ebbe a scrivere Basklarinetdagen Gent, Strobel Studio Freiburg, Centrum Sztuki Wspolczenej Fedele D'Amico. La Fuga conclusiva è una costruzione di estrema complessità, degno Warsaw, Music Academyof Kracow, UHR kleinersaal Leipzig, Lisbon Music coronamento del lavoro. Conservatory and the Beijing Central Conservatory, “Festival Cervantino” Mexico.

6 7 He was invited by the l.C.A. (International Clarinet Association to) give concerts Medal "for Meritorious of Culture and Art" by the President of the Italian Republic, and master classes at the world clarinet convention in New Orleans (Louisiana) USA; Carlo Azeglio Ciampi. Stockholm (Swede); Salt Lake City (Utah) USA, Austin (Texas) USA, Assisi (Italy), As principal cello he collaborates with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (invited Baton Rouge (Louisiana) USA, Madrid. personally by Maestro Z. Mehta) the Orchestra of Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, La The RAI, BRT, and WDR are just a few of the many radio and television stations to Fenice Orchestra in Venice, the Orchestra of the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa. have recorded Rocco Parisi. Currently he works as a first cello with the Orchestra dei Pomeriggi Musicali di He has performed as bass clarinetist with a number of Italian orchestras, such as Milano. Giovanile Italiana of Fiesole, the “Arturo Toscanini” of Parma, the Orchestra da Since 2002 he has been regularly working with the Filarmonica della Scala, and Camera of Padua, Orchestra Sinfonica “G. Verdi” of Miland and RAI O.S.N. (Italian continuously plays also In 2000 he made his debut at the Sala Verdi in Milan playing Radio Television National Symphony Orchestra). Elgar and Shostakovich cello concertos with the Pomeriggi Musicali Orchestra. With Parisi has recorded CDs for labels Taukay, Stradivarius, DDT, Nuova Era, AOC his performance of the Shostakovich’s Concert n°1, conducted by V. Parisi, Andrea Classic – Edizioni Leonardi, Concerto Music-Media, Amadeus. opened the new concert season of the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Conservatoire He his currently professor of clarinet and bass clarinet at the conservatorio of Milan in December 2004. In 2008 he performed with the Chamber Orchestra of “Antonio Vivaldi” in Alessandria. Brescia playing Haydn cello concerto in C Major. As a chamber musician he has collaborated with artists such as B. Giuranna, K. Sahatci, B. Canino, F. Petracchi. Andrea Favalessa studied the cello under Maestro Marco Since 2004 Andrea plays in duo with the pianist Maria Semeraro. Together they Bernardin at the "G. Verdi" Conservatoire, Milan. He have won several competitions, at national and international level, such as the First took his Bachelor Degree in 2001 and his Master Degree in Prize at the “Duchi d’Acquaviva” European competition, the First Prize and the “Music Performance” in 2006. special mention for a composition by Sandro Fuga in the national competition “S. He has attended master classes held by such artists as M. Fuga” in Turin, the Second Prize in the international competition “Città di Pinerolo”, Brunello, E. Dindo, R. Filippini among others. Pinerolo, Turin. As soloist he has been awarded prestigious prizes, They have recorded the complete works for cello and piano by Alfredo Casella for such as the First Prize at the "Valentino Bucchi" Brilliant Classics. international cello competition in Rome, the First Prize Andrea has given recitals in many Italian cities performing in relevant venues and at the international competition "Rovere d'oro" in San festivals, among which we might mention Venice (Teatro Malibran), Milan (Teatro Bartolomeo, Imperia, the First Prize at the "Gaetano dal Verme, Sala Verdi), Atri (Duchi d’Acquaviva Festival), Brescia (Auditorium San Zinetti" international competition in Sanguinetto, Verona. Barnaba), Croatia (Lubenice Festival), Cervo (43° International Chamber Music In 2002 Andrea Favalessa was awarded the Bronze Festival), Bologna (the Accademia Filarmonica), (Alighieri Theatre in

8 9 Ravenna), Trento (Philarmonic hall for the Società Filarmonica), Padova (Auditorium Several of Gabriele Rota's works have been performed in Italy and abroad, and Pollini - Amici della Musica). have been published by Bèrben. The musical magazine Seicorde has recently chosen Also very active and intrigued by contemporary repertoire, he has been a member his Notturno e Divertissement for voice and guitar as "score of the month". Winner of ISCM (Italian Society of Contemporary Music), for which he has premeried several of State teaching competition, Gabriele Rota taught in Bari, Brescia and Vicenza, and works and recorded for the MC Harmony Label. He has furthermore collaborated at present teaches at the "Verdi" Conservatoire in Milan. with the Divertimento Ensemble and MDI Ensemble playing music composed by authors such as H. Dufourt, M. Pintscher, G. Pesson, and S. Bussotti. In August 2007 he premiered the piece “Pulse” by Gabriele Vanoni for the “Settimane Musicali di Stresa”. He plays Carlo Loveri cello dated 1884.

Gabriele Rota received his diploma as a pianist at the We would like to thank Fratelli Patricola, D'Addario, "Donizetti" Conservatoire in Bergamo with Tiziana Silverstein Works, Lomax Classic for the kind support Moneta as well as in Composition with Vittorio to this recording. Fellegara. Following this, his studies continued in Biella and in Rome with Aldo Ciccolini who wrote of him: "His faculty of assimilating different styles is miraculous as that of 'imprinting' in his fingers works of great difficulty. Gabriele Rota has all the qualities for an international career". Having achieved success in national and international competitions, he has performed in both Italy and abroad. Since 1986 Gabriele Rota has been forming with Tiziana Moneta a piano duo which is internationally renowned as one of the most interesting formations and is regular guest of the most prestigious European concert halls, also transmitted by national radio stations. Intense recording Recording: 12 and 14 January 2015, Bartokstudio, Bernareggio, Italy work of the Duo has resulted in CDs being produced on labels such as Sipario, Producer and Sound engineer: Raffaele Cacciola Edipan, Tirreno, La Bottega Discantica and extremely well received by both the Editing and Mastering: Bartokstudio public and critics. Photo Rocco Parisi: Amleto (Genova) Photo Gabriele Rota: Pedro López de la Osa (Madrid) 10 - & © 2016 Brilliant Classics 11